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:

Rotating wheels between axles
The manufacturer of your vehicle advises against swapping wheels between the front and rear axles. This can impair the handling characteristics. Rotating the tires is not permissible when using ...

System limits
Personal judgment The system cannot serve as a substitute for the driver's personal judgment of the traffic situation. The system assists the driver and does not replace the human eye. The s ...

Apps
At a glance Certain software applications of a suitable cell phone can be integrated in the vehicle. These software applications are displayed on the Control Display. Operation can be performe ...