To get this long-legged city crawler moving, BMW suggests two six-cylinder mills, respectively generating 215 and 260 hp. My tester featured the 2.8-litre, 215-hp version, and it had more than enough juice. A very nice, unpretentious engine offering more than adequate performances. Acceleration is decent, with the X3 bounding from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.9 seconds. The engine is certainly not the bomb, but it doesn’t let you down in passing situations or when attempting manoeuvres requiring a sudden burst of power, and it unfailingly meets your needs. Obviously, you pay for this permanent power at the pump. The X3’s little engine is not a model of restraint, gobbling an average of 10.5 litres per 100 km.
What model is this again?
Cabin layout is limited by the narrowness of the car. Five people can fit on board, but the person sitting in the middle in back will quickly come to feel like the group’s whipping boy. The cargo area is decent and easy to access, as ground clearance is fairly low and the opening is wide.
The dash board of the X3 couldn’t be any more BMW if it tried. The cabin eerily resembles every other BMW interior. I was a bit disappointed, as the car clearly lacks personality. On the other hand, the ergonomics are flawless and everything is where it should be. The comfortable perches make this an ideal road-tripper.
Talk about getting old
BMW doesn’t plan on introducing a new version of the X3 before 2011. However, in 2011 almost traitorous in-house competition will come in the shape of the new X1. A little smaller in size than the X3, the X1 will offer a resolutely more contemporary ride for less money. In other words, by the end of the year the current BMW X3 will have gotten old – and that’s putting it nicely.
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| The dash board of the X3 couldn’t be any more BMW if it tried. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |
What model is this again?
Cabin layout is limited by the narrowness of the car. Five people can fit on board, but the person sitting in the middle in back will quickly come to feel like the group’s whipping boy. The cargo area is decent and easy to access, as ground clearance is fairly low and the opening is wide.
The dash board of the X3 couldn’t be any more BMW if it tried. The cabin eerily resembles every other BMW interior. I was a bit disappointed, as the car clearly lacks personality. On the other hand, the ergonomics are flawless and everything is where it should be. The comfortable perches make this an ideal road-tripper.
Talk about getting old
BMW doesn’t plan on introducing a new version of the X3 before 2011. However, in 2011 almost traitorous in-house competition will come in the shape of the new X1. A little smaller in size than the X3, the X1 will offer a resolutely more contemporary ride for less money. In other words, by the end of the year the current BMW X3 will have gotten old – and that’s putting it nicely.
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