BMW X3
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The BMW X3 is a compact luxury crossover SUV based on the BMW 3 Series automobile platform. The X3 3.0i won the Canadian Car of the Year Best New Sport Utility Vehicle award for 2005.
See Wikicars' comprehensive BMW X3 Review.
Recent Changes
The X3 received several updates for the 2007 model year, with a slightly redesigned fascia and the inclusion of fiber optic lights in the rear - which has become a staple of 21st century BMW. The refresh also includes the new engines which debuted in the E90 3 Series, and the interior has been finished in leather, wood, and gloss highlights.In 2007 model year 2.5 liter engine disconitnued.
Styles and Major Options
The 2007 X3 comes in one trim, the 3.0si. It features a 3.0L 260hp I-6 engine with a 6-speed manual transmission and xDrive all wheel drive. A 6-speed Steptronic automatic transmission and sport suspension are also available, and safety options are plenty. Some of the standout features of the X3 include:
- 17" Silver Alloy Wheels
- 8-way power front bucket seats
- Power windows, locks, and mirrors
- Leatherette seating and door trim
- Leatherette shift knob and leather telescopic tilt steering wheel
- Express open/close sunroof
- Automatic climate control
- 8-speaker AM/FM/MP3/CD audio system
- Heated front wiper jets
- Rear lip spoiler
Pricing
Today's actual prices for the BMW X3 can be found at CarsDirect.
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X3 Trims |
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3.0si |
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MSRP |
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$38,000 |
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Invoice |
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$35,140 |
Gas Mileage
As seen on the FuelEconomy.gov website, the City/Highway MPG averages are as follows:
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Trim |
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3.0si manual |
3.0si auto |
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MPG |
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18/26 |
19/26 |
Reliability
The X3 is a relatively new SUV, but the 2004 model has earned an overall Green rating from Automotive Information Systems, indicating minimal problems in all categories. However, in reference to the new 2007 model, Consumer Reports states that "reliability has recently dropped to below average."
- RECALL ALERT: On August 13, 2008, BMW announced a recall affecting 200,000 MY 2006 3-series, MY 2004-2006 5-series cars and MY 2004-2006 X3s due to a faulty front passenger airbag sensor that could develop from small cracks within the seat detection mat. Though no one has reportedly been hurt, such a defect might stop the front passenger airbag from deploying in the event of an accident. [1]
Safety
Although safety test information for the X3 is not yet available on the NHTSA website, Autos.com reports that the X3 ranks 2nd in their Luxury SUV category for safety. The Mercedes-Benz ML350 and ML500 are tied for first. Standard safety features include:
- ABS and driveline traction control
- DSC-X electronic stability control
- Front and rear anti-roll bars
- Four wheel anti-lock brakes
- Driver/passenger front- and side-impact airbags
- 1st/2nd row overhead airbags
- Side impact bars
Photos
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Colors
A complete list of colors is viewable at CarsDirect.com. Some of the available choices include:
Exterior
- Alpine White
- Black Sapphire Metallic
- Crimson Red
- Jet Black
- Montego Blue Metallic
- Platinum Bronze Metallic
- Titanium Silver Metallic
Interior
- Black
- Gray
- Sand Beige
- Sand Beige/Black
Main Competitors
Hybrid Models
There are currently no hybrid models of the BMW X3 in production.
Unique Attributes
Resale Values
According to Kelley Blue Book, "despite its slow sales, the X3 is expected to retain a strong resale value. Kelley Blue Book estimates the X3 to hold 68-percent of it value at 24 months and 55-percent at 48 months."
Criticisms
- "Shod in the rear with the 45-series, W-rated rubber of the optional Sport package, the X3's ride is hard-edged, concussive, and insufferable." - Car and Driver
- "Fuel economy rating for the manual transmission model with 3-liter engine is only 17 miles a gallon in city driving, though. This is the same city rating as a Ford Explorer with two-wheel drive, six-cylinder engine and automatic transmission." - Carpoint
- "If you're looking for a smooth ride, this is not the vehicle for you. Considering that you can get behind the wheel of an X5 for $6000 more, the X3 seems pretty pricey." - Kelley Blue Book
- "Most noticeable is its lack of German-ness. Unlike some, I didn't find the materials inside up to BMW standards (though I did find the seats pretty comfortable), and the doors shut with a clang instead of a thunk." - AutoWeek
Current Generation: (2004–present)
First Generation/Origins
History and development
Along the heels of a very successful and ongoing production run of the BMW X5, BMW decided in the early millennium that it wanted to compete with the likes of the Freelander, Lexus RX and other small luxury SUV's just as the X5 had previously done so well in its respective classes. Thus the X3 (internally known as E83), was born.
What thus emerged was a concept unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in 2003. Dubbed the xActivity, BMW previewed to the public for the first time what a smaller SAV based on a 3 series platform would look like. The concept had no windows, for the most part no roof, and a sleek futuristic interior. Only the basic shape of the car would emerge as the BMW X3.
Just as BMW used many parts from the E39 5 Series parts bin in the making of the X5, the same occurred in the X3's development, whereby BMW engineers reused 3 series parts. In-fact complete sets of parts came straight out of the E46 330xi, emerging unscathed in the X3 (e.g. rear suspension).
xDrive
When the BMW X3 premiered in late 2003, BMW announced that it would be using a new 4 wheel drive system to power it and its bigger brother - The (refreshed) X5.
Instead of a 60-40 (rear-front) power split (which all millennium 4 wheel drive BMW's exhibit - 325xi, 330xi, early X5) with power being cut to wheels which lost traction through DSC (Dynamic Stability Control), xDrive allowed both of these vehicles to split power between the front and rear axles through use of a multiplate clutch located between the gearbox and the Cardian shaft. This setup allowed xDrive vehicles to split power in virtually any way it pleased. If the car felt like it was in a threatening situation (note not an unstable one), xDrive would react immediately, often before the driver ever knew of its intervention, to alleviate traction and control of the vehicle. xDrive is also closely knit with DSC. In the case that wheelspin stills occurs while xDrive is or has been shifting power, DSC can brake independent wheels to regain traction. xDrive also helps in cornering. When the vehicle feels it is about to understeer or oversteer, the vehicle cuts traction to either of the front wheels or rear wheels to help regain stability and keep the driver on the road.
There are two key things about xDrive. The first being that it was one of the first technologies used to intervene before the driver was ever aware that the car could be unstable. The second being that its intervention is transparent to the driver - that is unknown to the driver.
Reaction
Right from the start, the BMW X3 had been criticized for its harsh ride and poor interior by critics. BMW rectified both in 2005, with a slightly softer ride and by matching plastics and carpeting in the 2005 X5's. It has also been criticized for not being built at a BMW factory. It is assembled by a sub-contractor - Magna Steyr - in Graz, Austria.
The automotive press however for the most part had mixed views of the X3 ranging all over the spectrum - unusual for BMW, but then again not so unsual for modern BMW's.
2005 model year changes
- Bluetooth could actually be ordered straight from the factory (part of the Premium Package) and functioned without dealer intervention. (Although the BMW X3 was originally offered and promised with Bluetooth support in 2004, none of the cars that shipped from the factory actually had it installed. Few were able to get it to work with a little bit of tinkering from their dealer.)
- Interior was vastly upgraded with changes to all plastics (making them match, unlike the 2004 model). Also instead of having grey carpeting which was present on all 2004 X3's, the 2005 X3 came with carpeting that matched the leather ordered (with the exception of the Terracotta interior, whose carpeting is black).
- Slightly softer suspension.
- Front wheel fenders are one piece, as opposed to the two piece found on 2004 models.
- A 2.0d engine became available in some markets - joining the 2.5i and 3.0i engines (found stateside) as well as the 3.0d engine sold elsewhere in the world.
- An 'Open-Door' indicator was added to rectify the complaint made by many on the 2004 models.
2006 model year changes
- The new R6 engines available across the rest of the BMW lineup were, as with the 2006 X5 & 2006 Z4, curiously absent from the 2006 X3. It is rumored that the X3 will not get the R6 until the all-new BMW X5 is released in 2007 which will include the R6 engine amongst other newer engines. The X3 will receive, however, redesigned monochromatic front and rear fascias to replace the flat black bumpers. Also, the 2.5i variant will no longer be sold in the U.S., as buyers tended to go more for the 3.0i model.
- U.S. bound 2006 X3's were all equipped with a special version of the 'M' technik bodykit as standard. The difference being in that the U.S. cars had unpainted door sills and wheel arches. U.S. spec Sport Package 2006 X3's got the full 'M' bodykit (with painted front, side and rear plastic) available in the rest of the world as a BMW accessory.
- 2.5i was removed for sale from the U.S. market.
Worldwide
Design quirks and oddities
Awards
See also
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| BMW | ||
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| Karl Friedrich Rapp and Camillo Castiglioni | Corporate website | Independent |
External links
This page uses content from Wikipedia; see BMW X3, which includes these contributors.
