I had a previous generation BMW X3 (which I think was the mark 1) and I have to say this is a big improvement. The best thing must be the fuel economy, I must be returning at least another 10 miles a gallon now, high 40s, which for a 3 litre 4x4 is fantastic, especially one that must be about 2 tonnes.
Another problem with the last gen one was that it was a bit too unforgiving to drive, just too solid on the lumps and bumps. The new one isn't flabby, doesn't hide feedback from the road surface, but also just makes you much more comfy on the road.
The boot, if you had a first gen BMW X3 and if you can believe it, is actually bigger I think in the new one. The problem in the old one was that I think it was the wheel arches or some other bulk sort of intruded into the boot at the sides. Anyway they've managed to sweep that away in the new one and it's a nice big square box back there.
Just be careful when you're closing the tailgate because the rear windscreen is still at an angle and if you've got a really square load (like a big chest of drawers I had) then it could break the rear windscreen. Let's just say I had a near miss there...
Off the road it's a big big improvement too. Now granted I didn't have the xDrive on my last one, but anyway this new BMW X3 is very much at home on mud, snow, all sorts. During last winter when the snow got really bad, I was getting to work but my neighbour with a pickup truck wasn't. Maybe he was just pretending he couldn't get out of the drive, but maybe not, I remember people with all sorts of powerful cars saying they couldn't get in, people who I knew really would if they could. I did have snow chains though.
Point is, the new BMW X3 fixes almost all the problems that let the old one down. BMW didn't seem like the sort of company to be making an off roader and the old one sort of reinforced that impression, but the new one they've got it right.
The only thing I can't comment on is reliability as I've only had it a few months. There was a little hiccup with the parking sensor when I first got it but that must have been a factory fault and it's fixed now. My old BMW X3 was very reliable so hopefully none of the improvements have affected that.
Can't fault it really. The only thing to mark down is the running cost, but then even that's pretty good for a 3 litre. Diesel is always a bit of a downer as you lose some power, but the BMW X3 really doesn't feel to me like it's that much less powerful, and it's definitely not louder. Really nice and whisper silent in there.
The only trouble I've ever with it, which I suppose did mean a bit of noise, was a little gearbox noise, when it was idling and also when it was I think in maybe 2nd or 3rd, can't remember. It didn't last long as the dealer sorted it inside the warranty. You have to pester about these things but anyone who moans about that just needs to man up and read the warranty out to them until they realise you're not going away till they fix it. They do fix stuff in the warranty, but they just try and get out of it if they can, which I can understand from a business point of view. I mean in the end it would annoy customers and might cause a drop in business, but first of all it's not as if any company is better than another, they're all as bad, and secondly the staff in car dealerships don't always know that they'll be there for all that long, so they've not got that much reason to try and encourage you back in five or ten years when you might want to get another car. More likely they just wanna keep their books in good shape and maximise their commission or whatever incentive it is they've got to keep down the warranty repairs bill.
Anyway....... where was I?? The BMW X3 has got a lot going for it. Obviously it's chuffing vast inside, I've got alsations and they're always happy in the back. There's plenty of space for them plus my golf kit plus my son's golf kit, plus shopping if we decide to do that on the way home.
The seats are good and big too, all four of them. The middle seat in the back is a bit of a let down I've been told, but at least the seat belt clips are sunk into the seat itself, they don't poke out like I've seen on other cars, which must make the middle seat pretty much unusable.
Biggest downside on the BMW X3 I reckon would be the insurance and tax, which is a gripe with the government and insurance firms not BMW, so it seems a shame to mark the car down for that, but there we are.
I think I'd recommend getting a BMW X3 on a lease deal. I got mine new that way and had it for two years. I paid a fair bit each month but probably less overall than I'd be paying to own it, and fewer general maintenance hassles.
Not that I had too many hassles. There were a couple of little electrical faults but those were fixed without any trouble (perhaps another benefit of leasing as opposed to buying). Apart from that it was fine.
And it's so massive as well. Inside the BMW X3 is like driving a cave around. It isn't too worrying though because of the nice parking sensors and nice high up position.
We had a Jeep before the BMW X3 and I'd say the BMW X3 was by far the more comfortable one to be in. The suspension is nice and smooth and it's SO much quieter. A real pleasure.
I suppose the lease options vary between dealers although we didn't really look into it all that much. Thinking back we maybe should have done a bit more research, but then on the other hand if you see a good deal then nab it.
There were a few other goodies that we liked about the BMW X3, like the auto windscreen wipers, even if there were a wee bit sensitive sometimes, and the cruise control which is a brilliant luxury to have.
The size is probably the biggest selling point though. The only problem with the overall size is that it's pretty high up off the ground. My dear old mum always struggled a bit to get up into it. Plus that reduces the overall height of the car, so fitting bulky furniture like sofas in isn't as easy as it might be. Ideally it would have been a bit lower down, but then I suppose you'd sacrifice the fantastic driving position. Horses for courses I suppose.
I hired a first generation X3 some years ago during a trip abroad, and I was just a bit sort of underwhelmed by it. It was okay... but you don't drive a BMW for an okay drive. I think they had just tried to make an off roader, but had taken too much away from the on-road experience while also not really putting enough into the off-road experience. Anyway it seems they've had a thorough and successful rethink with this new X3. It's more lively to drive (although always in control), definitely stronger and more confident on rough terrain and snow, and just all round a better experience.
I think the most surprisingly pleasing thing about the X3 (for me at least) is the fuel usage. I have to remind myself all the time that it's only a 2 litre engine. For the power and speed you just can't fathom that really. And for that you get about 50mpg most of the time, which I find very impressive. That is beaten by some smaller cars, but they're smaller! The efficiency also has a lot to do with the diesel engine; there's no petrol option but these days it doesn't seem to matter much unless you're a real car fanatic/geek. It's quiet, performs well, and the savings on fuel more than make up for any minor shortfalls.
The 'sport' button on the BMW X3 is good fun. At a stroke it tightens everything up - steering, throttle, all just seem snapped into focus a bit more. Flip it on if you're feeling bored or need a bit more power, loads of fun. It's also pleasingly confident in dodgy conditions. I was visiting relatives in Scotland over the winter, and it was a bit treacherous at times but the X3 just sailed through it all, no problem.
Inside the car it's very nice. Plush, BMW-like! Leather and that sort of thing everywhere. Very comfy too. Some annoying things about the interior. Here's one thing that's starting to get on my nerves: the satnav display panel is recessed into the dash at an angle, so it makes a little natural space to chuck things like receipts and gloves, but... that gets in the way of the satnav display obviously. Argh! Meanwhile the dash itself is a curve that peaks in the middle, so things often slip off towards the passenger side. That's very annoying at times. There are a couple of cup holder in front of the gearstick, but again it feels like there's a lot of wasted space in that area. And the glove box is oddly far down underneath. All in all the cabin can feel at once spacious but also strangely lacking in space.
Mind you the view is very good from the BMW X3. It's a little taller than most cars so you get a nice clear view ahead of traffic most of the time. Other nice things include some bits and pieces you'd expect, little touches like rear seat air vents. The back generally looks nice although I haven't spent much time there understandably. It looks like the leg room might be a bit cramped for some, but, ahem, that wouldn't be a problem for me.
Storage space is superb. The boot is very big, I've got four large suitcases in there before, as well as golf clubs and a small bike. And the rear seats quickly and easily fold down flat to make a continuous space with the boot. That's extremely handy for transforming it into a mini van if you're moving stuff around, and then switching it back into a smart people moving machine.