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:

Deleting contacts
1. "My contacts" 2. Highlight the contact. 3. Open "Options". 4. "Delete contact" or "Delete all contacts" ...

Drive away without delay
Do not wait for the engine to warm up while the vehicle remains stationary. Start driving right away, but at moderate engine speeds. This is the fastest way for the cold engine to reach its oper ...

Opening/closing the glass sunroof and sliding visor together
▷ Slide switch back to the resistance point and hold. Glass sunroof and sliding visor open together as long as the switch is held down. ▷ Press switch back past the resistance po ...