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:

General information
Overloading the vehicle To avoid exceeding the approved carrying capacity of the tires, never overload the vehicle. Overloading can lead to overheating and increases the rate at which damage de ...

Removing
Only remove the head restraint if no one will be sitting in the seat in question. 1. Pull the head restraint upward as far as possible. 2. Press the button, arrow 1, and pull the head restrain ...

The concept
The parked-car ventilation ventilates the vehicle interior and lowers its temperature, if necessary. The system can be switched on and off at any external temperature, either directly or by using ...