BMW Once Shoved A Turbocharged Straight-Six Into Its Smallest Crossover And It’s Now Dirt Cheap Speed

Attrition is a terrible thing for those who wait. After all, enthusiast cars are meant to be enjoyed, so by the time you’re ready to buy one, there’s a chance they’re all enjoyed-up. For instance, the BMW 335i was lots of people’s first taste of turbocharged German speed, and as you can expect, good ones are now few and far between. So, what do you buy when all the 335is in your area are either roached or crazy expensive? Well, provided you’re okay with an automatic transmission, a fantastic option already exists. Say hello to the E84 BMW X1 xDrive35i, a great example of powerful engine, reasonably small car.

While the BMW X1 currently exists as a reasonably practical way to stretch out the Mini platform, the nameplate didn’t always ride on a front-wheel-drive platform. See, right at the turn of the 2010s, BMW still stood for rear-wheel-drive over everything else, and it decided to turn the platform from the then-current E90 3 Series into a crossover. But hang on — didn’t they also do that with the X3? Well, sort-of. The first-generation X3 shares far more with the E46 3 Series launched in the late 1990s, while the second-generation X3 shares more with the F30 3 Series launched for 2012. The E84 X1, on the other hand? It didn’t just share a platform with the E90 3 Series, it even shared a wheelbase.

Standing slightly shorter and about five inches taller than a BMW 3 Series wagon, the original X1 was a weird exercise in pairing the interior room of a compact hatchback with the fuel economy of an SUV. We’re talking about 14.8 cu.-ft. of cargo space with the rear seats up, 47.7 cu.-ft. with the rear seats down, and 26 mpg combined for the xDrive28i all-wheel-drive model with the two-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. So far, not so brilliant. However, BMW being BMW, it knew that an inline-six would fit. How about the N55 out of the 335i?

Yes, that’s right, the BMW X1 xDrive35i, a mildly ridiculous alphabet soup nameplate, took a three-liter turbocharged inline-six, paired it with a ZF 6HP six-speed automatic transmission, and shoved some serious squeeze into BMW’s littlest crossover. We’re talking 300 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 300 lb.-ft. of torque from 1,300 to 5,000 rpm. Pair that with a highly regarded chassis and honest-to-goodness hydraulic power steering, and things get interesting.

Just ask Car And Driver. The magazine tested an N55-powered X1 in 2014, and not only did it run from zero-to-60 mph in 5.2 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 13.8 seconds at a strong 102 mph, it also drove like you’d expect a BMW engineered before downsized engines and electric power steering should.

When traffic broke, we found the 35i motored through the white stuff without drama. Traction in a straight line or around corners was plentiful, despite the X1’s sporty 18-inch Pirelli all-season run-flat tires. Stability control can be completely disabled to allow easy drifts (if that’s your thing), thanks to the xDrive setup’s rearward torque bias, although the system’s brain was quick to shuffle torque to the front axle when needed. Under all conditions, BMW’s once familiar, firm yet compliant ride-and-handling balance impressed. This 35i was agile but rode better than our long-term X1 xDrive28i M Sport tester, thanks to smaller wheels, higher-aspect-ratio tires, and non-sport suspension. A snowy skidpad prevented us from recording a grip figure for the X1, but we recorded 0.82 g in a roughly 100-pound-lighter, non–M Sport xDrive28i with similar tires. The 35i’s firm brake pedal was linear and easy to modulate—a boon on the slick roads we encountered—and the stoppers returned a solid 163-foot halt from 70 mph.

So, what we have here is essentially an all-wheel-drive 335i wagon that usually isn’t owned by the sort of crowd that’s prone to doing mods before maintenance. Oh, but because they don’t carry the same enthusiast cachet as a 3 Series, these X1 xDrive35i crossovers are surprisingly inexpensive on the secondhand market.

Let’s say you’re looking for one with reasonable mileage and the coveted M Sport package. Well, this 2014 X1 xDrive35i with the M Sport package is listed for sale in Georgia with 77,957 miles on the clock for $11,675. It’s missing a tow hook cover, but it has a clean Carfax, hasn’t lived in the rust belt, and appears to have mostly been dealer-serviced. If you’re okay with the color combination of white over black, this looks like a promising example.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for something on comfier suspension that’s a little more driver-spec, this 2013 X1 xDrive35i is up for sale in Illinois with 84,869 miles on the clock for $9,897. Sure, it doesn’t have the M Sport package and it has a minor hit on the Carfax, but the mileage is right, the price is decent, and the blue paint looks great. Come to think of it, this might be an even better sleeper than the M Sport car because it still has tons of room to turn up the wick without looking obvious.

Case in point: Dinan has a 50-state-legal tune that’ll crank output up to 355 horsepower and 401 lb.-ft. of torque. Those are gains of 55 horsepower and 101 lb.-ft. of torque, all without running afoul of California emissions laws. Want crisper shifts? A company called xAutomotive sells a reputable transmission flash tuning suite for an equally reasonable $237. The aftermarket for this platform is great, but there are a few things you should probably address first.

First off, the charge pipes on these things are made of plastic known for getting brittle from age. Considering these pipes carry boost from the turbocharger to the throttle body, cracking one of these means going into limp mode. Secondly, N55 engines aren’t immune from electric water pump issues, meaning it’s better to change that preventatively than retroactively. Thirdly, make sure if you’re buying a 2013 model that the high-pressure fuel pump has been replaced. Most of these early designs failed under warranty and were replaced early in the life of the car, and the failure pattern is benign rather than catastrophic. Finally, keep an eye on the oil filter housing gasket. If it leaks, oil can saturate the serpentine belt, and the belt can eventually find its way inside the engine. It’s an insane failure, but a preventable one. Otherwise, the N55 isn’t the same nightmarish clusterfuck as its N54 predecessor. BMW actually learned something here.

Still, if you’re willing to spend a bit of maintenance, you can own one quick turbocharged subcompact crossover with great driving dynamics on the cheap. Think of the original X1 xDrive35i a bit like the closest thing the U.S. market has to a 335i wagon, and suddenly it starts making sense.

(Photo credits: BMW, Autotrader sellers)

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