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2017 BMW X1 vs Mazda CX-5

What's the difference?

VS
BMW X1
BMW X1

$16,999 - $32,995

2017 price

Mazda CX-5
Mazda CX-5

$10,999 - $35,990

2017 price

Summary

2017 BMW X1
2017 Mazda CX-5
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Diesel Turbo 4, 2.0L

Diesel Turbo 4, 2.2L
Fuel Type
Diesel

Diesel
Fuel Efficiency
4.7L/100km (combined)

6.0L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

5
Dislikes
  • BMW price tag
  • Lacks advanced safety equipment
  • Low on standard features

  • No Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
  • Still small in the boot
  • MZD Connect starting to look its age
2017 BMW X1 Summary

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.

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Interested in a BMW X1?
2017 Mazda CX-5 Summary

The Mazda CX-5 was a genuine phenomenon. It pretty much came out of nowhere and knocked off a few cars we previously thought had an unassailable grasp on the Australian SUV budget.

Even more extraordinary was the fact the stylish CX-5 came from a company that had given us a fairly bland decade of cars, after a flourish in the late '90s descended into a series of dull boxes (although the 3 did signal a revival).

I drove a first-gen CX-5 late in its life and found it hard to believe it needed replacing. But in 2017 that's exactly what Mazda did. Fresh sheetmetal, lots of detail work, and a new interior were all dropped on to a lightly updated chassis to give us the second-generation CX-5.

And a lot faces ended up buried in hands at other car companies because it turns out Mazda did a smashing job second time around.

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Deep dive comparison

2017 BMW X1 2017 Mazda CX-5

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