A Mother's Point of View on the X3
Written: Jun 07 '07
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Pros: Fun to drive, good on gas
Cons: on the smaller size, ride can be bumpy
The Bottom Line: I would recommend this SUV to families who want a family car without sacrificing the fun.
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| aimeeb1224's Full Review: 2004 BMW X3 |
I must apologize because I am not really a car enthusiast and I don't necessarily know all of the technical aspects of this car or any car for that matter. I have, however, driven the BMW X3 for almost 3 years now, and I feel I can contribute some insight about this car from a mother's point of view. Many of these cars are coming off of lease now (in 2007), so perhaps there are people looking to purchased a used X3.
Overall, I love my X3. My previous car was an Accord, and prior to that a Pathfinder. So I am not normally in the luxury/high-end car circle, and I cannot offer much in terms of how this car compares to a Lexus or Mercedes. But if you are graduating to a BMW for the first time like I did, I doubt you will be disappointed.
Appearance
Well, you can pretty much see this car's exterior appearance for yourself. The X3 is smaller than an X5 but otherwise is very similar in appearance. The interior is typical BMW, with red display features and black plastic trim along the dash. The BMW X3 also has wood grain accents. I must admit that it was hard at first to get used to the interior styling, because in a way it felt cheap (other than the wood grain) and the red dash lights felt harsh. 3 years later I am used to the interior styling now and it no longer bothers me.
Room
As a mother, the BMW X3 might fall a little short of your space requirements. Driver and front passenger space is ample under most circumstances. I like that there is enough space so that the driver and front passenger are not riding shoulder to shoulder, but there isn’t so much space that you cannot reach over to the passenger if you wanted to (ever check out a hummer?). Leg room is also sufficient, unless you have car seats in the back seat. As a shorter woman, I am not effected by the car seats in the back seat, but my husband as the passenger cannot sit as far back as he would like because the seat eventually hits the rear-facing car seat behind it.
Back seat passengers are a little less fortunate when it comes to room. Right now we have two car seats in the back seat, with one rear-facing and the other forward-facing. The car seats take up so much room that we could not fit a third person in the back seat, even though the BMW X3 supposedly seats 5. I think a larger SUV like an X5 or any other vehicle in that class might accommodate more riders, especially when they are in car seats. We have, on occasion, removed the car seats and have fit 5 adults in the X3. It was not a comfortable ride for the backseat passengers. The X3 could accommodate three children in the backseat, or perhaps a combination of 1 adult and 2 children, but in general the X3 is much better suited for a total of 4 passengers.
Trunk cargo space is also just adequate. We could barely fit our double stroller in the back of the X3. Because the back of the X3 is rounded, trunk space is compromised. You have much more room to lay flat items than you do to fit tall items. Groceries fit no problem, but when the stroller is in the trunk and I buy two boxes of diapers, I find I have hit the cargo capacity’s limit for this SUV. There have been many occasions where I have found myself loading things into the backseat on the floor and between the two car seats because I have run out of room in the back. Children come with lots of “stuff”, and this SUV would probably not cut it if you wanted to take a weekend car trip. We once talked about going away for an extended weekend, and our first thought was that we would have to rent a minivan.
For obvious space reasons, there is no third row seat available either standard or as an option.
Features
Features are going to vary depending on the model that you choose. For starters, the 2004 BMW X3 offered 2 engine choices, either a 2.5 or a 3.0. Sometime later (in 2005 or 2006, I believe), the 2.5 was eliminated as an option and all X3’s were the 3.0. I have the 3.0 which is basically just a larger, more powerful engine. It is the same engine in the BMW 330 sedan (and the 2.5 is the same engine as the 325 sedan). I test drove both, and I would have been quite happy with the 2.5. The 2.5 was very powerful and peppy, but of course the 3.0 was even faster.
My car was a demo vehicle that I was able to lease at a very cheap rate. As a result, I was able to afford many features that did not come with the base X3. The only feature I do not have on my car is the navigation system. My favorite feature is the panoramic sunroof, which covers a great portion of both the front and back seat areas. With one touch you can open the visor electronically to reveal the UV-protected glass. With another touch you can either pop the glass about an inch to vent the car, or you can slide the glass open completely.
As a mother, I also appreciate the sensors that beep as you park. These sensors go on automatically when you go into reverse, and you can also turn them on if you are pulling into a spot head on. I do not find that there are any blind spots in the X3, but I like the added security of the sensors just in case. The sensors have rescued a few child toys that were placed very close to my bumper when the car was parked in the driveway. These sensors have also helped me parallel park, because the beeping gets more frequent as you get closer to an object. The sensors have helped me judge exactly how close I could get to another car without actually hitting it.
I also like the steering wheel controls, which allow you to adjust the radio volume and channels from the steering wheel. Another favorite of mine is the 8-way power driver’s seat with memory for up to 3 drivers. My husband and I constantly switch cars, and it is nice to be able to push one button to restore our settings (it restores settings for both your seat and your mirrors). You can also restore your settings from your key as you push the button to unlock the car. Because everything is computerized and my car was used, however, we had to go to BMW to get the settings reset for this feature to work.
Most BMW X3’s other than the base model come with leather seats, which are very comfortable. I did, however, very much like the comfort and appearance of the base model’s leatherette trim. I felt it had a sporty appearance and looked just about the same as the leather. My X3 has heated seats for the driver and passenger, which I never realized I wanted but now I absolutely love. This feature got me through my third trimester of pregnancy with both kids!
We have the upgraded stereo system, but I cannot say I notice much of a difference between the base and the upgraded system. I do like that the radio volume increases as the car accelerates to cover the increased noise. I was very disappointed, however, that even with the upgraded system, there is only a single CD player in the dash. For 2005, the premium system included a 6-CD changer. The car is wired for Bluetooth technology and you can talk on your phone through the radio (the radio turns off). You can try to set this up yourself, but BMW recommended that we stop in with the car and the phone to activate this feature. It took only 5 minutes, but it was an inconvenience to actually get to the dealer.
The car has ample cupholders and compartments to store small items throughout the car. It is single zone heating/air conditioning, and I do find that it takes awhile for the backseat to reach the same temperature as the front. Like any car, there are a million other small features I could mention, but unless this is to be a 10 page review I cannot list them all.
Performance
Well, this car is a BMW. It is fun to drive. Even with 2 kids (I am a very safe driver and obey all speed limits!) it is still fun to drive. The car is fast. You probably won’t beat a Corvette or Porsche at a traffic light, but you can definitely accelerate quickly. It is great for when you need to merge onto a highway; even with the air conditioning blasting and a trunk loaded with heavy items, you will have the power you need to merge safely into traffic.
The car is very responsive. Steering is tight. Braking is good too. My husband likes to think this car drives like a sports car, or at least as close as any SUV can get to driving like a sports car. With that being said, the ride can be bumpy. In my comfy seat, I do not notice it. My kids have never complained either, but I am sure they feel the bumps more in the back seat than I do in the front. If you want a quiet luxury car, this is not the car for you.
In terms of gas mileage, I am very impressed with how far I can ride on one tank of gas. These days it is expensive to fill your tank, but I find with my driving I can go a full week or more without having to fill up again (as opposed to my gas-guzzling Pathfinder, which I had to fill ever 4 days under the same driving conditions). Because of gas prices I do occasionally fill the tank with regular gas (premium is recommended), and I have not noticed a difference in the car’s performance.
Maintenance
If I had to pay for maintenance, I would not have selected the BMW X3. Maintenance is infrequent (oil changes every 15,000 miles), but you make up for it with the cost (last oil change would have cost me $150 if I had to pay for it). The oil changes themselves are expensive, but when you combine that with any other scheduled maintenance items you could be looking at $600 easily! People like to argue that you pay it so infrequently that you can just budget for that cost, but I am not going to set up a separate back account just to finance my maintenance costs!
The best thing about getting a new BMW is that maintenance is included. My car was considered used, but I was able to negotiate scheduled maintenance and an extended warrantee for the period of my lease. I highly recommend that you try to purchase a used X3 from a dealer and try to negotiate maintenance into the deal if you can.
The service department at BMW has been very helpful. We have always been able to get appointments when needed, they have always provided us with a complimentary loaner car, and our car has always been ready when promised. We are very happy with the service, but again, we would not want to pay for it!
Price
Well, it is a BMW! Sticker price on my car was steep ($46K), and more than I could have afforded had I tried to purchase this car new. But, as a demo lease, I got this car with less than 10,000 miles for less than the lease cost of a less well-equipped Murano or Explorer. With all of the optional features I have, I can see why the car retails for the price that it does, and I can see why some people would be willing to pay that. As a used car, hopefully now the car is much more affordable to more people.
Summary
Overall, I love my car. If I wasn’t concerned about the maintenance costs, I would probably buy this car at the end of my lease. It isn’t the largest in terms of space, but I am not the Navigator type of driver and it is the perfect size for me. The BMW X3 can transport your kids and your cargo and you will have fun doing it. It might not be the right long term solution for growing families (if we had a third child this car would be useless), but for young/small families it may be an option. I would recommend this SUV to families who want a family car without sacrificing the fun.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 30,000
Condition: Used
Model Year: 2004
Model and Options: BMW X3 3.0 Automatic
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Epinions.com ID:
aimeeb1224
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Location: New Jersey
Reviews written: 155
Trusted by: 7 members
About Me:
Mom to a brood of young boys and loving it!
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