Jeremy Clarkson has just finished test driving the new BMW X1, which won't arrive in the United States until 2011, and gave the new German SUV/Crossover one star out of five.
The low-lights: "If it were a book, it would have no plot and a stupid cover and it would fall to pieces in the sun. But it isn***8217;t a book. And neither is it a car. It***8217;s rubbish."
This is the same guy who called the 335i SE "Big Dog Turd".
The X1 is not a car. It's the ultimate driving machine. I'm sitting in Monte Carlo right now and have seen a sufficient amount of cars that just blow me away. Then i see this strange brownish strange colored car coming my way and REALLY caught my eye. What is it? An X1. AWESOME car. Jeremy is full of rubbish. SWEET ride. I'd LOVE one.
Couldn't agree more! :bigpimp: I have such a distaste for the media. They are quite scary actually...and only because there are SO many people out there who believe everything they say is fact...when in most cases...it is fact editing so much that you might as well be reading the Enquirer to read up on which stocks to buy.
It would be interesting to see a comparo between the X1 and the new Ford Kuga (which is supposed to be in NA Markets next year. JC seems to like that one.
My wife's X3 lease is up next May and we'll need something else for her in the "trucklet" category. Since we love ED, the new X3 is out and we're looking at X1, GLK, Q5, and XC60. We were at the Welt 2 weeks ago picking up my '11 335 and they had an X1 on the floor.
While we really like the exterior and interior design; we couldn't get over how poor the plastics were in the dash. They were worse than the plastics from the original X3 (and they were pretty bad). Now, the one they had on display was a "stripper" 1.8d, but I don't think the dash plastics would change in higher-end models. I am hopeful that BMW upgrades the materials before we have to make a decision.
We saw _tons_ of them driving around Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, and England. It seems to be a very popular model over there along with the various 1er hatches.
Actually, he was in a special Media version and lost out to Daffy Duck in the first round. Cowell said he couldn't sing (or speak) as well as the Duck and had the grace of Elmer Fudd. On top of that, he was 20 seconds slower in the Reasonably Priced Car lap time than a randomly selected audience member from Top Gear.
I like Clarkson (not as much as James May though) yet he has always had a dislike with BMW. He says the 3 series is rubbish and the M3 isnt cool. Even when he drove the M6 he knew it was the best of the lost and he had to force himself to like it. So I dont really care what Clarkson says about if he likes it or not, but I do listen to his performance/technical reviews. Even if he hates a car, if it drives well, he will say it. Ie; M5. He didnt like it but he said it drove great.
He an entertainer. Anyone who makes the statement "It doesn't feel like a pair of turbo chargers. It feels like a pair or TESTIES!! BIG MEATY ONES!" - Jeremy Clarkson on the N54 powered Z4. OMG I enjoy the heck out of my Z4, it is my daily driver, but seriously - big meaty testies. NOT. My original 427 Shelby Cobra - Yes big meaty testies.
Can't wait to see & drive the US configured X1's. Hope to do one for our next ED.
Saw a number of X1 last week on our ED trip. I thought it looked great. When it's time to replace the wife's ride I'll give it a serious look- hopefully for an ED.
There are quite a few VW Golf TDIs in the Raleigh/Durham and the Piedmont areas of NC, driven presumably by smart people who realise that the diesel works wonders in the highway driving that defines the state.
I own an X1 for a few months now and I have to say that it was a mistake to buy this car.
The suspension (in combination with runflat tyres) is a bit too stiff. But what really annoys me is that it doesn't absorp small bumps and waves properly. Driving on the highway sometimes feels like riding a horse. The car permanently moves up and down.
Sound insulation is bad. The engine (18 d) is too present in the cabin, perhaps because there is no insulation mat at the bonnet? (even a Dacia Duster has that)
The vibration of the engine transmits to the steering wheel so that the hands are feeling a bit numb while driving long distances.
After driving the car for a few days I noticed some clutch judder. It became worse and worse as time went on. Now it is really bad. I think that this is unacceptable but it seems that there is no fix which really solves the problem. BMW will change software settings. If that doesn't help they will replace the clutch and/or flywheel. After that, the problem will be absent for a few thousand kms, but it will occur later on.
The X1 is my 4th BMW. I have never experienced such a huge letdown after buying a car. Yes, I did a test drive before I bought it, but I didn't noticed the major flaws of this car at that time. I know some other X1 driver who feeled exactly like I do... meanwhile he sold the car after driving it for only 4 months.
Overall I think that this car was not built with the same approach like the other BMW cars I drove before. All of them where built to be among the best in their class. In contrast to that, the X1 just feels mediocre at best.
Sure, the X1 drives more like a sports wagon and is more exciting, but then again, the 3er touring does that job better than the X1. The Evoque has a better interior, better ride, far better off-road capabilities without being a slop on the road. Similar fuel consumption figures too. And I gotta admit, it looks better than the X1 too.
The Evoque looks like a Ford Edge mixed with a Kia. And the fuel economy is not similar. The top end is 8mpg less, which is a significant difference. Add to that the price tag, which will certainly be at least $10k more for the Rover. When talking about price, that's competing with well-equipped X3s.
Then, you take into account that it's a Land Rover. They routinely make the bottom of the list for Consumer Reports for reliability. BMW is not a prize horse and is usually in the bottom half, but at least they're not AT the bottom. Land Rover jockeys with Saab for the title of Least Reliable on an almost yearly basis.
Just sayin'
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