Pleasant to drive and built to a price, the 2017 BMW X1 is a mainstream subcompact crossover that is pleasant to drive but lacks the brand's "ultimate driving machine" performance. The 2017 BMW X1 sits apart from other BMWs. With its front-wheel-drive, Mini-sourced platform, is the brand's entry-level subcompact crossover and a more mainstream, less passionate vehicle than you would expect from BMW. It is offered as the front-drive sDrive28i and the all-wheel-drive xDrive28i, the former added for 2017.
Pros Crossover utility Gutsy turbo 4-cylinder Good rear-seat space Fairly thrifty fuel economy Competitive price of entry
Cons Prices climb quickly with options Some cost-cutting in interior trim Driver assists cost extra Poor front seats
The BMW X1 offers shoppers in the compact luxury crossover category an intriguing blend of performance, comfort and utility. If you're looking for something that cleverly blurs the line between a low-slung sedan and a high-riding SUV, the X1 is worth a test drive. The 2017 X1 is BMW's smallest and most affordable utility vehicle, yet it offers a surprising amount of passenger and cargo space. It delivers trademark BMW quality inside and out, and despite having less power than earlier versions, the X1 still accelerates and handles better than most in its class.
Pros Strong performance from its turbocharged engine One of the best-handling compact luxury crossovers you're going to find More rear passenger and cargo room than most other competitors High-level interior fit, finish and materials
Cons Standard sport suspension can be jarring on rough roads Steering feels less precise than some of BMW's sport sedans.
The 2017 BMW X1 ranks 1 out of 5 Luxury Subcompact SUVs. The 2017 BMW X1 finishes near the top of our luxury subcompact rankings because of its good performance, upscale and spacious interior, and outstanding cargo space for the class.
Pros Quick acceleration Athletic handling Roomy back seat Outstanding cargo capacity
Cons No standard driver assistance features
With its rugged body-on-frame construction, heavy duty hardware and new-age technology that enable it to crawl over obstacles, the Prado is not for pretenders. To be fair, the Prado is far from rudimentary. It feels solid on the road at highway speeds and around town, although you quickly learn to take roundabouts a little more gingerly because of the tendency for big, tall and heavy 4WDs like this to lean in corners. The new engine is a worthwhile freshen-up for the Prado but doesn't suddenly transform the vehicle.
Likes New diesel engine is more refined Long range due to better economy and 150L tanks Genuine off-road ability
Dislikes Towing capacity unchanged at 2500kg The price is high, especially on top end models Interior design starting to look a little dated
Cast an eye over the SUV market and you’ll see very few truly off-road capable vehicles. One of them is the Toyota LandCruiser Prado, and here we’ve got the most capable Prado of all, the top-shelf Kakadu.The LandCruiser Prado Kakadu is a very good off-the-shelf off-roader, with its blend of both tradi-tional and modern off-road equipment. With decent all-terrain or mud-terrain tyres (which nearly all standard SUVs would need) we reckon the Kakadu could go just about anywhere.
Likes Rear axle articulation KDSS system Crawl control
Dislikes Lack of power and torque Over-bonnet vision No height-adjustable front suspension
