bellavus
10-31-2004, 01:22 PM
I really needed to edit this review in order to make it a little more coherent and helpful to people interested in the X3.
Engines:
At this point, I have driven both an X3 3.0 non-sport, and an X3 2.5 sport. There is not that much of a difference in power between the two, which surprised me. I thought that the 2.5 would feel a lot more sluggish because of the weight of the car, but the power was nearly identical to the 3.0's power. The 3.0 is a gas guzzler, and I had to fill up twice when I had that loaner, whereas the 2.5 is much better on the gas mileage.
Handling:
The car handles very much like an E46, which is completely different than the X5. Even the non-sport 3.0 handled surprisingly well, compared to other luxury SUV's that I have driven. The sport package makes a difference in the handling of the car, but not too big of a difference. I have always hated driving SUV's because I felt like I didn't have much control of the car, and wouldn't be able to do an emergency manuever as well as a car, but the X3 tricks the driver into thinking that they are driving a sporty sedan. X-Drive is a superior system to any AWD car that I have ever driven. Even if you are looking to buy a BMW sedan with AWD this year, drive the X3, and you will see how much better the system is. X-drive also comes on X5's, but I haven't driven the new ones yet. The E90 3 series will have X-drive on the AWD cars, but it's not for another year or so until we see them in the US market.
Interior:
Overall, the interior is very nice. The radio and climate controls are at a comfortable distance from the driver, and oriented towards the driver. (I could not reach the radio controls at all in the X5). The seats are very supportive and comfortable, with plenty of back support. The steering wheel also has the radio and phone controls on it, but since I'm not used to the controls being there, I always just reached for the radio. The legroom in the back seats is very roomy, more so than in the 3 series sedan. The cargo space is HUGE, great for toting things back and forth (bigger than the X5). I made my normal grocery run, and the bags normally fill up the entire back of my ti, but in the X3, it took up 1/4 of the cargo space.
Exterior:
The headlights are very bright, the low beams give the driver plenty of visibility. There are both front and rear winsheild wipers, which is always a plus for me. The general exterior of the car is very controversial, but I think it's a great design. I don't know why, but I think it's timeless and modern all at the same time. The car comes with All-Season tires, which are more than sufficent for spirited driving and nasty weather conditions.
Pros:
Great cargo space
Car-like feel
X-drive
Headlights
Exterior Design (to me)
Cons:
Gas mileage could improve, even on the 2.5's.
Exterior Design
Overall, the car is very impressive, and if you haven't already driven the X3, take one out on a test drive. You might be plesantly surprised.
Engines:
At this point, I have driven both an X3 3.0 non-sport, and an X3 2.5 sport. There is not that much of a difference in power between the two, which surprised me. I thought that the 2.5 would feel a lot more sluggish because of the weight of the car, but the power was nearly identical to the 3.0's power. The 3.0 is a gas guzzler, and I had to fill up twice when I had that loaner, whereas the 2.5 is much better on the gas mileage.
Handling:
The car handles very much like an E46, which is completely different than the X5. Even the non-sport 3.0 handled surprisingly well, compared to other luxury SUV's that I have driven. The sport package makes a difference in the handling of the car, but not too big of a difference. I have always hated driving SUV's because I felt like I didn't have much control of the car, and wouldn't be able to do an emergency manuever as well as a car, but the X3 tricks the driver into thinking that they are driving a sporty sedan. X-Drive is a superior system to any AWD car that I have ever driven. Even if you are looking to buy a BMW sedan with AWD this year, drive the X3, and you will see how much better the system is. X-drive also comes on X5's, but I haven't driven the new ones yet. The E90 3 series will have X-drive on the AWD cars, but it's not for another year or so until we see them in the US market.
Interior:
Overall, the interior is very nice. The radio and climate controls are at a comfortable distance from the driver, and oriented towards the driver. (I could not reach the radio controls at all in the X5). The seats are very supportive and comfortable, with plenty of back support. The steering wheel also has the radio and phone controls on it, but since I'm not used to the controls being there, I always just reached for the radio. The legroom in the back seats is very roomy, more so than in the 3 series sedan. The cargo space is HUGE, great for toting things back and forth (bigger than the X5). I made my normal grocery run, and the bags normally fill up the entire back of my ti, but in the X3, it took up 1/4 of the cargo space.
Exterior:
The headlights are very bright, the low beams give the driver plenty of visibility. There are both front and rear winsheild wipers, which is always a plus for me. The general exterior of the car is very controversial, but I think it's a great design. I don't know why, but I think it's timeless and modern all at the same time. The car comes with All-Season tires, which are more than sufficent for spirited driving and nasty weather conditions.
Pros:
Great cargo space
Car-like feel
X-drive
Headlights
Exterior Design (to me)
Cons:
Gas mileage could improve, even on the 2.5's.
Exterior Design
Overall, the car is very impressive, and if you haven't already driven the X3, take one out on a test drive. You might be plesantly surprised.