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:

Residual heat
The heat stored in the engine is used to heat the interior. Functional requirement ▷ Up to 15 minutes after the engine has been switched off. ▷ Warm engine. ▷ The battery is ...

The concept
The Auto Start/Stop function helps save fuel. The system switches off the engine during a stop, e.g., in a traffic congestion or at traffic lights. The ignition remains switched on. The engine s ...

Entering an address using a command
1. Press the button on the steering wheel. 2. Enter address 3. Wait for a request from the system. 4. Say the address in the suggested order. 5. Continue making the entry as prompted by the ...