Pictures I have bought a 2016 X3 xLine

[Monster]

Where did you pass the cables in order for them to reach the rear fuse box?

I see that the cable goes behind the rear view mirror, so you removed the roof trim, or you run the cables just behind the plastics all the way to the trunk?

This is what I want to know as well.

 

[Betty Swollocks]

Congratulations Luw, on your new car and your new baby.

 

[Centurion]

Where did you pass the cables in order for them to reach the rear fuse box?

I see that the cable goes behind the rear view mirror, so you removed the roof trim, or you run the cables just behind the plastics all the way to the trunk?

I simply ran the cable along the rear view mirror mount, window sill rubber, and the gap between the pillar plastics and headlining. It literately took 3 minutes to do and is no more difficult than tucking a shirt into buttoned trousers - no trim had to be removed.

The dashcam cable is long enough to comfortably reach any part of your car with a margin.

This morning the car computer warned me of battery discharge when the car is stationary. It's power management system is more sensitive than the one in my 2012 F30. I have configured the Power Magic Pro to cut power to the dashcam after 12 hours or if the voltage of the car battery drops below 22 volts.

 

[klier]

^ Ingenious!

 

[Centurion]

I have had the car for 10 months and it's time for a @Monster style update. Buying a car is always a risk and a 30min test drive is rarely enough to gauge whether a car is the best choice. Having driven several different cars after buying the X3 I can honestly say that I always feel relieved to be back inside it. I feel very at home in it.

Best of all, the car has been 100% reliable and has had no issues.

Extras to spec next time: Comfort seats(fingers crossed they will be an option), auxiliary heating, adaptive suspension.


What I love

• It's very fun to drive. You can drive it as aggressively as you would a an M-Sport 4-series thanks to good steering feedback, low body roll and a well-damped chassis. The ground clearance and black cladding add a sense of invincibility in being able to plough through rough roads or dirty without worry.

• Interior quality is a good step up from the F30 I had. The transmission tunnel doesn't feel hollow and is lined with artificial leather just like the back of the gear selector - this was not the case in F30. Despite the age of the interior design, it's honest, easy to use and very well put together.

• As a family car, we love the X3's tall and wide-opening rear doors. They make getting the baby in and out of the rear facing isofix car seat dead easy. Our backs and not tired or sore as we don't have to bend.

• The seating position and big windows in combination with the beige interior makes it feel like a living room on wheels. I'm therefore rarely grumpy in traffic. It looks like an SUV and feels big and spacious inside, without being too clumsy in parking lots.

What I dislike

• I dislike the leather. It's premium but not soft and luxurious.
• As soon as my Pirelli tyres are done, I'm switching for non-run flats for lower motorway noise and better absorption of small road imperfections.

• 20d is adequate but spoils the car bit. At idle it's coarse and you feel the rumbles through the pedals and steering wheel. Entering roundabout there is a bit of lag and the gearbox doesn't always shift down quickly enough when suddenly stab the throttle. Next time I'm getting the much smoother 6-cylinder 30d.

• It's expensive to option. Like buying a steak at an expensive restaurant, you pay for every nice-to-have. Thankfully an automatic tailgate and heated seats are standard in the UK.

Surprises

• Concerned about owning a car with a beige interior, I've been gobsmacked by how easy it is to keep clean. Floor mats look fresh after being vacuum cleaned. The seats just need to be wiped with a leather cleaner and cream once a month which only takes 10min.

• The car has fantastic range. Ahead of a 467 mile drive to Scotland for Christmas , I fuelled up the car. The trip computer told me, the range available is 500 miles. With a baby, another adult, heating and zircon on all the way, boot and roof box full of stuff, I reached Scotland with 30 miles of fuel to spare!

Christmas journey telemetry with no refuelling.

FYI: The car isn't always this clean on the outside, I do drive it on rough roads and through the country side.

 

[Rainer271]

Thanks Centurion for sharing your review.
Maybe I'm interested to choose bright leather seats for my next car. It would be a diversion because I had and have cars with a dark interior.
But I'm not sure about how it will looks after some years.
When I read comments in different forums there are so many different experiences with bright leather.
Many drivers spent much time to care the seats, other drivers spent less time for the same result.
There are different statements how different clothes works on the seats. For example many drivers are saying it's better to avoid wearing blue jeans because this cloth bleed on the leather.
I have seen often pics of used cars with bright leather and was disappointed how it has looked.

 

[Centurion]

Thanks Centurion for sharing your review.
Maybe I'm interested to choose bright leather seats for my next car. It would be a diversion because I had and have cars with a dark interior.
But I'm not sure about how it will looks after some years.
When I read comments in different forums there are so many different experiences with bright leather.
Many drivers spent much time to care the seats, other drivers spent less time for the same result.
There are different statements how different clothes works on the seats. For example many drivers are saying it's better to avoid wearing blue jeans because this cloth bleed on the leather.
I have seen often pics of used cars with bright leather and was disappointed how it has looked.

A good leather protector prevents jeans from permanently discolouring the seats. My jeans bleed on to the seats bit but the blue hue gets wiped off without resistance during my once-a-month wipe. It makes the seats look and smell brand new and the effort is worth it for the homely ambiance created by the beige colour.

What helps is that the Nevada leather in the X3 is durable. Nappa and the more expensive Merino leathers are more luxurious but a lot more delicate and challenging to keep pristine.

 

[Monster]

Thanks for the update @Centurion, great to know you are enjoying your X3 more and more. I have yet to see another X3 in your color combination. People are generally so boring with their color choices.

I have not driven any BMW SUV at all, after reading your review I am now tempted to try one.

Btw what do you think of those upgraded Philips X-treme Vision headlight bulbs?

 

[Centurion]

Thanks for the update @Centurion, great to know you are enjoying your X3 more and more. I have yet to see another X3 in your color combination. People are generally so boring with their color choices.

I have not driven any BMW SUV at all, after reading your review I am now tempted to try one.

Btw what do you think of those upgraded Philips X-treme Vision headlight bulbs?

I get lots of compliments for the way the car looks. The LCI significantly boosted the car's exterior appeal.

SUVs can be addicted but they add sense of luxury humans lust for whether it's a penthouse, mansion on a hill or a throne. You feel removed from eye contact of most drivers and you sit on traffic rather than in it because of the view you have of what's going on ahead. I never expected to feel this hooked!

I'll find it hard not to replace it with another SUV in 18 months time.

The Philips lights have been a bargain of a century. Illumination at night is a lot better and less fatigue inducing. It's the closest you can get to LED/Xenons without wasting money on an expensive, and possibly illegal, conversion.