BMW X3 - Is BMW's best seller its best all-rounder?

[@fredb.9412]

We recently got this model and went for the 2 L diesel, with extra trim packages. From power and handling to looks and price, we simply love it. Our wow moment was when we drove between Mosselbaai and George, in South Africa, and the driver assistance feature took over and drove us for 50 odd kms. We're also amazed by how quiet the car is. The park assist and related camers etc are great as well. About the interior, yes, there are some plastic features that could have been done better imo, especially the door panels. I don't like the 'jewellery box" either, its too big imo. I also find the "Hey BMW" switches on by itself when I sing loudly, which is annoying... cuz im having a moment 😅. All in all, it's a pretty amazing car, and the X3 still feels like a class leader in many respects.

[@madant7777]

That dash material will be hell to maintain.

[@charliethesupebeagle]

Exterior is fine. It always takes a while to get used to a new design. Interior is a disaster. Improved ride quality is welcome.

[@paulhenry913]

Great review- Just purchase a 30 version since I'm in the US. 255. HP and almost 300 ft lbs of TQ. Plenty of power while returning 27/33 mpg. The list of improvements on this GEN is significant . Improved body strength, new EPS steering unit, mild hybrid application, improved safety, upgraded infotainment. But most people could care less about the important items and complain about some plastics in the interior. Top this all with some great discounting from my dealer and you got a winner

[@karthikJ-99]

@@paulhenry913 absolutely as you know by now most of the reviews and blogs trashed the new x3 because how cheap the interior is compared to the outgoing model . But it’s personal preference if you like it absolutely don’t listen to anyone it still drives awesome and better infotainment. And even better if you got a discount.At the end of the day for some one who has been driving bmws from 10 plus years this new x3 is an insult . Everything you touch is plastic it’s the tiny things like no illumination in center storage probably bmw saved a 1$ for that light bulb . C pillar full plastic and lower dash is straight from some recycling factory, dash and door tops either plastic or cloth and they even had to save 5$ on side bolsters making them cloth . And don’t even get started in doors and handles they are the cheapest ever with scratchy plastic and signal stocks are cheap and wobbly and not dampened . And no comfort access on rear doors , no ambient lights in rear or door pockets . All these add up . And even the stuff plates are missing and dead pedal and trunk plates are plastic. Attention to detail is missing in this generation and everything is cost cutting . Anyways Congratulations for your purchase and enjoy your car .

[@paulhenry913]

@karthikJ-99 I focus on engineering changes that make a difference. Suspension, engine, body structure and updates to safety systems. I could care less if it has more plastic pieces inside.

[@Mr.Lambert777]

@@paulhenry913my thing is, why not pay attention to those things when you’re paying for a 50ish-70kish car? If you just looking for performance and driving experience why not just get a dodge Duran Duran, Duran Duran Durango srt or hellcat or something in that category, because dodge should have that type of materials you would expect but paying your money for the performance… hence this bmw is considered “ a lux brand “ you would expect more premium materials and u should be concerned about the plastics. Even the new genesis gv70 has quite good materials than this new x3. but their driving dynamics isn’t quite like bmw but at least bmw DID have a balance between lux and performance. That’s just my two cents on it.

[@paulhenry913]

@Mr.Lambert777 I didn't pay 50- 70 k for it.

[@Mr.Lambert777]

@ oh that’s right! that’s why u bought it, because you got a little discount okay that explains everything…………….. good for if u got it under 50k out the door then you got a good deal for some plastic and a good handling car. Kudos.

[@keith692]

The drive is excellent. I am driving this as a loaner right now. They gave me a 2025 m50 with the b58. The interior is cheap looking... the lights are cool and all but they look like aftermarket add ons for civics.... the face of this car is horrendous. The only positive thing about this car is the B58 coupled with the ZF transmission, it is an unbeatable combo. That is it...

[@BadBoyNK]

facts

[@karthikJ-99]

Bmw interior 😂. Huge downgrade from the current model . It’s borderline Kia plastic quality in the interior so cheap . Bmw lost its mind with this much plastic inside . Might as well call it ultimate plastic machine . So they are saying either upgrade to x5 or look at some other brands 😢

[@Paul-fg6mk]

"They are saying." Who? Reviewers?'" This one, House of Cars, said it is an excellent car, with good reasons. Don't pay too much attention to the professional whiners. There are plenty of people who bought this new X3 and commented here, and they are pretty satisfied.

[@b.f.378]

I love the new front end. Not really a fan of the rear, but the side rear view of the tail lights gives me 2nd gen X3 vibes

[@mervdavis8985]

Great looking car last model was a success this new model will be another success

[@markpellegrini1959]

I have seen this car in person and driven it. I think the car is very attractive. There has been so much negativity on the interior and I think that it is overblown. The interior materials feel high quality and it takes a bit of time to get used to the elimination of buttons. Once you get used to it, it feels like and probably is the future of car design. Critiques regarding the handles and overall door component quality are justified and is disappointing to see in a BMW. Overall, though it's a relatively minor trade-off for an otherwise really nice car. In addition, as one would expect, the car drives great as you would expect for a BMW.

[@666DW]

The criticism of the G45 X3 interior quality is justified when comparing it to a G01, more so when you consider the fact that the price of the X3 in the U.K. has increased by approximately 5%. The seat coverings are now faux leather, the sunroof is unopenable, the door opening handle is plastic, physical buttons and dials have been replaced by cheaper touch screens, ambient lighting has been reduced to poor quality and aesthetically less appealing lighting. It truly is an abomination and will struggle to sell in the volumes that the G01 did!

[@The_action_is_the_juice]

The interior feels cheap, but we ended up buying an M50 anyhow, because of the B58/ZF and driving dynamics. Bmw should offer an upgraded interior materials package.

[@stvn-j8d]

how do you like it overall (vs the prev gen if you have experience)? am having a hard time deciding between a 2024 x4 m40i vs the new x3 m50 due to all the negative comments on interior quality. Thanks!

[@The_action_is_the_juice]

@stvn-j8d it's my wifes car. She's not too picky about the interior. The screens have incredible resolution and clarity, so to me they are worth it over older model. Plus there are a lot of chassis improvements over the previous gen. We have a 2025 X7 also and while it seems slightly nicer inside, it's not that big of a deal. The X3 feels more modern. They were definitely going for the "new klasse" style. The way the dashboard angles, etc. The M50 is a sports car, not an sav in my mind. It drives fantastic.

[@scottbertelson352]

Thanks for the review. I just got the X3 30i here in the states. HP is 255 which is interesting watching this video to see the 2.0 is the same size but lower hp. Seems more akin to the power of the non s-line Audi Q5. Regardless, the 30i is adequate for my needs and better on the budget than the 50i that the die-hard car reviewers are recommending. Fully agree with the marks against. Primary reason I chose over the Q5, both the 45 and the 55 was the autonomous driving features and brake hold, which Audi only has functional on incline/decline.

[@ecklar123]

What about interior tire/road noise while driving over different but not bumpy surfaces?

[@wearepsu100]

What a great review! I would listen to a bed time story with the voice you have. Loved listening to this video while I was working. I liked and subscribed! Oh and will be looking at an X3 M50 tomorrow!

[@kalex381]

Ugly car, but will drive nice…

[@phillipseck-wx3oq]

We traded in our 4 cylinder 2021 X3 for a 2025 X3 M50, and we LOVE it so far. I miss having physical buttons but will get used to having so many controls in the screen.

[@geoffreychang1030]

Spare wheel ?

[@markhallows2945]

With regards to rear space I am 6ft 1 and my sons are both 6ft 2 and they have no problems with rear space

[@abpakdeep]

The interior door handle feels less premium for sure! I prefer the older generation version! But the new 2025 M50 drives great though!

[@georgeshepherd9744]

Just changed my 2020 diesel for the new model M Sport this time petrol2l picking up next week. You have covered very well . May I suggest cover connection of your mobile phone and how to get into navigation .The technical talk and drive you have covered excellent. Looking forward to my new car my only apprehension is I have had three BMW X3 all in black I liked the face lift model in white so have gone for white and put the saving on metallic on having a sun roof.

[@houseofcars1973]

I would, but I use for phone to film.

[@alioscopy-glasses-free-3D]

I enjoyed watching your review and, having seen this new X3 at the Goodwood FoS - I found some elements of the exterior & interior design to be better resolved than others. For a 2-litre / 4-cylinder model… £48k already seems expensive - but bumping that up to £66k is madness. The residual value will always be based on the £48k figure - so it's probably better to wait to buy one secondhand. (Mind you, as most cars are financed, people only seem to care about their monthly payments). BTW: my new MINI F66 Cooper is running on OS9 - and I can easily set the 'trigger word/phrase'… so I'm sure you could've stopped the constant interruptions! One other (slightly pedantic) point… you mentioned driving in France, and carrying safety kit (hi-vis vests/warning triangle) in the cargo area. Actually, it's an offence for the driver to not have a hi-vis jacket 'within reach' inside the car - as you have to be able to put it on before you leave the vehicle. Sometimes, usually in the summertime, the French police will stop tourists to check on this… and they'll then take great delight in issuing on-the-spot fines to people who genuinely didn't understand the law. To avoid getting pulled over, I hang my hi-vis bib on the back of my seat - so they can see it as I drive past. Keep the good content coming. 👍🏼

[@mrpickle23]

Negatives 1. Sunroof that doesn't open 2. Speed warning chime 3. Log into your car so it knows who is driving. 4. Camera that watches everything inside the cabin. Microphones that listen? 5. Ugly styling inside and out. 6. Cheap looking materials. 7. No hard HVAC control buttons.

[@eddyvanderstraeten2522]

Love the interior

[@dennisstaines8005]

Sorry to be a bit nerdy but the torque figure is not 310Nm correct (that the engines only). Its, Engine torque 330 Nm (1500 - 4000/min) which means the mild hybrid is flattening the torque which is very important for both performance and economy. BMW has been doing this since the N Series engines and makes the cars more drivable in normal driving conditions. The actual spec says up to 310 NM engine and up to 210 NM electric motor.

[@mjim7775]

Helpful review - would also be interested in your review of the M50.

[@hmi1750]

anyone heading towards 6ft is going to struggle for leg room in the back... the rear seat space is just small in both this new gen X3 and the new 5 series. Really disappointing give that they will want to sell their electric version to fleets and there are many electric cars with far more flexible and spacious rear passenger space and boot space in the same price bracket. Great review BTW.

[@lucdevriese2134]

Design is somewhat subjective. While I agree that it is not as bad as the X2, it still is a step back compared with the outgoing model. The overall shape is not in balance with too much visual weight towards the rear. The glossy plastic in the front is not properly connected in logical way to the extremity’s of the grille. Why did the numberplate position at the back needed to move to the bumperheight? And what say about the overload of ambiant lighting, wrapped in unelegant plastic or the plastic doorhandles? Let’s hope the iX3 will be a more hansome car.

[@christopherjames5885]

Any chance of you doing a review of the base V6 Cayenne SUV, please?

[@houseofcars1973]

I've already reviewed the Cayenne - kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHm5emqqrL2Los0

[@UKArtlover]

A great shame they’ve dropped the 3.0D. I have a 2018 and it is sublimely powerful and surprisingly efficient ( get 45mpg on a run) and only £199 tax ( once you e got over the ridiculous 5 year luxury tax of course 😂) one thing I wills say is DONT be seduced into going into the nice dealership to buy it ( service sure but …) if you do and you DONT like it within 14 days you are stuck with it or take a massive loss. My colleague ( who to be fair is ridiculously fussy but ) had this problem with a mini and within 2 weeks he lost nearly 15% selling it back. So maybe test drive in one dealer , then buy remotely from another group to keep the 14 day cool off period . Or of course like I did buy a good used third generation 3.0D… bliss😊

[@AGZF1983]

the 1999 bmw x5 E53 was the first car that bmw cemented as the SAV not the bmw x3 as as the bmw x5 e53 was bmw's first suv. letting you know.

[@houseofcars1973]

I know the X5 came first, but the term “SAV” was coined for the X3.

[@AGZF1983]

@@houseofcars1973 Sorry for the confusion. To clarify what I mentioned before, The bmw x5 E53 was the first bmw suv that used and coined the term SAV not the x3 in the bmw line of x vehicles and has expanded for 20 years until now. This is after bmw acquired Land Rover in 1994. The bmw x3 E83 then came after in 2003 about 4 years after the bmw x5 E53 was introduced. so to asume that the x3 coined this term of SAV is not correct.

[@houseofcars1973]

I was sure that they used SAV first on the X3 as they knew it was more of a road biased car (even though the X5 had superb on-road dynamics). So apologies to you that I got that wrong. I was working for Rover Group (incl. Land Rover) in 1995, so experienced some BMW influence on the green oval then as we had just launched P38 Range Rover that used the BMW diesel engine and some late input from Wolfgang Reitzle.

[@AGZF1983]

@@houseofcars1973 its okay. people make mistakes. also to say your not wrong about the Land Rover part since the split tailgate did come from the Land Rover before bmw implemented it into the x5 and then the x7. now its Land Rover & Ranger Rover that uses bmw v8. engines in it'd cars like it did long ago.

[@Mark_my_words_YT]

Shame the 6 cylinder diesel is no longer on offer.

[@houseofcars1973]

I was surprised there was a diesel being offered at all in fairness.

[@Mark_my_words_YT]

@houseofcars1973 the M40D with that B57 engine has to be the best all rounder giving a steady 41MPG and a 0-60 in less than 5s. Astonishing.

[@abpakdeep]

Sometimes the exterior resembles a Subaru Forrester in my opinion!

[@Paul-fg6mk]

The exterior resembles the X5, not any Asian cars.

[@abpakdeep]

In my opinion the older generation X3 resembled the X5. This is built exclusively for the Chinese market.

[@Paul-fg6mk]

@@abpakdeep No, like most social media commentators, you go too far. "Made exclusively for the Chinese market"! That makes no sense at all. The X3 is one of BMW's best sellers in Western economies. Why would they suddenly throw that overboard and focus on the Chinese market? It looks like the X5. It's a baby X5. It's for those who can't afford or don't need the size of the X5. It's as simple as that.

[@markk6419]

Needs Subtitles

[@houseofcars1973]

Which KZbin provide.

[@cornishtoast]

"tickles your pickle" 🤣

[@Spidersapp84]

BMW are now starting to cheap out on new models , all the quality bits that made it a BMW are being dropped . No door sill finish plates , plastic boot sill plate, cheap plastic lower down on the internal areas, doors closing now goes sounds like a tin can , switchgear is like something out of a 2015 Renault ! Just to add a further insult , beware the digital premium package ( In the UK) , this lasts just 12 months before they want another £99 , the first you know about it is when the traffic ( RTTI) stops working as even the dealers and BMW connected drive don’t know this . Total rip off , what happened to the 3year package from new. This is after paying £50K for the car ! I would have thought somebody from BMW would have learnt what happens when premium brands try to make more money by reducing the quality and trying to live on past reputation , ask Mercedes Benz from about 10 years ago ! BMW are going to lose customers to the likes of Kia and Hyundai , this is from somebody who has driven BMWs for the last 25 years.

[@DOMINICANA358]

NOT AGREE, this is most borring and cheap looking (mainly interior) BMW

[@krucki885]

i think the middle console of 1, x1 and x2 looking more cheap. But yes the x3 interior is not the best of bmw. Above all the door interior is bad. Sharp transitions and realy cheap door opener.

[@hixyvsnd]

I totally agree cheaping out on some lame parts especially the doors and missing comfort access on the rear doors! Why BMW whyyyy?!!

[@BadBoyNK]

should be a baby X5 .. now it's a long version X1 , looks cheap in alot of sections.

[@BS-do6oy]

Inside is like in some cheap China night club… especially the doors and front panel… engine and transmission is from before…

[@jimmywan87]

BMW’s bloody lost it. Cheap interior, unusable infotainment. Just bring us back the previous gen X3.

[@gck2065]

Forget the new X3 M50, buy a low km 2024 X3 M40. The interior is horrendous…..full of cheap hard plastics, and that weird “jewellery box” is so ugly without having a sliding cover. It looks like the BMW designers were told to make their best selling model, into just another suv rather than a Best in Class! So it’s a total FAIL from me……buy the previous model, or spend the extra and buy a 2025 X5. Oh, and the grill on the 2,0L X3…… well that would be enough to keep a buyer walking straight past the BMW dealer.

[@Yale_f]

Do u do whisky reviews? 😂

[@houseofcars1973]

Unfortunately not. It gives me a headache…..🤕

[@meetmacallan]

So it’s a toss up between fake leather and fake exhausts in the GLC or this plasticy looking Honda interior. I despair, I’m saying goodbye to my evoque next week and I have absolutely nothing to replace it with. Never in my lifetime has it been this difficult to buy a new car. I was about to consider an F-pace but after the email I received from Jaguar with their disgusting woke ad I won’t be touching them either- maybe I’ll just get a Vespa (imagine a manufacturer discontinuing their best selling car WTF) crazy world. Ps I would never ever drive an electric car as long as I live so options are limited seems even if I did want a petrol X3 there are none according to 2 so called dealers I have contacted. Pointless doing reviews of cars that you can’t buy.

[@FCM415]

It looks like a capybara 😅

[@planetfabulous5833]

He's a yummy Daddy type! Woof! I'm subscribing!

[@houseofcars1973]

Thanks for subbing!

[@lesvassallo5760]

And do you really really really like the new X3 Even with the elephant 🐘 in the room. What's with the front grille. I know we should be used to BMW and others making the grille massive and I don't like the lines diagonal and straight. That's probably why the camera is off centre. Apart from that the car has grown like other manufacturers. You know it'll be a champion It's a BMW.

[@kevg47]

Holy crap its hideous 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@Marre480]

A Bavarian Dacia