Hi all!
My family took a vacation this summer and I got behind the wheels of my sister's 2014 BMW X1 and a rental 2021 Kia Sportage. After these two anonymous do-it-alls, I was so grateful to return to my V wagon!
To be fair, the X1 was actually a really nice SUV. (For me, that means it drives like a wagon!) It has a small footprint and from the driver's seat the cabin feels closely wrapped around me. The steering is BMW's old hydraulic-assist unit, so there's plenty of road feel. My sister's X1 has the M Sport package with the tighter suspension and sports seats. The body control was decent---think BMW 3-series sports sedan---and the seats were some of the best fitting and most comfortable I've used. But the turbo-four engine is low on character and, with AWD, the X1 is low on excitement. Thank goodness for the CTS-V! (My full review of the X1 M Sport is here.)
![]()
Our rental 2021 Kia Sportage, on the other hand, was a reminder that basic-economy SUVs exist, too. Ours was an LX---the lowest trim level---and it had no niceties, save for Apple CarPlay. There wasn't even automatic climate control. The Sportage was a fine appliance for covering boring highway miles; it rides softly and holds an 80-mph cruise without strain. But the engine moans and groans on the onramps; it's underpowered considering the SUV's weight. I know these Sportage LX's are cheap---~$27k with AWD---but I'd still recommend looking at other options rather than getting into this entirely mediocre SUV. I'll do my best to avoid renting one again! (My full Sportage review is here.)
![]()
My family took a vacation this summer and I got behind the wheels of my sister's 2014 BMW X1 and a rental 2021 Kia Sportage. After these two anonymous do-it-alls, I was so grateful to return to my V wagon!
To be fair, the X1 was actually a really nice SUV. (For me, that means it drives like a wagon!) It has a small footprint and from the driver's seat the cabin feels closely wrapped around me. The steering is BMW's old hydraulic-assist unit, so there's plenty of road feel. My sister's X1 has the M Sport package with the tighter suspension and sports seats. The body control was decent---think BMW 3-series sports sedan---and the seats were some of the best fitting and most comfortable I've used. But the turbo-four engine is low on character and, with AWD, the X1 is low on excitement. Thank goodness for the CTS-V! (My full review of the X1 M Sport is here.)
Our rental 2021 Kia Sportage, on the other hand, was a reminder that basic-economy SUVs exist, too. Ours was an LX---the lowest trim level---and it had no niceties, save for Apple CarPlay. There wasn't even automatic climate control. The Sportage was a fine appliance for covering boring highway miles; it rides softly and holds an 80-mph cruise without strain. But the engine moans and groans on the onramps; it's underpowered considering the SUV's weight. I know these Sportage LX's are cheap---~$27k with AWD---but I'd still recommend looking at other options rather than getting into this entirely mediocre SUV. I'll do my best to avoid renting one again! (My full Sportage review is here.)
