Comparing The BMW X1 vs. The X3

BMW is probably on your shortlist if you’re in the market for a small, premium SUV. Alongside their German rivals, BMW has grown its SUV range in the past few years, with a wide choice of models. At the top end, you have the X6 and X7, representing the luxury SUV market. But if you’re after a more ‘ entry-level’ car, you have a couple of great options with the X1 and the X3.

The X1 vs. the X3

The BMW X1 and X3 have a lot in common. Both cars have similar designs and focus on the same sector of the SUV market. Chances are, if you’re looking at a compact, premium SUV, you’ll have an eye on the X1 or the X3.

At the same time, look closer, and you’ll find two very different vehicles. I’ll be looking at both models to determine which is best for you and what you might want to avoid. We will cover

– Practicality

– Performance / Engines

– Driving experience

– Quality

– Value For Money,

And I’ll give you my honest opinions on which model will be best for you. Let’s get started!

Practicality

For SUV owners, practicality is vital. You might use the car for family road trips, serious offroading, or even towing. The important part is how suitable is each vehicle in the real world.

Let’s look at dimensions first – the table below compares the X1 and X3 – and the numbers might surprise you:

Although the X3 is a taller and longer car, you’re getting less headroom than in the X1. There isn’t much difference in the legroom numbers either. When I first saw the specs, this was a big surprise, as I expected the X3 to have more space for passengers easily.

It’s not all bad news for the X3, though. You get more trunk space, and the weight difference helps with any towing requirements. However, if you need a vehicle mainly to transport passengers, there isn’t much to split the X1 vs. the X3.

For offroading enthusiasts, it’s a close call too. Both the X1 and X3 come with xDrive models (BMW’s all-wheel-drive brand), so you’re covered there. The X3 will be the better choice, though, with an inch more ground clearance.

Performance / Engines

Engine selection is an easy victory for the X3. Whereas the X1 range comes with a single option in the US – 2-liter four-cylinder petrol with 228 bhp  – its larger cousin has much more variety.

The current X3 range in the US includes

• 2-liter four-cylinder petrol (248 bhp)
• 3-liter six-cylinder petrol (382 bhp)
• 3-liter six-cylinder petrol (473 bhp)
• 3-liter six-cylinder petrol (503 bhp)

The final two options are part of the X3M range, so if you’re looking for a high-performance SUV, the X1 isn’t for you. For most owners, the 2-liter engines will be ok for daily use.

There is more variety on offer outside the US market for both models. In the UK and Europe, the X1 comes with the choice of diesel, petrol, or hybrid engines. Recently BMW announced a fully electric iX1 coming in 2023 too.

It’s the same story as the X3. You still get the high-performance petrol versions but have a few diesel and hybrid options. There is also the iX3 on sale now if you want your X3 to be electric only.

Driving Experience

Both the X1 and X3 are SUV-style vehicles, so an intense driving experience isn’t the priority for either car. I’ll admit, the X3M and even the X3 M40i have enough power to keep up with most sports cars, but handling won’t match something like an M3 or M240i. If you’re just after straight-line speed, those models will surely tick that box.

Both cars are easy to handle for everyday driving and filled with enough tech to make long-distance trips easy. If you go for the front-wheel-drive X1, it’s going to feel ‘sluggish’ compared to its xDrive brother, but that won’t matter for most drivers. 

The X1 only comes with 18-inch wheels, so your ride will always be fairly soft. With the X3, though, depending on the spec, you can go from 19-inch to 21-inch wheels, and this will make a huge difference to your ride quality. If it were my choice, 20 inches would probably be the sweet spot there.

Quality

I don’t think BMW makes a low-quality car across their entire line-up, but there are big differences between the X1 and the X3. Looking at interior quality first, everything in the X3 is just that little bit better than the X1. Those differences include:

• The grade of leather is better in the X3
• The X3 has a larger infotainment screen and driver display
• You get chrome finishes in the X3 (high gloss black in the X1)

These improvements are expected with the price difference (we’ll come onto that soon) and it doesn’t mean the X1 interior is a bad place to be. It’s the same story with the packages and options too.

You get roughly the same selection of options on both cars, but the X3 has those extra premium features that set it apart. To find out which options I think are worthwhile, check out my post on that topic here but overall, you can spec the X3 to a higher quality level.

Value For Money

We’re finally at the most important part for most of you. We’ve covered all the key aspects of the car, and in most categories, the X3 is the winner. But can all those factors justify the price?

Let’s compare the base MSRP of the standard models. The X1 entry levels are the sDrive28i and the xDrive28i:

• sDrive28i (front-wheel-drive / 2-liter petrol): $35,400
• xDrive28i (all-wheel-drive / 2-liter petrol): $37,400

For the X3, the two entry-level options are the sDrive30i and the xDrive30i:

• sDrive30i (rear-wheel-drive / 2-liter petrol): $43,700
• xDrive30i (all-wheel-drive / 2-liter petrol): $45,700

Comparing the X1 and X3 all-wheel-drive versions, that’s an $8,300 difference in MSRP. That is a fairly large gap. And with the higher-spec X3 models, you can get up to $70,000+ MSRP, which is getting into luxury performance car territory. So, is the extra price tag worth it?

In my opinion, if you were going for the entry-level X3, the X1 is better value. It might not have the interior quality, but there isn’t much difference in passenger space and performance. If you’re looking for more performance, you have to go with the X3 M40i or even the X3M – the only X1 engines available won’t do it for you.

Which is the better car?

We’ve looked at every aspect to compare the X1 and X3 here, with a few surprises. To answer the question of ‘which is best, the X1 or the X3,’ I think that honestly depends on what you want out of your SUV.

As we spoke about in the performance section, the X3M blows everything else out of the water, but it’s double the price of an X1. And for some owners, the best option might be to wait for the electric iX1 later this year. For my final piece of advice – if I were looking at an X1 or X3, I’d go with the xDrive version every time.

If you’d like to see more on the current BMW lineup, check out the below: