Test Drive: BMW X3 redesign brings big improvements

ByABC News
September 23, 2011, 4:53 PM

— -- To flog the obvious, the BMW brand isn't for everyone. The hardware it uses, prices it charges and driving feel it offers narrow its audience.

Still, BMW isn't averse to baby steps toward the mainstream, even as it evolves the handling and performance that are BMW attributes. So it overhauled its X3 small crossover SUV far more than expected, leaving it roughly the same size, but creating a 2011 X3 that drives so well you easily overlook flaws and foibles.

The 2011 got:

•Major overhaul. New body, interior, drivetrains, more features, better mileage and a $1,950 lower base price.

•Change of venue. It's built at Spartanburg, S.C. (albeit mainly with non-U.S. parts), not in Austria.

•Drivetrain remodeling. The base 3-liter six-cylinder engine is rated 20 fewer horsepower at 240 hp, but BMW says it accelerates quicker.

An optional ($4,300) turbocharged 3-liter six (300 hp) is new for 2011.

All models get a new eight-speed automatic transmission in place of last year's six-speed. Manual was discontinued for 2011.

•MPG boost. The optional turbo engine has the higher rating: 19 mpg in town, 26 highway, 21 combined. The base engine: 19/25/21. Those are 1 to 2 mpg better than the 2010.

•Lower base price. Down $1,950, to $37,625, despite more standard equipment.

BMW introduced the X3, which it calls a "small, premium sports-activity vehicle with all-road capability," in 2004. The 2011 redesign, on sale since December, is the second generation. The mechanically unchanged 2012 rolls out next month.

The X3 fits a segment that tally-master Autodata calls sport wagon/crossover SUVs. The segment — which includes a range of sizes and prices — accounted for 22% of new vehicles sold the first eight months this year. Too big a market to ignore.

Star of the test drive was the turbo engine. Thrilling as an illegal substance. A howling, prowling predator when spurred, yet a chummy, easygoing, stop-go buddy when eased along. It's well-mated to the new eight-speed automatic, which shifts quickly, sans stubborn pauses or jolts.

Such fun to drive, easily or ferociously, that you look for excuses to get more wheel time.

Still, as a practical matter, the X3 makes little sense. It starts at about $38,000. That's in line with rivals' base prices of about $33,000 to $40,000, but it's twice what you'd pay for, say, a Chevrolet Equinox. The Chevy has more rear legroom, more cargo space behind the back seat and totes a heavier load than the X3.

Equinox, while far from a luxury vehicle, does get good reviews and was the top dog in a USA TODAY/Cars.com SUV Shootout earlier this year.

Still, mainstream-mobiles don't offer the excitement and satisfaction that the X3 delivers. Whether it's worth a big price premium is up to you.

Other matters that could give you pause about the X3:

•Visors. They don't slide and have no auxiliary extensions. That's how cheap cars do it. BMW seems to think its visors are big enough, but a few minutes on a dawn commute, on roads that don't go arrow straight, should make clear otherwise.

•Controls. You have to tug the inside handles twice to open the doors. Very annoying. BMW says it's a safety feature that makes it tough to accidentally open the doors while underway. Phone controls aren't quite logical, though linking a Bluetooth phone is easy, and phone call sound quality is terrific through the audio system.