BMW iX1 eDrive20 M Sport long-term test: lack of driving thrills dents its appeal

Verdict

The BMW iX1 has proved to be a practical, efficient and easy car to live with, thanks in part to a useful real-world range – exactly what most people want from a premium electric SUV. But it simply lacks the ability to put a smile on our face or deliver any sort of driving thrills that would make it the multi-talented everyday car we were hoping for. 

• Mileage: 2,819
• Efficiency: 3.7mi/kWh

I’ve been living with the BMW iX1 fleet car for a few months now. During a busy summer of trips across the country, running around town, hauling miscellaneous loads and occasionally taking on taxi duties, this very handsome EV has been nothing but a solid, dependable companion. 

Admittedly, unlike some of my colleagues, I don’t have any rugrats to take on weekend getaways to the seaside that would require me to fill my car right to the roofline with their assorted paraphernalia. But even so, I’ve yet to find the limits of the iX1’s practicality. 

The 490 litres of boot space is decent and the handy underfloor storage keeps all the charging cables out of sight. No passengers have complained about space in the back, either. Even with the big, bucket-style M Sport front seats positioned to accommodate six-foot-tall adults, there’s still plenty of legroom on offer in the rear of the cabin. By the way, those optional seats are fabulous, and well worth the extra £670 in my opinion.

My experience with the technology onboard has also been pretty trouble-free. The wireless Apple CarPlay connects without prompt every time I get in, and I like that the graphics fill the sharp central display almost entirely, aside from a small bar at the bottom for the cabin temperature. The driver-assistance features haven’t been causing me headaches either, which has been a great relief after being badgered by various bongs and chimes in some of the cars I’ve tested recently. 

Efficiency continues to impress, with the iX1 maintaining a superb average of 3.7 miles per kWh, which equates to a range of more than 240 miles. This is despite me spending a lot of time on the motorway. 

So the BMW has been consistently good in more than a few respects, but sadly the driving experience hasn’t quite met my expectations. I spoke at some length in my previous report about the amount of tyre noise that finds its way into the cabin, particularly at higher speeds, which is still very much an annoyance for me. 

23

More recently I’ve been trying to enjoy some twistier A and B-roads, hoping this is where the BMW would come good, but alas not. That’s not to say the iX1 isn’t capable in the bends. Objectively, it’s very good; the steering is predictable, the M Sport brakes are strong and body control is excellent. It’s just not fun.

Before you ask, yes I’ve spent plenty of time toggling in and out of Sport mode to see if that helps, and there is a slight improvement in throttle response, body roll and steering weight, but nothing transformative. Meanwhile the only change I notice after tapping the ‘Boost’ paddle on the steering wheel is to the driver’s display graphics. It probably delivers extra power in other electric BMWs, just not our front-wheel-drive iX1.

Rather than endlessly searching for a spark of joy or excitement with my premium family EV, I decided to find an alternative source of driving (riding) fun. More than a few people would take this as an opportunity to pair their practical nine-to-five car (such as the iX1, for example) with something spicier – perhaps with a convertible roof and a Porsche badge. Again though, unlike some of my colleagues, I’ve hopefully got a few years to go before my mid-life crisis takes hold.

Instead, I raided the BMW Motorrad garage to showcase the M 1000 XR. Yes, there are now motorcycles bearing the BMW M logo. But it feels much more worthy than our iX1 in ‘M Sport’ trim because it produces 197bhp and has a 14,600rpm red line. There’s carbon fibre everywhere you look, too, which helps to keep weight down to just 223kg. ‘Fun’ box ticked.

BMW iX1 eDrive20 M Sport: first report

23

Electric SUV joins our fleet, but something doesn’t sound quite right

• Mileage: 1,417
• Efficiency: 3.6mi/kWh

The idea of a long-term test is that over a period of weeks and months, we learn new things about the vehicles we’re running. But in the case of this latest arrival, a BMW iX1, I’ve been instantly taken aback by a character trait that I simply hadn’t expected.

You see, the majority of my journeys are spent on the UK’s motorway network – in particular, the soul-sucking stretches of the M25 as I head to Heathrow or Gatwick airports for work-related trips. So if there’s one area where I hoped the iX1 would excel, it’s at tackling longer trips.

I didn’t consider this unreasonable, either. You’d think a premium SUV from BMW would be a great place to soothe away a journey – all the more so when it’s the all-electric version. The M25 is full of ‘Ultimate Driving Machines’ barrelling down the outside lane; it’s like a second home for the brand’s cars, right?

Not exactly, in the case of the iX1. Because over the first few weeks with the car, I’ve been troubled by the amount of road, tyre and wind noise that encroaches into the cabin at higher speeds. It’s not as if putting on a podcast or music covers it up either – they just add to the general cocktail of sounds and make the situation worse.

I have to admit that this situation isn’t entirely the car’s fault; it also highlights just how poorly surfaced a lot of the UK’s road network is. The BMW is clearly sensitive to this, though, because the noise it makes is transformed the moment I come across a freshly re-laid patch of asphalt. There just aren’t enough of them, unfortunately.

Nor is it solely a high-speed issue; I can notice road and tyre noise even at speeds as low as 20mph or 30mph. This makes me suspect the specific tyre and 19-inch M Sport rims fitted to our fleet car are also contributing to the issue. A different set of tyres and/or wheels might help mitigate the situation, but I can only guess at this point.

23

It’s a doubly annoying glitch because my initial impressions of the rest of the car are so positive. There’s the interior, for starters; it looks very smart and professional – Germanic, in the best way possible. BMW has clearly paid attention to the finer details too, giving elements like the volume rocker and wireless charging pad surround a pleasing, Art Deco-style pattern. 

Probably my favourite single detail is the slightly skeletal, billet-effect spoke on the steering wheel. A close second are the optional, body-hugging M Sport seats, which are a fabulous addition, because they provide plenty of support from the thick side bolster, but are still very comfortable. 

Then there are the two incredibly crisp and snappy displays: a 10.7-inch central touchscreen and a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display. The set-up features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which has never failed to connect as soon as I get in. Meanwhile BMW’s iDrive 8 software offers a huge amount of functionality, plus unique graphics for each of the six drive modes, such as a blue-and-yellow nebula-inspired pattern you get in Expressive mode.

Plus, despite the repeated motorway marathons – which typically cause EVs’ efficiency figures to plummet – the iX1 has averaged an impressive 3.6 miles per kWh so far. That equates to a real-world range of about 240 miles from a full charge, or a little over 190 miles with the battery topped up to the 80 per cent recommended by BMW to ensure the pack has a long life. For me, that’s good for two round trips from my home in Hertfordshire to Heathrow.

Our car might be just the 201bhp front-wheel drive model, but there’s lots of poke, and the iX1 can hold its own on twisty roads. Mind you, that’s because the ride is so stiff, which I’m still getting used to. Hopefully I’ll have made up my mind by the time I need to share my next progress report.

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.