inline power, X-Drive with hill descent, overall solidness. Plus you can opt for a 6spd stick (not many cross overs offer that) its a BMW...enough said.

id like to see a steel skid plate (i would bring this truck practically everywhere) dual exhaust in the future?

A close friend of mine just picked up a '04 BMW X3 3.0L with pretty much all the packages and options. He drove by and insisted i take it for a spin...and he didnt have to tell me twice. I automatically felt how stable and firm it felt with just normal driving, then he told me to open it up and it still felt "controlled" even after i took a hard turn, i was amazed at the sure-footed power such a small truck had. He has the sports package which BMW has added a sporty feel and handling upgrades to tackle even the dullest of days. Driving 3 previous German cars (all of which were Audi/Volkswagen) i can say that the X3 definitely has my attention, and BMW's bullet-proof inline engines are a modern marvel. The X-Drive system which i herd so much about, and i needed to see its true colors worked good, if not better then my A4 Quattro AWD system. The interior is nicely finished, with the Nav unit smoothly hidden from car-jackers eyes, the interior i thought was solid and pure Bavarian! some people want the flashy, wood knock-off's that dress the interior, but the aim for the interior was more driver-to-road instead of driver to accessories. The REAL leather (not the syn type!) is firm and worth the extra money, the hill-descent control is a useful unit and better to have then not to have (i hate riding the brakes on a steep incline) and with all of the extra grip BMW could have offered for this little truck it pays off...traction is definitely needed and should be needed under the most severe driving conditions. There really isnt much more i can want from a small-SAV (sport-activity-vehicle BMW names it) in terms of style, power, and reliability, BMW has definitely sold me on the X3!

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N/A

Great engine, Blue tooth, park distance control, good seating position, good acceleration, compact turning circle.

Jarring ride on all but glass smooth black top. Definitely not for older people. Most passengers complain about the roughness of the ride. The X3 rocks and rolls on uneven roads and hits breaks in the pavement with a jolt before be suspension gives a little. No home link. Gas mileage could be better.

A Painful Disappointment, BMW hype but rides like chuckwagon

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I had a 1999 Lexus RX300 for three years that rode a lot better.

Engine Response, Brakes, Handling, Steering, Stereo, Flip Up GPS, Best Driver Ergonomics of all cars I used so far.

Very Poor Reliability. 3 repairs in first 4 months. Getting strange humming sound from passenger side when driving around 75-85 mph. AC leak in driver side in very hot weather. Very delicate Interior Leather. Lots of brake dust cleaning. Needs Expensive Premium Fuel. BMW After Sales Service is not good enough.

Runs great. Excellent Handling, Steering, Engine Response. Took it to a test drive to Seqouia Natl Forest winding road with snow/sludge. Perfect Performance. Gas mileage can be improved by using Steptronic stick shift.

Handling, Brakes, Interior

Back Seat is uncomfortable, No light under the hood.

I have to completly agree with the reviews by Salvatz and Hypestopper. Read the review by Salvatz especially. He is right on the money! The guy sounds like he writes for an automotive magazine. The car is wonderful. I got my 2005 x3 with Sports, Cold Weather and Premium packages. The car is absolutely a blast to drive. Its almost scary how you can dive into a turn with the pedal down and the truck holds the road like you wouldnt believe. As for the guy who reviewed the car and knocked the interior. Here is a tip. NEXT TIME DONT SKIMP AND BUY THE CHEAPO STRIPPED DOWN VERSION. I mean come on! You buy the fake seats and then you complain that they look fake. Duhhh! It is also important to note that this car is designed by German Enginneers who take driving a car very serious. Things like cupholders and vanity mirrors dont exist in their worlds. They feel you should be driving the car and not sipping a big gulp and fixing your make up. My advice to anyone looking to purchase this car is to 1st go for the 3.0i engine and second opt for the Premium package. If you cant afford the extra cash look for another car. Dont buy the stripped down version and expect it to be as good as the rest because it just aint gonnna happen. BMW is notorius for their "Alle Carte" Menu options. You dont get a heck of a lot to start with so be prepared to see the sticker jump when you add things that you want.

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Infinity GX35

Excellent Power, Brakes, handling. Great interior comfort. Fit and finish is also excellent

No garage door opener, No chrome exhaust, No light under hood.

First off, the car I am speaking about is a 2005 year model. There was no option to select that year. After my first time driving this truck I knew this was the car I had to have. I purchased a '05 X3 3.0 and lets just say the car is a cross between an SUV and a sports car. As soon as you turn the key in the ignition you can hear the wonderful BMW exhaust note that resonates into the cabin giving you the feel of being behind the wheel of a high priced sports car. Once on the road, there is very ample power through all gears and handling and steering is nothing short of amazing. I mean an SUV that hold .88G on a skidpad and stops from 70-0 in 157 feet is just unheard of. For those of you who don’t know what those numbers equate to, pick up a copy of Car and Driver and look in the back at the road test reviews and you will see how well those numbers stack up against some very high priced sports cars. All that being said, this car is distinctively BMW. The cockpit is appointed with nice quality leather and the ergonomics of the gauges and controls are nothing short of perfect. The power adjustable seats with memory are great too. They can accommodate a very petit person like my wife all the way up to someone of my size at 6’0” The amount of headroom and leg space is excellent in the front seats. Headroom is also great in the back seats but legroom leaves a little to be desired. Where the car falls a little short is in not including some basic niceties. A garage door opener installed as part an equipment package would be nice instead of a dealer installed option. The lack of chrome exhaust tips make the car appear look like its not quite finished. Separate climate controls would be great but to be honest the car always seems comfortable in any seat. The lack of light under the hood of the truck seems quite strange to me. Perhaps this is BMW’s way of warning you to stay the hell away from the engine. Don’t even put windshield wiper fluid in without a trained mechanic. In summary for the money (about $41,000 USD) you are getting one hell of a car/truck. Don’t expect to go rock-climbing with your jeep owning buddies but around the town and in inclement weather the truck really performs. Not to mention you look a lot better pulling up to the local valet when out to dinner.

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Mercedes M320

Exterior design is typical Bangle Bungle, but better that 7 or 5 series. All black base interior is quite good with no tacky wood or shiny metal, just various textures too keep the eye entertained. Other color interiors can look cheap. The handling is exceptional for an SUV and may even be exceptional for a car. Handling is clearly better than top of the line Camry or Accord and feels better than C class Merc. The amazing part is that you are sitting up high, flinging around a 4000 lb vehicle. I can't think of another 4000 lb vehicle that is as tossable. The brakes are excellent and the auto tranny allows you to shift for yourself when you choose. With panorama roof open and all windows down it almost feels like a convertible sports car that can float above the roofs of other cars. It is a unique experience. If you get the base version with auto and sunroof, it is cheaper than an Explorer. This is especially true when you consider it has side and head airbags along with antiskid control standard. So, in addition to all it has going for it...this BMW is a bargain. In addition, given its size and weight, the gas mileage is excellent. The only negative is that it's a BMW. This means that you must put up with BMW attempting to avoid warranty repair with any excuse they can come up with. That is why I suggest the auto over the manual. If the engine has a problem they will blame your shifting. For an example of their mentality, check out the section on the fuel gauge in the owners manual. They have it set up to blame any problem, with the injectors or the engine, on low fuel so it isn't covered under warranty.

Sporty handling, great BMW engine, BMW name-appeal.

Interior is the cheapest, ugliest interior in the $20,000+ SUV segment (yes, it reminds one of a Korean car). That is really saying something, as this is a $40,000+ vehicle (equiped as most people will want it).

The outside drives them in, the inside drives them out. First impression: The platinum, Sports-edition 3.0i X3 is very impressive looking from the outside. Second impressions: The interior is cheap in a tacky sort of way. Hard plastics abound, vinyl is standard (and contrary to dealer statements I was able to spot the fake leather models from the real leather models with about 0.05 seconds worth of looking), a decent radio and cupholders would have been something any American designer would have remembered to include. Also, the back seats feel like a wooden park bench after 10 minutes in them. The drive: Still impossible to find fault with the (225hp) BMW engine. Stability control and braking systems were excellent. 0-100mph occurs before you know it when entering a freeway on-ramp. The price: "$36,000ish." The "ish" become important if you want anything other than the base (i.e. completely stripped down) model. Add nothing more than real leather, an automatic shifter, and the basic sports package, and you are at $43,000 before you can blink an eye. Start adding stuff like xenon headlights and a sunroof and you might get a nosebleed from the altitude. Conclusion: A drivers car in SUV (excuse me, SAV) clothing. The driver's seat is the best, nigh the only comfortable, seat in the house. If you want an SUV that handles like a performance sedan, makes your neighbors jealous, and you don't plan on driving with anyone else in the vehicle, this SUV is probably for you.

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Toyota/Lexus SUVs, Acura/Honda SUV.