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:

Example: playing back a CD
1. Switch on the Entertainment sound output if necessary. 2. Press the button on the steering wheel. 3. ›C D and multimedia‹ The medium last played is played back. 4. Press the button ...

Reassigning individual programs
1. Switch on the ignition. 2. Hold the hand-held transmitter a distance of approx. 2 to 8 in/5 to 20 cm from the memory buttons. 3. Press the memory button of the universal remote control. 4. ...

Profile management
Opening the profiles A different profile can be called up than the one associated with the remote control currently in use. 1. "Settings" 2. "Profiles" 3. Select a profil ...