We review the BMW X3 from price to economy and all its features
THIS is where it gets personal. I've driven an X5 for years and love it.
And if you want a recommendation for an X3, my in-laws from York bought one about a decade ago, drive to visit us in London every weekend and have never had a moment's problem with it.
Tweaked... Changes have been made to the X3
BMW is currently in the process of updating older models and the public clearly likes them. The new X5, a larger version of the X3, was launched a couple of months ago and is selling like hot cakes.
The X3 has exactly the same styling and looks really modern and at the cutting edge of vehicle design. A new bumper, wide-framed grille, wooden trims and leather upholstery all catch the eye immediately.
Behind the wheel of the new BMW
If the Mini has the most style, the BMW is the classiest on show and with a lot more room in the boot. Step inside and you can feel the BMW quality oozing through. An updated controller for its iDrive element might sound like jargon, but the reality is all the options are presented on an easy-to-scroll screen, while your attention stays firmly on the road.
It handles beautifully and is incredibly stable when braking
I think a lot of people buying crossovers don't want to use the car for anything other than Tarmac. But if any of the vehicles we tested is likely to hold its own off-road, then it is this one. This is at the top end of all cars on test and the one I'd trust the most on any terrain.
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Put it in Sport mode and enjoy a bit of grunt. Slip into Eco mode and your carbon footsteps become a little lighter. Its Twin-Power Turbo technology is deployed in a four- or six-cylinder engine with fuel efficiency up to 47mpg and CO2 emissions down to 130g/km.
Great handling... The X3 is very stable
If you have plenty to spend you cannot go far wrong. It handles beautifully and is incredibly stable when braking but that's exactly what you'd expect.
I'm a dad with a ten-month-old daughter and every time I buy a car I want to know: "How safe is this vehicle?" It has a full fivestar NCAP rating and feels like it would do everything to protect you.
It has more airbags than I've had hot dinners, but it all comes at a price and that's what everyone looking at the BMW market has to weigh up.
Key Facts
- MPG: 55.4 - 46.3
- BOOT SPACE: 550 litres
- SAFETY: 5 stars
- 0-62mph: 10.3 - 5.8 secs
- CO2: 135 - 162g/km
What to look out for when buying a used BMW X3 (2004 – )
You’d be desperately unlucky to buy an X3 and have any issues with it, unless the car has already been shunted or abused in some way. Build quality and reliability are top notch, and if glitches should crop up, BMW dealers are generally brilliant at putting things right without fuss.
This top-notch reliability is reflected in the fact that even the first-generation X3 E83 has been recalled just the once – when cars built between August 2008 and June 2009 began to suffer from an electrical short circuit discharging the battery. The second take on the X3 formula, the F25, has not been recalled.
There are few serious issues to watch for but keep an eye open for leaky rear diffs, faulty parking sensors and corroding aluminium roof rails.