2011 BMW X3 Review and Prices

Styling: BMW had not revealed the final design of the 2011 BMW X3 as of this review, but photos of camouflaged prototypes undergoing testing suggest this second-generation version will look slightly more aggressive and a lot more substantial than the 2004-2010 model. It’ll remain a five-passenger four-door wagon marked in front by BMW’s traditional twin-kidney grille, though the nose will give increased emphasis to lower air intakes. The brand’s trademark reverse-kink rear roof pillar will return and the body sides should retain some of the hollow-cheekbone look of the first-generation model. The 2011 X3 will grow in length, height, and width for more passenger and cargo volume. That addresses a deficit the first-generation model suffers compared to roomier new rivals. It also helps BMW distinguish the second-generation X3 from the all-new X1 set to launch some months after the 2011 X3. The X1 is smaller than the 2004-2010 X3 and gives BMW a new entry-level SUV. Like all BMW SUVs, the 2011 X3 qualifies as a crossover because it employs car-like construction in which body and frame essentially are one unit. Such “unibody” assembly is lighter than the separate body-and-frame design of truck-based SUVs such as the Toyota 4Runner. Unibody SUVs can’t tow or haul as heavy a load as truck-type SUVs, but they deliver better fuel economy and have more car-like ride and handling characteristics.

Mechanical: The 2011 BMW X3 will remain focused on athletic road manners. The first-generation X3 emphasized that image by limiting its choice of engines to a lively 3.0-liter inline-six cylinder with 260 horsepower and 225 pound-feet of torque. It came only with BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive (AWD) system calibrated to maximize dry-road handling and wet-weather traction in equal measure. True to BMW’s enthusiast-driver bent, the X3 was the only premium compact SUV available with a manual transmission. The 2011 X3 won’t dial back on sport-oriented suspension tuning, but will almost certainly take a more liberal approach to engine offerings. Among choices under consideration, sources say, are four- and six-cylinder units will less horsepower than the outgoing model, plus a turbocharged six with some 300 horsepower. Reports also say BMW is considering diesel-engine options similar to those popular in overseas-market X3s. Chances are strong BMW will continue to offer both a six-speed manual transmission and a six-speed automatic – though whether the automatic will continue to be available at no extra charge is uncertain. Some premium compact crossovers, including the Mercedes-Benz GLK and Acura RDX, are available with two-wheel-drive in addition to AWD. BMW, however, is likely to equip all second-generation X3s with the handling-enhancing xDrive as part of a game plan to position it as a technically sophisticated driving machine.    

Features: The 2011 X3 will continue following a BMW philosophy that emphasizes standard equipment heavy on fundamentals while relegating non-essentials to the options list. But BMW will also invite U.S. buyers of the second-generation X3 to cherry-pick options with the same freedom exercised by overseas customers. Two factors make possible this newfound power of choice: the transfer of X3 production from Austria to BMW’s plant in South Carolina; and a new ordering system that enables U.S. buyers to specify equipment within a week or so of their X3 starting down the assembly line. Expect the 2011 BMW X3 to count among its standard equipment a full array of traction and antiskid systems, large four-wheel disc brakes, alloy wheels, suspension components tuned for optimal handling, and an assortment of airbags that includes head-protecting side curtains for both seating rows. A tilt/telescoping steering column, steering-wheel mounted audio controls, power windows, locks, and heated mirrors, split/folding rear seats, and BMW’s “leatherette” upholstery also will be included. In packages or as stand-alone items, expected options would comprise a long list of functional, comfort, and convenience features, from leather, wood, and aluminum interior appointments; to a large panoramic moonroof, heated steering wheel and seats; xenon headlamps and special sport wheels, tires, suspension; to a voice-activated navigation system, Bluetooth connectivity, and USB iPod interfaces.