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ground clearance

14K views 22 replies 17 participants last post by  Andrew*Debbie 
#1 ·
IT seems X1 is not smaller than X3, but with a lot lower ground clearance.
It is also a lot cheaper than x3.

So does lower ground clearance make the car a lot cheaper to make? Why they don't make it higher and looks more like a real SUV?

I want to buy an X1 but my friend told me it is a wagon, I am confused.
 
#4 ·
BMW didn't want to give it more ground clearance in favor or better dynamic handling which many of us can appreciate. Have you driven an SUV and could you tell it's much different than a sedan? If not, you should definitely stick to an SUV if you want such a thing. There are drawbacks to an SUV and BMW is simply closing that gap with the X1.
 
#5 ·
The X1 is also missing a lot of features, standard but also available, compared to a new X3 (not so much my generation). No rear seat vents, no power tailgate option are the two that disappoint me the most. But I bet a fair amount of other stuff is missing too.

Still, it does seem to be a pretty good deal for a brand new BMW. You can push an X3's price up quite high with options.
 
#6 ·
I still have this question:

Is lower clearance/higher clearance by itself change the cost of making a car, or not? Not only BMW but in other brands, it seems cars with lower clearance are sold at lower prices than a similarly equipped car with higher clearance. I want to understand why.
 
#7 ·
I'm not sure they really are. The X1 is priced pretty aggressively for a BMW. Given its capacity, its actually priced cheaper then a 1 series. And the Infiniti G37 sedan and EX35 SUV are priced fairly close to each other as well.

Perhaps in the typical case, you are right, however. I wouldn't think a higher clearance in itself would add that much to the manufacturing of the vehicle. Often times, the cost is somewhat tied to the economies of scale and how many the car companies plan to manufacturer. So a vehicle with higher clearance that doesn't sell nearly as well as a low clearance vehicle will probably be more expensive.
 
#11 · (Edited)
Anyone know the fording depth? On our old e83 X3 it was about 2 feet.

We are thinking about replacing our Z4 with an X1 or X3.


It is telling that BMW didn't put the ground clearance or fording depth in the brochure.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Anyone know the fording depth? On our old e83 X3 it was about 2 feet.
Found it. Maximum depth is 300mm (about 12") if you drive very slowly.

e83 X3 is 500mm or 20".
 
#14 ·
I'm coming from a Forester XT with larger tires to the X1. I mostly went down dirt roads--not off road--and found that I wasn't even close to using up the ground clearance. I'm hoping the x1 will get me down those same roads with no problems. I already know I'll have more fun getting to those roads : )
 
#15 · (Edited)
#16 ·
Not really a wagon...or a HB...somewhere in between, IMO.
Closest by comparison to the 3-series Touring.

328iT or (SprtWagon)
weight 3594
wheelbase 108.7
width 71.5
length 178.6
height 55.8
Gr.clearance 5.6

X1
weight 3527
wheelbase 106.7
width 70.8
length 176.5
height 60.8
Gr.clearance 7.6

Most dimensions fairly close until you get to the overall height and ground clearance. So if one wants to insist that's it's a "wagon"...then it's a tall wagon. Conversely, if one wants to call it an "SAV", then it's a rather short SAV.
Either way, I'm really liking mine. I will hit 100 miles today!
FWIW, all things being equal, it should cost a minimal amount to manufacture a car with higher ground clearance. Different springs and dampers and maybe a few other drivetrain and steering components. Differerent, however, doesn't always equate to more $$$.
 
#17 ·
one telling thing about the ground clearance: on our street are a couple of big speed bumps, and i constantly hear people scraping the fairing on their cars when they go over them too fast. the X1 can easily cruise over them with no problem at a normal speed without fear of bottoming out.
 
#18 ·
I had some reservations at first of the X1 for fear that it will look like a wagon than an SUV.
Then this morning I drove by one. It definitely looks more like an SUV (albeit a /shorter one) than a wagon.
Wagons typically look "polite" and stretched out. The X1 looked pretty buff.

When I priced out the MSRPs for X3's and the X1's, the X3 end up being around 4k more expensive than the X1.
Some argue X3 has nicer interior, the back seat vents, etc. The car also weighs more. But I don't see how that all equates to the 4k premium in cost of production.
So some of it is marketing, some of it is BMW testing the X1 market in the USA.

You should test drive the difference between X1 and X3. You should notice a difference in handling. Go look at the X1, then, say, an Audi A4 wagon/all road to see the difference for yourself (don't let others make you believe it is one way or the other :D)
 
#20 ·
Off road capability

Isn't it necessary to look at other factors, such as wheel travel and the type of suspension, to assess a vehicle's off-road capability? My '96 RAV4 only has the same clearance as the X1, but I've driven it all through the slickrock backcountry of Utah without problems. Could I really expect to do that in an X1 (even assuming I would want to)?
 
#23 ·
Isn't it necessary to look at other factors, such as wheel travel and the type of suspension, to assess a vehicle's off-road capability?
Yes. Depending on where you are driving, the X1's 12" Fording depth could be what stops you. That alone makes the X1 a "most-roads" car.
 
#22 ·
Yes, I've seen that video, and the bit with the driver piling rocks under the tire seems fake to me.

There's also this video:



Although here you wonder how much you really care about a vehicle's ability to maneuver through deep mud (assuming you're not driving in Vermont in the spring, that is).

I think the realistic test is handling dirt roads that have potholes, ruts and/or washboards, the kind of obstacles that deter, or slow, drivers in sedans and wagons. Increased ground clearance certainly helps to keep from bottoming out, but you'd also like to know you can hit a pothole without damaging the vehicle.
 
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