Independent Reviews of BMW New and Used Cars

The third generation BMW X1 has taken a big step forward. Jonathan Crouch takes a look at what’s on offer.

Only BMW has ever been able to make a five-seat mid-sized MPV feel really quite desirable - and to some extent it did so with this car. The Active Tourer was the model that paved the way for a whole series of more efficient front-driven BMW designs and it still has plenty to offer if you want a compact five-seat MPV don’t mind paying a little more for a car of this kind. And in summary? Well it says much that over 80% of the people that choose this car have never purchased a BMW before, customers who probably never thought they’d be selecting a model from this Munich maker. They won’t be getting ‘the ultimate driving machine’ because that’s not what they need. Getting instead what may very well be ‘the ultimate small people carrier’ could though, suit them very well indeed.

Like its coupe counterpart, this i8 Roadster offers a fundamentally different interpretation of what a super sports car can be. At the wheel of one of these, high performance motoring is no longer an ecological embarrassment but an expression of futuristic fascination. In an i8, more than any other car of its kind, driving enjoyment and planet-friendly performance at last meet in unison. It’s a very special blend and in Roadster form, a beautiful piece of pavement theatre. Nothing else we can think of in this segment from this period is so striking, surprising and sensational, yet so ultimately sensible in what it sets out to offer. It’s a landmark car: nothing more, nothing less. And an incredible achievement.

In summary, you could argue that rival Audi A7 Sportback and Mercedes CLS models from this era more stylishly fulfil the ‘Gran Turismo’ remit than this 6 Series GT does - and that’s probably true. But those cars are also less spacious inside and slightly more expensive. Certainly, this 6 Series 6 GT gave competitors like that far more to think about than its predecessor ever did. And if you were already looking at a BMW X5 SUV or the brand’s 5 Series Touring estate from the 2017-2021 period, then we think you should also test this model before deciding. Like the car it replaced, it offers a different way to go - but in this case, that was a good thing. Try one and you’ll see what we mean.

BMW X3 M40d offers arresting performance in an upper mid-sized SUV. Jonathan Crouch drives it.