[BahnRaider]

I have owned a BMW X3(F25) 2.0d SE for about 3 months and done 2000+ miles.
Albeit mostly autobahn mileage. I came from an 2010 520d (E61) M Sport, so I will admit to being a bit picky, but this is not a cheap car.
So far I have been a bit underwhelmed by the X3. It is a good car, it does most things really well and is a good family transport for 4 of us and a gundog. But this is a £35,000+ car and I can see where they savings/profit is made. But it is a BMW so we can afford to be a bit picky.
Thankfully I got a substantial discount as I go through BMW Group International & Specialist sales division.
Firstly the spec:
Its an SE (leather, climate control, PDC, cruise, auto wipers, auto headlights).
Vermillion Red. I added:
Dynamic Package – Performance Control (basically a limited slip diff), Sports seats, style 308 18” alloys, sports steering wheel.
xLine package – some expensive plastic trim.
Automatic Gearbox – 8 speeds
Service Pack – 5yrs servicing

The car looks pretty good, its nicely proportioned. It looks like an X5 that's shrunk a bit in the wash. There are no flat panels and in looks pretty good in red. I'm not a big fan of the rear light clusters as they look a bit too small. The E61 and the 5GT have really cool looking lights using rods and LEDs, which look far better.
Inside it is comfortable and refined, but at higher speeds you get a fair amount of wind noise and it is not as refined as my old 5. The engine noise is a bit more intrusive, but the car pulls well at all speeds (from standstill through to 100mph), gear changes are almost imperceptible.
I'm getting about 35mpg at the moment, I've had 128mph out of her so far (sat nav reading not speedo).
The run stop system in conjunction with the auto hold (handbrake) is excellent, so soon get used to it. The seats are comfortable but, if you have shorter legs you will find that three of the seat adjustment controls protrude from the front of the seat and will poke the back of your legs.
The idrive works well, the sound system is good but does err on the side of Bass.
The TP system will now tell you which tyre is going flat.
The cruise controls are now on the steering wheel,it now requires pressing 2 separate buttons to set it, but I preferred the stalk system in the E61.
It handles like a 4x4 has no right to. I can come off the 'Bahn or carve through B road bends and it corners and steers with absolute precision. Hit the top of the slip road at 120 and you can scrub the speed off and hurl her into the corner with aplomb. I did so and gave a Golf Gti chasing me quite a shock.
Now my main issue with the X3. I would opt for the variable dampers if I was buying again. I like the sports suspension on the E61 so that's why I plumbed for it again, but it is far, far too hard on the X3. Whilst on most roads it gives excellent handling the ride has suffered. Belgian motorway really shows this, but more alarmingly high speed cornering on a rough surface can leave you a bit nervous. Example, doing about 120mph on a sweeping right hand autobahn corner, the tarmac was a bit broken up this resulted in a feeling as though the car was skipping left, very disconcerting. In my E61 I have done 140mph flat out and set the cruise at 120, it felt like it was made to do that. (it is). 100+ in the X3 requires a bit more work, because of the raised CoG it feels quite different, and is certainly much less composed at high speed.

The boot is excellent, with some really useful storage cubbys. There is very little underfloor storage, and the floor doesn't raise up on struts. There is a HUGE compartment on the left which is excellent. The doors also have huge storage pockets which are excellent. The plastic lower trim on the doors is a bit cheap but it is robust and a bit of a nod to off roading/lifestyle activities. I like the puddle lights in the doors and under the door handles as well as the footwell lights. There are also LEDs in the inside door handles and centre console storage.
I wish I had specified whatever package would have given 12v power sockets for the rear seats! Else you only get a socket in the front and one in the boot, not very good for charging Dsi/DS and running the DVD players etc. But the vents for the rear seats are very good, there is excellent head and leg room.

Overall it is a very good car and there are more good points than bad, and my view would probably be different had I not come from the 5 series. Indeed maybe my view might change in a few more months, but currently would I buy one again? no.

So if anyone wants to buy an X3 in about mid-April 2012, drop me a line...............