Ride & Handling
One of my lasting memories of the prior-generation X3 was its extremely firm ride, which led to a choppy driving experience on rough roads. It was disappointing, to say the least, because BMWs often strike an impressive balance between decent ride comfort and top-tier handling. In the old X3, such comfort was nowhere to be found.
Fast-forward to 2011 and the new X3, and the experience is significantly better. The redesigned X3's suspension is much more forgiving on potholed pavement — much the same way a 3 Series is — but maintains the balanced handling that earns BMW respect in enthusiast circles. Toss the X3 into a corner, and after some initial body roll it steadies itself and gives you confidence to go faster. There's no getting around the fact that the X3 isn't as rewarding to drive as are BMW's cars — its taller stance degrades the driving experience — but it's one of the most fun-to-drive compact luxury crossovers available today.
Contributing to the driving experience is the X3's standard rear-biased xDrive all-wheel drive. The system does a good rear-wheel-drive imitation when accelerating out of a corner; the X3 squats a little over its outside rear wheel and holds the line it's on.
There was a time when you could bulk up your forearms just by commuting in a BMW, but today they have much more power-steering assistance, resulting in lighter, easier steering; driving up and down the spirals of a parking garage is a breeze. While this comfort-oriented nature may draw scorn from BMW purists, it's the right choice for a luxury crossover.
See also:
Roadside Assistance
At a glance
BMW Roadside Assistance can be contacted if
assistance is needed in the event of a breakdown.
Roadside Assistance can also be contacted via
a Check Control message.
Start Roadside A ...
Adjusting the info display
You can select what information from the onboard
computer is to be displayed on the info
display of the instrument cluster.
1. "Settings"
2. "Info display"
3. Select the des ...
Dynamic Driving Control
The concept
Dynamic Driving Control can be used to adjust
the driving dynamics of the vehicle. Several programs
are available for this purpose; they can be
activated using the two Dynamic Drivi ...