2011 BMW X3

love hate relationship

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 3 Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 5 Value Rating:

I bought the car brand new in 2011. I love how this car drives. Super fun and sporty. Hands down there is nothing on the market to compare to this little turbo six. Hence the love part. The hate part is the water pump going out with only 45,000 miles on it costing me over $1000. to fix. Constantly having battery problems with it in the cold winter, tail lights going out. The mechanic told me to save my money cause that"s how BMW's are. It's a high maintenance car but a blast to drive. It will be going down the road soon and will not be replaced by another BMW. I'm just not into the high cost of the maintenance regardless of how fun the car is to drive.

Worst BMW ever

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 2 Performance Rating: Interior Rating: 1 Reliability Rating: Safety Rating: Technology Rating: Value Rating:

I bought this vehicle use with low mileage only 28,000 miles at 52000 miles I spent over $3,000 and work some of the work was covered under warranty the alternator let go it has a front engine crankshaft seal leak check engine light went on like 3 times and check battery and low control system 2 at the dealership could not find anything wrong with it air flow sensor damage when to replace it with a 2013 but they have a 4 cylinder turbo engine for a vehicle that weight of a 3000 pound what's going to happen 5years down the road I would not recommend BMW to anybody

Over 130,000 miles and still going strong!

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4 Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 2 Value Rating: 4

Really a great SUV. Great visibility, great looks, strong powertrain, extremely functional, appropriate repair/maintenance costs. The in-line six cylinder engine is very strong and reliable. Two notable repairs. Replacement of water pump and supply/return hoses at 99,000 miles (covered under extended 100k warranty). Replacement of intake air valve actuators at 125,000 miles. This was a tricky problem that local BMW dealer could not figure out, but independent BMW shop did. Normally scheduled maintenance, tires and brakes. No oil leaks. Great 8-speed transmission that continues to shift strongly and crispy. Zero problems with electronic all wheel drive system. Getting ready to replace struts, control arms and tie rods at 150k. Squeaks and rattles are worse than expected. We've had 20" wheels with low profile tires, so this might be responsible for beating up the vehicle over time. I despise the navigation and Bluetooth. Navigation is "much dumber" and "much slower" then iPhone Maps. Bluetooth constantly loses pairing. Callers on other end of phone calls cannot hear you talk at all. All-in-all very happy w the X3. Would buy another one, except for the fact that this one is paid off and running very strong.

x3 needed new transmission

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 1 Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 5 Value Rating: 1

Bought it used at carmax with maxcare warranty After 1 year using the car the transmission broke and need a new one($9000.00).Max care warranty don't wanna pay for a new one.They will put a used one instead. It was supposed to be done in a week and took a month.Of course because of their fault i will have to pay for all this time the rental car.The on;y pay for 7 days of rental. First they don't agree with the Bmw dealer than i have to tow to their mechanics and they send a supervisor and try to cut corners giving me a used transmission. Next time i will buy Cpo from the Lexus that is the most reliable brand. The Bmw X3 is excellent but unreliable.

First German car.

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 4 Value Rating: 5

So I want to start off with that I’ve never owned a German car before. So my notes and my review will be coming from that stand point. This information will hopefully help those thinking of buying a used BMW. Car facts: One owner No accidents Non smoker Millage was: 33374 Bought the X3 from a non BMW Dealership but it wasn’t one of those used car lots. BMW warranty had run out (due to over 4yrs) Bumper to bumper warranty (would only cover 6 years from when the car was originally bought so only about 1 yr and 9 mnths) it cost a lot about 4k so said no Maintenance warranty was about 3k (would only cover 6 years from when the car was originally bought so only about 1 yr and 9 mnths) so said no My thinking is that in 1yr and 9 mths I shouldn’t rack up over 7k in repairs and if it starts down that path we will have to get rid of it. The car was clean inside and out no body damage and no accidents. Only 2 issue with X3 1) the glove box cover had been pulled up from the lower left corner not sure how this happen but the Dealer agreed to repair it as part of the we owe you agreement 2) the dealership had changed the oil and fixed the breaks but the lights hadn’t been reset and since they are not an BMW dealership they said they can’t reset those service lights. So part of that we owe you agreement they said they would get that all fixed and reset. Why did I buy the X3? I test drove and looked at all the other competition I was looking for an all-wheel drive SUV for the wife something upscale. I narrowed it down to the X3, the Q5 and the RX and we went with the X3 due to price and the mileage and the car was a 1 owner car. Thoughts so far only have had it for a week but so far so good. No issues. Took the X3 in to get the “We owe you” repairs done. I will try to update as things happen. If you guys have question I will try and answer.

Another "like it but"

Performance: 2 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 2 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4 Safety Rating: 3 Technology Rating: 3 Value Rating:

Comfortable, largely well-handling and a great value vs. our previous series of Jeep Cherokees. BUT, despite three "re-programs", acceleration after slowing is tortoise speed (a full three second delay before the trans kicks down) making high speed merges a gamble. Also hate the electronic parking brake which eliminates the safety of a manual parking brake backup. It is either on...or off.

I like it but...

Performance: 5 Comfort: 3 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

2011 X3 35I is my first BMW, I am a Honda Accord 3.0 6 cylinder regular. X3 is a beautiful, fun to drive small SUV. Its quick at high speed. It has roomy interior, front and rear. Good sound system as well as the blue tooth phone interface. This vehicle is really for luxury and not an economical alternative.

Poor handling

Performance: 3 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 2 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 3 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4

Has anyone experienced this issue and was there a resolution to this SUV's poor handling stability? I used to own a 2008 X3 which had the traditional great performing stiff hydraulic power steering, now this X3 comes with some kind of "electric" assist on steering which may or may not be the cause for an unstable ride when driving on uneven pavement (especially wheel gutters from nordic states spring thaw). The car is simply unstable in its direction, it feels like you constantly need to fight the direction with oposition move on steering wheel to prevent it from swaying to right or left. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Please help, this car is great otherwise.

INSANE

Performance: 3 Comfort: 3 Fuel Economy: 2 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 2 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 1

I just don't even know where to begin with this hunk of [non-permissible content removed]!! First I'll start by agreeing with every negative comment I've read on this review board. Just purchased this junk on wheels less than one year ago and its already going back to BMW for service for the fifth time! I had to bring the car in for its first service owning it for three days. Little did I know this was just the beginning. PLEASE PLEASE listen to all the reviews on this board. Consider something else!!!

Best SUV in the Market.

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

I have owned this car for 11 months and put on 14200 miles on it. I have driven all four seasons now and can say that this is the best SUV I have driven. Performance is Awesome. I would say that BMW has built this like a mirror of your mood. If you slam on the gas it is the fastest with accurate handling control with (17mpg). My friends say that they could see a big difference in my driving style. If you drive it slow you get the best possible mileage (31 mpg). I drove 270 miles non stop and I looked fresh as I started to drive. Get the Premium Audio and it is one of the best&Every Penny is worth it. If you get this car from a reputed dealer it will not disappoint you.

I got a lemon.

Performance: 4 Comfort: 3 Fuel Economy: 1 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 3 Exterior Design: 2 Build Quality: 1 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 3 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 1

I bought a brand new 2011 BMW X3 XDrive 35i from Autorgemana in Medellin, Colombia and I got a lemon. 1) The sunroof didn’t work. It took 6 months to replace everything and still makes a clunking noise when it opens. 2) when you step on the brakes the car shakes. It was at the dealer 3 times and they couldn’t give us a correct solution. They replaced all 4 disc brakes, pads and sensors. 3) The headlights fog up inside even if it doesn’t rain. They haven’t been able to figure out why this happens so they said it is normal and a year later still happens. 4) The steering system was broken. It went to the shop 3 times and it took 8 months to replace it. As i write this, my car is 14 months old, it has 14.800 kms and it is in the shop for the twelfth time. I named it St. Joseph because it goes from the shop to the house and the house to the shop.

I like it, but...

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5

I am in month 10 and while I love the incomparable BMW handling, every time I drive it I am frustrated by the unnecessarily complicated shifter and the door locking system. I would not buy this car again if it had the same awkward shifter or if the door locking could not be reprogrammed. I am constantly pulling on locked door handles, but have been told by my dealer that this cannot be changed for safety reasons. Funny that Lexus does not have that concern. I also don't like the navigation display. Not enough street names are clearly identified and the background colors make it hard to read. By comparison, my wife's Lexus SUV has a dazzlingly clear and complete navigation screen.

Will not start, louisy Customer Service

Performance: 3 Comfort: 2 Fuel Economy: 1 Fun To Drive: 2 Interior Design: 2 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 3 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 2 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 2 Reliability Rating: 1

The car only has 300 miles and the battery died three times! Dealer (Motorweks) claoims everything is according to specs and battery runs down because of all electronics and that I must drive the car 3-4 times a week or use a trickle charger at all times!!! Contacted BMW customer service and they send me a standard staement that they bild "The Ultimate Machine" and that I must contact the dealer. I asked if I must take a very long extension cord for the charger when I travel for more that afew days but no one thinks it is funny! Would seem to me that electronics can be interlcked with the start switch so the only run when car is started???

Very Nice

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

One thing I can say is that the X3 drives like a sports car. Handling is exceptional as is its acceleration. The turbo engine and 8-speed transmission are a great marriage. Its power deliver seems limitless. Yet, the the ride is smooth and composed. It can be very relaxing when you want it to be and a canyon carver when your in the mood. I really this like this little SUV a lot - mainly because it doesn't feel like one, if you know what I mean. The navigation screen is a wide screen set up allowing for maps to be displayed beside radio stations/songs/artwork if you like it that way. The standard stereo system sound very good as well. So far, seven months and no problems.

2011 BMW X3 xDrive28i

Performance: 3 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 3 Interior Design: 3 Exterior Design: 3 Build Quality: 3 Reliability: 3 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 3 Interior Rating: 3 Reliability Rating: 3

This is my first BMW. I've had the car for 5 months. I previously owned an Infiniti FX35. I like the X3. The feel on the road is nice and solid. Heated steering wheel is great in cold temps but the location of the button sucks. BMW could improve their ergonomics and sound system. The iPod connection system has a mind of it's own. The sound system in my Infiniti had better sound. I love the look of his car from the front. $1200+ for a trailer hitch is a joke. Yakima and Thule does not have a roof rack compatible with this vehicle. Initial acceleration is a bit slow at times which is weird for a car that claims the Ultimate Driving Experience.

I'm very picky and I love this car.

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

I drove my past car for 12 years because I never like anything else enough to buy it. I waited for this X3 to be available hoping that I would like it. I am so happy I waited. I Love It! I got it loaded with sport package, tech package, convenience package, cold package. I have 6000 miles on it and I haven't had any problems. I do have a broken spring in a cup holder as someone else mentioned, but that is minor. I love all the technology and the comfort. I had a difficult time deciding what color to get; I thought they could have had better colors to choose from. I got Mineral Silver with Beige Leather and I am happy with it.

Major problems with the 2011-BMW-X3

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 2 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 1 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 1

The vehcile is great when it works. I have had major problems with the 2011 X3, vehicle is less than 6 months old: 1-Engine coolant leak, cracked reservoir. BMW said it's normal at first, then repaired upon insistance. 2-Driver's door does not open, broken cable. 3-Excessive brake noise and squealing, BMW says it's normal. 4-Excessive wind noise from poor outside door seals, BMW says it's normal. 5-Grinding window noise when closing/opening window. 6-Windshield wipers do not rest in their low position, they sit up. 7-Passenger's side door was misaligned and sticked out, BMW said it's normal, then attempted to fix upon insistance. All parts take 2-weeks to come !!!

First time BMW owner

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

Best SUV period. Drove the Mercedes GLK (nice SUV, styling inside and out a little old fashion), The Audi Q5 (excellent exterior looks, interior is very nice, steering felt odd within an unusual firming up - 2nd place choice) and the Acura RDX (very agile, nice steering feel but needs to be quieter on the highway). The turbo X3 was the clear winner for me. Smooth, yet sporty ride, very quiet, nice engine note, business like interior, excellent cargo space, the engine and transmission work flawlessly together (except for initial acceleration from a stop which takes some getting used to) and acceleration is unmatched by any in the class.

BMW has lost their quality

Performance: 2 Comfort: 2 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 1 Interior Design: 2 Exterior Design: 3 Build Quality: 1 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 2 Performance Rating: 2 Interior Rating: 2 Reliability Rating: 1

I've owned 4 BMW's and this will be my last. There is a problem with the transmission that BMW knew about and didn't fix. They continued to make cars with this problem. When the car is not on, you cannot put it on neutral. Which means you cannot tow your car. I have only had this car for 7 months and I've had to tow it 2 times. They do not provide you with a spare tire. I got a flat and had the tow the car to the dealership. The run flat tire feature did not work. Why pay more if you get less? I would not recommend this car to anyone.

My new X3....Next time, maybe I will buy a Hyundai

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 1 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 3 Build Quality: 1 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 1

I would like to know why I could go purchase a $14K Hyundai w/ less problems than I have in my $55K X3.... 1.Cup holder – Has a broken spring mechanism 2.Heater button – When pushed, it went into the bottom of the center counsel. 3.Gas cap – It states “diesel” but the car uses gasoline. 4.Alignment – The vehicle consistently pulls slightly to the right. 5.Owners manual states there is supposed to be a first aid kit, pg 232. None. 6. Squeak - Sounds like styrofoam rubbing together. 7. Jerky start - seems like the fuel pump/injector issue BMW has been having. Utterly disappointed with this vehicle....

Love our X3

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

We selected the X3 i2.8 at the end of our 2008 335 Convertible lease. You might think that after driving at 335 the X3 would be a disappointment; on the contrary, it's a much nicer car to live with. The 335 was fun, but somewhat impractical and had a very rigid ride; the X3 is surprisingly smooth and agile. We chose the 2.8 because, frankly, we had problems with the 335 engine... had to tow it back to the dealer with less than 20K miles. The 2.8 has plenty of power for "real-world" driving. It is smooth and sporty. The interior is quite large considering the external size of the the vehicle... especially the rear seat (compare it to the Mercedes GLK350).

Love the X3

Performance: 5 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

I have owned my X3 for about 6 weeks and have 3000+ miles. It is comfortable, quite and a hoot to drive. The gas milage is great and big step up from my previous V8 SUV.

My new X3

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4

I just bought the car a week ago. I notice this car is having problem during low speed, stop and go condition, you can feel the transmission is shifting hard from 1st to 2nd gear under slight acceleration and this is really annoying during traffic jam.

My first BMW

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

We have owned this vehicle just over six weeks and absolutely love it. The style, RIDE, performance and MPG is as advertised. We test drove several other models and kept going back to the X3. Plus it's built in the USA and even my last Chevy was not. A little expensive but with their warranty and my lower mileage, it just made sense.

First SUV -It's a Good One!

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

I wanted something different in my next car. Have been driving BMW's for 15+ years - mostly 3 series an M's. Test drove the new X3 35i and was smitten. Wanted to buy it there on the spot but the dealership didn't want to sell it to me so I went looking. Found one at another dealership. Had 1 option I really wanted (HiFi Stereo) but soon realized I could live w/o it. This is my first SUV (SAV) and I'm enjoying it very much. Not agile as a 335i - but darn close to it, especially with adjustable chassis and throttle settings. Getting 26.6mpg average. VERY impressive. Got that with my last 335i. Comfortable; Quite and Fun!! Get one!!

The ultimate driving machine, SUV edition

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

We have had this car about 2 weeks. While not as fun to drive as our 335 coupe was, it is great for an SUV. It is faster than every competitor except itself in the turbo version. The seats are supremely comfortable and it has lots of cool storage features. We only got this because we needed a 4 door car, but we have been pleasantly surprised by how much we like it, since we are sports car people. Except a Porsche Cayenne S, nothing else even comes close to this.

Driving machine

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 2 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 3 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4

bmw x3 35 i 2011 nice SUV to ride. I trade of my Jeep 2008 hemi v8 for bmw x3. good mileage about 18 in city. very handy to drive on city roads. lots of features, but very expensive compared to america cars with all those options. never mind bmw is much fun to ride than jeep. and only good about jeep is it was to good on heavy snow roads.

My new X3

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

We took delivery of our new X-3 at the BMW Performance Center, Greer, SC. Anyone buying a new X-3 should take advantage of this opportunity, it was first rate. Our X-3 had the convenience package, premium package, tech package, and sports package. I wish BMW made more use of buttons than depending on the Idrive but it works well with a cutting edge car. I have test driven several X-3's over the years and found the ride to be choppy and the cabin less than comfortable. All has changed for 2011. At the performance center, we had the opportunity to drive the X-3's (theirs) at the edge of their performance envelope which demonstates how well these cars can perform. Pricing was negotiable!

sets the bar above the rest

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

total redesign for 2011, the exterior a perfect balance between what sporty and luxurious should be. driving impressions feel solid and responsive. powerful v6 engine even for the 28i model. interior design and technologies completely brought up to date, unlike many luxury car makers whos interiors look like from 1985. idrive is improved but still too many sub menus, somewhat difficult to adjust while driving. priced slightly higher than competitors but well worth the money. you wont be disapointed.