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BMW X3

4186 messages,  Last post on May 26, 2013 at 11:24 AM

You are in the BMW X3 & X5 Forum.

What is this discussion about? BMW X3, SUV

Messages Page 330 of 419

#3291 of 4186 Car going po-go. by pp2009pp

Dec 21, 2009 (8:21 pm)

http://www.autoguide.com/manufacturer/bmw/2009-bmw-x3-xdrive-30i-1136.html
 
"OVERLY FIRM RIDE, WITH LOTS OF BODY ROLL
 
BMW’s usually have a firm to stiff suspension set up. I’m usually good with that, and prefer a firm ride to a spongy one, but it just doesn’t work in the X3. The ride quality on smooth highway roads was acceptable, but on ordinary city and suburban streets, every bump, and undulation caused to car to pogo up and down for several seconds after riding over the dip. The buckboard ride got old after a short time. It wasn’t as nervous and bouncy as a trail-rated Jeep Rubicon, but it was definitely more truck-like than car-like.
 
That being said, you’d expect the compensation for the harsh ride would mean flat cornering, but the X3 had about the same amount of body roll as other SUVs, like the Hyundai Santa Fe, and much more than the Infinity EX35. "
 
===================== Good description of what in the world is wrong with the X3's ride. I do disagree with the author that the Infiniti is a direct competitor as the Infiniti has no cargo space and is essentially (along with the Audi Q5) a sporty station wagon or large hatchback...take your pick.
 
I also disagree that BMW should have pics of X3's going off road since the dealer explicitly said to NOT take it off road.

#3292 of 4186 Re: Bumpity, bumpity, bump, bump, sway, bump... [lawman1967] by pp2009pp

Dec 21, 2009 (9:54 pm)

Replying to: lawman1967 (Dec 21, 2009 8:16 pm)
"Of course you blast the X3, you clearly got a lemon, and spend dozens and dozens of posts telling everybody. "
 
Not according to BMW. Although it is still rather muddy as opposed to being perfectly clear, the X3 I have 'drives like every other new X3'. Take that up with them.
 
If I have an X3 lemon then there are plenty of them out there including those given to reviewers like the one above. It has finally gone through the break in period during which I kept hearing that it was too new and that it had to settle. Well, it has settled into doing what it did before. It is still just as quirky as before.
 
I'm not sure what difference the 'break in' period is supposed to make but if the driver is supposed to get used to the car's quirks...that hasn't happened. It is still a carnival ride of a car.
 
What is interesting is that it has a great grip on the road, a nice tight turn radius and it feels like a little tank. I can see how great a car it could be and then it sees a manhole cover or imagines a slight dip in the road and it goes bouncity-bounce-bounce down the road shaking everything inside. Oddly enough when it sees a BIG pothole it takes that just fine.
 
It is the strangest car I have ever driven.

#3293 of 4186 driving through a winter wonderland by nyccarguy

Dec 21, 2009 (10:03 pm)

we got our 1st snowstorm of the year over the weekend here in Southern NY. We were supposed to go to a housewarming party on Saturday night on Long Island (got pounded with 18" of the white stuff) & I was very excited to drive our X3. The party was cancelled & we ended up staying in. By Sunday AM, the roads were 90% clear. Sunday night we ventured out to Long Island to my in-laws' place and sure enough some of the side roads on Long Island were still snow covered. The X3 tracks beautifully in the snow (with the stock all season tires) and just goes without question.
 
It really doesn't snow much here. We get maybe 5 storms a year with significant accumulation. The 4wd isn't a necessity, my FWD Prelude with 4 dedicated winter tires is amazingly agile in the snow. It is however a great thing to have.
 
I recently purchased a 2010 Acura TSX to eventually replace the X3 when the lease is up at the end of July 2010. I'm sure 4 dedicated snow tires will get the Acura through our realtively quiet winters, but I'll miss the X3 when its gone. My wife likes the Acura, but I think she loves driving the X3 & would do so if we weren't on our way to being over the mileage.
 
The X3's steering feel is superb. It is quiet & smooth. Comfortable without being plush. When you drop the hammer, the X3 goes & doesn't stop until you let off the gas. Passenger room is terriffic. Snow traction is tremendous.
 
My major complaint about the X3 is its cargo space. There isn't much of it behind the rear seats. Our TSX has a bigger trunk (front to back)

#3294 of 4186 Re: 2005 BMW X3 [libertycat] by sala

Dec 28, 2009 (9:52 am)

Replying to: libertycat (Apr 27, 2003 7:32 pm)
Hi iam new trying to find fuse box on my 2008 x3 can some one help thanks

#3295 of 4186 our 1st hiccup by nyccarguy

Jan 08, 2010 (8:41 pm)

39,600 miles and a big black mark goes on our '07 X3's pristine record. It actually snowed today, my wife needed the X3 for work, I've been home sick with some form of the flu since Monday & NOTHING. The phone rings and she tells me the truck is dead.
 
"How is that possible, I drove it yesterday & it was fine." I replied "Don't worry, take the TSX & I'll deal with the truck."
 
How hard can this be, I go and try to jump my X3 with my Mom's '08 328xi. Instead of nothing, I get 2 clicks, then nothing. I let the battery charge, same result.
 
I called BMW roadside assistance. They came (outsource), couldn't jump me with the booster pack, & went straight for the battery in the back. Fired up, let it run for a half hour.
 
Now some dash lights are on - uh oh. I call my service advisor at WIDE WORLD BMW (Spring Valley, NY). He asks if I can bring the truck in today? NO PROBLEM.
 
I bring the X3 in, they wisk it away. Test the battery & read fault codes. Battery is fine. There is an electrical component that reads the key & tells the car to start. For some reason that is shot & it makes the battery die. New PArt will be in Tuesday. Don't worry, the truck should be fine. Just jiggle the keys a few times & it will work.
 
I stopped at the Porsche dealer to drool. 15 minutes later the X3 was dead again.
 
The guys at the Porsche dealer jumped me & I headed straight back to BMW.
 
SA gets me an emergency loaner ('09 528i w/ X drive) & tells me he'll call me when the truck is ready.

#3296 of 4186 It's back by nyccarguy

Jan 11, 2010 (9:08 pm)

The culprit was an EWS Control Unit & EWS Antenna Ring.
 
Everything was replaced, the truck was cleaned, & returned to us.
 
I haven't driven the X3 a whole lot in the past few months. I got re-aquainted with it on our drive home. It is still a great driving truck. Strong acceleration, great steering & brakes.
 
It made me think. 45,000 miles (currently 39,600) and 3 years might not be the end of our relationship with our '07 Montego Blue BMW X3 3.0si. Maybe if I'm offered a nice chunk off of the residual value by BMWFS - I'll take it or if I can convince the dealer to buy the X3 from BMW, CPO it, & sell it back to me cheaper than the residual value.
 
stay tuned

#3297 of 4186 2008 BMW X3 by dwc4

Feb 26, 2010 (10:24 pm)

I am in the proces of looking at a new vehicle...I am looking at a BMW X3, or a new Subaru Outback Limited...which way should go..the BMW is a 2008, 2ith about 25,000 miles on it...I am really confused...any ideas out there?

#3298 of 4186 Re: 2008 BMW X3 [dwc4] by pp2009pp

Feb 27, 2010 (1:08 am)

Replying to: dwc4 (Feb 26, 2010 10:24 pm)
Well, I would read up on the continuing weirdness with the X3's auto transmission, its rock hard bouncing pony ride and check the VIN on the 2008 for any big fixes.
 
The Subarus get good marks from reviewers so I would test drive them, if at all possible, the same day along the same or similar route. The BMW dealer also said to NEVER take the X3 off roading...I don't know much about Subarus but they always show them muddy.

#3299 of 4186 Re: 2008 BMW X3 [dwc4] by roadburner

Feb 27, 2010 (11:25 am)

Replying to: dwc4 (Feb 26, 2010 10:24 pm)
You need to take a long test drive in both vehicles and evaluate how you are going to use it. We cross-shopped the X3 and the Forrester in 2005 and decided on the BMW- but that's not to say that Subaru doesn't build some outstanding cars and SUVs. The X3 is no Wrangler or Defender 90, but it can handle light off-road work. I have driven our 2004 X3 2.5 through 10-12 inches of viscous mud and through nearly two feet of snow. I know that the 2004 X3s were designed to operate in up to 20" of water, but I do not know if later models retained that ability. The BMW Performance Center has an off-road course designed to teach X3 and X5 owners about their vehicle's capabilities, and you can see a video of it by going to this page and clicking on "Other Roads".

#3300 of 4186 Broken springs and Edmunds off roading by pp2009pp

Feb 27, 2010 (2:38 pm)

There are a number of reports of broken springs in the X3 and Edmund's own long term testing on the '05 had them destroying the suspension in an afternoon of 'off-roading' on fire trails.
 
It goes to the mall like most SUVs.

Messages Page 330 of 419

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