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:

Automatic headlamp control
Switch position : the low beams are switched on and off automatically, e.g., in tunnels, in twilight or if there is precipitation. The LED next to the symbol lights up. A blue sky with the s ...

Fuel cap
Opening 1. Briefly press the rear edge of the fuel filler flap. 2. Turn the fuel cap counterclockwise. 3. Place the fuel cap in the bracket attached to the fuel filler flap. Closing 1. ...

Bypassing a section of the route
Calculate a new route for a route section. 1. "Navigation" 2. "Route information" 3. "New route for" New route for 4. Turn the controller. Enter the number of kilo ...