[Schmed]

Thought I'd put some thoughts down after owning and driving my '13 X3 35i for a year and 25,000 miles:

OVERALL - a great choice when you want to drive a sport sedan, but need or want an SUV. Loves to be pushed into corners and flogged when the mood hits!

BACKGROUND - I have 3 kids (under 14 yrs old) and do industrial sales/service for work. The X3 does double-duty for work and kid-hauling duty. I had a 335i MSport prior to the X3 and decided something bigger was better for both work and kids. We also bike, ski, camp, and tow a small sailboat on a regular basis.

ENGNE - as with my 335i MSport, this engine just loves to run. I'm generally not a fan of turbos, but when max torque is available at low RPMs, and it revs happily to 7000 rpm, how can you not love this engine. Plenty of power at all times.

TRANSMISSON - I have the sport shift paddles, which make for a nice option when you want to control shift points. Although I had wished for a manual tranny, this 8 speed auto has very crisp shifts, and is not annoying, like many autos that quickly shift to higher gears for fuel economy. Kudos to BMW for remembering that the DRIVER is the DRIVER. I was THRILLED to find out that you can pull the downshift paddle 2 or three quick times, and the tranny will shift that many times. I had a few rental cars with electronic shift buttons, but the computer would second guess each and every click of that darn button!

SUSPENSION - I have DHP and would be just fine saving $1400 and having the car dialed in to Sport+ at all times. I guess BMW figured the soccer moms wouludn't appreciate this, and that's too bad. I'd also like the option to have the suspension set at Sport+ but without disabling DSC (?) and having higher shift points.

BRAKES - I'm very disappointed in the brakes. Soft pedal, poor braking performance. These brakes are NOT worthy of a BMW. My wife's (much heavier) X5 has much firmer brakes. On my next service visit, I'm going to tell them I don't feel safe, and ask the to look into it.

OTHER THOUGHTS -

- The factory tow package and hitch is highway robbery, and difficult for no good reason. Setting up a typical brake controller isn't easy if you have trailer brakes. It's missing the trailer brake wire, and shame on you, BMW for advertising 3500 lb towing capacity without this trailer brake wire.

- I took a few laps at a BMW driving school, and it does OK for an SUV. Brakes got hot after 4 laps, and it's obviously too heavy, but that engine sure loves to pull!

- My wife (X5 4.8i driver) prefers how quick the X3 is to nimbly bop around town. She'd get an X3 if we didn't need the 3rd row seats of her X5.

- Heated seats seem to heat slower than my 335i. Too bad.

- BMW - please don't display the "tenths" digit on my climate control. If I can't dial in a tenth of a degree, no point in displaying "72.0". Just make it 72

- Please give us back our oil dipstick!

- I'd gladly buy a RWD X3 with manual seats if you made one, BMW.

- I skipped the Premium Pkg option and don't regret it one bit. The only feature I wanted was the garage door opener on the mirror, but for $1800, I can certainly deal with the opener in the door pocket.

So.... I give it 4.5 stars out of 5. I'm quite happy with my decision. Fix the brakes, BMW, and I'll buy another when my lease is up.

[midlifecrisis]

Nice review! I agree with you on the brakes. I'm not sure if it's the pad material they use or something else, but they just don't "bite" like any other BMW I've owned. I have the N52 28i, which is fine for my needs. I ordered mine with the 6 cylinder in 2011 because at the time I thought the turbo 4 wouldn't be as nice. I was wrong. The added low end torque would be helpful in a heavy vehicle like this, and the fuel efficiency is a significant improvement. BMW continues to lead the industry in powertrains, although I'd also like a stick.

[richard in NC]

Originally Posted by midlifecrisis

Nice review! I agree with you on the brakes. I'm not sure if it's the pad material they use or something else, but they just don't "bite" like any other BMW I've owned. I have the N52 28i, which is fine for my needs. I ordered mine with the 6 cylinder in 2011 because at the time I thought the turbo 4 wouldn't be as nice. I was wrong. The added low end torque would be helpful in a heavy vehicle like this, and the fuel efficiency is a significant improvement. BMW continues to lead the industry in powertrains, although I'd also like a stick.

Agree on the pads not "biting" like other BMWs but I did a brief bedding in that helped. But after 8 months and 10,000 miles, I still really like mine. I just want to ditch the Goodyear Eagle LS tires. There are much better handling tires out there.

[DonC]

I have the M sport package and after 15 months and 30K miles - it is still is an amazing vehicle.

[plymjack]

A good review, dont have an issue with the brakes but then Ive not had a BMW before.

Re the tenth display - ours is in centigrade and this display .5 steps which you can select.

Re RWD - over here we can get one as a 1.8D model.

We have done 20K miles and still love every minute in the car.

[Taipei-TT]

Funny....2 weeks into my ownership of a 2.0di feel the same. Also coming from a E92.

The diesel is no 35i but does the job surprisingly well and delivered 780km city driving on the first tank!

Hauls my TT bike without removing the wheels....big win!

Brakes.....scary suck. Mushy and not very strong. Cutting corners on crucial safety equipment....not very BMW of BMW.

[Schmed]

Originally Posted by Taipei-TT

... brakes...not very BMW of BMW.

My thoughts, exactly.

I've had 7 other BMWs, and that's one of the big attractive features - strong brakes. One of the most under-rated features of a sports sedan / SAV.

[liverman]

I believe the brake feel is due to the pads. My '05 E83 had brakes with more bite, but generated a lot of brake dust (ugh!). When those wore out I replaced them with Akebono pads that generated a lot less dust, but were not as aggressive.

My new '14 F25 X3 brakes like my E83 after the pad replacement. The F25 generates very little brake dust, just like the E83 after the pad replacement.

I've just learned that I need to use my foot instead of just my toes on the brake pedal.

BTW Schmed, great review! That background looks familiar, but I just can't place it.

[The X Men]

I am not sure I agree with that, my 535i have the same low dust oem pads as my wife's X3 and the brakes on the 535i feels much more linear.

[HighPlainsCruiser]

I've had the car for about one year now. Overall I like it, my first BMW after numerous American and Japanese cars/trucks and I would probably go for another next time. But what would a yearly review be without looking at the complaints, so here they are-

- No mechanical complaints except that with the advent of cooler weather I now have the creaking moonroof issue, I'll have to check with the dealer to take care of that. Other than that the car is rock solid with no rattles.

- When listening to SiriusXM and you shut the car off when you get back in again the display has lost the channel although it's still broadcasting and you have to go through a multi-step process to regain the channel on the screen, this happens 90% of the time.

- When listening to an mp3 album via an iPhone plugged into the center console if you want to switch albums it takes an extraordinary number of steps to do that, at least 5, not good when you are driving.

- The search facility with the navigation system is a joke, 2013 rev, haven't heard anything better about the 2014, so you must rely on Google. Even so I would definitely recommend getting the navigation system. I've driven through mazes of unknown streets like a local thanks to that screen. That's what that space is for, I can't see hanging a third party screen there.

- The last three items get into the subject of software. If BMW were Apple there would have been two free software upgrades by now which would have improved things greatly but there has been no such upgrade, I have a feeling it would cost $250 if there was.

- I don't like that the oil change frequency for the 2014 is 10K miles but the 2013 remains longer, best I can get is a yearly change from the dealer.

- What else can I complain about, cheap free gifts? Yeah the free gift was the ridiculous card in the expensive box but I did get a full tank of gas. Instead of that I'll complain about BMW's quarterly magazine Driven. Rather than appealing to gearheads, in between the ads for expensive watches the whole thing is about some sort of metrosexual dream lifestyle and most of the pictures of the cars are deliberately blurred...and just how does that dude in Hong Kong afford a Z3 and a 3 Series while working for a web design office?? Oh well, if I have to look that hard for complaints I guess the car is OK.

[snowboardjoe]

We picked up our 25i in April of 2012 and it has about 25,000 right now. My earlier car was a 2003 325xi. Here in Seattle, we know bad weather and slick streets.

Engine is pretty sweet. There are parts of me that still miss that inline 6, but it's been pretty good and the torque curve is radically different (in a good way).

Transmission is very slick. There are a few times where the gear changes get a little confused with our hills (like up shifting just as I enter a steep grade), but it can't predict things like that. I wish had the paddle shifters. With 8 gears using the center gear shifter is not practical.

Overall I dislike they've detuned a lot of things. I feel it tries too hard to save gas by dulling out the throttle response and up shifting a bit prematurely. Sport mode solves that, but I wish there was a setting to tune things more for daily driving.

We HATE the navigation system. About 60% of the destinations we punch in are not found and it's unable to extrapolate close proximity to that location. The database is pretty useless and trying to enter data is annoying at best. In standard view mode it's actually nice to have a 3D view of the surroundings to spot things. I do wish there was more detailed traffic data for the smaller streets that other BMW's have.

Top-view camera has been wonderful for parallel parking in the city. Love the HUD, but wish they displayed more data there (time, temp, gear, etc.).

It's been up the mountain a few times in the snow and totally solid on the road (well, what little it can make contact with).

I did modify our X3 with LED's in the turn signals and brake lights (along with the programming needed) and really like the look now. Lights are much crisper and grab your attention better for safety. I also switched out the headlight control to enable read fog lights which we've used a few times for dense fog or heavy snow (just a little notch of extra safety).

Overall, we like the car, but I still miss being closer to the ground in my 3 series. Oh, well, can't have it all. :/

[JustChris]

Originally Posted by HighPlainsCruiser

- What else can I complain about, cheap free gifts? Yeah the free gift was the ridiculous card in the expensive box but I did get a full tank of gas. Instead of that I'll complain about BMW's quarterly magazine Driven. Rather than appealing to gearheads, in between the ads for expensive watches the whole thing is about some sort of metrosexual dream lifestyle and most of the pictures of the cars are deliberately blurred...and just how does that dude in Hong Kong afford a Z3 and a 3 Series while working for a web design office?? Oh well, if I have to look that hard for complaints I guess the car is OK.

Good write up thanks, the last part about the BMW magazine made me laugh same here in the UK.

[tenman]

Does the HUD display navigation directions?

[Schmed]

Two things I forgot about:

CRUISE CONTROL - the new controls feel like some rental car / Dodge / Chevy / Ford button. All cars are the same now. I wish BMW would go back to the stalk-type cruise control. My E30 has the stalk type, as did all previous BMWs. Worked like a charm. Quick, doesn't require you to look at the buttons, intuitive. Maybe it's too confusing for the soccer-mom / drive-to-the-mall crowd.

RADIO SCROLL WHEEL ON STEERING WHEEL - I never use it. I'd rather have search up/down instead.

[MrFargo13]

Originally Posted by tenman

Does the HUD display navigation directions?

Yes, the HUD displays the directions pretty much like the center Nav screen. It's multicolored and if you're on an 8 lane stretch of highway (like we may have here in Atlanta) it shows 8 lanes in the picture and shows what lanes you need to be in. It's actually pretty cool (except when the Nav is wrong...lol).

[rory breaker]

Agree on the brakes. My biggest gripe with this car. Severely underbraked, almost to the point of being dangerous. Can't imagine why BMW would deliver the car like this, we can deal with a bit more cost or a bit more dust to stop the car. Then again, with maintenance included and costs to maintain a concern, truly, nothing is ever "free" is it.

[steelerfan]

Originally Posted by Schmed

Two things I forgot about:

CRUISE CONTROL - the new controls feel like some rental car / Dodge / Chevy / Ford button. All cars are the same now. I wish BMW would go back to the stalk-type cruise control. My E30 has the stalk type, as did all previous BMWs. Worked like a charm. Quick, doesn't require you to look at the buttons, intuitive. Maybe it's too confusing for the soccer-mom / drive-to-the-mall crowd.

RADIO SCROLL WHEEL ON STEERING WHEEL - I never use it. I'd rather have search up/down instead.

Just goes to show no matter what BMW does, they can't please everyone. I couldn't be more opposite with you on this topic. I would have not purchased the car if cruise control wasn't on the wheel. Was on a work business trip a few weeks & my rental was the Mercedes GL450. Couldn't begin to explain to you how much better i like our X3's than that POS but the cruise was on it's own stalk & it drove me freaking nuts. there was a list of about 20 things i hated about that vehicle. Other than the really nice leather & interior trim & the lane assist, i hated that vehicle.

I like the radio scroll on the steering wheels, use it all the time. Easily select songs in my playlist or skip songs on pandora.

[richard in NC]

Originally Posted by Schmed

Two things I forgot about:

CRUISE CONTROL - the new controls feel like some rental car / Dodge / Chevy / Ford button. All cars are the same now. I wish BMW would go back to the stalk-type cruise control. My E30 has the stalk type, as did all previous BMWs. Worked like a charm. Quick, doesn't require you to look at the buttons, intuitive. Maybe it's too confusing for the soccer-mom / drive-to-the-mall crowd.

RADIO SCROLL WHEEL ON STEERING WHEEL - I never use it. I'd rather have search up/down instead.

I think we dislike change. BMW is the most consistent across years and models but over time they moved every model from the wheel to a stalk, and now back again. Both have their merits.

The stalk is easier to use once you know it but can't be lit up. Plus I've confused the cruise stalk with the turn signal at times.

Interestingly a few years back I test drove a Mercedes GLK350. Its cruise stalk was above the turn signal lever when BMWs had it below. To own a BMW & MB with them different would be a huge challenge to switch back & forth.

[nonagon]

I had the cruise stalk on my old 135i and found it unintuitive. The steering wheel controls are much better IMO. The only thing I don't like is the invisible placement of the steering wheel heater button. Also for those who dislike the nav, the new 2014 map update is much better - besides the latest roads you get a better routing algorithm. I also would like to add that the brakes as they feel as they should for a 4300 lb. vehicle.

[midlifecrisis]

I've also had BMWs with the cruise control function on both the wheel and a stalk. I drove an E46 with steering wheel controls for 8 years before buying my E90 with the stalk, and it took me a long time to adjust. In fact, I didn't like the stalk at all at first, but I got used to it. I also had a used E30 with stalk controls for a couple of years.

I've driven the F25 for almost 3 years and I'm not sure the controls on the wheel are the ideal solution. They're trying to put too much on the wheel, in my opinion. I'd much rather have the heated wheel control on the face of the wheel where I can see it and the cruise control on a stalk.

As mentioned, it took a long time for me to use the stalk control without having to concentrate on what I was trying to do, but eventually I got used to it and now I don't think about it any more than when I use the turn signals. I've completely reversed my opinion on this over the last couple of years - I really prefer the stalk control. I find it much less distracting to adjust the speed with the stalk than with the steering wheel control, but it took a while for me to get used to it.

[MrFargo13]

My wife has an E90, now I have the F25 and I drive both all the time. I actually like the F25 brakes better. But when I drive her E90, I almost lockup the brakes when I have to make a quicker stop. (she keeps getting mad at me for my violent stops...lol) but she never drives my F25...so she doesn't experience the difference.
And having to go between two different cruise control placements, volume control on the right vs. left....I go nuts! I don't care which way they went, I just wish they kept them the same!

One thing I'll say about the F25 brakes though, I've locked them up twice when people pulled out in front of me. If you were in the passenger seat at the time, you wouldn't notice the difference. They aren't weak at all, only a little softer on a normal stop. Just my two cents.