FAMILY CAR REVIEW: 2020 BMW X1 SUV

How big is the boot of the 2020 BMW X1?

The boot of the BMW X1 is a practical size for a small SUV. Empty it will hold eleven shopping bags. That is one more than the Audi Q2 and one less than the Volvo XC40.

The twin stroller fits with one shopping bag.

The tandem stroller fits with two shopping bags.

The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as Tulsi’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.

Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.

I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.

The single stroller fits with three shopping bags beside it.

The compact stroller fits with seven shopping bags beside it.

You can fit a small to medium size dog in the boot of the BMW X1 when you remove the parcel shelf.

The boot floor of the X1 is flat and would work perfectly for an emergency nappy change. OR you can fold back the boot floor for some extra boot depth or hidden underfloor storage.

How good is storage inside the 2020 BMW X1?

The storage inside the 2020 BMW X1 is compact and practical.

In the front, there are two cup holders in the central console, they will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup. There are 12V and USB sockets in front of them too.

The central console storage is limited to a cordless phone charging dock in the armrest

and shallow rubber-lined tray with USB underneath it.

There is a drawer by your right knee which was handy for glasses as there is no glasses case in the ceiling.

The glove box will hold an iPad and wallet with the manual.

The door bins in the front will hold a large refillable water bottle with room for your wallet behind it.

Storage in the second row is good, with door bins that will also hold a large refillable water bottle.

There is a fold-down armrest in the central seatback with two cup holders that will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup and a large refillable water bottle fits in them too.

In the back of both front seats are net map pockets that will hold but not conceal an iPad and there are two USB sockets in the back of the central console box too.

How noisy is the 2020 BMW X1?

The BMW X1 is not a particularly noisy car.

The media system is easy to navigate and includes Apple CarPlay.

It is a touch screen which I found easier to use…

…than the rotary dial in the central console.

The camera image is lovely and clear. You can turn the parking sensors off on the left side of the screen.

Or with a button down in the central console.

The BMW X1 has auto engine cut out and the button to turn that off is right next to the start button which makes it really easy to remember to turn it off if it disturbs your little passengers.

I find this function really disturbing for sleeping babies, you have just got your baby to sleep in the car and you stop at lights and the engine turns off sometimes they will stay asleep but when the engine shudders to a start again it shakes baby awake and all your efforts are ruined!! Even coming to a stop at lights with the engine running can be enough to wake a sleeping child so turning the engine off and on again will definitely do it! I have driven routes I know have roundabouts rather than lights just to avoid coming to a stop for any length of time!!

The cruise control in the X1 is very accurate and it felt sturdy on the road. The cruise control buttons are on the left side on the steering wheel and I found them simple to use.

Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!

That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.

If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?

It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?

A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.

Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!

I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.

The indicator volume wasn't baby-waking in the BMW X1.

The Sat-Nav guidance can be muted on the right side of the media screen in the BMW X1, which is excellent for not disturbing other passengers.

I find on most journeys when I use sat nav I only need directions for the last part of the journey. I know how to get to the area I am going and then it’s just the exact address I need help with. Because I need to input the address before I head off I found myself on most occasions when you can’t mute the sat nav voice having to listen to all the directions, which disturbs your concentration, any conversation in the car at the time or more importantly my sleeping baby! So being able to mute the sat nav voice until you reach the part where you actually need it is gold!

The BMW X1 does tell you the speed limit on the screen which is really handy.

The doors and windows of the X1 close gently, so they are not baby waking.

The doors close quite easily with a gentle close, which was surprising for a car of this size. With baby asleep you can get in and out without worrying the doors will be too noisy. The same for the windows their mechanism is not too noisy and I didn’t notice them having a loud opening or closing sound.

With baby asleep you want to be able to get in and out without worrying the doors will be too noisy and wake Bub up! 

Road and engine noise are good in the BMW X1, the interior felt a lot more basic than other models but the drive was still sturdy and good as you'd expect from a luxury brand car.

There is a seatbelt removal alarm and you can also lock the doors and windows from the driver's door control panel.

How many child seats fit in the 2020 BMW X1?

There are top tether anchorages in the back of all three backrests. There are also anchorages for something else in the tops of the seatbacks and could be easily mistaken for top tether anchorages.

There are ISOFix in the two outer rear seats. They are within plastic guides and nice and easy to connect to.

We just managed to get three forward-facing child seats across in the BMW X1!

Also combinations of forward and rear-facing child seats fitted as well. I could just sit in the back between two child seats and I am 162cm.

With a rear-facing child seat installed in the second-row, we could just about fit a 180cm driver in front.

Posting bub into their car seat was easy from outside the X1 and it was spacious enough inside as well to post them in from inside too.

Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!

There is plenty of room to feed bub in the back if you only have one child seat installed.

How comfortable is the 2020 BMW X1? And How good is the 2020 BMW X1 to drive?

The front seats of the 2020 BMW X1 are lovely and comfortable and easily adjustable using the controls on the side of the seat base.

The headrests are not adjustable and I found I couldn't wear a ponytail while driving.

I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get this ponytail just right too… said no new mum ever!!!

For a mum travelling in the back with bub, the seats are extremely comfortable too. In the central seat, there are a lot of seat belt clips that you can tuck down into the seat base so they don't stick in your bottom! Legroom is good in the back and I had plenty of legroom behind a 182cm driver and I'm 162cm.

For the first year of Tulsi’s life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with Tulsi so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!

The steering wheel is fully adjustable in/out and up/down.

Across the front dashboard, there are four air conditioning vents, they can be easily controlled using the buttons on the central dash.

In the second row, there are air-conditioning vents in the back of the central console box and two USB sockets. I could reach the vents while driving.

Visibility in the BMW X1 is good and I found it an easy car to maneuver and park and I found it had a good turning circle.

When maneuvering or parking, the visibility out the windows and excellent camera image really helped.

One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Tulsi has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, but the BMW X1, was easy to park.

How safe is the 2020 BMW X1?

The 2020 BMW X1 was given a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2015.

Scoring a total of 90% or 34.5 out of 38 for adult occupancy. Broken down into 7.64 out of 8 for the full-width frontal crash test, 6.48 out of 8 for the frontal offset test. Full marks for the side impact test and for the pole test.

For Child Occupancy protection the BMW X1 scored 43 out of 49 which is 87%. Scoring full marks for 18-month-old and 3-year-old child dummies and seat instillation and scoring 7/12 for child safety features.

Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Tulsi’s asleep!