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:

Visual warning
The approach to an object can be shown on the Control Display. When the distance to an object is small, the PDC display correspondingly shows a red bar in front of the vehicle. The display a ...

Unlocking and opening
▷ Either unlock the doors together using the button for the central locking system and then pull the door handle above the armrest or ▷ Pull the door opener twice individually on ...

Switching the high beams on and off manually
Switching the high beams on and off manually ▷ High beams on, arrow 1. ▷ High beams off/headlamp flasher, arrow 2. The High-beam Assistant can be switched off when manually adjustin ...