Long-term report: BMW’s X3 brings an old-school feel
In the days of more electric and hybrid vehicles, the X3 has more of a traditional touch. Jack Evans explains.
Remember when there were just two options when you were looking to get a car – petrol or diesel. Dial the clock back just fifteen years, and there was little talk of the electric or hybrid models that dominate the headlines and dealership forecourts today. You could argue it was a bit simpler – I’d say that the level of choice has never been better.
It’s why the BMW X3 M50 that I’m looking after at the moment feels a little bit old-school. It’s got a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged petrol engine linked to an automatic gearbox. Yes, I’ll admit that this engine – which you’ll also find in cars like the BMW Z4 and even Morgan’s new Supersport – gets some mild-hybrid assistance in the M50, but it’s integrated so well that you barely notice it. I’ve not noticed it, that’s for sure.
So when I’m heading down the motorway, I do feel like I’ve gone back a few years. There aren’t even many things ‘bonging’ at me – something which happens in most of the cars I test – thanks to a very handy shortcut on the steering wheel. One long press of the ‘set’ button and the speed limit assistance is turned off, avoiding an annoying sound each time I change speed limits. Aside from that, there’s very little that I have to trouble with on the X3, which, again, feels quite old school.
There have been plenty of miles passing underneath the X3’s wheels, too. From local jaunts to trips a little further afield, it’s a car which slots into all avenues of life quite easily. Even the dog seems to like it. As an avid estate and saloon enthusiast, it does pain me to say it, but you can see the attractiveness of SUVs as with a raised ride height and a loftier seating position, you do get an improved view of the road ahead and I can see how many people find this confidence inspiring.
But recently I’ve been digging into whether this near-£80,000 SUV is worth all of that cash. Engine and performance-wise I’d say it is; the straight-six has a level of smoothness to it which makes the M50 feel very upmarket, while 0-60mph in 4.4 seconds is a time that shouldn’t be sniffed at.
As I noticed when I did the launch of this car last year, I do think that the interior quality lets it down. Some of the materials don’t feel up to the usual BMW standard and I’m still not fond of the mesh, fabric-style material used across vast swathes of the car. It’s starting to look dusty and I’m just not sure how to clean it. Break out the dashboard hoover, perhaps? The touch-sensitive vents feel a little over-engineered, too, and with it being so hot lately, they’re harder to adjust than simply having manual control of the vent itself.
I did see some of the X3’s clever safety tech in action recently, mind you. Around the air vents are large transparent plastic sections which illuminate at night. Handily, however, they flash red when you go to open the door with a car or other road user approaching. It’s a great visual deterrent to ‘dooring’ – when a car occupant opens their door into the path of a cyclist or motorcyclist coming alongside – and one that I think is genuinely useful, instead of the usual stream of bongs and alerts that you get in many other cars. I’m also a big fan of the X3’s crystal-clear 360-degree parking camera, which makes positioning this car much easier, particularly when you’re entering a tighter space.
