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:

Adaptive Drive
The concept Adaptive Drive* includes the following systems: Dynamic Drive Dynamic Damping Control The system increases driving stability and driving comfort. ...

Starting aid terminals
Connecting order Connect the jumper cables in the correct order; otherwise, there is the danger of injury from sparking. The so-called starting aid terminal in the engine compartment acts a ...

Storage compartment
A storage compartment is located under the armrest between the front seats and, depending on the vehicle's equipment, also a cover for the mobile phone cradle or the snap-in adapter. Details on ...