[lozsta]

My wife and I are looking for an X3 and I think that I am speccing myself out of the market.

We found one we liked but the dealership had sold it and the listing had not been removed. M Sport package seems to be the option as the SE comes with that weird chinstrap around the back which I have no clue how a designer got that through and into production.

We want:

• Heated seats
• Dual climate control
• A/C
• 8 Speed auto
• The sports/eco button thing (dunno what it is called but the wife 1 series sports has it and I like it) if anyone can confirm what it is called (EDC I believe).
• Nav with the biggest screen rather than the postage stamp that comes as standard
• xDrive rather than the 2 wheel drive
• Phone connection and that kind of jazz

There is talk of dampers for suspension or something variable maybe which is meant to make the ride more comfortable.

When looking on autotrader or the BMW approved used I don't seem to be able to find what I am looking for, in the specs.

Any help gratefully appreciated, or advice on what to buy.

[Smithy2014]

For your info:-

heated seats - standard across the range
dual climate - standard across the range
a/c - standard across the range
8 speed auto - this is standard on the 3.0d but optional on the 2.0d, albeit there are more auto X3's out there than manuals so it shouldn't be difficult to find one
EDC - I believe is standard across the range
Professional nav - option from standard nav, quite a few X3's have the 'professional nav' so again should not be too much issue finding one
x-drive rather than 2 wheel drive (s-drive) - very very very few 2 wheel drive X3's around, if would be harder to find an s-drive than an x-drive
phone connection - i think this is standard across the range?

Variable Damper Control (VDC) was around about a £1,000 option and unfortunately not widely chosen as buyers prefer to spend money on something they can see such as bigger sat nav etc. When I had my first X3 the dealer talked me out of VDC but I found the msport ride too firm, I have it on my current X3 and it is amazing - much more comfortable. Unfortunately finding one with it will not be an easy task!!

[PX3]

*Variable Damper Control (VDC) was around about a £1,000 option and unfortunately not widely chosen as buyers prefer to spend money on something they can see such as bigger sat nav etc. When I had my first X3 the dealer talked me out of VDC but I found the msport ride too firm, I have it on my current X3 and it is amazing - much more comfortable. Unfortunately finding one with it will not be an easy task!!

Worst case scenario, buy the M Sport and if the ride is too hard just replace the Runflats with Non Runflat tyres and I'm sure you will be more than happy with the ride quality.

[Smithy2014]

true, but then be prepared to carry the gunk can incase of a puncture as the X3 has no boot well to fit a spare...

[gullyg]

Before stressing about variable damper control make sure you get a test drive in an msport with the msport suspension.

I have the x3 with the standard m sport suspension and run flats and it's a brilliant ride. Not too hard but not wallowy either.

I have an x4 as a loaner and found the VDC completely and totally pointless (personal opinion of course)

As for the options it appears most people buying BMWs don't spec them well, we ended up having to order new to get the spec we wanted.

Also make sure you are happy with the standard lights - they're bl00dy aweful.

[Peter_R]

Heated seats are not standard, they are part of the Cold Weather Package... Posted from the brochure..

cold Weather package Comprises:
– 248 Steering wheel heating
– 465 Through-loading system with 40:20:40
– 494 Seat heating, front
– 496 Seat heating, rear

On mine (Ex BMW Head Office Management vehicle) they are listed as options specified on the build as follows:
S248A Steering wheel heater
S493A Storage compartment package
S494A Seat heating driver/passenger
S496A Seat heating, rear

Originally Posted by gullyg

Also make sure you are happy with the standard lights - they're bl00dy aweful.

That is an understatement. I saw a X3 xDrive 35d MSport at a dealers 2 years back and they kept reducing the price to sell it, because the original purchaser was obviously not savy to xenon lights. How BMW can sell a premium SUV with Halogen headlight candles is beyond me.

Originally Posted by PX3

Worst case scenario, buy the M Sport and if the ride is too hard just replace the Runflats with Non Runflat tyres and I'm sure you will be more than happy with the ride quality.

Yes, I have 19" 369 style wheels and when the RFT tyres reached their end of life, I replaced with the same Pirelli P Zero (BMW *rated) but NOT RFT and the difference in handling is quite marked. There is no tramlining. I carry the can of gunk and the compressor in the boot (trunk).

[PX3]

Peter - I believe heated seats became standard on the X3 LCI model. So I guess it depends on what model year the OP is looking at.

[Peter_R]

Originally Posted by PX3

Peter - I believe heated seats became standard on the X3 LCI model. So I guess it depends on what model year the OP is looking at.

I have the pre-LCI (one of the last) and they are not heated as standard, that is why I said what I did. I also have the *pdf file for the specification of that vehicle.
Do you have the *pdf file with the specification of the LCI so that it can be checked? It would help the Original Poster with his deliberations.
I only ask so that the Original Poster can have the correct specification and not be misled by "guesses" on forums.

lozsta

I would suggest you only look at F25's (X3's) at a BMW dealership (not a second hand car dealer) to check the car's specification and to purchase. Also when you purchase if the car is outside the manufacturer's 3 year warranty, I suggest you are given as part of the deal the BMW Approved Used Car (AUC) warranty because if anything goes wrong with the vehicle it can be very expensive to repair.

Link for Pre LCI
http://www.bmwbrochures.co.uk/plg/x3.../703895983.pdf

Note. Life Cycle Impulse = LCI

[PX3]

Yes, try this:

https://www.bmw.co.uk/dam/brandBM/ma...3322734014.pdf

[Peter_R]

Originally Posted by PX3

Yes, try this:

https://www.bmw.co.uk/dam/brandBM/ma...3322734014.pdf

Thanks very much. It is only the front seats that are heated and not all of them. So a nice welcome upgrade to the LCI

This should be useful for the Original Poster.

[P1Fanatic]

Thats not a massive spec list tbh so I find it strange you cant find any. Even pre lci most had heated front seats specced anyway. As for m sport mine was specced with m sport suspension deletion ie has the standard SE suspension which i find fine on 19 inch wheels with runflats. Depends what you are used to.

Are you after a specific colour, engine size etc?

I would also look for one with visibility pack or xenons as minimum as imho they look awful with the standard yellow headlights.

[P1Fanatic]

LCI also got the auto tailgate which is the only thing I really wish mine had but buying used you either have to be very patient or decide which options are must have and which are nice to have.

[Andy_o]

Originally Posted by lozsta

My wife and I are looking for an X3 and I think that I am speccing myself out of the market.

We found one we liked but the dealership had sold it and the listing had not been removed. M Sport package seems to be the option as the SE comes with that weird chinstrap around the back which I have no clue how a designer got that through and into production.

We want:

• Heated seats
• Dual climate control
• A/C
• 8 Speed auto
• The sports/eco button thing (dunno what it is called but the wife 1 series sports has it and I like it) if anyone can confirm what it is called (EDC I believe).
• Nav with the biggest screen rather than the postage stamp that comes as standard
• xDrive rather than the 2 wheel drive
• Phone connection and that kind of jazz

There is talk of dampers for suspension or something variable maybe which is meant to make the ride more comfortable.

When looking on autotrader or the BMW approved used I don't seem to be able to find what I am looking for, in the specs.

Any help gratefully appreciated, or advice on what to buy.

I'm really surprised that you can't find one with that spec

Only the short lived 18d model was 2wd .. it didn't sell and they dropped it

Over 90% are auto .. very few manual cars ( on the next generation you won't even be able to get a manual )

All LCI ( facelift late 2014 onwards) have heated seats

All LCI have navigation as standard with professional multi media ( big screen ) a £900 option over standard Nav

ProNav ( big screen ) on pre LCI cars was a £2400 option so not very common on 20d cars

All have Eco/Normal/Sport driving modes

All have Bluetooth as standard .. although there is an upgrade to "enhanced bt" which is fairly pointless imo

[Andy_o]

Originally Posted by lozsta

My wife and I are looking for an X3 and I think that I am speccing myself out of the market.

We found one we liked but the dealership had sold it and the listing had not been removed. M Sport package seems to be the option as the SE comes with that weird chinstrap around the back which I have no clue how a designer got that through and into production.

We want:

• Heated seats
• Dual climate control
• A/C
• 8 Speed auto
• The sports/eco button thing (dunno what it is called but the wife 1 series sports has it and I like it) if anyone can confirm what it is called (EDC I believe).
• Nav with the biggest screen rather than the postage stamp that comes as standard
• xDrive rather than the 2 wheel drive
• Phone connection and that kind of jazz

There is talk of dampers for suspension or something variable maybe which is meant to make the ride more comfortable.

When looking on autotrader or the BMW approved used I don't seem to be able to find what I am looking for, in the specs.

Any help gratefully appreciated, or advice on what to buy.

If you put the reg no if the car you are interested in into BMW warranty uk website it will give you the VIN number ( assuming vehicle not under BMW warranty)

You can then enter the VIN into BMWvin or similar and it will give you full factory spec

[PerryGunn]

Originally Posted by Andy_o

All have Bluetooth as standard .. although there is an upgrade to "enhanced bt" which is fairly pointless imo

The only thing that I wanted from 'Enhanced Bluetooth' was the simultaneous multiple phone pairing but didn't pay for it as it's possible to code virtually all of the functionality onto the standard Bluetooth - that said, obviously you can't enable things that require additional hardware such as the wireless charging

[Andy_o]

Originally Posted by PerryGunn

The only thing that I wanted from 'Enhanced Bluetooth' was the simultaneous multiple phone pairing but didn't pay for it as it's possible to code virtually all of the functionality onto the standard Bluetooth - that said, obviously you can't enable things that require additional hardware such as the wireless charging

I get that Perry if you need it for business .. but for me one phone is enough !

But the cost v benefit for me wasn't worth it

Off topic I'm looking forward to invading Scotland for the "Border Reviers" this weekend in my BMW that doesn't even have Bluetooth

[PerryGunn]

Originally Posted by Andy_o

I get that Perry if you need it for business .. but for me one phone is enough !

But the cost v benefit for me wasn't worth it

Me neither so I wasn't going to pay for it - but I wanted both mine and my wife's phone to be connected simultaneously when on longer journeys, so i coded it in myself... got what i wanted at zero cost

Originally Posted by Andy_o

Off topic I'm looking forward to invading Scotland for the "Border Reviers" this weekend in my BMW that doesn't even have Bluetooth

Have fun, hope the weather's kind and you can get the top down

[Andy_o]

Originally Posted by PerryGunn

Me neither so I wasn't going to pay for it - but I wanted both mine and my wife's phone to be connected simultaneously when on longer journeys, so i coded it in myself... got what i wanted at zero cost

Have fun, hope the weather's kind and you can get the top down

Definitely.... it's shaping up to be a good weekend I'll post some pics on the other forum

[lozsta]

Hi all

Thank you for the help.

I am still looking. The year is about 2012. I have found one I like and have the spec (a lot of it is really criptic) it has flappy paddle but when I look on the bimmer.work site I cannot see that listed.

The VIN is L691596

Cannot see the xenon lights on it either.

I am really only looking at BMW approved used anyway but their website is horrible to navigate, they revamped it apparently but it really doesn't seem that great. I want to tick the things I want and then to see cars with that but there is so much variance and things like VDC do not seem to appear.

[P1Fanatic]

It has paddle shift see S7XAA M Lethr wheel + shift paddle. You should also be able to see them on an interior pics showing the steering wheel.

Does not look like it has Xenons. At first I thought light package was visibility package which I have but mine lists xenons as S522A adaptive headlights as S524A and high beam assistant as S5ACA. It also doesnt list head light cleaning system which is mandatory for xenons. So if bmw are listing xenons I would wuesion it and refer them to the vin info.

It has got heads up display which I love. Works really well with the pro nav as the road signs and lanes come up on the windscreen as does call info etc. Its always super easy to read no matter how bright the sun is.

[Andy_o]

This is it's full spec

[Andy_o]

Or this might be easier to read