2011 BMW X3 Review by Mike Hanley

The BMW X3 may have been a pioneer among compact luxury crossovers, but a number of competitors — including the Audi Q5, Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class and Volvo XC60 — have entered the fray since its debut as a 2004 model. Now, with the second-generation X3, BMW has new metal to take them on.

The 2011 BMW X3 is still the small luxury crossover of choice for driving enthusiasts, but its substantially more forgiving suspension tuning should make the new version far more appealing.

I tested the base xDrive28i, which starts at $36,750; with options, our test car's sticker price was $43,875. For a side-by-side comparison with the competitors mentioned above, click here.

See also:

Hood
Releasing Pull the lever. Opening To avoid damage, make sure that the wiper arms are against the windshield before you open the engine compartment. Do not open the engine hood before the engin ...

xDrive
xDrive is the all-wheel-drive system of your vehicle. The combined effects of xDrive and DSC further optimize the traction and dynamic driving characteristics. The 4-wheel drive system xDrive v ...

Camera
The camera is located near the base of the mirror. Keep windshield clean and clear in the area in front of the interior rear view mirror. ...