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:

Switching the microphone to mute
When a call is active, the microphone can be muted. 1. "Telephone" 2. "Active calls" 3. "Microphone mute" A microphone that has been switched to mute is automatic ...

Inserting/removing the snap-in adapter
1. Press button 1 and remove the cover. 2. Insert the snap-in adapter at the front, arrow 1, and press down, arrow 2, until it engages. To remove the snap-in adapter: press button 1. Insert ...

Mounts for the lower LATCH anchors
Correctly engage the lower LATCH anchors Make sure that the lower LATCH anchors have properly engaged and that the child restraint fixing system is resting snugly against the backrest; otherwi ...