Over the past 25 years, I have owned 29 cars. Only two of them were bought brand new.
My first new car was a Mitsubishi Evo 9 GSR. The second was a Mazda2. Everything else was pre-owned.
Perhaps it is the car enthusiast in me. Perhaps it is simply because I enjoy the hunt. There is something satisfying about finding the right used car, learning its quirks, making it your own and living with it for a few years before moving on to the next one.
Leasing was never something that appealed to me.
Over the years, I would occasionally joke with our client, AVIS Singapore, that after all the support they had given us, I should return the favour by leasing a car from them. The answer was always the same.
“No thanks.”
Until now.
Leasing a BMW X1.
This year, I finally agreed to lease a car. Not just any car, but a BMW X1, the very same generation U11 model that went on to become AutoApp Car of the Year 2024.
Our arrangement was simple. The car would remain largely standard, preserving its warranty and reliability, while allowing me the flexibility to review products, accessories and upgrades within reasonable limits. In many ways, it was the perfect excuse to do something I have never really done before.
Live with one car for an extended period and document the journey properly.
Most media reviews last a few days. Sometimes a week if you are lucky.
Those few days are already more than what many buyers experience before signing on the dotted line. Yet the reality of ownership only begins after the photos are taken, the video is published, and the excitement of collection day fades into daily life.
That is where this BMW X1 project begins. It is not my first BMW ownership experience; I’ve had an E70 X5 and a couple of E36 3 Series sedans.
But the U11 model X1 is my first modern Bimmer. It will be my family car, my workhorse, my airport shuttle, my grocery getter and occasionally my escape vehicle when I need a quiet drive to clear my head.
Along the way, it will also become a test platform.
First things first.
The first item on that list is the Bridgestone TURANZA 6.
Bridgestone positions the TURANZA series as a premium touring tyre focused on comfort, refinement and wet-weather performance. Coincidentally, I had the TURANZA T005As on my E36 320i, and they were very comfortable tyres despite being on 18-inch BBS RK-IIs.
However, the TURANZA 6 is the latest-generation model, and its comfort features make plenty of sense for a BMW X1 that spends most of its life navigating Singapore’s roads.
Rather than a short review, the plan is to evaluate the tyres over the course of months and years. How do they cope with daily commuting? What is the durability like, and how do they perform during heavy rain? Do they remain quiet after thousands of kilometres?
The standard 19-inch M Sport wheels were removed and replaced with a set of factory 20-inch M Sport wheels from the BMW X1 M35i.
I’ve always liked the way the larger wheels fill the arches. They give the X1 a little more presence without looking excessive. Best of all, they remain a genuine BMW factory option, so everything still looks as though it rolled out of Munich that way.
The process turned out to be surprisingly straightforward.
The TPMS sensors were transferred from the original wheels into the new set, after which the TURANZA 6 tyres were mounted and balanced. Once fitted, BMW’s iDrive system guided me through the tyre recognition procedure.
Modern cars are remarkable in the way they quietly simplify tasks that once felt complicated.
The system already had multiple tyre sizes and wheel configurations stored within the software. After entering the relevant specifications, the car only required a few kilometres of driving before recalibrating itself and recognising the new setup.
No warning lights, workshop visits or drama.
No more “Tyre not recognised” message every time I start the car.
Everything simply worked.
It was a small reminder that much of today’s automotive technology operates in the background, often unnoticed until the moment you need it.
The BMW X1 has only just arrived, and there is plenty more to explore.
Three years is a long time in the automotive industry. New models will arrive. New technologies will emerge. Countless other press cars will come and go.
This BMW will still be sitting downstairs waiting for me every morning.
For the first time in a very long while, I’m looking forward to finding out what happens when the review never really ends.
