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:

Engine oil temperature
Cold engine: the pointer is at the low temperature end. Drive at moderate engine and vehicle speeds. Normal operating temperature: the pointer is in the middle or in the left hal ...

Weights
The values preceding the slash apply to vehicles with manual transmission; the values following the slash apply to vehicles with automatic transmission. ...

After the ignition is switched off
When the remote control is removed or the ignition is switched off, the windows can continue to be operated for approx. 1 minute as long as no door is opened. ...