BMW's smallest SUVs are both eye-catching and packed with tech, but they're surprisingly different to live with.
If you're in the market for a BMW X1 or BMW X2 then you can rest assured that both are good cars. Both have pretty big boots and back-seats for mid-size SUVs, and both are available with a wide range of engines, as well as the fully electric iX1 and iX2. But which is right for you?
Read on and find out…
BMW X1 vs BMW X2 compared
| BMW X1 | BMW X2 |
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Styling and design
When the third-generation BMW X1 came out in 2022, it was a real evolution over the second-gen car, retaining its 'baby X3' looks. It's shaped like a traditional BMW SUV, with a large front grille and sharp tail lights that jut inwards across the boot lid. The X1's roof line is fairly flat, giving a large boxy rear cabin and boot area.
The X2, meanwhile, is far more futuristic. Its roofline swoops downward over the rear seats, culminating in a pointier rear end. The headlight and brakelight shapes are altogether more aggressive-looking than the X1, and the X2's front grille flares like a pair of angry nostrils.
Interior
Hop behind the wheel of either an X1 or an X2 and you'll be treated to an almost identical cabin layout. Both cars get twin large screens – one behind the steering wheel and one acting as the infotainment screen. Below the central screen is a wireless phone charger which clamps your phone in an almost upright position.
The centre armrest in both cars has a protruding tray of buttons, as well as the gear selector (all X1 and X2 models are autos) and volume knob. This is where you'd normally find BMW's rotary iDrive controller, but it was controversially removed from the current versions of the X1 and X2, meaning you need to touch the central screen to operate it.
Both cars' interiors come clad in leather in most models, and they're ergonomically designed so there's plenty of adjustment in the steering wheel and seats.
Dimensions and practicality
| BMW X1 | BMW X2 | |
| Length | 4,500mm | 4,554mm |
| Height | 1,642mm | 1,560mm |
| Width (incl mirrors) | 2,104mm | 2,104mm |
| Boot (seats up/down) | 500 litres/1,545 litres | 525 litres/1,400 litres (rear seats up/rear seats folded) |
The X1 is a taller car than the X2, and it's also slightly shorter – although that 54mm difference in length is all down to the X2's bigger bumpers. While the X2 wins on boot space by 25 litres, we'd argue the X1 still has the more useable boot in reality because you can stack things higher than in the X2.
That said, the X2 has an impressive boot for a coupe SUV. We used one for a week's holiday with two young kids in Italy and it easily swallowed luggage for four.
Where the X2 really falls down compared to the X1 is in rear-seat headroom. It's restricted in the left and right seats already because of the sloping roofline, but your middle-seat passenger has to deal with a downward bulge in the roof thanks to the aerials above.
Engines and performance
Both the X1 and X2 are available with petrol, plug-in-hybrid and full electric options, as well as high-performance petrols in the form of the X1 M35i and X2 M35i.
Petrol X1 and X2 models
The petrol range kicks off for both cars with the three-cylinder sDrive20i. This is a front-wheel drive setup with 170hp and a 0-62mph time of 8.3 seconds and a claimed fuel economy of 45-48mpg.
Next up is the xDrive23i, which uses a four-cylinder petrol engine with four-wheel drive, 218hp and a 0-62mph time of 7.1 seconds. Fuel economy drops to an officially claimed 41-43mpg. This engine isn't available in the X2.
Want a bit more speed? Pick an M35i model. Available on both the X1 and X2, this gives you four-wheel drive and a 300hp 2.0-litre petrol engine for a 0-62mph time of just 5.4 seconds. You can expect a high of 36mpg.
Diesel X1 and X2 models
Now, things differ slightly. The X1 is available with a range of 2.0-litre, four-cylinder diesel engines which never made it to the X2. These were the sDrive18d with 150hp and an 8.9 second 0-62mph time, and a four-wheel-drive xDrive23d, with 211hp and a 7.4 second 0-62mph time. Both diesel options achieve a claimed 53-57mpg.
PHEV X1 and X2 models
You can get various plug-in-hybrid versions of both X1 and X2. The xDrive25e has 245hp and a 0-62mph time of 6.8 seconds and a theoretical EV driving range of 50-56 miles. Then there's the xDrive30e with 326hp, a 0-62mph time of 5.7 seconds and the same theoretical range. Both use a 14.2kWh battery pack.
Electric X1 and X2 models
And we're not done. The iX1 and iX2 are the fully electric versions. Each comes with either single or dual motors, and the same 65kWh battery that can charge at up to 130kW, meaning a 10-80% fast charge takes 29 minutes.
The single motor iX1 (or iX2) eDrive 20 has 204hp for a 0-62mph time of 8.6 seconds and a range of up to 293 miles in the iX1 and 283 miles in the iX2.
The dual-motor iX1 (or iX2) xDrive30 has 313hp, a 0-62mph time of 5.6 seconds, and an on-paper range of up to 270 miles in the iX1 and 267 miles in the iX2.
Value
BMWs aren't cheap, and that's not the case for either the X1 or X2. The X2 carries an £1,500 premium over the X1 from new but, in popular M Sport trim with the sDrive20 petrol engine, both cost between £42,000 and £44,000 – putting them firmly in the luxury car tax bracket. It's worth noting that the X1 is available in lower-cost Sport and xLine trims, while the X2 range starts with the fancier M Sport models.
In short, both cars are priced to compete with the likes of the Mercedes GLA and Audi Q3. If you want a cheaper alternative, consider the VW Tiguan, Skoda Karoq or Kia Sportage.
Used BMW X1 vs BMW X2
On the used market, the X1 and X2 are much more affordable options, losing about £12,000 of value in the first year or so. Search for a used BMW X1 at Motorpoint and you'll find a wide range of specs and trim levels, while the X2 still tends to be pricier because it only ever comes in M Sport trim.
You'll also find plenty of the last-shape versions of both cars. The X2 was a fundamentally different beast in its first generation, looking more like a raised hatchback than a coupe SUV. You can spot these because they have a BMW roundel on the C pillar behind the rear doors.
Which is best?
It all comes down to your use case. For family duties and those who regularly use the back seats and boots, we'd pick the X1. It's just a more useful shape and – to our eyes – a more pleasing-looking car. That said, the X2 grabs attention and is still blessed with a big boot, but you won't enamour yourself to any tall back-seat passengers.
Read our BMW X1 review or, if you’ve made your mind up, shop our exciting selection of used BMW X1 and used BMW X2 cars for sale.
