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      09-24-2012, 10:03 PM   #29
midwest 340xi 6sp
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Drives: 2018 340xi
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: The Great Midwest

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ant Man View Post
This is a very interesting topic as I too will be making the change to either a 30d or 35d Msport. Having now had two test drives in a 30d Msport, the latter one being 2hrs I can now compare the two cars dynamically.

On UK B roads with plenty of hedges (where I live) I can travel faster in the X3 as I can see over the hedges and the limit point of vision is further away. The X3 is easier to poodle about in / more relaxing and doesn't ask to be spanked every time it's driven. It's a fantastic car to drive comfortably at road legal speeds but doesn't really put a smile on my face except when I look down on others

My only real issues are the awful steering - it offers no feel whatsover as to what the front tyres are doing and it's the same with the brakes. The brakes also seem to only slow the car when pressed very hard and there is no feel to them either.

Would I still change? Yes, as the X3 makes a lot of sense given the driving I do now involves my family much more and I do not have the time to drive the M3 'properly' on the road or track.

However I still prefer driving the M3 and will miss the noise, huge turn-in bite and excellent steering feel. I still get excited when starting the car from cold inside the garage and the loud warm-up sequence explodes into life!

I'm not too concerned with the lower quality interior of the X3 but the plastic lining of the boot door really takes the mickey!

The X3 in 6cyl diesel form is certainly a car I'm looking forward to own in the near future.
I agree - buy the X3 for it's own merits and what it does well...Cause what an M3 excels at is not what the X3 will do well
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Previous Rides: 535xi, M235xi, X3, E92 M3, E70 X5 35d, X6 50i, X6 35i, E60 550i, E46 M3 Cabriolet, E39 540i, E36 328i
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