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BMW X3

4185 messages,  Last post on Apr 15, 2013 at 1:30 PM

You are in the BMW X3 & X5 Forum.

What is this discussion about? BMW X3, SUV

Messages Page 91 of 419

#898 of 4185 Test drive of 2.5i & Option List by lakshman

Feb 29, 2004 (6:12 am)

My x3 2.5 is arriving on March 15th. Meanwhile, I got to test drive 2.5i. Dealer gave me the keys and asked me to take it for a spin.
I really liked the spaciousness (considering that I was going to buy 325xi initially) and the moon-roof. The pick-up was not as much as the 3.0 (obviously), in fact there was a bit of a drag. However, when I changed to the sports mode the drive was near perfect. My logic in going for 2.5 is that if X5 is good with 3.0 then X3 is must be good with 2.5.
I sat with the dealer to find out the rates about the other options.
1. Alarm system - Dealer says no one takes this option and the only benefit is you get the sound when you lock/unlock it. 295 Parts 200 Labor. I checked with my insurance company I would save 15$ per year with the alarm system. The only way to steal the car is by flat-bedding.
2. Cable for MP3-player - Yet to arrive but the cost is just 30$, I am not sure how much it will cost to install it.
3. Floor mats - Though we discussed no mats during the initial negotiation, he said he will throw them in. Which was a nice gesture. I may later add the all weather mats which are again cheap (40+ for the front and 20+ for the rear).
4. Phone - I thought it will be cheaper to have the phone installed since it is pre-wired and we have button in the steering for phone. The dealer says it will cost 2000+ $ and the phone is provided by bmw and may be obsolete soon. He also said that we can take it to verizon and have it installed. Have any of you tried this? I would really like to have this as I hate hands-free and it is going to be a law in NJ to not use cell phone while driving.
 
I think it is good to be in nice terms with your sales person. I know I would have saved few hundred $ more if I had gone elsewhere but the service wouldn't have been the same. I read somewhere that you need to schedule the service through your sale advisor.
 
If anyone wants to pick-up, the accessory list is available at the dealership.
 
Again, if any of you have made your cell phone work with the car button/speaker please let me know.

#899 of 4185 Test drive of 2.5 by sharkala

Feb 29, 2004 (7:05 am)

Lakshman, can you tell me which dealer in NJ has the 2.5. Did it have any pick up at all. What other options did you get in the car? thanks.

#900 of 4185 Sharkala by lakshman

Feb 29, 2004 (8:39 am)

I test drove at Princeton. I am sure others will have it too. You can call up and check.
 
As someone already said, it depends on what you are currently driving or comparing it to. It does have a satisfying pick-up but again it depends on the one who is driving. For me, it was not worth spending 6K more for 3.0, I'd rather go to X5 for that.
 
I just got the basic 2.5 not even premium package. However, I added the moon-roof and navigation system. The thing that keeps my enthusiasm up is the nav. I have a poor sense of direction and my wife is not a reliable navigator with printed directions. It is also a cool gadget to have.
 
One thing that I forgot to mention is the power seats, it is good and the upward-downward range is very high. You can have it elevated if you want.

#901 of 4185 vsroman/x3r by scotth6

Feb 29, 2004 (7:19 pm)

vsroman-I do agree the doors do not make the usual thump associated with BMW's and the doors feel light, I guess in order to knock out 600 pounds from the X5 the doors had to give up something. I have the jet black exterior. I do have the premium sound but I really didn't give it much of a workout as I was more interested in the handling, engine and ride. I'm out of town now so when I get back I'll compare it to my M3 which has premium sound, generally I thought it sounded pretty good.
x3r-everything on the interior is black with the exception of the top 1/3 of the dash which is a mid to dark gray. The doors, carpet, headliner and console are black. The only thing not black is the actual leather portion of the seats and the leather arm rest portion of the doors. My dealer is giving me two sets of mats, black carpeted ones and black rubber ones and I ordered a black rubber mat that covers the entire cargo area. I got the dark wood trim which looks pretty good. The moon roof is fantastic and the sport seats with lumbar support are as good or better than my M3.
Again, I read a review in AutoWeek Saturday which ripped the ride of the X3 for being too harsh and I still don't understand it. I think the people writing these reviews don't understand the target buyer. BMW is known for sport sedans and sports cars and handling and a firm ride are part of this. BMW has the "cushy" ride covered with the X5. My X3 handles better than I anticipated and I really think they went with this size and weight so they can do an M version. If they dropped the M3 engine in this vehicle it would smoke any sport utility because it really handles nice, its really like a 330ci with the sport package. I know I love BMW's but I am truly puzzled by someone saying the ride is too harsh and I wounder what they are comparing it to, Maybe compared to most sport utilities it will feel very firm but not compared to a M3 or 330 ci with the sport package so again I say firm as compared with what. If you don't want or like the ride look at the Lexas RX330 or X5 without the sport package which is soft compared to the X3.

#902 of 4185 navigation system comments by x3r

Feb 29, 2004 (9:00 pm)

Scotth6-Thanks again for your timely and excellent notes regarding the interior and ride quality of your X3. That is reassuring on all accounts for me. If you have the navigation system option on your vehicle, could you provide some thoughts on its use/usefulness. Congratulations again on you X3 arrival. I am really looking forward to mine arriving in about 3 weeks. It is listed as "Produced not shipped". How long did yours take to ship over by the way. Thanks again for your thoughts.

#903 of 4185 ErickP RPM at highway speeds by harplayr

Mar 01, 2004 (10:03 am)

I took some measurements Saturday on my X3 2.5 automatic.
 
At 65mph the tach was at 2200rpm and I was getting 25mpg.
 
At 70mph the tach was reading 2400rpm and the mileage was about 24.5
 
At highway speeds there is little engine or road noise, it is very smooth running, and I have no problems accelerating to pass other cars. The 2.5 may not win many drag races, but there is plenty of power for my needs.

#904 of 4185 European Delivery by bmwvirgin

Mar 01, 2004 (12:54 pm)

rfrith - Could you explain how the European Delivery works. Who handles shipping it back to the US, and do you need to drive it around for a certain number of miles so it comes into the US as a Used Vehicle. Are there any issues with safety standards, emissions etc entering the US?
I read in an earlier posting cost savings to be around $2500. Is that true? How much will it cost to ship back to the US?

#905 of 4185 ED by erickpl

Mar 01, 2004 (1:24 pm)

Check out the Euro Delivery forum for BMW's. More than you want to know can be found there.
 
-Paul

#906 of 4185 European Delivery by rfrith

Mar 01, 2004 (2:13 pm)

bmwvirgin, erickpl is right...you can get additional info on the European Delivery Forum. I'll give you a quick overview though. You buy from your dealer. The price will be reduced by almost $2,500 on an X3 3.0. You close the sale on your vehicle 30 days prior to pickup. Fly into Munich, take a cab to the Delivery center, take delivery, drive as little or as much as you want for up to 1 month. Excellent insurance is included in the deal. When you're ready to head home drop your BMW off at any of several locations in Europe. About 5 to 7 weeks later your BMW arrives at your dealer and is prepped again and delivered to you there. Check out the BMWUSA website for details on savings and drop off locations.

#907 of 4185 Diesel X3? by vetpathologist

Mar 02, 2004 (9:08 am)

ESPN had a program on the LA autoshow and they reviewed X3. The host mentioned about a diesel X3 (turbo). Does anybody know more about this. If they do make a diesel X3 can we buy it through the European delivery program. Any thoughts from the well informed members of this board.

Messages Page 91 of 419

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