2021 BMW X1 Review

Name: 2021 BMW X1 Review
Brand: BMW

Price Range: $21,998 - $31,998

BMW X1 xDrive28i 4dr SUV Exterior. European xLine Design Shown.

BMW X1 xDrive28i 4dr SUV Exterior. European M Sport Design Shown.

+182

The 2021 X1 is a quintessential BMW SUV just in a smaller package. It provides excellent cargo space and passenger accommodations along with a fun-to-drive demeanor. But if you value a cushier ride, a more fashionable interior or cutting-edge tech, you'll likely want to consider other strong options in this class.

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Price & Payment

48 cars

$26,683 avg. price

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Appraise My 2021 BMW X1

BMW X1 model years

BMW X1 for Sale

2021 BMW X1 Review

by the Edmunds Experts

What's new

The BMW X1 carries over unchanged for 2021
Part of the second X1 generation introduced for 2016

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 BMW X1 sDrive28i 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $5.18 per gallon for premium unleaded in California.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in California

$231/mo

$227/mo

Avg. Compact SUV

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Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

3.5/5Above Average

#11 out of 18 among Luxury Compact SUVs

RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.

Cost

^{The average total annual cost for unscheduled repairs and maintenance across all model years of the BMW X1 from 2008-2022.}

$711/yr

vs. $559/yr
for Average Luxury Compact SUV

Frequency

^{The average number of times this model is brought into the shop for unscheduled repairs and maintenance in a single year. RepairPal calculates this metric by tracking millions of unique vehicles over multiple years to determine an average number of visits per year (omitting small routine visits, e.g., oil changes).}

1.31x/yr

vs. 1.23x/yr
for Average Luxury Compact SUV

Severity

^{The probability that a repair will be a major issue, meaning the repair costs 3x the average annual repair cost for all models. This threshold will be higher for vehicles that have higher labor rates and parts costs (such as a premium brand).}

8.1%

vs. 8.6%
for Average Luxury Compact SUV

powered by RepairPal ^{Based on RepairPal reliability data as of 8/23/2023. Ratings are provided by RepairPal and Edmunds is not responsible for their accuracy.}

BMW X1 Reviews

Owner Reviews

4.2

36 reviews

5(59%)

4(22%)

3(8%)

2(3%)

1(8%)

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Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Excellent

Ejb, 12/18/2020

2021 BMW X1 xDrive28i 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)

Spent a lot of time researching smaller sporty high end SUV. Never owned a BMW before. Coming from an Acura RDX. The X1 is excellent. Drives like a sports car especially in Sport mode. Perfect size. Somehow Smaller than competition on outside but much bigger on the inside. Surprising how much room on the inside. Car is comfortable well appointed. Was headed for a bad collision and had …

Ripping around in my mom-car. LOL

Car Enthusiast, 03/21/2019

2019 BMW X1 xDrive28i 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)

Coming out of new X6M and with a 911 and M4 in my garage you would think the X1 would be a huge step down. It kind of is, but... this thing just puts a smile on my face. It's zippy and it handles and brakes well. The powertrain runs smooth and fairly strong. It drives beautifully on the highway. I call it a GTI-plus because it feels light and flickable like a GTI but has AWD and more …

Safety concerns

Paul in Ottawa, 06/29/2021

2021 BMW X1 xDrive28i 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)

Just picked up my BMW X1 which has the M sport package. Although the detail inside looks very nice, my vehicle has a highly reflective chrome panel on the dashboard. During daytime and especially during sunny days this chrome strip is reflected on both side mirrors which makes it difficult to see anything other than this strip in the side mirror. Only way to see through the drivers …

What I love most...

AB, 06/23/2019

2019 BMW X1 xDrive28i 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A)

I love the "Sport Mode" on the interstate . I felt as thought I was driving my 2 Series again - very responsive and agile. I moved down to this car, from a 2 series sedan, then an X3, to this (for fuel economy while driving in town), and within a few days I realized I'd made a mistake. While it's smaller, has great gas mileage (two things I wanted), I am paying for less quality …

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2021 BMW X1, so we've included reviews for other years of the X1 since its last redesign.

See all 36 reviews of the BMW X1

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2021 BMW X1 video

Top Subcompact SUVs for 2021-2022 | Extra-Small & Easy to Drive – What's Not to Like?

Subcompact SUVs have been gaining in popularity over the last few years. For people who don't need or want the space of a midsize SUV or for those who just want to save a few bucks, a subcompact SUV is a smart and economical choice. These extra-small SUVs maintain that elevated ride height and utility of their larger counterparts, but their smaller size means easier…

2021 X1 Highlights

Trim:

sDrive28i

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$35,400
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	27 MPG
Cost to Drive	$231/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	27.1 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles

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Safety

Our experts like the X1 models:

Remote Services: Allows the driver to use a special smartphone app to locate the car, lock and unlock the doors, and honk the horn or flash the lights.
Speed Limit Info: Informs the driver of speed limit changes by using a camera to read the sign and display the corresponding information in the dash.
City Collision Mitigation: Warns you about an imminent front collision and can automatically apply the brakes to help you avoid or mitigate an accident.

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
Overall4 / 5
Driver4 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Side Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Side Barrier Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front Seat5 / 5
Back Seat5 / 5
Rollover
Rollover4 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of Rollover15.7%

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Good
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Original
Good
Side Impact Test – Updated
Not Tested
Roof Strength Test
Good
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Good

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2021 BMW X1 Review

Price & Payment

2021 BMW X1 Review

What's new

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 BMW X1 sDrive28i 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $5.18 per gallon for premium unleaded in California.}

Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

Cost

Frequency

Severity

BMW X1 Reviews

Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Trending topics

Excellent

Ripping around in my mom-car. LOL

Safety concerns

What I love most...

2021 BMW X1 video

Top Subcompact SUVs for 2021-2022 | Extra-Small & Easy to Drive – What's Not to Like?

2021 X1 Highlights

Safety

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2021 BMW X1 Review

Price & Payment

2021 BMW X1 Review

What's new

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2021 BMW X1 sDrive28i 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $5.18 per gallon for premium unleaded in California.

Reliability Ratings by RepairPal

Cost

Frequency

Severity

BMW X1 Reviews

Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

Excellent

Ripping around in my mom-car. LOL

Safety concerns

What I love most...

2021 BMW X1 video

Top Subcompact SUVs for 2021-2022 | Extra-Small & Easy to Drive – What's Not to Like?

2021 X1 Highlights

Safety

People who viewed this also viewed

Related Used 2021 BMW X1 info

Vehicle reviews of used models

Shop similar models

Shop used vehicles in your area

Popular new car reviews and ratings

Research other models of BMW

Research similar vehicles

Other models

Join Edmunds

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2021 BMW X1 sDrive28i 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $5.18 per gallon for premium unleaded in California.}