X3 in the Market

At $38,000, the X3 starts substantially higher than its nearest competitor, the Acura RDX. Save for its problematic transmission behavior, the BMW offers a more buttoned-down driving experience than the Acura. For some, that's worth every penny.

As BMW surely knows, the X3 can't sit on its pedestal forever. Land Rover's entry-level LR2 is on the way, and so are the Audi Q5 and Volvo XC60. If the X3 is to remain a desirable car, BMW will have to fix a few things so buyers need not weigh the good against the bad — because there will be plenty of very good alternatives soon.

    See also:

    Traffic bulletins on the map
    "Traffic conditions/gray map" Active: indication on the control display is switched to shades of gray. This enables a better view of the traffic bulletins. Day/night mode is not taken ...

    Tone control
    You can alter various tone settings, e.g. treble and bass or the speed-dependent volume increase. The tone settings are applied to all audio sources. The settings are stored for the remote control ...

    Storing a station
    1. "Radio" 2. "FM" or "AM" 3. Highlight the desired station. 4. Press the controller for an extended period. 5. Select the desired memory location. The stations ar ...