First Drive: 2007 BMW X3 3.0si

Previews

Land Rover and Acura recently launched entries into this growing segment, so how is the revised X3 looking these days?


Three years ago, the BMW X3 was a novelty: a slick-handling luxury compact SUV. We liked it, but didn’t love it. Now, newcomers such as the Land Rover LR2, the Acura RDX, and the upcoming VW Tiguan, come surprisingly close to matching what we remember enjoying most about the baby Bimmer—gifted handling, abundant luxury, premium brand cache—and do so at a price that undercuts the X3. Hmmm. Time to take a fresh look at the Bimmer.

And a fresh thing we found. Technically, a freshened thing: for 2007, BMW gave its cute-ute a significant update—inside, outside, and under the hood. But what remained to be seen was how far these changes would go towards ingratiating the X3 to us to the extent that we could actually love the thing, not merely accept it. Moreover, would they help justify the X3’s ever-climbing price?

Mild exterior freshening

Well, it looks better. Or at least somewhat better. Now that all other BMWs—including the larger, all-new X5—have taken on “flame-surfacing” overtures, the X3’s wedgy, angular flanks look even more dated than they did when the X3 was introduced for the 2004 model year. But there have been improvements. The new bumpers are no longer the masses of black plastic that made early X3s look about as high-brow as a base Kia Sportage. In back, the cluttered taillights have been cleaned up nicely. Up front, the grille slats are now a sporty silver hue, and with the xenon headlamp option come BMW’s now-ubiquitous “corona ring” spectacles. That’s better than nothing, we guess.

Interior and Powertrain

Upgraded interior

Inside, upgrades are subtle, yet very effective in raising the cockpit’s perceived quality. Previous X3 interiors never felt quite up to par with other BMWs, but that is no longer the case. More soft-touch materials and a healthy amount of lustrous wood trim dress things up convincingly, though BMW’s button-heavy ergonomics remain. The navigation system is a joke, making us almost wish for iDrive.

On the upside, our X3 came with the $800 (and worth every penny) Comfort Seats, which feature no fewer than 16 ways of adjustment, including a separate upper-back-angle adjustment as well as three memory settings. Better still is the standard two-row, two-panel panoramic moonroof that bathes the cabin in sunlight.

As always, we appreciated the impressive cabin layout, which yields a near-perfect driving position whilst offering rear passengers the kind of legroom they might expect in a one-size-up ute. The leather upholstery has been upgraded from last year’s mediocre “Montana” leather to a higher grade “Nevada” leather. And as always, the 71-cubic-foot cargo area (with the rear seats folded) gets a gold star as one of the most spacious among all compact SUVs.

The 3.0si engine: Valvetronic and 260 horsepower

Best news of all for the 2007 X3 is the installation of BMW’s lovely 3.0-liter inline-six in “si” guise. This engine differs from last year’s 3.0i by a magnesium-and-aluminum composite block and the fitment of BMW’s innovative Valvetronic variable valve lift system, which meters intake air so precisely that the conventional throttle body is bypassed altogether once the vehicle is warmed up. Horsepower climbs to 260 at 6600 rpm and torque rises to 225 lb-ft of torque at a low 2500 rpm, compared with 225 hp and 214 lb-ft for the 3.0i. We’ve enjoyed this motor in every BMW that has it, with crisp initial throttle response and acceleration that builds and builds the deeper you plant your foot.

The X3 is available with a six-speed manual transmission (unlike the new X5), or a three-mode, six-speed automatic as a no-charge option. Our tester came with the latter, and equipped thus, upshifts felt quick and decisive, particularly in sport mode, which raised shift points to just about where we’d put them. Kickdowns, however, often suffered from some delay. We’d have spent more time using the manumatic mode to shift manually if the sport mode wasn’t as good as it is. Perhaps if it came with steering wheel–mounted shift paddles, like the Z4 3.0si, the story might be different.

Driving Impressions and Pricing

Quick reflexes

The only other slight disappointment was with the engine speed-sensitive variable assist steering, which felt a touch slow just off-center. Aside from that, however, the steering feel was both meaty and communicative and the rest of the chassis proved faultless. Gone was the wretched ride quality of previous models, which reminded us of when our older siblings would take us sidewalk sledding, sans the snow. However, not lost on us was how BMW left the optional Sport Package off this particular tester, an equipment group that features more aggressive suspension tuning, sexy 18-inch wheels and low-profile tires. Turns out, despite leaving us with the less-attractive 17-inch wheels, the base setup is more than gifted in terms of maintaining body control under all handling circumstances, rendering the Sport Package all but unnecessary. Our advice: skip it and upgrade the wheels if you must.

Oh yeah, there’s the money issue

Turns out, skipping options is a good thing, considering that, even without the Sport Package, our Montego Blue X3 arrived with an eye-watering sticker price of $47,975. Sure, it came with front/rear park-distance control, navigation, curve-following xenons and a $2500 premium package containing items like auto-dimming mirror and homelink; but, frankly, those should have been included in the X3’s $38K base price. Adding the Sport Package would have knocked the price over the $50K wall. Still, forty-eight large for an X3? Whoa.

Shortly after our first X3 encounter in January, 2004, we wrote, “we like the idea of the X3 better than the vehicle itself.” After three years and a major update, this is still true. Because on paper (not counting the window sticker), the X3 3.0si is everything we’ve ever wanted in a vehicle like this. And in terms of driving dynamics, it is every inch a BMW. In general, however, it remains expensive and still lacks the overall charisma that we loved in its big brother, the X5. And though it can still drive rings—corona rings, even—around some of its new competitors, it’s not so much better as to justify the price.

BY STEVE SILER
caranddriver.com