BMW X1 Used: A Worse, Overpriced Creta
Instead of a new Creta, should I buy a used luxury car? To find out, I test-drove a BMW X1 crossover1 (2019 model), both in the city and on the highway, and evaluated it against my requirements. I wouldn’t buy it. It’s worse than the Creta. Besides, this particular car is damaged. And it costs as much as a new Creta.
- The interior feels premium but not more than a new Creta.
+ When reversing, curved guidelines move along with the steering wheel.
- No front camera
± 2-liter non-turbocharged engine
± Auto start stop
± No auto hold
± EPB
± front-wheel-drive sDrive.
- 6-speed torque converter. I’d have preferred a DCT.
Used car
- This is the 2019 model
± It was driven for 52,000 km by a single owner.
- Keeps showing errors like engine can’t be started, or remote fault.
- The car kept warning me that the engine oil wasn’t replaced in time and that the tyre pressure is low. The warnings were ignored, and it kept being driven anyway. I wouldn’t buy it since its engine will last fewer years because of this negligence.
- Though sold by BMW, the car came with no warranty. I thought buying a used car directly from the brand to be safer, but it’s not. It’s not Certified, despite the name. They’re not adding value over third-party used car sellers. BMW is just a bunch of petty businesspeople out to make money.
Comfort
+ Good legroom
- The steering wheel tilts and telescopes but telescoping is stiff.
- The horn is so hard that I can’t honk with one finger — worst among the couple of dozen cars I test-drove.
- Engine vibrations are high — felt like a diesel.
- My stomach felt compressed and uncomfortable, but that could be because I’d just had a meal.
- There’s loud noise over speed bumps. The salesman told me the struts are gone. They were shamelessly trying to offload a damaged car onto me — passing it off as “Certified”! When I challenged him, he told me flat out that they invest as little as possible on a car before dumping it on a buyer. And I thought BMW was a luxury brand!
+ 6-way electrically adjustable seat
- The brake is oversensitive and causes passengers to jerk forward even when pressed gently. This happened when the salesman drove, too.
Digital features
- No wired CarPlay, which is more reliable and charges my phone.
+ USB-C
- The infotainment screen is smartphone-sized — the worst I’ve seen. It should’ve been bigger for visibility during driving — staring at the screen can cause an accident.
- Listening to music in this car is a bad experience, due to excessive road noise.
- The phone’s volume control doesn’t work to control the car’s volume.
- Spotify started playing by itself. I didn’t want this! Besides, I prefer Youtube and Apple Music. This happened thrice.
- Spotify shows a stupid safety warning on my iPhone:
I’ve had to dismiss safety notices in car UIs, but never on my phone. It takes the annoyance to the next level!
- Phone lock sounds play loudly through the car speakers.
- Unlike a few modern cars, the car can’t be unlocked using a phone app, nor shared with a friend without giving him the key.
Cooling
- This car was black, so it will get hot in summer.
- When the sun was falling into the car, even with the AC at max, the car became hot.
- The sunroof, even when closed, is translucent. I could see shadows of leaves on it. This will let in a lot of heat in the summer.
+ 2 bottle holders in the center.
+ But my fat Thermos flask didn’t fit in these, nor in the driver’s door; only in the passenger door.
- No cooled glovebox
- No ventilated seat
+ Dual-zone AC
- The AC can’t be turned on remotely using the app.
- There’s a panoramic sunroof, but with a horizontal center horizontal bar. This spoils the view.
Front passenger seat
+ Good headroom
+ Good legroom
+ The windshield offers an expansive view — doesn’t feel cramped.
+ 6-way electrically adjustable seat
Rear seat
+ Good headroom
+ Good legroom
- The window isn’t panoramic — neither wide nor tall.
+ The seat base is short, so it offers poor thigh support: my legs dangle.
- When the engine is idling, I feel vibrations in headrest. When I take my head off, I still feel it in my body.
+ The seat reclines for a relaxed posture.
+ 2 USB-C
+ Both passengers’ AC vents can be independently adjusted up / down / left / right, but they’re flimsy and loose.
In summary, the BMW X1 I test-drove is just a worse, overpriced Creta.
It has a monocoque / unibody construction.