Quote:
Originally Posted by Cropwell
Took delivery of my new X3 yesterday. My first impression is one of disappointment, this is my sixth BMW and have I enjoyed them and taking delivery of a new car should feel special.
Most disappointing was the quality of finish in the interior, this was much worse than I recalled from the test drive months ago.
The car I drove on the test drive had the standard seats which were thin and lacking in support(not really up to normal BMW standards) so had to get sport seats. I had sport seats in my previous 335d coupe, there is less support in the new X3 than my 6 year old coupe. Side cushions still seem lacking in support.Leather quality poor, feels very cheap and not supple and soft as on previous BMW's.
Dash plastic and door plastics awful, this has been remarked on elsewhere in the forum so I will say no more on this.
Even wiper and indicator stalks feel cheapo and insubstantial.
Tailgate is very stiff and difficult to lift down-my mistake should have gone for powered version.
Unfortunately these are all things that niggle and hit you every time you get in the car. This does not wash for a 40K car.
The whole interior needs revamping, this design is now getting very dated and the quality issues will need to be addressed on future vehicles. The RR evoque was miles ahead on interior design and quality- never thought I would be saying that about a Land Rover!Quality of interior also better on Audi Q5. If BMW don't address these issues I will be looking elsewhere in future.
I- drive was much improved on previous versions but why do they give you a poverty spec version of the screen ?
Its not all negative, this is first BMW that I have not had sports suspension.
Roads in UK now too pot holed and rough for sports suspension. Find SE suspension very good, opted for the 18" alloys and run flats. These seem to improve handling greatly over the 17" alloys on standard tyres on the test car. Was thinking before I was due to take delivery whether I should have gone for adaptive dampers but having driven it think I went for right choice.
Still not quite sure about the 3.0d engine and transmission, I have not driven it very far. Initial impression is that transmission is not that smooth, this may be due to the X drive. My previous car has the 6sp auto so with an 8sp was expecting something better.
As engine not run in hard to judge and I am comparing it to my previous 335d with twin turbo's. I expected it to be less responsive and of course it is.
Panoramic sunroof is a delight (and it was nice to be taking delivery in a rare hot spell) and makes interior very light and airy. An expensive option but worth it. Has the same effect as the sunroof in RR evoque.
Auto stop start is something of a mixed blessing- I can see that it saves you fuel but It can be quite irritating eg at round about when you want to make a quick takeoff.
Still wondering if I made the right choice of vehicle. Not love at first sight but may get better ?
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Sorry to hear you don't like it.
Tailgate shouldn't be stiff. Mine is easy to close from the inside with a quick pull with one hand. You should get your dealer to take a look.
Agree on the plastics but is it really that big a deal? My take on it is that it's supposed to be more like an off road 4x4 and they don't have quite so much luxury (except Range Rovers). I think it's maybe expecting 5 series quality because of the cost but it's nearer the 3 series really - that said, if you're coming from a 335d and think it's much worse, maybe they should improve it
Surprised by the transmission not being smooth as mine (albeit 20d) is very smooth (aside from the lag) and I've read quite a lot of positive feedback on the X3's 8sp. Might improve after it has been broken in.
Please keep us posted if you think things have improved