May get the X3, help!

obtix · 12-11-2011, 10:12 AM

Long story short, I ordered a 2012 Audi Q5 and the car is well behind schedule. Since day one I questioned if this was the right decision for me and upon doing research I felt I messed up. Yesterday I test drove the X3 2.8. I loved the inside and the iDrive seemed much better than the MMI in the Q. I do have some question that I hope you all can help out with...

1. In the Q5 I ordered the B&O sound, I am a bit of an audiophile. How does the (no name?) premium sound package sound in the X3?

2. In the dash console between the speedometer and tac at the top when the sunlight hit it I saw what looked like a roadway. What is this? (sorry if my description is poor)

3. I like that the BMW has service included but I heard the run flats tend to wear poorly and I assume this isn't included?

What else do I need to know? Not looking for BMW is better than Audi but real world reasons. The X3 is at the VERY top of my price range but I think I can justify it.

Thanks for the help in advance!!

thefreeze · 12-11-2011, 10:35 AM

The iDrive *is* better. In an Audi you can only click and turn the wheel and BMW also use it as a joy stick. Screen size is also marvelous!

1. it sounds really great. Personally I don't like the Audi systems that much, too much bass.
2. This is probably for the future option of lane departure warning on the X3
3. I don't know, only did 1000 miles in mine.

sn19 · 12-11-2011, 11:20 AM

I test drove both audi Q5 and X3 on the same day- drive wise, x3 is way better than Q5 ( Still cant understand why audi is rated better than X3 in most of the expert reviews!) . Audio- X3 has 5.1 surround with DVD audio while Q5 plays DVD audio, but it does not have 5.1 surround sound. The only thing that made me think about Q5 was the quality of the interiors- way better than X3- I am sure some of the members might not agree with me, but just my thoughts. I got 5% off sticker price, but audi dealer was just willing to give $500 off sticker. Ultimately, the reason I bought BMW was because I always wanted to buy a BMW and for the obvious reasons mentioned above. It would have been a compromise if I had gone with Q5. Go with your gut feeling and buy the one which you think will be happy with. Good luck!!

obtix · 12-11-2011, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sn19

I test drove both audi Q5 and X3 on the same day- drive wise, x3 is way better than Q5 ( Still cant understand why audi is rated better than X3 in most of the expert reviews!) . Audio- X3 has 5.1 surround with DVD audio while Q5 plays DVD audio, but it does not have 5.1 surround sound. The only thing that made me think about Q5 was the quality of the interiors- way better than X3- I am sure some of the members might not agree with me, but just my thoughts. I got 5% off sticker price, but audi dealer was just willing to give $500 off sticker. Ultimately, the reason I bought BMW was because I always wanted to buy a BMW and for the obvious reasons mentioned above. It would have been a compromise if I had gone with Q5. Go with your gut feeling and buy the one which you think will be happy with. Good luck!!

Actually, the Q5 B&O has 7.1. Not a big deal as I just want good sound. I hated the ELS in my 2009 TSX.

greg2step · 12-11-2011, 11:44 AM

i testdrove the X3 4 times (3 @ 28i, 1 @ 35i) I also did 4 Q5 test drives w/ both engines. I found the handling on the Q5 to be completely underwhelming, particularly steering which to me felt like a big american SUV (my parent's Buick Enclave in particular).

when I was shopping in august, there was a Q5 on a boat headed to a local dealer, equipped exact as i wanted, EXCEPT it lacked the B&O audio...) just another reason to not get it.

ended up ordering my X3 - and I added the premium audio option. I listen to alot of music myself - you described yourself as an audiophile you should get this option.

Runflats are now standard on most BMW models. the good - if you get a flat you usually can drive until you get it fixed (similar range to a donut but you don't have to pull off to change it) the bad is rarely can they be repaired so you are looking at a replacement tire and they are pricy. many of us have chosen to purchase a tire protection package from BMW - if you end up getting the X3 do a search on this forum there's a few relevant threads. such a plan doesn't cover the normal wear of the RFT tires, however I don't think they wear much differently than standard tires, they are just more costly to repair/replace. Also there is no spare. personally, i got over all of this fear of runflats when I bought my 3 series 4 years ago, my last car which also had RFT's standard.

SN19 - interesting what you say about the price of Q5 vs X3. I never got so far to actually negotiating the purchase of a Q5, but the time I was ready to put down a deposit my mind was set in the X3 35i. anyway my research on Edmunds pretty much agrees with what you said... If you look at the spread between Invoice and MSRP, the X3's would go a few % over invoice - and I believe I paid about 5% under MSRP.... where as the Q5 TMV price was much closer to MSRP, like only 1% off.... That 4% difference worked out to almost $2000 in how much BMW dealers would deal vs Audi. add to that the $1000 owner loyalty I received as a current 3 series owner, and the estimated value of BMW service (maybe $2000-2500 over 4yr/50k) the X3 became a much better deal than the Q5.

obtix - if you can get out of your Q5 deal, the X3 is worth it

obtix · 12-11-2011, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greg2step

i testdrove the X3 4 times (3 @ 28i, 1 @ 35i) I also did 4 Q5 test drives w/ both engines. I found the handling on the Q5 to be completely underwhelming, particularly steering which to me felt like a big american SUV (my parent's Buick Enclave in particular).

when I was shopping in august, there was a Q5 on a boat headed to a local dealer, equipped exact as i wanted, EXCEPT it lacked the B&O audio...) just another reason to not get it.

ended up ordering my X3 - and I added the premium audio option. I listen to alot of music myself - you described yourself as an audiophile you should get this option.

Runflats are now standard on most BMW models. the good - if you get a flat you usually can drive until you get it fixed (similar range to a donut but you don't have to pull off to change it) the bad is rarely can they be repaired so you are looking at a replacement tire and they are pricy. many of us have chosen to purchase a tire protection package from BMW - if you end up getting the X3 do a search on this forum there's a few relevant threads. such a plan doesn't cover the normal wear of the RFT tires, however I don't think they wear much differently than standard tires, they are just more costly to repair/replace. Also there is no spare. personally, i got over all of this fear of runflats when I bought my 3 series 4 years ago, my last car which also had RFT's standard.

SN19 - interesting what you say about the price of Q5 vs X3. I never got so far to actually negotiating the purchase of a Q5, but the time I was ready to put down a deposit my mind was set in the X3 35i. anyway my research on Edmunds pretty much agrees with what you said... If you look at the spread between Invoice and MSRP, the X3's would go a few % over invoice - and I believe I paid about 5% under MSRP.... where as the Q5 TMV price was much closer to MSRP, like only 1% off.... That 4% difference worked out to almost $2000 in how much BMW dealers would deal vs Audi. add to that the $1000 owner loyalty I received as a current 3 series owner, and the estimated value of BMW service (maybe $2000-2500 over 4yr/50k) the X3 became a much better deal than the Q5.

obtix - if you can get out of your Q5 deal, the X3 is worth it

I am defiantly thinking the X3 is a winner. As far as my Audi deal, maybe I should fill you all in... I signed the papers back in Sept and gave them a credit card (which they wanted to run to hold the car), they never ran the card and none of the paperwork says I owe any money. Fast forward to now, the car was supposed to be here around Thanksgiving and never showed. They are telling me it is end of December now. Additionally, my CC they took on file was stolen so they can't even run the card now if they tried. Lastly, the price I signed is not what they are giving me since the paperwork change slightly (due to feature changes on the car). All in all, I don't see how I am locked into this thing and according to their claims they "fly" off the lots.

sn19 · 12-11-2011, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by obtix

Actually, the Q5 B&O has 7.1. Not a big deal as I just want good sound. I hated the ELS in my 2009 TSX.

Is it so? I asked the SA when I test drove Q5- he had no clue about it! One of my close friends has a Q5 and another has an MDX. While MDX had amazing 5.1 surround, I didn't find the same with Q5- It did not sound good to me. I am definitely not sure about 7.1 surround in Q5. But again it also depends on personal tastes I guess. I am sure you know better since you already placed an order.

sn19 · 12-11-2011, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greg2step

i testdrove the X3 4 times (3 @ 28i, 1 @ 35i) I also did 4 Q5 test drives w/ both engines. I found the handling on the Q5 to be completely underwhelming, particularly steering which to me felt like a big american SUV (my parent's Buick Enclave in particular).

when I was shopping in august, there was a Q5 on a boat headed to a local dealer, equipped exact as i wanted, EXCEPT it lacked the B&O audio...) just another reason to not get it.

ended up ordering my X3 - and I added the premium audio option. I listen to alot of music myself - you described yourself as an audiophile you should get this option.

Runflats are now standard on most BMW models. the good - if you get a flat you usually can drive until you get it fixed (similar range to a donut but you don't have to pull off to change it) the bad is rarely can they be repaired so you are looking at a replacement tire and they are pricy. many of us have chosen to purchase a tire protection package from BMW - if you end up getting the X3 do a search on this forum there's a few relevant threads. such a plan doesn't cover the normal wear of the RFT tires, however I don't think they wear much differently than standard tires, they are just more costly to repair/replace. Also there is no spare. personally, i got over all of this fear of runflats when I bought my 3 series 4 years ago, my last car which also had RFT's standard.

SN19 - interesting what you say about the price of Q5 vs X3. I never got so far to actually negotiating the purchase of a Q5, but the time I was ready to put down a deposit my mind was set in the X3 35i. anyway my research on Edmunds pretty much agrees with what you said... If you look at the spread between Invoice and MSRP, the X3's would go a few % over invoice - and I believe I paid about 5% under MSRP.... where as the Q5 TMV price was much closer to MSRP, like only 1% off.... That 4% difference worked out to almost $2000 in how much BMW dealers would deal vs Audi. add to that the $1000 owner loyalty I received as a current 3 series owner, and the estimated value of BMW service (maybe $2000-2500 over 4yr/50k) the X3 became a much better deal than the Q5.

obtix - if you can get out of your Q5 deal, the X3 is worth it

Greg2step: I agree with you. Considering the maintenance costs- X3 is definitely a good deal. As I said I always wanted to by a BMW ( this is my fist BMW- will be getting the vehicle tmrw! ). But at the same time I just wanted to test drive the competitors and the audi dealer is next door to BMW in our town. The minute I drove Q5, I thought I will definitely miss X3 if I bought Q5 ( test drove X3 first ). That was the deal breaker for me more than the price. For me, When you are spending more than 50K, 1-2K should not be a decisive factor. Went with what I though I will be happy with. Can't wait for tmrw!

Nahoa · 12-11-2011, 07:31 PM

The X3 is a great drive. If you like to drive, but need an SUV, this car is a great choice.

obtix · 12-12-2011, 06:49 PM

Well... As luck would have it Audi called me today and told me my car was pushed back until the end of Jan. I told them to cancel the order, that's it.

Ordered my X3 28i today. Black Sapphire, Chestnut leather, brushed aluminum trim, convenience, cold weather, M sport, premium, premium sound, and tech.

Now the 5 week wait begins.

greg2step · 12-12-2011, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by obtix

Well... As luck would have it Audi called me today and told me my car was pushed back until the end of Jan. I told them to cancel the order, that's it.

Ordered my X3 28i today. Black Sapphire, Chestnut leather, brushed aluminum trim, convenience, cold weather, M sport, premium, premium sound, and tech.

Now the 5 week wait begins.

congrats and well done! very well equipped... just out of curiousity what was the specs on your Audi your not taking delivery on? 2.0t or 3.2?

greg2step · 12-12-2011, 07:26 PM

oh and all those TV spots Audi runs where people are jumping from BMW, M-B, and Lexus to Audi - some of them on the back of a moving truck - forget it, all BS - welcome to BMW

obtix · 12-12-2011, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greg2step

congrats and well done! very well equipped... just out of curiousity what was the specs on your Audi your not taking delivery on? 2.0t or 3.2?

2.0t, Prem+ with B&O and 19" wheels.

obtix · 12-12-2011, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greg2step

oh and all those TV spots Audi runs where people are jumping from BMW, M-B, and Lexus to Audi - some of them on the back of a moving truck - forget it, all BS - welcome to BMW

Thank you. I still Audi makes a good car, just I felt like the Q5 was dated. It is the only car in their brand with the older style headlight, interior is a little "bulky" and the MMI looks like it is years behind my 2009 Acura TSX's nav. The X3 is more my style too.

Had I been in the market for an A6 with the MMI Touch it may have been a little more competition.

RSchneider · 12-12-2011, 10:32 PM

Re Q5 "dated": Well, maybe. I actually think it doesn't age very well. I have one standing next to me in my private garage (on the other side is a Cayenne), and the X3 is certainly the sharpest looking of the three. Especially when dirty

If the interior materials and build quality would be more Audi-like the X3 would be darn near the perfect Euro-size SUV.

fedinand · 12-13-2011, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by obtix

Well... As luck would have it Audi called me today and told me my car was pushed back until the end of Jan. I told them to cancel the order, that's it.

Ordered my X3 28i today. Black Sapphire, Chestnut leather, brushed aluminum trim, convenience, cold weather, M sport, premium, premium sound, and tech.

Now the 5 week wait begins.

Congrats - that is the same exterior color and leather as mine!

12-11-2011, 10:12 AM	#1
obtix Private 11 Rep 59 Posts Drives: 2012 X3 28i Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: New York iTrader: (0)	May get the X3, help! Long story short, I ordered a 2012 Audi Q5 and the car is well behind schedule. Since day one I questioned if this was the right decision for me and upon doing research I felt I messed up. Yesterday I test drove the X3 2.8. I loved the inside and the iDrive seemed much better than the MMI in the Q. I do have some question that I hope you all can help out with... 1. In the Q5 I ordered the B&O sound, I am a bit of an audiophile. How does the (no name?) premium sound package sound in the X3? 2. In the dash console between the speedometer and tac at the top when the sunlight hit it I saw what looked like a roadway. What is this? (sorry if my description is poor) 3. I like that the BMW has service included but I heard the run flats tend to wear poorly and I assume this isn't included? What else do I need to know? Not looking for BMW is better than Audi but real world reasons. The X3 is at the VERY top of my price range but I think I can justify it. Thanks for the help in advance!!
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12-11-2011, 10:35 AM	#2
thefreeze Hans 16 Rep 116 Posts Drives: 2011 X3 2.0D Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Holland iTrader: (0)	The iDrive is better. In an Audi you can only click and turn the wheel and BMW also use it as a joy stick. Screen size is also marvelous! 1. it sounds really great. Personally I don't like the Audi systems that much, too much bass. 2. This is probably for the future option of lane departure warning on the X3 3. I don't know, only did 1000 miles in mine. __________________ X3 20D auto High Executive. Moonroof, privacy glass, sport seats, professional audio & sat nav, 19" 309 wheels summer, 18" 307 winter, X-Line, Xenon, parking heater. Mineral Silver / Oyster leather interior, wave trim. V70 2.5T (private)
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12-11-2011, 11:20 AM	#3
sn19 Enlisted Member 1 Rep 33 Posts Drives: BMW X3 35i 2012 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	I test drove both audi Q5 and X3 on the same day- drive wise, x3 is way better than Q5 ( Still cant understand why audi is rated better than X3 in most of the expert reviews!) . Audio- X3 has 5.1 surround with DVD audio while Q5 plays DVD audio, but it does not have 5.1 surround sound. The only thing that made me think about Q5 was the quality of the interiors- way better than X3- I am sure some of the members might not agree with me, but just my thoughts. I got 5% off sticker price, but audi dealer was just willing to give $500 off sticker. Ultimately, the reason I bought BMW was because I always wanted to buy a BMW and for the obvious reasons mentioned above. It would have been a compromise if I had gone with Q5. Go with your gut feeling and buy the one which you think will be happy with. Good luck!!
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12-11-2011, 11:44 AM	#5
greg2step X3 Owner/Driver 212 Rep 785 Posts Drives: 2018 X3 M40i Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2018 BMW X3 M40i (G01) [0.00]	i testdrove the X3 4 times (3 @ 28i, 1 @ 35i) I also did 4 Q5 test drives w/ both engines. I found the handling on the Q5 to be completely underwhelming, particularly steering which to me felt like a big american SUV (my parent's Buick Enclave in particular). when I was shopping in august, there was a Q5 on a boat headed to a local dealer, equipped exact as i wanted, EXCEPT it lacked the B&O audio...) just another reason to not get it. ended up ordering my X3 - and I added the premium audio option. I listen to alot of music myself - you described yourself as an audiophile you should get this option. Runflats are now standard on most BMW models. the good - if you get a flat you usually can drive until you get it fixed (similar range to a donut but you don't have to pull off to change it) the bad is rarely can they be repaired so you are looking at a replacement tire and they are pricy. many of us have chosen to purchase a tire protection package from BMW - if you end up getting the X3 do a search on this forum there's a few relevant threads. such a plan doesn't cover the normal wear of the RFT tires, however I don't think they wear much differently than standard tires, they are just more costly to repair/replace. Also there is no spare. personally, i got over all of this fear of runflats when I bought my 3 series 4 years ago, my last car which also had RFT's standard. SN19 - interesting what you say about the price of Q5 vs X3. I never got so far to actually negotiating the purchase of a Q5, but the time I was ready to put down a deposit my mind was set in the X3 35i. anyway my research on Edmunds pretty much agrees with what you said... If you look at the spread between Invoice and MSRP, the X3's would go a few % over invoice - and I believe I paid about 5% under MSRP.... where as the Q5 TMV price was much closer to MSRP, like only 1% off.... That 4% difference worked out to almost $2000 in how much BMW dealers would deal vs Audi. add to that the $1000 owner loyalty I received as a current 3 series owner, and the estimated value of BMW service (maybe $2000-2500 over 4yr/50k) the X3 became a much better deal than the Q5. obtix - if you can get out of your Q5 deal, the X3 is worth it __________________ 2018 X3 M40i G01 \| Phytonic Blue \| Mocha \| Premium+Exec \| Driver Assist \| Adaptive M Suspension 2011 X3 XDrive35i F25 l Deep Sea Blue l Mojave Leather l Sport, DHP, Premium, Nav/Technology, Cold Weather, Convenience [traded in] 2008 328XI E91 Sportwagon l Sparkling Graphite [traded in]
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12-11-2011, 07:31 PM	#9
Nahoa Lieutenant Colonel 45 Rep 1,876 Posts Drives: F25 35i Mineral Silver/Black Join Date: May 2008 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	The X3 is a great drive. If you like to drive, but need an SUV, this car is a great choice. __________________
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12-12-2011, 06:49 PM	#10
obtix Private 11 Rep 59 Posts Drives: 2012 X3 28i Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: New York iTrader: (0)	Well... As luck would have it Audi called me today and told me my car was pushed back until the end of Jan. I told them to cancel the order, that's it. Ordered my X3 28i today. Black Sapphire, Chestnut leather, brushed aluminum trim, convenience, cold weather, M sport, premium, premium sound, and tech. Now the 5 week wait begins.
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12-12-2011, 07:26 PM	#12
greg2step X3 Owner/Driver 212 Rep 785 Posts Drives: 2018 X3 M40i Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2018 BMW X3 M40i (G01) [0.00]	oh and all those TV spots Audi runs where people are jumping from BMW, M-B, and Lexus to Audi - some of them on the back of a moving truck - forget it, all BS - welcome to BMW __________________ 2018 X3 M40i G01 \| Phytonic Blue \| Mocha \| Premium+Exec \| Driver Assist \| Adaptive M Suspension 2011 X3 XDrive35i F25 l Deep Sea Blue l Mojave Leather l Sport, DHP, Premium, Nav/Technology, Cold Weather, Convenience [traded in] 2008 328XI E91 Sportwagon l Sparkling Graphite [traded in]
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12-12-2011, 10:32 PM	#15
RSchneider Private First Class 5 Rep 125 Posts Drives: 2011 X3 xDrive30d Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Vienna, AUT iTrader: (0)	Re Q5 "dated": Well, maybe. I actually think it doesn't age very well. I have one standing next to me in my private garage (on the other side is a Cayenne), and the X3 is certainly the sharpest looking of the three. Especially when dirty If the interior materials and build quality would be more Audi-like the X3 would be darn near the perfect Euro-size SUV.
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