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:

First aid kit
The first aid kit is located in the container on the inside of the trunk lid. Unscrew the wing nut to open. Some of the articles have a limited service life. Check the expiration dates of the c ...

Initiating an Emergency Request
1. Press the cover briefly to open it. 2. Press the SOS button until the LED in the button lights up. ▷ The LED lights up: an Emergency Request was initiated. If the situation allows, w ...

Controls at a glance
Controls 1.  Control Display 2.  Controller with buttons You can use the buttons to open the menus directly. The controller can be used to select the menu items and create settings. ...