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2004 BMW X3 Compact Sport Utility Vehicle
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Ride and Handling
As with the X5, BMW did not compromise the X3’s on-road ride and handling. We drove it on familiar roads through the hills and canyons, and down a long stretch of the Ortega Highway outside of Phoenix, Arizona. On the twisting mountain roads the X3 preformed with BMW’s legendary handling. It was precise and smooth through both long sweeping high-speed, and tight low-speed turns. The ride is comfortable with minimal SUV roll. It’s fun, despite that the SUV format is not the optimal one for the ultimate on-road driving experience. The on-road ride is best-in-class.
The Ortega Highway is a long and very scenic road. Some of it is unpaved, well-groomed dirt track. This is what BMW choose to demonstrate the X3’s off-road performance or. X3 handled perfectly on the dry, hard-packed dirt road. But then so did Jona’s (he runs BMW’s press fleet), 760IL large luxury sedan, â€' almost a limousine -- a Toyota Avalon (with a couple of 60somthing Thelma and Louises inside, and a trash truck.
X3s off-road capabilities are not designed to be Paris to Dakar Rally capable. But for someone who lives with inclement weather, snow, or lots of rain X3 is probably perfect. It’s also perfect for the person who wants to get their mountain bike to more remote trailheads with more panache then the average driver. A couple can tow a jet ski to a lake with this vehicle. People into winter sports will love the way X3 deals with the snow, slush and debris you run into when you head for the slopes early to beat the crowds to the fresh snow after a storm.
xDrive all-wheel drive and traction system and the all-new chassis are responsible for the superbe handling and traction capabilities. First, the rear wheels always have power. Xdrivehas an electronically-controlled, multi-disc clutch that optimizes traction by allocating power (reducing or increasing it) to each wheel individually thus reducing wheel spin.
Safety
X3 comes standard with the safety expected in a luxury vehicle. BMW includes all-wheel electronic traction control, antilock braking system, front safety belts with automatic tensioners and force limiters, Head Protection System for front and rear occupants with a curtain-type system, interlocking door anchoring system, and BMW’s Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system.
DSC has electronic brake-force proportioning, antilock braking, specific wheelbrake action to promote stability when braking and cornering take place at the same time, and Hill Descent Control to assist the driver in regulating the vehicle’s speed on steep downhill runs. On the X3 and X5, DSC adds a function that helps prevent control difficulties with a trailer in tow. Should the trailer begin to become unstable, DSC intervenes. Trailer-towing equipment is a BMW Center-installed accessory.
Some optional safety accessories include the Xenon Adaptive Light Control (ALC) system with auto-leveling headlamps that aims them in the direction you are driving. This makes night driving safer. The outboard lights steer with the front wheels. Front foglights, Park Distance Control, and Rear-seat side-impact airbags are all options.
In Conclusion
The BMW X3 has plenty of competition in this segment from great products such as the Infiniti FX, Acura MDX, and the Lexus 330. They are all good choices with nice levels of luxury and performance. It will be difficult to choose between them. However the competitors are not BMWs and their handling is something special. We think it gives them a little bit of an edge on their competition.
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