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:

Tow-starting
Automatic transmission Do not tow-start the vehicle. Due to the automatic transmission, the engine cannot be started by tow-starting. Have the cause of the starting difficulties remedied. Manual ...

Switching the microphone to mute
When a call is active, the microphone can be muted. 1. "Telephone" 2. "Active calls" 3. "Microphone mute" A microphone that has been switched to mute is automati ...

Opening
The tailgate pivots back and up when it opens. Ensure that adequate clearance is available before opening. Provide edge protection Sharp or angular objects can hit the rear window while drivin ...