X3/X4 [Official] 2011 BMW X3

[as7920]

Now that's the colour the 1M needed. If that blue had been offered, there would have been no hesitation.

Not dark enough to hide the details yet stunning.

Great looking X3 right there.

 

[bmwownage]

I happen to see an X3 on the road, just standard spec, nothing hype about it and I must say, it looks nothing special, and somehow even the X5 still grabs more attention.
The rear is good, stands out but the i still find nothing to like about the headlights, there is just nothing special about it, headlights is what you can find with this old Ford SUV, and I am definitely not a fan of the curvy side swage... i have never disliked how BMW apply lines on surfaces because on every model (bar this) they make sense, but with this i cannot find a reason why the side swage must curve towards the front fender.. makes the car look weak and is probably the first BMW with a line like this.
Honestly the X5 being kinda "old" looks as fresh as this imo. hell of a lot smoother and stronger looking. i hope this curvy side swage will not continue onto future models. and to me X1 "looks" better, more like a touring with higher ground clearance, with a rather special front and rear and a very nice sleek side profile.

 

[Beemer B773ER]

Eventhough I haven't seen the X3 in the metal yet, I do see what you're getting at bmwownage. It's kind of like that strong crease just comes to a flimsy end. Maybe they could have stylized it with the side-indicator more. It does leave that area below the side mirrors rather empty.

Today I'll be attending a BMW X3 Test Drive event at my local BMW dealer, so I'll finally get to see this thing, and I'll have the benefit of also driving the competing offerings from MB, Audi and Lexus to get an instant comparison. The weather isn't looking up, so photo ops could be a no-go, but I'll try to do a write-up if there's enough to talk about.

 

[klier]

So how did the test drive go Beemer? I'd love to read about it!

 

[Zafiro]

Today I'll be attending a BMW X3 Test Drive event at my local BMW dealer, so I'll finally get to see this thing, and I'll have the benefit of also driving the competing offerings from MB, Audi and Lexus to get an instant comparison. The weather isn't looking up, so photo ops could be a no-go, but I'll try to do a write-up if there's enough to talk about.

It's a shame they don't do things like that in Sweden.

 

[Beemer B773ER]

So how did the test drive go Beemer? I'd love to read about it!

It was a pretty neat event, especially for a first time BMW owner like myself.

Started off with a BMW representative explaining what was new with X3. The engine, the growth in size, the design, interior quality improvements, the X-Drive tech' compared to its competitors.

After that they had a demonstration in the parking lot comparing the AWD traction advantage that X-Drive has over Audi's Quattro system. For this demonstration, they first drove an Audi Q5 on to 3 rollers with the right-rear wheel on the ground. This demonstration was to highlight how quickly the X-Drive system can recognize which wheel has the best traction and then send 100% of its power to that wheel. The Q5 took a while to finally figure out the right-rear wheel was the only wheel which had traction (since the other 3 wheels were on rollers), whereas the X3's system figured the traction problem much quicker, and drove off the rollers in less than half the time it took the Q5.

Although I didn't shoot this video, it is identical to the demonstration I saw.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

After the demonstration, it was drive time!
I opted to drive the X3 xDrive 35i because I wanted to see what difference the '35i engine had over my '28i.
So I sat in the driver's seat, got buckled-up, and was waiting for the rep' to walk around the car and hop in the passenger seat. Well, that didn't happen...he said that there was a print-out on the passenger seat of a route to take, and that it'd take about 15 minutes. He said 'Enjoy the drive!' and closed my door. I paused my thought for a second until it fully registered that I was gonna do a solo test-drive of this new car! How cool is that!!

So off I went. Drove out of the dealer lot and followed the advised route. That route led me on to a highway, so of course I put the foot down as a I merged. Damn that engine has some GO! My N52 is no slouch compared to your average 6-cylinder engine, but the N55 with its turbo power offers a more urgent response when you ask for acceleration. I then put the Steptronic in manual-mode and did a bit more aggressive acceleration from a stop-light. Again, very responsive and no lag from the turbo. The handling - for a 4WD/SAV - was very impressive! I drive an E92 and I felt the X3 was very close to it in terms of handling, body roll and driver engagement. Of course I couldn't test the handling too much since I was on public roads, but I was thoroughly impressed that an X3 could handle so well!
Interior was also impressive. I couldn't complain about the quality of materials, but then again, I'm not too picky with things. The layout of buttons was well thought-out and iDrive was a breeze (must mention that my car has iDrive, but that's the older version). There was little road or wind noise in the cabin, though BMW definitely want you to hear the engine fulfilling your need for speed!
Overall I was very much impressed with the new X3. Exterior design looked very good without being overly aggressive. It's definitely not as 'toned' or 'muscular' as the X5 in terms of exterior design, but it still is very athletic and sporty looking. The front-end looks better in person than it does in the photos (not that it looks bad in the photos, it's just in the metal you get a better feel for the car's design). They've done a great job in giving the car a large rear-end for cargo-space and still managing to make the back-end look sleek and aggressive. I'd definitely consider this car in a few years time as I've always enjoyed the high driving position of mid-size 4WD's. I think an X5 would feel too big, but the new X3 seems just perfect in terms of dimensions and seating position.

After the X3 I drove the Q5. The handling was noticeably less athletic and you could feel a bit more body roll. The engine wasn't as responsive either, but I think it had a smaller motor. The interior was nicely done in terms of materials, but the layout was a little lacking with so many buttons around the MMI controller. I didn't get to fiddle with the MMI much since I was focusing on the road, so I won't comment on its level of user-friendliness. In terms of cabin noise it was fairly even, though unlike the X3 which gave you a big grin with its engine vocals, the Q5's engine wasn't as audible.
In terms of exterior appeal, the Q5 was extremely bland, but I imagine the S-line package might help there...but then again, that's all subjective to personal taste.

Very impressed with the X3, and as I said, definitely on my mind down the track. After having sat in an X1, I would much prefer to have the X3 because it's just roomier for all passengers!

Unfortunately no photos as the weather wasn't looking promising when I left home, and also it was night by the time I arrived at the dealer. ..unfortunately the dealer is an hour's drive away, so I don't have that luxury of stopping-by and taking some photos on an off-day.


EDIT: They also had a MB GLK and Lexus RX350 to try, but it was getting late, so I passed on both of these.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

I went in to the dealership yesterday and had a look at this car. I almost caught insomnia. It's sooooo boring in standard trim. I hope the sports pack spices things up sufficiently. It left me cold. The front end is not aggressive, nor elegant, nor beautiful, nor sporty. It's just there. At least the X1 stirs up some emotion, even if it is not entirely positive. But seeing the X3 and the X1 side by side, the X1 started to look a lot more attractive.

The interior was nice enough and a definitive improvement in build over the X1 and particularly the last X3. The style wasn't to my taste, particularly the way the console bulges out on the one side, but the trims were nice. One thing unacceptable...the exposed door metal work visible at the trailing edge of the door when shut. Depending on the exterior paint colour this would be really noticeable. It’s quite unacceptable in a BMW of this price.

 

[klier]

Hehehe, you just go buy/preach the GLK or Q5 then. Both worse in many ways.

Needless to say of course, I stopped reading after your first three lines of text.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Hehehe, you just go buy/preach the GLK or Q5 then. Both worse in many ways.

Needless to say of course, I stopped reading after your first three lines of text.

lol Klier, I wouldn't touch the GLK. It's interior has aged pretty badly and the exterior is not really my cup of tea. We don't get them here in Australia anyway. Stupid move by MB to engineer for them for LHD only. If I were in the market for a small SUV i'd probably go for the Q5 or used X5, which like so many have pointed out is still very attractive.

 

[Nikos120i]

Are we going to see the N20 in the new X3?

 

[Nikos120i]

Are we going to see the N20 in the new X3?

Yeap...we will:

BMW X3*xDrive20i: lively power curve and optimised efficiency courtesy of BMW TwinPower Turbo technology.
In autumn 2011 the BMW X3 Drive20i will be available as the new entry-level model among the petrol variants. Its newly developed 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit blends a hallmark BMW sporty power curve with exceptionally high efficiency. The new engine’s BMW TwinPower Turbo technology includes a turbocharging system based on the twin-scroll principle, along with High Precision Injection direct petrol injection, Double-Vanos variable camshaft control and VALVETRONIC variable valve control. Here the new powerplant takes its lead from the technology package of the 225*kW/306*hp multi-award-winning six-in-line unit of the BMW X3*xDrive35i.
Thanks to the use of aluminium, the powerplant of the BMW X3*xDrive20i is particularly light in weight and reaches its peak output of 135 kW/184 hp at 4,800 rpm. Maximum torque of 270 Newton metres is already available at 1,250 rpm. The new BMW X3*xDrive20i features a six-speed manual gearbox as standard with the option of an eight-speed automatic transmission. In both versions, the standard range of BMW EfficientDynamics technology includes, among other features, the Auto Start-Stop function, which automatically switches the engine off when the car is stationary at traffic lights or in congestion in order to avoid unnecessary fuel consumption when idling.

Info & Specs: 2012 BMW X3 xDrive20i and xDrive35d

 

[klier]

Yeah, and the X3 35d with 313 hp will be absolutely brilliant in that car!

 

[Zafiro]

Autocar BMW X3 xDrive30d M Sport review



As practical as almost any medium-sized SUV, this BMW trounces its nearest rivals in key areas. Capable of going almost ten miles further for every gallon of diesel than Audi’s equivalent Q5, this car is also faster and more powerful than the Audi, and more than three seconds faster accelerating to 62mph than Land Rover’s most powerful diesel Freelander.

BMW X3 xDrive30d M Sport - Road Test First Drive - Autocar.co.uk

 

[klier]

Love that shot!

 

[EnI]

The truth is that the all the BMW SUVs with the M Pack are almost unbeatable, this X3 in particular, has the nicest face I´ve seen in a long while on an SUV.

It certainly does, does it?