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:

Adjusting the volume
Turn the volume button while giving an instruction until the desired volume is set. ▷ The volume remains constant even if the volume of other audio sources is changed. ▷ The volume i ...

1 Series M
Rather than the single-turbo setup from the 135i, the 1 Series M gets a twin-turbo six-cylinder that's good for 335 hp and 332 pounds-feet of torque. In extreme situations, the 1 Series M can ente ...

Programmable memory buttons
General information The iDrive functions can be stored on the programmable memory buttons and called up directly, e.g., radio stations, navigation destinations, phone numbers and entry points i ...