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Did a long drive yesterday covering 547kms. Went to Lavasa for a drive to test the X1. The drive was great and like it goes with BMWs the X1 was spot on. No nervous moments at any speed. Comparing with the 3 the heavier body does show in the pickup. The vroom is slightly less, but being 400kgs heavier than the 3 its bound to happen. At lower speed steering is rather heavy but the feedback is great. Comparing this with my Polo it is like driving a macho truck. The Polo has an incredibly light steering and sometimes I am not sure whether it is connected to the wheel or not! This makes riding on high speeds a little nervous affair. I do not dare to go beyond 140 on the Polo, one being the steering the other most important factor that it is a Petrol car. Need I say anything more
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In the Pune-Mumbai stretch on the expressway I effortlessly touched 185 without any hint of roll. I had read reports that the engine is noisy but it was not the case. The winding roads of Lavasa need concentration due to the sharp harpin bends, but the X1 took it all without a complaint. Slight rains added to the fun, especially with the panoramic sunroof adding to the feel of being inside an open roof car.
On the expressway the average generally is lower due to higher speeds and the concrete roads which generate more friction. I prefer tar roads as it causes less wear and tear of the tyres. Surprisingly the RFTs on the X1 did not give rough ride as was evident on the 3. Maybe the suspension has been tweaked. The higher seating position is a very strong point with my better half as she is more comfortable and likes the commanding view of the road.
The strong point of the BMW in comparison with the Audi / MB has been the steering. The BMW employs fully hydraulic steering system which provides greater feedback to the driver but in turn needs more effort than the Audi or MB. This is why the BMW is termed as a driver's car. And now I am an ardent BMW fan.
Till now I have covered about 675 kms on the X1 and the on-board computer shows an average of 12.5 kmpl which is good for this car.
Posting some pics of the drive
I don’t think if X1 can be called as a proper SUV but for your kind of requirements, it sure was a decent swap with 320d. Those interiors look fantastic. I’m subscribing to this thread and look forward to a comprehensive driving review with more snaps soon. 
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