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:

Engaging the transmission position
Transmission position P can only be disengaged if the engine is running and the brake pedal is pressed. With the vehicle stationary, press on the brake pedal before shifting out of P or ...

Displays
Program selection Pressing the button displays a list of the selectable programs. Selected program The selected program is displayed in the instrument cluster. Display on the Control D ...

Safety
Standard safety features include front-, side-impact and side curtain airbags. Active head restraints, antilock brakes and an electronic stability system are also standard. Blind spot and lane dep ...