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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Example: playing back a CD
1.  If necessary, switch on entertainment audio output. 2.  Press the button on the steering wheel. 3.  {C D and multimedia} The system plays the last media played. 4.  Press ...

Load
The maximum load is the sum of the weight of the occupants and the cargo. The greater the weight of the occupants, the less cargo that can be transported. ...

Shifting
Shifting into 5th or 6th gear When shifting into 5th or 6th gear, push the gearshift lever to the right; otherwise inadvertent shifting into the 3rd or 4th gear could lead to engine damage ...