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:

Settings for the map view
The settings are stored for the remote control currently in use. 1. "Navigation" 2. "Map" 3. Open "Options". 4. "Settings" Set the map view. ► &q ...

Automatic deactivation of the front passenger airbags
The system determines whether the front passenger seat is occupied by measuring the resistance of the human body. The front, knee, and side airbag on the front passenger side are activated or d ...

The concept
Side View provides an early look at cross traffic at blind driveways and intersections. Road users concealed by obstacles to the left and right of the vehicle can only be detected relatively lat ...