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.

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Controls
At a glance 1 System on/off, interrupt 2 Resume speed 3 Store speed 4 Store, maintain/change speed Switching on Press the button on the steering wheel. The marking in the speedometer is ...

Following the initial pairing
► The mobile phone is detected/connected in the vehicle within a short period of time when the engine is running or the ignition is switched on. ► The phone book entries of the telepho ...

Activating/deactivating Bluetooth
Bluetooth is not permitted everywhere. Comply with all safety guidelines and regulations. 1. "Telephone" 2. "Options" Open. 3. "Bluetooth®" ...