@Glos Guy, thanks for the clarification! I thought it was unusual as you normally give great advice and we seem to agree on many subjects about the cars and the scheme. Over the years I’ve owned several French cars including a Renault 16 and a Citroen C5, both of which were among the most comfortable and no less reliable than others I’ve owned. Yes, I think several early XC40 owners had trouble with the driver’s seat. I seem to remember that they’d all gone for the Pro model which had the extendable thigh cushions and there was a problem of insufficient padding.
For balance, I agree that the i4 is cramped and accessibility is poor 😆 Fortunately for us, this is not a problem and the driving experience far outweighs the negatives! Totally agree about the need for a proper lengthy test drive. I’m a member of a few other forums and I’m amazed that some people order a new car without any test drive, as though they are merely upgrading a phone!
Thanks. Going back to the X1, I wonder if the one that you test drove had ‘upgraded’ alloys? Almost every BMW that I’ve had on test over the years (and I’ve lost count of the number) has had larger alloys fitted than the ones that come as standard. BMW dealers are buggers at ‘speccing up’ their loan cars to make them more appealing and I don’t think I’ve ever had one in standard spec. IMHO they shoot themselves in the foot by doing this, as larger alloys = firmer ride. Once when we were looking for a private car for my wife they had a brand new BMW X3 M-Sport in stock that we could have had immediately. It looked amazing with all the options, but when we took it for a test drive it was the most jarring and uncomfortable ride I’ve ever had from a BMW as it had ‘upgraded’ alloys, so we said no. When I had a run of 5 series models, even at 530d level, I always went for the SE or Luxury models with the standard alloys, saving my upgrades for things that enhanced my enjoyment rather than ruined the ride. We did the same with the X1. Lots of extras but the standard alloys.
The reason I mention this is that whilst the Tucson definitely generates less road noise into the cabin than the X1 did, we have both noticed that the Tucson suspension isn’t quite as compliant as the BMWs was. In truth, what I’d ideally like is the X1 exterior and engine back, but with the Tucson interior and kit. Sadly, such a car doesn’t exist 😂
