After getting one of the first E82 in 08 just ordered the 2011 X3 to be picked up in Spartansburg. Cant wait
Brand New - 2011 - F25 X3 28i . Just brought home my wife's new 2011 X3. Wow! Got it Friday evening. This is a whole new deal ! We had driven and considered the original X3 for several years, but just didn't like the overall experience. Not a bad ride but, the interior materials were kinda cheezy. Not quite up to BMW standards IMO. This new model is seriously improved. The styling is quite pleasing and fresh. Maybe not revolutionary but evolutionary. I really like it. The interior is Much improved and there's better rear leg room. We went with the X3 28i. The naturally aspirated 6 is silky smooth and peppy. Absolutely no lag/delay from idle, jumping when prompted from a stop light. We've driven the newest N55 turbos and I really don't like the driving dynamics from idle. They're great once you get going, but right off idle they're a mess. We traded her 335xi for the X3 28i. After three years living with a 335xi, we're glad to be rid of the turbo motor. After xxteen trips to the dealership for warranty work (quality / reliability failures), many centered on HPFP failures, we wanted to go back to a simpler engine system. We put 300 miles on it this weekend and have no regrets. The new 8-speed automatic transmission is pretty cool. Sure, it hunts around for the right gear sometimes for passing, but it's really not bad. Gas mileage for the first tank averaged nearly 21 mpg, with some sporty driving (we kept it under 100 mph). Not much different from what we got with the 335xi. I think I'm going to like it. My wife LOVES it, and that's not a bad thing. Now, If I can just talk her into that little red E30 track car I've been looking at ... ... .
Absolutely, have a great time. My wife and I had the chance to visit the BMW facility a few years ago, but didn't get to take Spartanburg delivery. You should have some serious fun. Update us on how things go / went.
2011 X3 My wife just picked up her 2011 X3 M Sport. Awesome car, when she let's me drive it. Needless to say she hasn't looked at the owners manual yet, must be a genetic thing. Handles like my 330i, which we traded in.
. Brand New - 2011 - F25 X3 28i UPDATE: Seven months and 11,000 miles later ... we love the X3. Besides being my wife's daily driver, it's seen a little of the country: Colorado, the Ozarks, South Texas, O'Fest in Birmingham ... From day one, the calculated overall gas mileage has been 23.8 mpg. This includes numerous 80-90+ mph interstate runs (ya gotta love Texas). Hm-mmm, it seems to do a little better on mileage when she drives ... ... Mechanically, it's been flawless. Other than a couple of extra oil changes (I just can't go with the new world order of 15,000 miles intervals) there have been no costs but gas. The only issue that has come up was the failure of the Bluetooth module. The new module had to be ordered from across the pond and took nearly a month to get here. They said this is a very rare failure. Anyone else experienced this? We are enjoying the X3 very much. Comfortable, versatile and sporty. Maybe not quite as sporty as the 335xi we had but, very nice. It would run right with the 330xi she had previously. We're taking the X3 back to Colorado next month for a snow tour. Can't wait. p.s. I've requested a new forum, specifically for the new F25 X3. . . . . . and here it is. Thanks Steve. .
To dmmai, Thanks for taking time to update on your X3! I'm hoping to take delivery of a 2012 X3 in mid-Jan 2012 and as a first-timer with BMWs, I have a lot to learn. Regarding the extra oil changes that you did: At what mileage intervals did you have the extra oil changes performed and was it performed at your BMW dealer? I do know this will cost extra $$ since it's outside of the regular maintenance but I want to get my new X3 off to a good start. Thanks! Tina
. First, Tina congrats on your planned new ride. I think you will love it. Plan on doing a lot of grinning. There's no shortage of opinions on oil changes, how often, what to use, who should do them, etc. I don't claim any expertise, just personal experience and preference. A story ... Back in the day, oil was cheap, cars were cheap (and really poorly made), labor was easy. Why not change oil every 2500 miles. Then synthetic oil came along, confusing the issue. I actually believed them when they said Amzoil would go for 10,000 miles. Until my first (very early) overhaul. My putty knife brought up 1/4" of sludge from the oilpan. At that moment I did a little math ... yep ... oil was a LOT cheaper than an engine overhaul. Fool me once, shame on you... fool me twice, shame on me. Won't make that mistake again. I've rolled up nearly 2 million miles since then, without another failure. Jump forward a few decades. Who do you believe ... your dealership and manufacturer, who are in the business of selling you another new car? Or do you believe chemical engineers? Okay, oil isn't exactly cheap but, do you plan to own and drive your new car beyond the warranty? Price a replacement engine/transmission some time. We really like our X3 (and 540i) and hope to hang onto them for a while, so I do oil changes on them every ~4-5,000 miles. I consider that the maximum. I do synthetic oil changes on the other cars every 3,000 miles. And I have my automatic transmissions serviced every 25,000-45,000 miles. For me, I have all service (on my new cars) performed at the dealership, using factory specified materials. Yes, it's more expensive but there can be no finger-pointing and blaming someone else (if something goes wrong) when all service went through their doors. Yea, been there, done that... ... Some will say my service schedule is terrible, too long of intervals. Others will scoff that I go beyond the factory recommendations. I can live with that. Enjoy the ride.
I’m less than 48 hours from taking possession of a ‘16 X3, M Sport edition, with only 18k miles on it! Have had 1 test drive, and fell in love with it! It will be a CPO vehicle, and replaces an 07 X5. So, my driving choices will consist of my ‘02 Z3, and the X3. I’m a happy owner!
