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:

Status display
The tire and system status is indicated by the color of the tires. A change in the tire inflation pressure during driving is taken into account. A correction is only necessary if this is indicat ...

Compressed video files
Playback 1. Select the directory if necessary. Compressed video files 2. Press the button. 3. Select a track. Select a track 4. Press the button 5. Select "Play". 6. Press ...

Active seat ventilation, front
The seat cushion and backrest surfaces are cooled by means of integrated fans. The ventilation rapidly cools the seat, e. g., if the vehicle interior is overheated or for continuous cooling at ...