[midwest 340xi 6sp]

I had the X5 35d before my m3 and before my x3 28i....I know, quite a littany of cars

I like the x3 size for scooting around town and in suburban, urban traffic it's great..Its just usually me in the vehicle, maybe my wife and once in a while two big labradors in the back too.

It's good, solid transportation with some nice bmw drive dna mixed in. The 28i is torquey, smooth and I really, really like the 8 speed transmission too.

So that said, I do miss the larger size of the X5 and overall my recall of the 5'er is that it's more luxurious too...For example, you cannot get the multicontour seats on the X3 - one of my fave options of all time.

If I was going x-country, towing, long rural trips more? I'd probably go the X5 route next time

They're both good vehicles, not one bad or good...But one is going to be a better fit for your budget and needs - that you'll have to figure out