A few evenings ago, I went out for dinner at Firedoor, a fancy Sydney restaurant with an obscenely long wait list. Both the food and experience were top-notch.
The next night, I found myself at a more wallet-friendly venue. I spent a lot less but still had a great meal.
The contrast was stark, yet the satisfaction from both meals left me thinking about value for money. Which then got me thinking about the vehicle I'm testing this week: the BMW iX1 xDrive30, which is priced at fairly expensive $92,000 driveaway.
That would pay for a lot of meals, even at Firedoor. But it's cheap compared to its obvious rivals, such as the Dual motor Volvo XC40 Recharge which is priced at $94,920 driveaway, the equivalent electric Lexus UX (Sports Luxury) at $98,765 driveaway, or the Mercedes-Benz EQA 350 4Matic for $108,280 driveaway.
Given that difference, you start to think: "It's a BMW, what's the catch?" Time to find out.
What's the BMW iX1 like to drive?
Let's start with the the motor. It's powered by a significant 230kW electric motor, "fueled" (for lack of a better term) by a 64.7kWh battery, achieving up to 400 kilometres per charge, catering to both daily drives and longer trips.
This power enables it to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in an impressive 5.6 seconds, all while maintaining a quiet operation that marks a departure from traditional engine noise.
Charging is efficient with the iX1. A fast charger boosts the battery from 10% to 80% in just around 29 minutes. Home charging overnight is also an option.
Behind the wheel, the iX1 gives immediate response to acceleration and for a family SUV still offers up some agile handling, living up to BMW's legacy of enjoyable driving experiences.
The ride is quite good too, which can be attributed to its advanced suspension system.
This is specifically engineered to adjust the damping force on each wheel independently, based on the road conditions and driving dynamics. Such adaptability ensures that the suspension can provide a firmer setup for enhanced handling during spirited driving, while also being capable of softening to absorb road imperfections and bumps
What makes this suspension setup particularly effective is its ability to instantly respond to changes in the road surface, thanks to sensors that monitor vehicle speed, steering angle, and even braking actions. These sensors feed data to the suspension system, which then adjusts the damping characteristics in real time, optimising comfort and stability.
This works in harmony with the vehicle's low centre of gravity, a natural characteristic of electric vehicles due to the placement of their heavy batteries low in the chassis.
What's the interior of the BMW iX1 like?
Inside the BMW iX1 xDrive30 the cockpit is dominated by BMW's iDrive 8 system, featuring a massive curved screen that merges a 10.25-inch digital cluster and a 10.7-inch touchscreen, offering wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. The system is easy to use and with the amount of options, settings and configurability available you can really go down a rabbit hole playing around with it.
The only niggle with this system is that the wireless Android Auto did tend to disconnect a little too often for my liking, but this isn't an issue isolated to the BMW system.
Seating in the iX1 is quite good too. The driver and passengers seats are equipped with memory functions and heating options. There's also a nifty feature for the tech-obsessed: a wireless charging pad that not only powers up your phone but secures it in place, ensuring it doesn't take off on its own trip as you navigate corners.
You'll find a mix of connectivity options with two USB ports and two USB-C ports around the cabin to keep devices charged.
Rear passengers are treated to a decent amount of legroom and headroom, however with the raised floor to accommodate the battery, taller adults might find it slightly less comfortable.
How safe is the BMW iX1 xDrive30?
With BMW's buffet of safety features, whether you're dodging potholes or the neighbour's cat, the iX1 has you covered. Safety features include:
Adaptive cruise control with a stop-and-go function
A surround-view camera
Lane departure warning
Front collision warning with brake intervention
Blind-spot monitoring
Park distance control
Dynamic traction control
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
High-beam assist
How big is the boot in the 2024 BMW iX1?
Boasting 490 litres of cargo capacity, the boot in the iX1 is spacious enough for a family's weekend getaway luggage. However, when pitted against its rivals, the tale of the tape gets interesting.
The Volvo XC40 Recharge, for instance, offers a slightly more modest 452 litres, proving that even Swedes have to make compromises sometimes. On the other end, the Mercedes-Benz EQA seems to have skipped leg day, coming in at 340 litres, making it the runt of the litter.
2024 BMW ix1 review: The verdict
Priced at $92,000 driveaway, the BMW iX1 undercuts its main rivals, offering a competitive edge in the electric SUV market, especially against their traditional rivals Mercedes-Benz with their EQA ($108,280) offering.
It delivers BMW's signature driving dynamics, advanced tech, and luxury within a practical design and with a 490-litre boot capacity, it doesn't skimp on space.
The iX1 seems to be a good option for consumers who are seeking a luxury electric vehicle that has performance and efficiency without a steep price. What's the catch? I couldn't find one.
How likely would you be to recommend finder to a friend or colleague?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very UnlikelyExtremely Likely
Required
Thank you for your feedback.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
Important information about this website
finder.com.au is one of Australia's leading comparison websites. We are committed to our readers and stands by our editorial principles
We try to take an open and transparent approach and provide a broad-based comparison service. However, you should be aware that while we are an independently owned service, our comparison service does not include all providers or all products available in the market.
Some product issuers may provide products or offer services through multiple brands, associated companies or different labeling arrangements. This can make it difficult for consumers to compare alternatives or identify the companies behind the products. However, we aim to provide information to enable consumers to understand these issues.
We make money by featuring products on our site. Compensation received from the providers featured on our site can influence which products we write about as well as where and how products appear on our page, but the order or placement of these products does not influence our assessment or opinions of them, nor is it an endorsement or recommendation for them.
Products marked as 'Top Pick', 'Promoted' or 'Advertisement' are prominently displayed either as a result of a commercial advertising arrangement or to highlight a particular product, provider or feature. Finder may receive remuneration from the Provider if you click on the related link, purchase or enquire about the product. Finder's decision to show a 'promoted' product is neither a recommendation that the product is appropriate for you nor an indication that the product is the best in its category. We encourage you to use the tools and information we provide to compare your options.
Where our site links to particular products or displays 'Go to site' buttons, we may receive a commission, referral fee or payment when you click on those buttons or apply for a product. You can learn more about how we make money.
When products are grouped in a table or list, the order in which they are initially sorted may be influenced by a range of factors including price, fees and discounts; commercial partnerships; product features; and brand popularity. We provide tools so you can sort and filter these lists to highlight features that matter to you.
Please read our website terms of use and privacy policy for more information about our services and our approach to privacy.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
