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:

Assistance functions
Functional requirement The backup camera is switched on. The trunk lid is fully closed. Pathway lines Can be shown in the backup camera image when in transmission position R. Help ...

Children should always be in the rear
Accident research shows that the safest place for children is in the back seat. Transporting children in the rear Only transport children younger than 13 years of age or shorter than 5 ft/150 c ...

Automatic deactivation during forward travel
The system switches off when a certain driving distance or speed is exceeded. Switch the system back on if necessary. ...