When BMW launched the first-generation X1 in 2009, it didn’t make many associates. It wasn’t modern. It wasn’t low. And it actually wasn’t fairly. In truth, to a lot of the BMW trustworthy, the E84 X1 was a little bit of a monstrosity. Right here was a model identified for sport sedans and chic touring wagons providing up what regarded like a lifted 3 Collection wagon sporting orthopedic footwear. BMW referred to as it a “Sports activities Exercise Car,” however to many, it regarded like a confused compromise.
And but, beneath that oddball shell, the X1 xDrive35i was one of the vital sincere, entertaining, and enthusiast-friendly vehicles BMW bought that decade. The world simply didn’t notice it.
Constructed on a 3 Collection, Not a Crossover Platform
Constructed on the E91 3 Collection Touring platform, the E84 X1 shared extra than simply bones with among the finest chassis BMW ever made. It inherited the identical rear-wheel-drive format, the identical multi-link rear suspension, and most significantly, the identical driving DNA. At its core, it was a 3 Collection sporting mountain climbing boots. That meant the proportions have been tight, the stability was pure, and the dealing with—regardless of the marginally greater journey peak—nonetheless carried that unmistakable BMW character.
A Correct BMW Engine The place You’d Least Count on It
The highest-dog xDrive35i model made it even higher. BMW dropped within the N55B30, a 3.0-liter single-turbo inline-six with direct injection and variable valve timing. It made 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque, and it pulled like a freight prepare from simply 1,300 rpm right through 5,000. That large, flat torque curve gave the X1 a shove off the road that shocked most individuals. Regardless of being a lifted wagon, it might dash to 60 mph in simply over 5 seconds—sooner than many sports activities vehicles of its period. The six-speed computerized transmission was clean and well-tuned, and in an age the place BMW’s dual-clutch and eight-speed items have been nonetheless maturing, the standard torque converter setup labored fantastically.
Rear-Biased Dealing with That Nonetheless Feels RWD
However numbers solely inform a part of the story. What made the X1 xDrive35i so particular was the way it drove. The xDrive all-wheel-drive system, in contrast to most programs within the compact crossover phase, was rear-biased. Beneath regular situations, it despatched energy to the rear wheels, preserving the entrance axle largely passive till traction loss referred to as it into motion. That rear-drive really feel gave the automotive a way of function by way of corners that few crossovers ever handle. Flip off stability management, and the little X1 would even hold its tail out in a slide—one thing no small SUV must be able to, and but right here we’re.
One in all BMW’s Final Nice Steering Racks
Much more spectacular was the steering. BMW’s Servotronic variable-assist steering was non-compulsory on the X1. And if you happen to didn’t verify that field, you bought one thing that no fashionable BMW affords anymore: a correct hydraulic steering rack. Not electrical, not drive-by-wire, however actual, old-school hydraulic energy steering. The sort that talks again by way of your fingertips. The sort that builds weight as you load up the entrance tires and offers you suggestions you’ll be able to truly belief. The sort BMW was well-known for. And the E84 X1 was one of many final vehicles within the lineup to supply it.
No Drive Modes, Simply Trustworthy Tuning
This wasn’t a automotive you adjusted by way of modes. There was no Consolation, Sport, or Sport+. No adaptive suspension, no configurable throttle maps, no digital damping. The suspension was tuned as soon as, accurately, and left alone. That gave the X1 a journey that felt assured and composed with out being overcomplicated. It soaked up damaged pavement with out flinching however stayed buttoned-down in corners. The simplicity made it really feel extra mechanical—extra related—than a lot of its extra superior successors.
Sensible, Fast, and Surprisingly Enjoyable
After all, it had flaws. The rear seat was a bit tight. The seems have been polarizing at finest. And its barely taller stance didn’t do it any favors on backroads with sharper elevation adjustments. However these quirks pale into the background when you discovered a twisty highway and let the automotive stretch its legs. It could have regarded like a crossover designed to chase gross sales, however the way in which it drove advised a special story. This was a 3 Collection with extra floor clearance and fewer excuses.
The $12,000 Secret BMW Acquired Proper
What makes all of this much more absurd is the worth. As we speak, you’ll find a clear, low-mileage 2015 BMW X1 xDrive35i for round $12,000. That’s $12K for a turbocharged inline-six, one of many final hydraulic steering racks BMW ever made, a rear-drive chassis with all-wheel-drive backup, and acceleration that will embarrass some fashionable sports activities vehicles. For lower than the worth of a used Honda CR-V, you may get a automotive that also feels prefer it was constructed throughout BMW’s golden years.
The E84 X1 xDrive35i is a type of uncommon vehicles that makes extra sense now than it did when it was new. On the time, it confused individuals. However in hindsight, it’d’ve been certainly one of BMW’s finest unintended hits. It snuck in on the tail finish of the analog period, earlier than steering really feel was tuned out, earlier than drive modes changed tuning, and at first needed to be digitally configurable. It simply drove effectively, full cease.
In case you’re the form of one that nonetheless values how a automotive feels—the way it reacts to your fingers and ft, the way it communicates by way of the wheel and chassis—the E84 X1 xDrive35i must be in your radar. It won’t seem like a lot. However drive one, and also you’ll get it.
And for twelve grand? You’ll be laughing all the way in which to redline.
