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      10-15-2011, 10:13 AM   #32
RSchneider
Private First Class
Austria
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Drives: 2011 X3 xDrive30d
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Vienna, AUT

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Did about 300mls through the Alps today, including 6 or 7 mountain passes. Great (not only scenery and weather)! The engine-gearbox combo works flawlessly on mountain roads, literally almost always the right gear. What I like especially is that - going down - it doesn't shift up after switchbacks, but keeps a lower gear for engine breaking without me touching the shifter.

And another thing I know now: If I'm not careful this thing will eat tires like crazy. It is *very* capable through the twisties, very precise for an SUV, and it wants you to go faster.

Average consumption through the mountains 7.6 litre per 100km / 31mpg (US), which is *very* reasonable. I gassed up at that point and the computer showed a range of 643mls.

On the way back home I took autobahn, doing 100mph constant for about 45 minutes (cruise control). Increased total consumption only to 7.7 litre per 100 km / 30.5mpg.

Downsides: On those rough surfaces through the mountains the dash kinda "settled in", with a good deal of creaks. Most of the creaking stopped at some point (can it really "settle in"?), but at higher speeds on the autobahn over the expansion joints the whole dash creaks.

And: At one point the passenger window wouldn't want to go up.

BMW should reallyreally think about the plastics in the dash and about assembly quality of the dash. After more than one year of serial production there should not be any creaks. As said before, the nine year old Audi my brother drives is less creaky.
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