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Jeep Wrangler VS BMW X1
Jeep Wrangler
Likes
- Fun to drive
- Very capable off-road
- New engine well suited to Rubicon
Dislikes
- Cramped interior
- Noisy when pressured
- Driving it can be tiring
BMW X1
Likes
- Spacious
- Great cabin storage
- Easy to drive
Dislikes
- Pricey
- Servicing on the expensive side
- Small fuel tank
Summary
Jeep Wrangler
The two-door Jeep Wrangler Rubicon exists for a very specific reason: to have a lot of fun off-roading on terrain few other standard 4WDs are able to tackle.
Along with vehicles such as Suzuki’s Jimny and Toyota’s LandCruiser 70 Series, the short-wheelbase Rubicon exists within a thin market niche within a niche. This is a purpose-built hard-core body-on-frame 4WD with very few, if any, concessions to comfort, safety or even common sense.
But there big news is that it’s been updated: less power, more torque with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine replacing the beloved V6 petrol, a damage- and scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass windscreen, a 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system, Nappa leather seats and a forward-facing Trailcam.
So, is this new-engined shorty Rubicon in updated form your ticket to dirty fun?
Read on.
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Safety rating | |
---|---|
Engine Type | 2.0L |
Fuel Type | — |
Fuel Efficiency | 9.9L/100km |
Seating | 4 seats |
BMW X1
BMW’s X1 has changed. In a good way. Especially if you’re thinking about buying one as a family car.
Yep, last year the third-generation X1 arrived and after 13 years and three different attempts on a design, BMW has nailed it. And by ‘it’ I mean built a super practical and spacious small SUV that’s great to drive.Â
See, as a dad of two kids, when it comes to cars and my family ‘it’ means something totally different to what ‘it’ meant 10 years ago.
And that’s what this review is about: does the BMW X1, and specifically this xDrive20i M Sport variant we’ve tested here, make a good family car?
If you're thinking of buying it for your family then you need to read this and also consider the likes of Audi’s Q3 and the Mercedes-Benz GLB.
Safety rating | |
---|---|
Engine Type | 2.0L turbo |
Fuel Type | Premium Unleaded Petrol |
Fuel Efficiency | 7.2L/100km |
Seating | 5 seats |
Verdict
Jeep Wrangler/10
The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon is a hardcore purpose-built 4WD with very few concessions to comfort, safety and common sense.
And that’s a good thing, especially in an increasingly cosseted world.
The two-door short-wheelbase Rubicon is a near-perfect off-road machine: short low-range gearing, mud terrain tyres, front and rear diff locks, and swaybar-disconnect, all combine to make the Rubicon a ready-to-go 4WD weapon.
If you’re shaking your head in disappointment at the Rubicon’s unpredictable on-road manners, lack of refinement and three-star ANCAP safety rating, then you’re missing the point entirely: it’s truckloads of fun.
But the reasons it’s so much fun are also the reasons some people might not like to live with the short-wheelbase Rubicon day to day: it’s a dialled-in driving experience that’s equal parts engaging and exhausting.
It mightn’t make much sense – if any at all – as a daily driver, but if you’re after pure real-world 4WD capability and truckloads of fun then you can’t ignore the two-door version of the Rubicon.
BMW X17.8/10
This new BMW X1 feels like it's been built by a team of parents because it’s one of the most practical and easy to use small SUVs my family and I have ever lived with and, trust me, they’ve seen a lot of test cars come through the Berry garage.
We loved the roomy interior with high ceilings, the clever storage everywhere from the giant door pockets to the floating centre armrest up front and big boot for our pram.
Entry and exit is easy through the tall and wide doors, something my back was thankful for every time I had to put our baby into her car seat.
Driving is easy, with great visibility and the engine that comes in the xDrive20i M Sport makes this X1 sporty and fun to pilot, too. Â
The only drawback is the price, it's a bit expensive but at the same time you are getting a high-quality feeling SUV.
Design
Jeep Wrangler
The two-door Rubicon is 4334mm long (with a 2459mm wheelbase), 1894mm wide and 1879mm high.
The classic look has, for better or worse, remained essentially the same as it has for decades – blocky, straight up and down with big wheel arches … distinctive – but some minor tweaks have been introduced into the design mix this time.
The brand’s seven-slot grille now has metallic-look trim around each slot and bigger mesh inserts, marginally softer lines about the exterior here and there, and the cabin has a more modern feel to it than previous examples did.
Speaking of the cabin, the Wrangler Rubicon has low-key stylish trim boosted by Nappa leather and red stitching and its distinctive roll-over cage and removable roof.
The Rubicon has a striking appearance – like it or loathe it – and while few other new standard 4WDs grab the attention of everyone, this Jeep does just that.
BMW X1
This current generation of X1 arrived in late 2022 and finally looked more like part of the BMW SUV family with tall and boxy styling rather than the sleek, but raised hatchback it seemed to be before.
My test car had 'M Portimao Blue' metallic paint - a flattering hue that showed off the X1’s lines as you can see in the images.
I like the X1’s oversized grille which suits the angry looking front bumper that comes with the M Sport inclusions, but balanced by pretty headlights.
Inside, the X1 xDrive20i M Sport is modern and minimalist in design. I like the floating centre armrest in between the driver and front passenger and the way it creates a feeling of more space and adds more storage.
The double screens are nice, but we’re seeing this same design and tech now in budget cars such as the Chery Omoda 5 and Haval H6. BMW needs to be even slicker and more stylish if it wants to maintain its edge. Â
If you like your SUVs sporty looking then check out the BMW X2, X4 and X6. These are coupe style SUVs (but with four doors).
Practicality
Jeep Wrangler
The Rubicon interior has always received well-deserved praise for its durability and suitability for adventure and the outdoors life.
But while it is designed to cop dirt, mud, sand and the general messiness of an action-packed life, the two-door four-seat Rubicon’s interior remains a snug – almost too snug – space. The bulkiness of the roll cage and pillars encroaches on headroom and elsewhere the short-wheelbase Rubicon’s limited physical dimensions impact shoulder, leg, knee and foot room but not to a diabolical degree, especially if you’re a Hobbit like me.
On the plus side though, everything that should feel solid does (like the grab handles), and all dials, knobs and switches are easy to quickly locate and operate while traversing all types of terrain.
Jeep has always applied to the Rubicon quietly clever ideas, such as tensioned net pockets on the doors and in the seat-backs, and deep small-storage spaces with textured, grippy bases.
Upfront there are USB ports – a USB-A and a USB-C upfront, and two USB-A and two USB-C ports in the second row ports – as well as a 230V outlet upfront and in the rear, directional air vents, and cup holders in the centre console.
In terms of packability, this short-wheelbase Rubicon comes up, well, short. There’s not a lot of room inside for people, as mentioned earlier, so throwing extra gear into this Jeep’s cabin is a big ask.
When all four seats are in use, rear cargo space – listed as 365L – is really limited to only copping a few bags for an overnight trip.
Access to the rear is via a side-hinged tailgate, which opens from left to right, and it has a full-sized spare mounted to it.
BMW X1
My family found the X1 xDrive20i to be one of the most practical small SUVs we’ve lived with thanks to its spacious interior, clever cabin storage and plenty of convenient features.
I need to point out the door pockets - they’re the biggest I’ve ever seen. They’re more door buckets than pockets and super helpful over the week not just for bottles but for everything else that I needed to dump out of my own pockets and into them.
The floating centre armrest up front looks like an ironing board and has a tonne of storage underneath.
The wireless charging is handy but the holster is a bit un-user friendly in terms of access, but it held the phone tight and stopped it becoming a projectile when driving, which is what you want.
There are power outlets galore, too, proximity unlocking, and a gesture tailgate.
Legroom in the back is excellent and there’s so much headroom throughout.Â
The X1’s 540-litre boot capacity is excellent for the class and meant we could fit our baby’s big pram and the seven-year old’s scooter and still have room for the grocery shopping.
Price and features
Jeep Wrangler
The two-door four-seat Jeep Wrangler is only available in top-spec Rubicon guise. It has a list price of $82,950, excluding on-road costs. This Jeep has no real direct competitor and while its price-tag seems high for a vehicle with such a limited focus, this is a specialised and well-equipped off-roader with a legion of fans who believe it's worth it.
Standard features now include, as per the update, a 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system, Nappa leather seats, a forward-facing Trailcam, Gorilla Glass windscreen, 17-inch alloy wheels, and more.
Exterior paint choices include Bright White (standard) or Black, Granite Crystal, Sarge, Firecracker Red, Hydro Blue, Silver Zynith, High Velocity, Earl, Anvil, Tuscadero – all options. Premium paint is $1490.
BMW X1
In the space of driving this SUV and writing this review the list price of the X1 xDrive20i M Sport has risen from $68,900 to $73,400.Â
That price hike was part of an increase across the model range and all grades now cost more, even the entry-level sDrive18i which is now 13K less than the xDrive20i M Sport.
But you’re paying for the more powerful, athletic and only all-wheel drive one in the X1 range.Â
You’re also getting loads of standard features in the xDrive20i M Sport.Â
There’s the 10.25-inch instrument display with three different styles for your speedo and other gauges, while flowing into that is the 10.7-inch media screen with sat nav, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and digital radio.Â
There are LED headlights, plus proximity unlocking, a head-up display, dual-zone climate control, a power tailgate, sports seats (the front ones are heated and power adjustable) and adaptive cruise control.
As the name suggests the xDrive20i M Sport is fitted with BMW M Sport goodies as standard. These include adaptive M Suspension, M leather steering wheel, M roof rails, M headliner and M interior trim.Â
My test car also had $8900 worth of options fitted including the sunroof, Harman Kardon stereo, the ‘Vernasca Black’ leather seats and 20-inch M light alloy multi-spoke wheels.
Is it good value? Well, you do get a lot of nice things here but at a $13,000 premium over the entry grade, plus the $3500 price jump in the past few weeks, I’d say the value isn’t great.
If you’re trying to keep the cost down, the sDrive18i is the budget pick.Â
Under the bonnet
Jeep Wrangler
As mentioned earlier, the V6 Pentastar petrol engine has been dropped and replaced by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine – producing 200kW (9kW less than the V6) at 3000-4500rpm and 400Nm (53Nm more than the V6) at 3000-4500rpm – and an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The new combination is a quietly effective teaming; smooth, lively, and punchy, with plenty of torque on tap.
Befitting its rock-crawling status, the Rubicon has a full complement of off-roading mechanicals and driver-assist tech, including on-demand four-wheel drive (with high- and low-range gearing), live axles front and rear, as well as front and rear locking differentials, and a swaybar disconnect.
BMW X1
The X1 xDrive20i M Sport has a more powerful engine than the grades below it in the range - it’s a 2.0-litre, turbo-petrol, four-cylinder making 150kW and 300Nm.
A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission does the shifting for you.  Â
This is also the only all-wheel drive X1 currently in the range.
Efficiency
Jeep Wrangler
The Wrangler Rubicon has listed fuel consumption of 9.9L/100km on a combined cycle.
On this test I recorded 10.8L/100km between fills, but I did a chunk of low-range 4WDing and the new 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine was never working hard.
The two-door Rubicon has a 66-litre fuel tank so, going by my on-test fuel figures, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 610km from a full tank.
BMW X1
BMW says that after a combination of open and urban roads the X1 xDrive20i M Sport will use 7.4L/100km.
In my own testing my driving was mainly city and suburban, which uses quite a lot of fuel. We did dashes to birthday parties, the grocery shopping, school drop offs and all of it in busy traffic. Â
I recorded 8.9L/100km, but that’s not overly thirsty considering I was carrying two car seats with children, and all the gear that goes with them.Â
A small 45 litre tank means the xDrive 20i M Sport has a range of about 608km, which is on the shorter side.
Driving
Jeep Wrangler
The two-door Rubicon is rather ordinary to drive on sealed surfaces, but it isn’t anywhere near as diabolical as some people would have you believe.
This is a purpose-built off-roader with a wide wheel track and low centre of gravity, so it feels solid on bitumen and dirt in equal measure.
However, you do have to drive it with full focus and give yourself time to get used to some if its more quirky aspects if you aren’t already familiar with them. There is plenty of play in the steering, lots of on-road floatiness and body roll, and this Rubicon – tipping the scales at 1977kg tare weight (listed) and measuring 4334mm long (with a 2459mm wheelbase), 1894mm wide and 1879mm high – can be an unpredictable unit.
You need to micro-manage this shorty 4WD at all times. It’s like driving a go-kart, but more fun and – bonus – it’s street legal.
If you’re steering it, this short-wheelbase Rubicon demands your constant attention – but that’s a fun characteristic I appreciate and that it shares with only a few other vehicles such as the Suzuki Jimny and Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series.
However, as fun as it is, this kind of fully engaged driving experience – requiring laser-focus concentration to keep a vehicle on target – asks a lot of the driver and does become tiring (nay, exhausting) after long stints on the road or off of it.
Beyond that though, this Rubicon, with a track-tight turning circle of 10m, is a nicely manoeuvrable vehicle around town (for swift turnarounds and easy parking) in the suburbs and even along overgrown bush tracks – but more about that soon.
Wrangler fans who have bemoaned the loss of the Pentastar V6 needn’t have worried. The new four-cylinder engine delivers a gutsy punch of acceleration when needed and is nicely matched to the eight-speed auto. It’s also smoother, more refined and less noisy than before.
The solid-axle Rubicon has a suspension set-up – including coil springs at every corner – that soaks up most bumps in the road, and that makes for impressive levels of driver and passenger comfort.
This little purpose-built rock-crawler is solidly built and it can get noisy when you’re inside of it as it rumbles along a road or track – no surprise because it does have a boxy body, big wing mirrors and chunky mud-terrain tyres. Part of the experience, part of the fun, I reckon.
So, how does it go off-road? Bloody well, as usual.
The Rubicon is a genuine 4WD with a dual-range transfer case, a ladder chassis, solid axles, well-established 4WD heritage and its boosted by driver-assist tech. It’s immediately more at home taking on low-speed 4WDing than it is negotiating suburban traffic, shopping centre car parks or city streets.
I’ve driven Rubicons in pretty much every kind of challenging off-road situation – sand, steep rain-slick rocky hills, deep mud holes, swollen water crossings – and they’ve never disappointed.Â
These Jeeps are some of the few modern-day 4WDs engineered with an off-road focus that offers few concessions to anything other than dirt-track fun – the only vehicles in the same realm are the aforementioned Jimny, 70 Series, and even the likes of the Ford Ranger Raptor and Ineos Grenadier.
Steering in the chopped Rubicon retains a nice weight and feel to it during 4WDing, staying precise as needed, offering the driver a great sense of sustained control through even severe terrain.
Its planted stance gives the Rubicon a distinct composure and its suspension – with a coil spring at each corner – helped it to take the sting out of every dirt-road corrugation on the way to my unofficial 4WD testing and proving ground.
As mentioned earlier, anyone worried about the V6 being dropped should calm down. The new engine is a lively and punchy unit – even livelier than the V6 – and offers up ample smoothly-delivered torque across a wide spread of revs, ideal for high- and low-range 4WDing.
When you switch to 4L and drop the revs, it’s easy to squeeze the most out of this new engine. Considered driving is necessary as is slow and steady throttle, but that's easily achieved in this Rubicon and it was never overworked even when the terrain became very challenging.
This Jeep has a well-calibrated off-road traction control system but if you need even more terrain-grabbing magic, it has front and rear diff locks, and a front sway-bar disconnect system, which helps to unlock even more articulation, and let those tyres stretch to the ground for all-important traction.
The Rubicon also has Selec-Speed Control (an adjustable low-speed cruise control for 4WDing that can be set between 1.0-8.0km/h), and Off-Road+, which adjusts throttle and traction control, among other systems, to best suit the terrain.
What’s also handy about the Rubicon is that, via the off-road pages on the multimedia screen, you can monitor your 4x4 system, as well as vehicle steering angle, pitch and roll, and the status of the diff locks and the swaybar disconnect system.
The two-door Rubicon has a listed 257mm of ground clearance and 760mm wading depth. While I didn’t experience any water crossings that deep this time, I did do plenty of driving on coastal sand, just inland from a beach, and there were deep rutted sections, so I saw clear evidence of its running clearance.
When it comes to approach, departure and ramp-over angles, the higher the number the better and the short-wheelbase Rubicon checks out with listed measurements of 44, 37, 27.8 degrees respectively, and this small 4WD climbs up and over even steep rocky hills with sharp crests, without ever being in danger of scraping the earth with its front, under-carriage or its back end.Â
The Rubicon rides on BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain KM2 (255/75R17) tyres – real muddies – and those are strapped to 17-inch alloys. These are good tyres and the 17-inch set-up is good for off-roading.
The shorty Rubicon is not a big vehicle and so its Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM, 2404kg) and Gross Combined Mass (GCM, 3751kg) are not massive figures.
It’s not renowned as a towing platform of note but it pays to know that its tongue download is 150kg, towing capacity is 750kg (unbraked) and 1497kg (braked).
BMW X1
Only a week before testing the X1 xDrive20i M Sport I’d been reviewing a BMW 330e and going from the 3 Series to the SUV was like changing my seating position from being in a bathtub to sitting on a bar stool.Â
Actually, the X1’s seat is far more comfortable than a stool and the refined quality is what you’d expect from BMW.
But compared to the low slung 330e the visibility and the upright driving angle of the X1 is very different.
It’s something you want in an SUV that puts practicality before performance.
As much as I liked the sporty sedan, as a dad I preferred being able to see better when parking in the X1, and this made life a lot easier.
Easy is a good word to describe what the X1 xDrive20i M Sport is like to drive - from that visibility to the light steering, comfortable ride and that great engine with all-wheel drive.
That 2.0-litre four-cylinder has more than enough grunt to run up the steep hills in my neighbourhood without struggling, the transmission is smooth and the all-wheel drive system adds a bit more reassurance in the wet weather.
All of this makes for an easy, enjoyable drive.Â
Safety
Jeep Wrangler
The Jeep Wrangler range has a three-star ANCAP safety rating from testing in 2019.
The rating is not up to scratch in this day and age, but the Rubicon does have onboard a full suite of safety gear including six airbags (two dual-front, two side, two side curtain), as well as auto emergency braking (city and inter-urban) blind spot warning, adaptive cruise control and front and rear parking sensors.
BMW X1
The X1xDrive20i M Sport like all X1s scored the maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2022.
A score of 88 per cent was given to child protection and the ANCAP report found that a 10-year old and six-year old in the second row had adequate to good protection in a front offset collision and a side impact.Â
For child seats there are two ISOFIX points and three top tether anchor mounts across the second row.
As you would expect from a model that’s hasn’t even been around a year yet, the X1 xDrive20i M Sport has the very latest in advanced safety tech.
There’s AEB which is operational from 5.0km/h to 210km/h and also works at road junctions. There’s lane keeping assistance, blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert.Â
There are curtain airbags for front and rear passengers, a centre airbag for the driver and co-pilot along with frontal airbags plus side chest and side pelvis airbags.
Ownership
Jeep Wrangler
The Wrangler is covered by Jeep's five-year/100,000km warranty – that’s sub-standard compared to the baseline five year/unlimited km warranty.
Service intervals are recommended every 12 months and 12,000km with capped-price servicing set at $399 a pop.Â
If you have your Rubicon serviced at a Jeep outlet then lifetime roadside assistance is on the cards.
BMW X1
The X1 xDrive20i M Sport is covered by BMW’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.
A five-year/80,000km service plan through BMW will cost $2150. You’ll be looking to pay an average of $430 per service every 12 months.Â