BMW X3 Estate 2004 - Present

The BMW X3 is the baby brother of the excellent X5. it offers a soft-roader with great road manners and good ability off road. Not cheap, but few BMWs are, the X3 comes with a wide selection of engines, to suit a wide array of requirements and budgets. The diesel options are the best by a long way if you're looking for fuel economy but throughout the range they all perform well.

Approaching the X3 you can't help being struck by the sheer size of the vehicle. Armed with the knowledge that it's the smaller brother of the X5 you just have to be pleased that you've not picked a fight with the bigger of the family. Some people will, no doubt, be attracted to it's looks others won't. if you feel that many of these bigger 4 X 4 vehicles are unnecessary then you probably won't find them very attractive, but if you get turned on at the sight of a Hummer, I'd imagine that you will.

Inside the X3 is something of a surprise. There is room aplenty for all of the occupants but the finish is not up to BMW's usual high standards. The plastics used are thinner and harder than usual. The seats are comfortable and nicely put together. The rear seat offers room for two adults but the centre seat is really only suitable for junior as there it little shoulder room. Boot space is huge and loading is easy. The versatile seats fold flat for extra storage if required. There are also lots of storage boxes dotted throughout the cabin, so you'll never find yourself stuck for somewhere to put your Blackberry.

While driving the X3 you're constantly reminded of BMW's old slogan, the ‘Ultimate driving machine'. It comes with a whole host of gadgets and devices to make driving the X3 as easy and practical as possible. The driving position is fully adjustable, which makes getting exactly the right driving position quick and easy. The headlights turn with the steering and offer a glance round the corner in advance of going there. There are two gearboxes depending upon which model you opt for, a six speed manual box or a six speed automatic box, with manual override. Both are excellent and transmit the power superbly to the wheels. It drives like a car half it's size offering a really nimble feel in and out of corners.
The X-drive system corrects any sign of under or oversteer by delivering torque to the axle that needs it in order to keep the car out of trouble. This can flatter bad driving somewhat as you're rarely punished for hitting a corner too fast. This is also evident off road as you've always got decent levels of grip.

There is a good choice of engines available. The entry level diesel, the 2.0L is adequate but little more. It can get to 60mph in a little over 10 seconds and tops out at 123 mph, but feels more sluggish than those figures may indicate. The 3.0L comes with two levels of tune, 214 bhp or 281 bhp, with the latter employing twin turbos to increase the power and the range of revs in which it is delivered. The 0 - 60 times are 7.4 seconds and 6.6 seconds respectively, impressive figures for a car weighing almost two tonnes. Their top ends are 137 and 149 mph, so the potential for rapid progress for either. With fuel figures in the mid thirties the bigger diesels offer the best fuel to performance ratios. The petrol engines are a less prudent with figures ranging from the low twenties to the low thirties. The 2.0 petrol engine is, like it's diesel counterpart, a little underpowered but does at least return 30mpg. The biggest petrol option, the 3.0L comes in two levels of tune and returns 23 or 28 mpg depending upon which model you opt for. unusually though it's the faster option that's the more frugal (the 3.0SL), with 0 - 60 in 7.3 seconds as opposed to 7.8 from the 3.0i.

The BMW X3 offers a lot of good motoring for it's 1.8 tonnes and can be made to perform really well, quite easily. Whether there is a place for it in your drive will have to be a personal choice.

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