Category: Small 4x4s 
Price Range: £27,870 to £39,170
Remarkable roadholding and handling, smooth engine, covetable looks, surprising off-road ability.
Inappropriately cheap-looking fittings, unacceptable ride comfort, overpriced.
Intriguing entrant to the ranks of soft-roaders, but BMW is stretching its premium credentials a little too far here.
Though other SUVs of this size offer better value for money (both new and used) the X3 continues to be popular - it's that BMW badge. It hasn't held its value as well as the X5, however, and second-hand X3s are increasingly affordable. The first 2004-registered examples should be available for £10,000 or less during 2008.
Latest Readers' Drives About the BMW X3
wrote on 25 11 2007