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      08-27-2015, 03:38 AM   #1
Smithy2014
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Life with an X3 - 18 months on

Thought it would be worth giving my opinion of the X3 after 18 months of ownership.

I came from a Landrover Freelander 2 and one thing I miss is the higher command style driving position and ....... well that's it, the X3 trumps the FL2 in every other possible area (perhaps with the exception of off-road ability but like most 4x4 owners mine doesn't venture on the rough stuff!)

I have found the X3 to be extremely comfortable albeit it does fidget on rough surfaces (probably due to the sport suspension and me not ticking the dampers option!).

Power delivery is exceptional for a 2 litre diesel and when put in sport mode it shifts like nothing else I have driven before!

Economy has really surprised me, around town I get around 40mpg and have seen 54mpg on a few occasions, stop-start in seamless.

Ease of parking is great for such a big vehicle, all round visibility is excellent and coupled with front and rear parking sensors it is easy to get into the tightest spots. I don't have a parking camera but in all honesty if I did I doubt I would use it.

Fit and Finish - A tricky one to answer, generally its exceptionally but I have the door seal creaking issue which despite BMW having an attempt to resolve earlier in the year I still have - strangely it only really occurs in cold weather - nothing on a hot summers day. I also had issues with the sunroof making cracking noises when going over speed bumps at an angle (ie - when the body flexes), BMW attempted a fix and made it worse, I put a couple of sticky foam pads in a couple of strategic places and cured it except for a rattle off the sunblind when its fully open however it is something I am prepared to live with.

Reliability - faultless, nothing has gone wrong with the X3, it runs like a dream!

Equipment - i ticked quite a few boxes on the options list - auto box, pro sat nav, comfort access, heated front and rear seats, xenon headlamps / LED rear lamps, power tailgate, panoramic sunroof, extended storage, upgraded audio, unfortunately BMW's come quite spartan! However I am happy to report everything works brilliantly and all were options I am glad I ticked! The only option I wish I had picked was the dampers!

Would I buy another - absolutely!!!
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      08-27-2015, 04:36 AM   #2
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nice review, fully agree with all you have said, also well pleased with ours 3 years on.

I have never got close to 50mpg but then Im not gentle with my right foot.

Like you I have had 2l (petrols) before but nothing moves like this does......
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      08-27-2015, 06:27 AM   #3
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I also agree a good review. I have not had creaks you mention and I would say the ride on back roads in rural Oxfordshire as jiggly and akin to a "bouncy castle" effect. Perhaps this is because I came from a remapped 2007 E91 325d M Sport (from new kept for 5 years) followed by a 2012 F31 320d Sport.

With the 30d M Sport I cannot quite match the fuel consumption with me only seeing an average of 39.2 mpg over 8500 miles, but I am a spirited driver.
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      08-27-2015, 06:56 AM   #4
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My experience is very similar to yours and I think my next car will be another X3.

VDC is the only additional option I would select in hindsight!
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      08-27-2015, 08:05 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter_R View Post
I also agree a good review. I have not had creaks you mention and I would say the ride on back roads in rural Oxfordshire as jiggly and akin to a "bouncy castle" effect. Perhaps this is because I came from a remapped 2007 E91 325d M Sport (from new kept for 5 years) followed by a 2012 F31 320d Sport.

It is funny how different your car can feel depending on what you are comparing it with.
I had a 535d e61 and then a 335i E91 before going over to a Merc, space reasons, and long story short I got rid of my E350 estate and bought an ML off a forum member to tide me over while deciding what to get next, but kept it two years.
When I got the X3 it felt very firm and planted compared with ML, which is a big wallowy mess but enjoyable none the less.
I actually had very little love for my X3, and decided to sell the ML and the X3 and buy a Range Rover and something else cheap as a second car.
I sold the ML and ended up with a 2.0T S-Line A4 Avant, lowered on Eibach suspension etc. It is also a manual so feels very different.

After driving that for a few weeks, new car so took it everywhere and not used the X3, I then took the X3 to London and it felt completely different. It felt much bigger, or higher, then before, even more comfy and like you say Peter, a little bit
bouncy at the back. But strangely I actually liked it now more than ever. I did decide to put some 19" sport wheels on it and that has made it even better.
The X3 seems to be a car that is growing on me, and I will be honest, I have stopped looking for a Range Rover.

The X3 just seems to do everything so well, it may not be a car I will ever fall completely in love with, but I do think that true of so many modern cars. But when you step back and think about what it offers, it does seem to offer a hell of a lot.

Sure I would love a new shape Range Rover or RRS, but there is a massive price difference in not only purchase price but also running costs, and once the honeymoon period is over would I be happy paying that extra? I doubt it.

Sometimes you need to drive other things to realise what you have is pretty damned good.
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      08-27-2015, 09:53 AM   #6
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The X3 is more than the sum of its parts in my opinion .. It is just very competent and practical in so many areas

I have the standard suspension on 18s which removes the jiggly ride, although it can bounce on rough country roads.

On balance I'll accept that as a good compromise over msport suspension and 19's

I've been very fortunate to drive many many cars including ML's range rovers, land rovers, X5's and others over high mileages and the X3 is the best so far .. For me and my needs

I don't need a separate chassis Land Rover .. Or the need to tow huge weights or drive up mountains or through deep rivers

I do drive in inclement weather and do occasional light off road but prob nothing out of the ordinary

I do several long trips every year to family abroad

The sports seats are very comfortable
The tech is superb with pro nav etc

The adaptive zenons are pure witchcraft and almost make me wish for the darker nights ;(


Very satisfied so far
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      08-27-2015, 11:26 AM   #7
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Similar experience here too. I'm just over 10000 miles and 13 months now and there's a couple things I've noticed. The (standard) hifi speakers seem better these days, almost like the speakers have bedded in a little, particularly the bass which seems deeper.

Similar for the 2.0d engine which feels very strong, more so recently (felt tight new) for a heavy car. Stop/start is the best in the business, as is the auto box. Regularly use in manual mode and it isn't far off being as good as my previous DSG-equipped A3. Not quite, but excellent for a 'standard' auto.

Economy hasn't been brilliant, although my commute is short, at 37mpg.

I often feel quite concious of how bright the xenons are for other road users, particularly with the headlights being higher up than a car. I've been flashed before by someone thinking I had main beam on. They are epic though, particuarly on an unlit country road. Tail lights look the biz too. My favourite bit of the whole car however are the DRL halos.

What do I wish I'd specced? The Pronav system - not so much for the nav particuarly, the standard screen does just fine, but more for the extended digital dash that comes with it and the real-time traffic status.
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      08-28-2015, 10:26 AM   #8
Smithy2014
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I'm so glad the X3 engine is reliable as my previous experiences with BMW have been woeful. Back in 2001 I bought a 3 series saloon that had one of the first valvetronic petrol engines and it was a nightmare, randomly cutting out whenever it wanted, I got so used to the roadside technician I knew him by first name and where he lived! They even sent a German Engineer to my house one day after I called BMW Assist, apparently he was over at the Hams Hall factory and after the numerous issues I had they thought he may have the answer - he didn't.

I didn't learn my lesson and 3 years on I purchased another 3 series, a coupe this time but with the same engine. Thankfully the issues had been resolved except for the battery draining flat after 3 weeks of ownership, turned out the battery was shorting onto the chassis and had burnt a hole in it!!!!
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      08-28-2015, 03:23 PM   #9
AlphaMendoza
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21k miles and 15 months on

I have a 2.0d LCI UK model with standard 17" non RFT tyres + VDC.
Ride is a bit jiggly and maybe 18" would be better planted.
Mpg is 42mpg since new - best is over 50 mpg - I regularly get 650 miles from a tank full.

Tyres are Oem Pirelli P7 Cinturato non RFT.
Bit noisy on some road surfaces.
Wish I had Nav Pro, but happy to have waited for LCI.
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      08-29-2015, 10:41 AM   #10
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Quote:
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Tyres are Oem Pirelli P7 Cinturato non RFT.
Bit noisy on some road surfaces.

They are actually really quiet, I just think the X3 cam be a bit noisy on some surfaces.

I have tried the 17 pirelli run flat, very noisy, 17" continental non run flat, nearly as noisy as the run flat, 19" run flat (can't remember what they were now, only stayed on for 3 days, horrid things) which were very, very noisy and now on the 19" P Zero all season non run flat, which are nice and quiet.

But the 17" P7s were probably slightly less noisy than the P Zeros.
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      09-01-2015, 06:36 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gIzzE View Post
The X3 just seems to do everything so well.....
Yup, I've come through a 2.0d, a 3.0d and now a 35d. They have their foibles and are not perfect but the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. They're more agile than most SUVs, quicker and more econical. I've had a couple of occasions where I have been able to park in a space where a Range Rover couldn't.

I've been lucky with mine in that it was very well spec'ed at purchase. With all the goodies such as VDC, xenons, pro-nav, hifi speakers, towbar, etc etc. it's a lovely car. The VDC works well with the 20s and it's currently averaging 34mpg which isn't bad for a 300+bhp car

Time will tell how it copes on gravel, but that test is in a couple of weeks.

Thanks for the review - a good read.
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      09-17-2015, 12:23 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlphaMendoza View Post
I have a 2.0d LCI UK model with standard 17" non RFT tyres + VDC.
Ride is a bit jiggly and maybe 18" would be better planted.
Mpg is 42mpg since new - best is over 50 mpg - I regularly get 650 miles from a tank full.

Tyres are Oem Pirelli P7 Cinturato non RFT.
Bit noisy on some road surfaces.
Wish I had Nav Pro, but happy to have waited for LCI.
Interesting as our X3 (brand new) that we picked up on 1st Sept has 17" non RFT and they are Dunlop sport max TT tyres. I've noticed that all the previous OEM tyres of this size were the Pirelli P7's.
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      09-18-2015, 01:41 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flipflop99
Quote:
Originally Posted by AlphaMendoza View Post
I have a 2.0d LCI UK model with standard 17" non RFT tyres + VDC.
Ride is a bit jiggly and maybe 18" would be better planted.
Mpg is 42mpg since new - best is over 50 mpg - I regularly get 650 miles from a tank full.

Tyres are Oem Pirelli P7 Cinturato non RFT.
Bit noisy on some road surfaces.
Wish I had Nav Pro, but happy to have waited for LCI.
Interesting as our X3 (brand new) that we picked up on 1st Sept has 17" non RFT and they are Dunlop sport max TT tyres. I've noticed that all the previous OEM tyres of this size were the Pirelli P7's.
I believe that when I ordered mine ., the basic 17 inch wheel option comes with normal tyres and it costs something like £50 to upgrade to RF tyres
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      09-20-2015, 08:24 PM   #14
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Great review. Thank you! We've had our X3 for nearly 3 years now and enjoy driving it as much now as when we picked it up (we've only put 18k miles on it over the past 32 months so will probably buy out the lease in a few months rather than releasing).
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