2017 Honda CR-V vs BMW X1

What's the difference?

Honda’s once-ground breaking medium sized SUV enters its fifth generation, and will be a pivotal car for the venerable but vulnerable carmaker that’s slowly but surely lagging behind its key Japanese and Korean rivals - and the Chinese are coming, as well.

The fifth generation CR-V has come along way since its humble origins back in 1997. It does, however, have to line-up against a vastly wider arrange of contenders in an incredibly competitive space that not only includes its old arch rival, the Toyota RAV4, but category leaders like Mazda's CX-5, and new players like the Peugeot 5008 and the Haval H7.

Amidst its line-up of five-seaters is the sole seven-seat offering, known as the VTi-L, which sits just one place shy of the top spot in the CR-V pecking order. Does the updated CR-V in seven-seat mode tick all the boxes? Let's find out.

The BMW X1 is the smallest and most affordable BMW SUV you can buy. But does this mean it’s cheap and tiny, or maybe not a ‘real’ BMW? Should you be sensible and spend the money on something bigger but with a badge that’s not as fancy? Should you pay for an all-wheel drive (AWD) one, when front-wheel drive (FWD) costs less? And what’s the point of diesel fuel?

I’m a dad with a small family, who has driven a squillion BMWs. I’m also a part-time brand snob and a full time cheap-skate. There’s nobody else better placed to tell you the answer to these questions.

We drove the BMW X1 sDrive 18d for a week and here’s what we learned.