[Chariotrider]

This is our first BMW. My wife and I have owned a lot of the major car brands (GM, VW, Nissan, Subaru, Ford, Toyota, and Mercedes-Benz). When we are looking for a new vehicle we pick what fits our current need.

We were looking for a commuter vehicle that was practical but fun to drive. The X3 28i fit the bill perfectly. To be honest we started out looking at the 2012 28i inline six because of its bulletproof reliability. However, because we live at a higher altitude, the naturally aspirated inline six was at a big disadvantage. We actually drove all three models including the 35i. Don’t get me wrong the 35i is incredible on acceleration and puts a huge smile on your face. We just could not justify the extra cost with the features we wanted and the price breaks we were getting. Again our goal was a fun to drive commuter car for my wife. Bottom-line I love the little N20 motor. I am so surprised how quickly you get to 3 digits on the speedometer and you don’t even notice it. I am so impressed with the handling of the X3 regardless of the motor you pick. We are currently getting ~26mpg in comfort mode with mixed driving (actually heavier on city). I am crossing my fingers that the 4 cylinder will be a reliable configuration.