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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Connecting electrical devices
Note Do not plug the charger into the socket Do not connect battery chargers to the factory-installed sockets in the vehicle. Doing so may result in damage to the vehicle.◄ Sockets Socket ...

Braking safely
Your vehicle is equipped with ABS as a standard feature. Applying the brakes fully is the most effective way of braking in situations when this is necessary. The vehicle maintains steering respo ...

Reverse gear
Select only when the vehicle is stationary. When the gearshift lever is pressed to the left, a slight resistance needs to be overcome. ...