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:

What to do if...
▷ The current transmission position cannot be displayed? The vehicle is located in an unrecognized region, is in a poor reception area, or the system is currently determining the position ...

Starting destination guidance after entering the destination
1. "Accept destination" 2. "Start guidance" or "Add as another destination" Add, a destination as a further destination. ...

Actions in the event of a flat tire
Run-flat tires You can continue driving with a damaged tire at speeds up to 50 mph/80 km/h. Do not continue driving without run-flat tires If the vehicle is not equipped with run-flat tires ...