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BMW X3
I love the BMW X5. Its superb build quality, imperious driving position and
on-road dynamics make it one of my favourite off-roaders. The same, however,
cannot be said about its smaller brother, the BMW X3.
It’s not that the X3 is a bad car, in fact it’s good in some respects, but
when a new one costs just £4,000 less than an equivalent X5 I struggle to
understand why anyone would want to settle for second best.
The X3’s styling clearly apes the X5’s and at just 10cm shorter and 19cm
narrower you find yourself driving a vehicle that takes up virtually as much
space on the road but lacks the all-important presence. The clipped
dimensions also result in a tighter cabin with less space for a large front
armrest and noticeably less shoulder room. However, in a bizarre twist of
styling, the X3 has a larger boot than an X5.
On the road the X3 drives as BMW owners might expect with good steering and a
sporty suspension. Its nimble waistline means you get the most out of the
engines, and while the X5 needs a minimum of 3 litres to get it moving the
X3 does a perfectly acceptable job with 2.5 litres of petrol power or just 2
litres of turbocharged diesel.
In fact it is these smaller power units that work best in the X3, not just in
terms of fuel economy but also in reducing the car’s initial price and
giving it an important advantage over the X5.
BMW purists will be disappointed with some of the materials and plastics used
in the cabin. A car costing this kind of money should be better finished.
Door handles, wheel nuts and some plastics feel decidedly low rent compared
with those in an X5.
That said, the list of standard equipment isn’t bad. All models get alloy
wheels, air-conditioning and a CD player, together with front, side and head
airbags. Pay about £1,000 more for an SE and you get prettier alloys and
colour-coded door handles and mirrors, while the top spec Sport models get
sports suspension, bigger wheels and special seats — well worth the £750
premium they command second-hand over the SE.
In late 2005 BMW upped the X3’s sporting abilities with the addition of a 3
litre diesel. With 218bhp on tap it hits 62mph from rest in just 7.4sec,
making the petrol models virtually irrelevant to most buyers. In the
fullness of time this will be the model to buy but with second-hand examples
still scarce and values still high my advice would be to wait until mid-2007
before buying.
There is no such problem with other X3 variants and with plenty of X5s
competing for your cash their values are starting to soften. Pick up a car
with a full BMW service history and balance of manufacturer’s warranty and
you will probably be delighted. That is until you pull up at the lights next
to a used X5 and realise that for just a little bit more money you could
have bought one of the finest luxury off-roaders in the world rather than
its second-best little brother.
Wheels Sport models sit on larger 18in rims and have stiffer
suspension, but can give a slightly harsh ride
Upholstery Standard cloth upholstery is hard wearing, leather
is a desirable option and virtually essential on Sport and SE models
Sat nav BMW system is effective but lacks touch screen of some competitors
Bumpers Black plastic bumpers look cheap by comparison with
standard colour-coded items fitted to the big brother X5
Trim Generally of high quality but some cheap plastics look
out of place in the cabin
Boot At 480 litres it is larger than that of the X5
Gearbox Diesel models come with six-speed manual gearbox
which on the 2.0d pushes economy close to 40mpg in mixed motoring
Roof rails Standard on all models with a range of
load-carrying systems that can be bought via a BMW dealer
Servicing Variable service intervals dependent on driving
style. Check the service book and ask for copies of original invoices to
authenticate work completed
Vital statistics
Model BMW X3 2.0d Sport
Engine 1995cc, four cylinders
Transmission Six-speed manual
Fuel 39.2mpg (combined)
Acceleration 0-62mph: 10.2sec
Power 150bhp
Top speed 123mph
The one to buy
BMW X3 2.0d Sport 2004 54 with 20,000 miles and full service history. Pay
£22,250 at a dealer, £21,000 privately
Or, for similar money
2003 52 Toyota Land Cruiser 3.0 D-4D
2004 04 Land Rover Discovery 2.7TD V6 S
2004 04 VW Touareg 2.5 TDI Sport
2005 54 Mercedes-Benz ML 270 CDI
Values
Source: estimates based on confidential CAP black book prices. ‘Trade’ is
what a dealer would pay to buy your car; ‘Retail’ is what you would pay a
dealer