2020 Honda CR-V vs BMW X1

What's the difference?

The Honda CR-V VTi-L7 is a really nice midsize family SUV let down by a lack of active safety equipment. It has been disappointingly left behind its competitors on that front, and while it isn't “unsafe”, you need to know that rival SUVs offer considerably better safety gear than it, and that could be enough to sway your decision.

A shame, really. Because otherwise it's fairly brilliant.

BMW’s X1 won me over mainly because of its raucous engine, signature handling, and suspension characteristics.

It is perhaps a little harsh for some family drivers though, and still has some notable spec omissions this far into its lifecycle. So, keep these factors in mind when considering it against its premium competition, particularly given there are some serious rivals arriving in the coming months.

The fact that Honda can somehow squeeze seven seats - with room for seven actual people - into a body this compact is a testament to the brand's clever packaging philosophy.

The CR-V dimensions don't chance whether you're buying the five-seat or seven-seat model. It measures 4596mm long (on a 2660mm wheelbase), 1855mm wide and 1679mm tall. For reference, the length of a CR-V is more than a ruler shorter than a Toyota Corolla sedan. That's truly amazing considering there are seven seats in here.

Of course that comes down to the tall, square body of the CR-V, which - unlike some competitors - is unashamedly focused on practicality.

The interior design is a key part of that focus, and the CR-V has some things are dreamy for parents and grandparents - like rear doors that open almost to right angles, allowing for very easy access to the back seats (but could also lead to unintended door dings in car parks if enthusiastic youngsters fling them open with force).

There are also five child seat attachment points for the rear five seats. The third-row features top-tether only points, which are off to the side of the boot so you still have usable cargo space with the rearmost seats in play.

But on the flipside, the top-tether points for the second row are located in the ceiling of the boot area, meaning you have to run straps through the head-space of the third row to secure the seats in place, essentially rendering that back row as unusable if the second-row is kitted out for kids seats. Of course there are dual ISOFIX outboard anchors as well, but Australian legislation requires top straps be fitted in addition to ISOFIX.

From the outside, the X1 totally owns the BMW design language. It somehow comes together so well over the frame of a small SUV, from the traditional BMW double kidney grille, to the chiseled LED headlights, squared-off profile, and cleanly resolved rear.

It’s miles better than its first-generation X1 predecessor, at least from the outside.

I found the inside to be a mixed bag. I liked the seats, steering wheel and multimedia system, but it just doesn’t feel cohesive.

It’s like a bunch of parts have been plucked off the shelf and  shoved together. It has a strangely compact dash cluster from the outgoing 2 Series, but at the same time, the brand’s latest touchscreen, as well as a collection of old-looking controls on a cascading dash which for some reason eats an uncomfortable amount of the front occupant’s space.

It’s been made to work together, but still feels a little chaotic. Like parts and buttons have just been plastered all over. This extends down to the centre console, where BMW gives you the option of controlling the media suite through a dial and buttons.

All the fittings are undeniably quality though, with everything from leather-clad surfaces to switchgear all having a solid, satisfying feeling. The feeling of this car being more expensive for a reason. There’s also an abundance of padded surfaces, and comfortable seats in every position.

I already covered off some of the third-row design considerations in that section, but how does that all translate to the space on offer?

I'm 182cm and I (just) fit in all three rows.

In the very back seats the headroom is the main issue. I struggled to fit in the back row sitting upright, my neck was cricked to the side in order to fit. But smaller adults or children shouldn't have too much of an issue back there, as the width, kneeroom and toe room was adequate for short trips. There are some bottle holders in the back, and there are rear air vents and a fan controller for those in the back.

Third-row access is decent, as the middle-row seats flip and tumble forward (60:40 split, with the smaller section thankfully on the kerbside). They also slide to allow access, but that might be difficult if you have a child seat fitted.

I can't stress enough how much having the top-tether points in the roof section will annoy you if you regularly use the third row. Many competitors have the top tether anchor integrated into the back of the middle-row seat, and they also have sliding functionality which is, quite simply, a better way of doing it.

In the second row, there's decent leg room, toe room and head room, even with a large sunroof. Amenities are good, with dual map pockets, a pair of directional air vents, a flip down armrest with a pair of cup holders, and bottle holders in the doors too.

And then up front there's exceptional practicality, with a huge centre console section with a secondary section below the cup holders. There's also a covered bin, plus another storage section in front of the cup holders below the high-mounted gear selector, big door pockets with bottle holders, and a pair of small storage slots either side of the gear selector box, too.

The steering wheel is nice and neat, the driver info screen is a fully digital affair - there's a digital speedometer, fuel readout, and trip computer. It takes a bit of learning to get the controls down pat using the steering wheel buttons, but there's a bit going on.

The media screen is a 7.0-inch touch-capacitive unit, which is getting to be on the small side by today's standards. It has the stuff you'd expect, though, with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, sat nav and digital radio all included. It's a bit of an old-school display and the menus are fine but not super intuitive, and the screen doubles as a display for the reversing camera and Honda's proprietary LaneWatch side-view system.

If you're wondering about charging, there are four USB ports (two front, two rear) and there's even a HDMI input. The sound system has eight speakers, and the quality is pretty good, too.

As for boot space or cargo capacity, there's 150 litres (VDA) of luggage space with all the rear seats in play - or enough for school bags or some shopping - and that increases to 472L in five-seat layout (suitcases, sporting gear, a pram - and maybe even all at once!). Fold down all the rear seats and you've got 967L of room to the window line, and a lot more if you dare load up above that line.

There's a movable rear floor section that gives you a level playing field if you need it when storing long items, and under the boot floor (and the third-row seats) there's even a full-size alloy spare wheel. Neat!

The X1’s hidden trick is in how big its interior space is.

It’s voluminous – or as Richard Berry pointed out in his 2018 review of the pre-facelifted X1 – it has more head and legroom than an X3 and almost as much luggage space.

Impressive, right? Especially for something which is quite a bit smaller when it comes to its exterior dimensions.

A lot of that is down to the X1 sharing its platform with space-efficient and predominantly front-wheel drive Minis. But there’s more, too!

The back seats are foldable and on rails, letting you choose luggage over passengers if need be. While this is pretty impressive, the X1’s 505-litre boot space is under threat.

Audi’s new generation Q3 offers 530 litres, while the incoming Mercedes-Benz GLB will offer 570-litres in five-seat form. If it’s boot space (or seven seats…) you’re chasing, it is worth factoring in to your premium small SUV decision making process.

The back seat, as already mentioned, has plenty of leg and headroom, plus dual USB ports and directional air vents on the back of the centre console.

Front seat occupants are pretty well treated, with some cool turbine-design cupholders in the centre, smallish trenches in the doors, as well as a large bin under the armrest. There are a selection of USB ports to choose from as well as a wireless phone charging bay.

Seat comfort is good all-round, although it took me a long time to adjust to the odd upright seating position which seems to be the only ‘right’ way to have everything adjusted, at least for my preferences.

Our X1 is the top-spec xDrive25i trim. That means it’s all-wheel drive, and gets the most potent four-cylinder engine available in the X1 range. Ours was also the M Sport version (with all the extra M bits) boosting the price to a total of $66,150, before on-roads.

Expensive? Maybe. The tricky thing here is we don’t know how much this car’s primary German rivals will cost when they arrive this year. I’m talking about the higher-spec Audi Q3 (currently you can only buy the entry-level version of the new one), and the Mercedes-Benz GLB isn’t set to arrive for a few months yet.

You can compare it to Land Rover’s Range Rover Evoque, which is at the very least, $2000 more expensive for a remotely equivalent spec. And the same can be said for Jaguar’s E-Pace.

Of course, there are a plethora of non-premium options for much less, but I’m guessing if you’ve made it this far in the review, they will be of little interest.

Standard spec has some impressive items, including 19-inch alloy wheels, an impressive-looking 10.25-inch multimedia touchscreen with sat-nav as well as Apple CarPlay as standard (but still no Android Auto…), a head-up display, LED head and tail-lights, push-start and keyless entry, an ambient interior lighting package, and leather upholstery.

The M Sport pack added (to our car) an adaptive suspension package, the M Sport steering wheel and power steering characteristics, M-branded seat belt trim and M Sport brakes.

There’s a semi-digital dashboard, too, but not the super swish digital dash suite from the more recently released cars in BMW’s range. Keep in mind, this second-generation X1 is now almost five years old, despite a minor refresh in 2019.

It’s not a bad feature set, aside from the rather upsetting omission of Android phone mirroring, which is a real necessity in today’s SUVs. While the sat nav suite is a handy thing to have, you only get three years of updates included, and it lacks the really intuitive features now built in for free with Google maps for Android users.

The M Sport pack’s three-spoke steering wheel is the best one in BMW’s parts catalogue. It’s the perfect size, weight, and material. Bonus points for that.

This grade of Honda CR-V - like all but the base model - comes with a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine.

Want to know engine specs? The power output is 140kW (at 5600rpm) and the torque figure is 240Nm (at 2000-5000rpm). Not quite a horsepower hero, but better than adequate outputs nonetheless.

As with all CR-Vs the gearbox is a continuously variable transmission (CVT) auto, which isn't to all tastes but is a good pairing with this powerplant.

The model you choose in the CR-V range will determine if it comes in two-wheel drive (2WD)/front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). This one is a 2WD.

Towing capacity is 600kg for an unbraked trailer, and 1000kg for a braked trailer for all seven-seat CR-V models (and, according to Honda Australia's site, that figure is "with seven seats occupied" - but the onus is on the driver to ensure the gross combination mass, or GCM, doesn't exceed 3300kg). Five-seat CR-V models offer 600kg unbraked/1500kg braked towing capacity. 

No complaints here. With 170kW/350Nm on tap from a four-cylinder turbo-petrol, you can’t make the argument the 25i needs more power.

BMW has stopped short of saying there will be a faster M version of the X1, and there probably shouldn’t be, what’s offered here is more than enough. BMW claims the 25i will sprint from 0-100km/h in just 6.5 seconds.

The 25i is ‘xDrive’ all-wheel drive only and drives power to the wheels via an eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission.

Claimed fuel consumption on the combined test cycle, according to Honda, is 7.3 litres per 100 kilometres. It has an eco mode (Econ, as Honda calls it) that dulls the throttle a bit and aims for better fuel use, and that mode was engaged the entire time for my test, as I didn't feel I needed extra engine grunt at all.

That was all the more impressive as I did more than 600km in the CR-V, most of which was highway driving (including a loop west over the Blue Mountains and back!), and bettered that claim, with 7.0L/100km displayed on test.

How much fuel you will consume will largely depend on how much the punchy engine will tempt your right foot, but the claimed/combined figure on the X1’s spec sheet is 7.1L/100km.

Despite enjoying the 25i more than I care to admit, my average fuel usage over a fairly representative ‘combined’ week came out as 7.9L/100km. Not bad at all.

The X1 requires mid-grade 95RON unleaded petrol and has a 61 litre fuel tank.

As mentioned above, my drive time was largely out of town - but I was impressed, as always, with the CR-V in all situations.

It's such a competent mid-size SUV, one that is perfectly suited to family buyers who want a comfortable car that's quiet and easy to live with. I really think it is one of the best in the class in terms of balancing comfort and control. It's arguably more comfortable than a CX-5, Tucson or RAV4, and more controlled than a Forester, X-Trail or Outlander.

The suspension is well sorted, with a ride quality that is very well resolved, very comfortable for both the driver and passengers, and yet it still handles quite nicely too, with direct and enjoyable steering that is both quick to respond, and easy to judge. Some people might find it's a little too darty, but you get used to it - trust me.

The engine and transmission work well together, though the transmission can rob you of some of the joy of the turbo engine's thrust. The engine does offer a good dollop of grunt in Econ mode, you just need to get to the throttle detent (that section midway down the throttle travel where it goes from measured response to more urgent acceleration) to take advantage of it.

It's very refined, very quiet, and very impressive. I'd happily do long distance driving in a CR-V on a regular basis, and it's also adept at urban driving duties: it's easy to park, deals well with slow-speed bumps and lumps, and the drive experience is pretty relaxing overall.

The X1 drives like a BMW – for better or worse.

There are some great attributes. The steering is a fantastic balance of weight and speed, the internal switchgear is all exactly the same as it is in the 2 Series sedan, and the suspension is firm, letting you feel every bit of the road.

That last one is possibly this car's worst attribute, though. While you’ll have an above average driving experience in the curvy stuff, the X1 is overly harsh for daily family duties.

I mean, seriously. I’m sure the average SUV buyer in this class is hardly going to be taking their kids to school via the Nurburgring every day.

If nothing else it’s a point of difference for the Bavarian SUV, and after a week you’ll be used to it. Those who do will be rewarded with one of the more engaging small SUVs on the market.

The engine proved to be distinctly punchy, impressing with its responsiveness and linear power delivery. It has a lovely (partially artificial) raspy exhaust note, to boot, which makes hopping behind the wheel all the more enjoyable.

It has some other quirks worth noting, too. I couldn’t get used to its oddly high and upright seating position, the front two seats seemed a bit narrow despite familiar BMW leather trim, and there was an undeniable heft to the whole product which made it lose its confidence when really pushed in the corners.

The X1 won me over, though. By the time I was handing the keys back, I did just want one more go…

In terms of active safety features, the X1 is a little light on.

Rather than full auto emergency braking (AEB), the X1 gets a system called ‘braking assist’ which will slow the vehicle (or as BMW says “reduce impact speed”) if an object is detected from three to 65km/h. Beyond 65km/h it will “precondition” the brakes but requires human intervention to apply them.

So... it will help, but won’t quite stop for you.

Active safety features it does really get include lane departure warning, forward collision warning, traffic sign recognition and high-beam assist.

The X1 does get the expected baseline safety items, like electronic stability and brake controls, as well as six airbags. Parking sensors for the front and rear across the range are a nice touch.

There are also two ISOFIX child-seat mounting points on the outer rear seats.

Despite its slightly underwhelming active safety suite, the X1 still caries a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, as rated in 2015 before the stricter minimum active safety requirements came into force in 2018.

Honda covers all of its new models with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. That's par for the course these days, but the brand has dabbled in promotional seven-year warranty cover. Hit up the dealer to see if your purchase is eligible for this extended warranty.

And the company also has a capped price service plan, which runs out to up to 10 years. Service intervals are every 12 months or 10,000km, which is a bit more regular than most rivals (which have annual/15,000km intervals).

The basic cost per maintenance visit is $312, which is pretty affordable for this class of vehicle, but that is before you factor in some additional consumables such as the cabin air filter ($45, every 24 months/30,000km), brake fluid ($58, every 36 months), transmission fluid ($172, every 36 months/40,000km), air cleaner element ($55, every 60,000km) and spark plugs ($274, every 100,000km).

When it comes to roadside assistance, Honda offers all new car buyers five years of coverage (or seven years if you get a seven-year warranty plan).

BMW insists on a three-year warranty package, going so far as going on the record saying owners don’t want more (really… what kind of owner doesn’t want a competitive five-year warranty?). Regardless, it is the standard for cars in the premium segment, with the exception of Lexus which offers four years.

It would be nice to see premium automakers raise the game a little here, but the X1 is thankfully offered with a capped price servicing program.

Like other premium brands it is offered as a package at the time of purchase and covers five years of services. The 'Basic' program costs $1550, while the 'Plus' program comes in at $4420. The main difference between each program is whether wear items like brake pads, wiper blades, etc, are included.