So I got an invitation from the local dealer to test drive the new X3.
Me and my gf went and checked out a few. I ended up test driving a black 3.0i with steptronic and panoramic sunroof.
First from a design stand point I actually don't mind the X3. But I also liked the X5 when it first came out.
There are a few things that I would change but nothing drastic.
The car was very similar to an E46 3 series (like our 330i). Similar steering wheel (non sports 4 spoke wheel) and the controls were virtually the same.
The sunroof was pretty neat, it slide back very far and the cover is also powered. Which makes sense since you could not reach it from the drivers seat to close it my hand.
For the test drive I took it along the back roads. A few of the guys here know the road, Santa Rosa, which is the back road way to get to my house from I580.
There was some construction being done on the road and I purposely chose that road to see how well the bumps were absorbed. The X3 did pretty well. I was going about 40mph and none of the bumps were jarring or harsh.
The engine and the tranny is a direct lift from the X5 3.0i model so no surprises there. I felt it was a bit quieter than the 330i, but the 330i needs new tires (more tire noise). The engine revs to 6000rpm smoothly and the tranny downshift quickly (even in non sports mode).
As for the suspension, for what it is, AWD vehicle with several hundred more pounds of weight and the CG a few inches higher than the standard 330i, the car does very well. Again nothing surprising. The X5 handles just as well as the E39 wagon.
A minor annoyance was the gauge cluster. It seems BMW has been reducing the size of the gauges over the past 2 decades. It would be nice if they made the speedo and the tach bigger again. Oh well.
The only thing surprised me a bit was that the AC never felt ice cold. It was cool but not ice cold. In the 330i with the temp set to 68F the AC feels ice cold. In the X3, it wasn't as cold. My gf noticed the same.
Would I buy this car? not right now. I would wait until the new 3.0 engine with more torque and hp is put in the car. Which will probably happen in about 2 years.
I didn't take any pics so here some file photos from Edmunds.com
this last pic shows the color I would get if I ever buy one. It's looks light blue in overcast conditions, but silver when the sun is out. Acura TSX has a similar color.