2012 BMW X3: What Do You Want?

Caroline,

I've recently taken up gardening and am in the process of planting roses.

I was wondering if you could by any chance fill your new X3 to the bursting point with fresh, steaming manure. Please take it out of the bag so I can see how much the vehicle can hold. I'm planning a very big garden!

I'll be waiting!

Personally, I'm not into the car simply because I'm not interested in purchasing one (and I can't), but I would read about everything you write about it. Just please, for the love of all things holy and sacred in this world, please do not write about the damn seat heaters. One of these days I am going to punch my monitor out of angst.

I'm interested in hearing how the X3 holds up. We have just ordered one. How are the brakes? Gas mileage? Highway cruising? How does it compare with the other crossovers. Is it the enthusiasts choice?? I'm saddened by all the negative feedback and I look forward to more posts about the X3!

I would enjoy you guys sending the X3 back to BMW. I like many readers don't care about yet another overpriced Bimmer.

I would rather read about the Nissan minivan and I'm 31 years old without children.

How about something different? We all know that the 3 liter not a twin turbo is a great engine. Everyone is going to cry out about the expensive and questionable option packages. Been there, done that.

How about a Chrysler product?

Charger
300
Grand Cherokee
Durango

Benz ML

Audi A6
Allroad

I can think of a ton of cars...

Just no more Bimmers for awhile please.

I can already see it now,

You'll be receiving an ultra loaded $55,000 dollar 328i. Can't wait.

This pushes two 'hot buttons' for various folks, mostly the 'I hate all SUVs' one, with a little of 'I hate SUVs from supposed performance car makers' thrown in. Maybe a bit of 'most BMWs are driven by [fill in the blank]. Unlike me, of course.'

If someone doesn't need this particular kind of vehicle, fine, but for those who want a roomy transport for 4 adults, with the ability to carry some bulky stuff when needed, combined with driving capabilities little different than the revered 3 series, this is hard to beat.

Find me a reason why a CUV is better than a similarly-sized wagon, and then I'll be interested.

Obviously BMW is in this market because it is an easy cash grab to sell any kind of branded "SUV" to Americans, heck even Europeans now.

As for the X3, I'm sure it handles nice for what it is, but these kinds of vehicles are just plain dullards. The RTI ramp test the other day was pretty amusing, but also shows how this jacked up station wagon is NOT designed to go off-road, just to look like it is.

This X3 is not sporty enough to be a sports car (wagon?) or utilitarian enough to be an SUV. At least it's an improvement over the X6.

I'm bored just trying to think about something engaging to write about this astonishingly uninteresting vehicle. I'm more excited about the Sonic hatch you're also testing.

I'm actually pretty excited for this, as it's the first lux German SUV I'd actually consider, from the sounds of it. Previous gen X3 and the Merc SUVs have never been impressive to me.

wagon vs CUV isnt issue to me. Wagons dont sell here, likely never will. Problem is there is no mystery when it comes to loaded BMWs. Its fast, great materials, great engine, plenty of lux features, etc. What isnt there to rave about? Not much apparently. $55k vehicles from well established players tend to be hard to critique. So what you end up with is a lovefes. BMW is definitely smart for blanketing the industry with loaner vehicles. The exposure they get is worth far more than the 12 month loan of a loaded BMW costs them.

I actually like the new X3, I am sick of reading about all the Minivan's on this blog and how much junk you can fit inside them. I get that they are practical but they have to be the most boring vehicle ever made.

+1 on the seat heater's and not hearing about them.

Comparison's with the E91 are a little misguided. X3 has far more cargo space.

Also, until the new 3er wagon arrives, the X3 has far better interior than an E91 wagon. More money, more car.

And good value, IMHO.

Caroline -

I'd like a post explaining how it actually is possible for people to skip over posts they are not interested in.

Or, instead, I guess these same people could just continue to anonymously whine about stuff they're not paying anything to read.

@zcalvert- She asked the question. She's getting answers.

I want the 3-series wagon (F31) or the 5-series wagon (F11)

There's a loyal base who would love to get their hands on 3 or 5 series wagons with manual trans and diesel engines --- bot RWD and XDrive versions.

Car & Driver does their Ten Best list every year, and every year, they have 0 Bentleys, 0 Ferraris, 0 Aston Martins on it. The reason is that they have always established a price ceiling, and it's geared to prevailing car prices, cost of living index, etc. Their rationale? For $348,000 or whatever, your Ferrari 358 Italia damn well better be one of the best cars in the world, so it's not in the running compared to a Corvette, for purposes of the Ten Best list.

I think there is a bit of that sentiment here - for the kind of money BMW is charging for it, this thing OUGHT to be damn near perfect. I think the Equus was popular with readers because it brought a level of lux to a price segment far below other cars of its type, and the Mustang GT is popular for the same reason, only in the performance category.

I can guarantee your readers would love to see a new Focus in a fairly loaded-up trim level, because it's reputed to bring a level of refinement previously unseen in a American compact. The Optima is interesting for much the same reason. I think people want to see pioneering vehicles - ones that establish a benchmark for that type of vehicle or that even create a new niche.

I agree the people here would rather see a wagon 3-series than still another CUV - even a premium one.

Personally, I'm reading about this vehicle to see how soon the horrible run-flats get on peoples' nerves and start bending up the horrible too-soft BMW wheels. Every long-term test I have seen on recent BMWs always ends one or more replacement tires and wheels.

How long do you think it will be until the engine starts misbehaving?

This is...just...such...a...boring...car. And a $54k one at that, which is just idiotic.

I get it, you got it because it's a nice car and it was free. Hooray for you.

You guys need to start buying more used cars. Those are by far my favorite reads. The new car long termers are kind of pointless from a 'durability' standpoint...not much is going to go wrong on a brand new car in a year/20-30k miles... If you NEED a BMW, there are many amusing chooses in used car lots. I, for one, would like to see a 1998 or so BMW 740iL with about 250k on the clock roll into your fleet. Now THAT would be a BMW that I'd get excited for. I used to be interested in those, since you can pick one up for under $3k, until I read several posts on the internet describing it as "the most unreliable car in history". But I bet it has character at least! Or a $6000 E36 M3 with a salvage title, big bondo spots and the font on all of the radio buttons worn off.

Due to its popularity, a subaru outback should have been added long before this thing.

It's just such a boring vehicle and why pay so much for a polished turd? Give me something with some soul and character. That's why I love the Jeep blog.

I totally agree with some, this is one OVERPRICED SUV that isn't really a good SUV.

What can it tow? Does it even have a hitch? I wouldn't consider an SUV without a hitch to at least be able to haul a utility trailer, etc..

I find it useful to read about cars I'm shopping.

I enjoy reading about toys that are too impractical to actually shop, like the Raptor.

But I don't have any interest in reading about a $650 a month accessory for middle aged trophy wives to drive slowly and park crooked.

@ptcdawg

Exactly. That should be a prerequisite. In order to be called an SUV it must come standard with a hitch, and a minimum of a Class II (3,500 lbs).

You bring up some good points rioranchonm. The Jeep does have a lot more character to it than the painfully boring X3 does.

If I were writing the check(s) I'd have a Wrangler for top down, off-road good times and a BMW 1 Series M if I wanted a BMW for the driving experience.

@aspade

I liked the Raptor blog as well even though I would not buy one. I second the used car comment stated previously. The Miata & NSX projects are awesome reads.

What would make the X3 interestinh:

That it mysteriously caught fire and will be replaced by an interesting vehicle from a manufacturer that is not VWAG or BMW.

Seriously, Edmunds has BMW and VWAG products constantly. Dodge, Mercedes, Lexus, Honda just seem invisible. I'm a BMW fan and it still feels dirty...

Also, I can read about BMW's all day long from the rag mags. I come to IL for the unique perspective. Who else has an RTI ramp?

Why are people complaining? Stop with the stupid BMW's. The overpriced X3 has got to be the ugliest of the bunch. I know you guys in superficial California love leasing Bimmers, but the rest of the intelligent community doesn't care. What was the point of getting this piece of junk anyway?

#blueguy -- I think Honda has been well represented recently. Fit, Civic CNG, Accord, Accord Crosstour, Odyssey, Acura TSX. The only thing missing is a new N/A Civic or Si and Pilot. I agree though that Dodge has put out some good cars lately and I'd like to see them in the rotation. Beyond an IS or GS, I don't see any Lexus coming into the fleet.

@ Caroline -- It seems to me that the BMW X3 is the CR-V of Hollywood Hills. Demonstrate that it isn't, and maybe people will be more interested.

I'd like to see how it handles hauling kids around (to school and on trips) and how well it holds up to that wear and tear. Is it a capable small family CUV that can be used by both the Husband and Wife and how well do the kids like it's 'sport' ride when they are riding in the back would be interesting to evaluate.

Ms. Pardilla, try as I might, I can't get excited at all about the BMW X3 (or its crossover rivals). They're just really terribly boring cars for which I see no purpose at all. It handles great? For a crossover? Well yeah, but I mean, that's a bit like a hippopotamus tap dancing. It's doing great for it's size, and it's faintly bemusing, but what's the point?

You say you'd pick it as a rush hour, road-trip, and dog toting vehicle. I'd gladly take the X3's lower riding and better handling cousin the 3 series sportwagon. Or a Cadillac CTS sportwagon. To me an SUV should have at least some modicum of off-road ability. Therefore, the way I see it, GMT900s, Touaregs, and Land Cruisers (the Land Cruiser RTI post was more interesting than every X3 post combined) all have a point. Heck, I even see the point of the Range Rover Evoque (Top Gear's COTY): a stylish off-roader that's smaller and easier to drive in town than a regular Range Rover.

And therein lies why I can't get excited about a BMW crossover. Whereas you (and I bet the vast majority of Americans) would much rather have an overweight, high-riding, less-fuel efficient, less fun to drive, not off-roadable crossover, I'd take a lower riding, fuel efficient, fun to drive wagon.

TL;DR: BMW SAV? Meh. BMW Sportwagon? Me gusta.

Hahaha, thanks for the mention, Carol.
It's just different strokes for different folks.
The only BMWs that catch my interest are the ///M 2-doors.

@ Fordson

I am praying that IL is holding out for a Focus ST. The LTRTB has gone far too long without a proper hot hatchback. The Mini Countryman does not count.

Just going out on a limb here, but it seems as safe bet that IL would get more positive comments if you added another interesting used car to your fleet. 1987 Grand National perhaps.

You know, I'm actually interested in learning more about this car. It was the vehicle we cross-shopped when my wife's 2005 X3 was ready to go on to someone else and if it weren't for its scarcity on lots at the time, we may have well ended up with it instead of her Q5. I'd be curious to know how it holds up and what features are most interesting. Thanks for giving us some well-written posts about the day to day ownership experience of non-enthusiast vehicles, too. Not everyone is going to drive a 1 Series M to work or the garden store or to pick up guests at the airport (would that we could, though).

Give it to Bryn (or anyone else with kids and rear facing car seats). Show us what it's like with a rear facing car seat in the middle and outboard positions, if someone fits in the front seat with said car seat there, and how a lightly packed family trip travels. Especially since it only has 1 more inch of leg room than most extended cab pickup trucks (not crew cabs).

If it's supposed to be a family mobile, I want to see how the family actually fits, because most SUVs and CUVs don't fit nearly as much in them as people like to think.

Aside from that, the pick is a pretty weak choice of a car that most people won't care about, won't buy if they read this site, and comes off as a shill for BMW.

I actually considered the question, and I cannot think of one single thing I want to know about this vehicle, unless there's something really bizarre about it that would contradict how the average enthusiast would expect it would go.

I have a feeling that if Edmunds returned the X3, BMW would be miffed and would not provide ANY new cars.

So, let's just grin and bear it. I don't ordinarily read about cars that are WAY out of my price range. And this X3 is WAY out. But like someone said, just continue on to the next post. And that's what I do, mostly. If the title of the post is about something gone wrong-- then I am interested. Perverse, huh? Probably, but it is amusing.

lol. i just bought one! and the comments here are a gas.

i started out looking for a wagon or suv [for cargo capacity] with a manual transmission, comfortable seating for 4 [or 5 in a pinch] and 0-60 in under 6 sec. my '05 subaru turbo legacy wagon meets these criteria, but they don't do turbo wagons anymore. anyway, said vehicle doesn't exist, at least in the u.s. so i widened my search to allow automatic and 0-60 in under 7 sec. the x3 35i does it in 5.5, but has an automatic. the 3series wagon only comes with the 28i engine and doesn't have comparable cargo capacity or passenger space.

i created a spreadsheet with cargo space, shoulder room front and back, fuel efficiency, acceleration, braking distances, etc. edwards was a great source of information, and i looked at EVERYTHING. i researched kias [sportage], hyundais, chevy's, cadillacs, fords [flex and edge], lincolns, toyotas, infinitis and nissans, volvos, etc. i did not consider the porsche.

anyway, for practical use as a road tripper, commuter, cargo carrier, and so on, combined with some fun-to-drive as well as getting me out my frequently snow covered and very steep driveway, the x3 was my choice.

and i started following your posts here to see if there was anything i could learn to better understand or utilize my vehicle, or problems to watch for.

Kinda sad that the corny AND ignorant quote she posted made Caroline giggle. If someone REALLY hated a car and couldnt care less, seems they would just skip reading about it. Its such a simple and effortless procedure; everytime I see the name 'audi'/'toyota'/'honda'/'nissan' I instinctively yawn, or rolleyes, and just keep it scrolling. Takes all of .005 seconds to ignore the posts about those boring brands.

As for the X, it makes sense that BMW provided it. This is an all new and wildly popular ride, in a wildly popular class, from a wildly popular brand. Insideline surely has more visitors than the same lame group of posters that seem to think this blog exists just for them; this ride isnt here for them, its for people who may be considering the X, but observing silently and not wasting their entire life commenting on every blog

As long as you post your honest evaluations, good or bad, let others agree or disagree.
Not everyone has the same perspective.
I have an '11 Explorer and feel the IL tester has been kind of a 'whipping boy', but I don't dismiss anything posted by the editors just because I don't agree.

"i created a spreadsheet with cargo space, shoulder room front and back, fuel efficiency, acceleration, braking distances, etc."

Who says exciting people don't drive these?

In my case my wife wanted a CUV with BMW driving dynamics, so she has an E83 X3. Out of the nine BMWs I've owned it's not my favorite, but it's pleasant enough to drive when I have to.

+1 scorp76

I have to say that I get soooo tired of all of the moaning and whining from bored readers/posters that are sick of this OR of that. I read this blog every single and day and many others as well and cannot emphasize enough how simple and painless it is to AVOID content I find 'boring' or 'unnecessary'. I mean - for crying out loud - move on! Skip it. I assure you that there are plenty of readers out there that are interested in this vehicle and other crossover vehicles, so if YOU are not one of them - move on and don't bother typing a bunch of useless and mindless comments that the interested parties have to wade through as a part of the research process.

Having said that - I too am interested in this small SUV. I am looking into the X3, Evoque, Q5, XC60, SRX and MKX for my mom. She needs a small SUV to replace her 2000 ML430. My parents live in a mountainous area (7000 ft. elevation) and need something that can comfortably deal with snow and gravel roads and a steep driveway. Furthermore, they are new grandparents and will be looking for something that can accomodate a couple of passengers - the most important of which will be coddled in a rear facing, center mounted car seat.

Anyway - thanks Donna and IL for getting a hold of this little SUV. I look forward to any and all postings on the X3 (even about seat heaters...) as it will make my choice that much easier. And many other readers will find these postings beneficial as well.

IL needs more exciting cars in the long-term fleet. As such, it turned in to a magazine for housewives and accountants (in soul).

These are interesting blogs that I read once in a while:

1991 Acura NSX (89)
2012 Fiat 500 Sport (169)
2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0 (225)
1997 Mazda MX-5 Miata (110)
1985 Porsche 911 (212)

These are blogs about appliances I care no more to read about than about kangaroo migration patterns:

2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon (141)
2012 Audi A8L (57)
2012 BMW X3 (5)
2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ (20)
2010 Chevrolet Traverse (55)
2011 Chevrolet Volt (197)
2012 Ford Explorer XLT EcoBoost (94)
2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid (93)
2011 Honda Odyssey Touring (162)
2011 Hyundai Equus Signature (154)
2011 Infiniti M56 (167)
2012 Jeep Wrangler (94)
2011 Kia Optima SX Turbo (149)
2012 Mazda 3 (29)
2011 Mini Cooper S Countryman All4 (190)
2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport SE (121)
2011 Nissan Juke SL AWD (176)
2012 Nissan Quest LE (36)
2012 Toyota Camry SE (45)
2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI (139)
2012 Volvo S60 T5 (119)

For every decent car you test 4 camries. Seriously, who do you think is reading your blogs? Car enthusiasts or average Joes? It seems like you think 99% of your readers are latter.

I want to challenge IL to go out and get a REAL SUV not some crossover with 20 inch rims that thinks it can go anywhere pavement but a honest to god body on frame SUV.

Really there are only two choices in this category

The extreme of the two is a Used 2000-2005 Ford Excursion V10 gas or V8 Diesel 4x4 it was the biggest bad mother of all the SUV's and it still holds that title to this day.

Or the next best is a 2500 Suburban and while currently its dumbed down a lot from just 10 years ago its still a 3/4 ton SUV.

I have given the challenge now send back this Bavarian Bore-lord and get something odd and off the wall that may actually be worth reading about.

I have said it before, and now you are asking, what do I want?

A Jaguar XF for instance. Where are the Jaguars??

Or how about some variety?

Where is a Land Rover? What about a Lexus? -new GS-.

Too much VAG and BMW products, and now lots of freaking minivans, so boring.

Get a 2013 Shelby, a more recent used Porsche, stuff like that.

I guess a lot of people have been burned out, not just by ubiquity of BMW reviews, but their utter unreliability. I don't know any person who owns BMW who doesn't have some horror stories related to its reliability. The same goes for Audi, except that Audi in addition has terrible dealerships with superiority syndrome. I just wish Lexus will soon surpass them in performance aspect , which is starting to with new GS 350, and we'll have then everything in one package. Since you asked for opinions, I'm not interested in any BMW or Audi reviews until they are proven to have improved their reliability and changed their condescending attitude.

What's the point how they drive, with those serious shortcomings?

scorp76, r75curt, et al,

+1, indeed.
You don't see me poo-pooing in the Mustang posts, even though it's not my cup of tea. Some of the remarks are true gems. "Piece of junk"? "Polished turd"? Sheesh. Either their daily drivers are Maybachs or Mulsannes, or a BMW ran over their dogs in the morning.

"I guess a lot of people have been burned out, not just by ubiquity of BMW reviews, but their utter unreliability. I don't know any person who owns BMW who doesn't have some horror stories related to its reliability."

On to my 4th BMW now, zero problems.
Just one (or four) data point(s) for your consideration.

1) don't review the seat heaters
2) get it stuck off road - I'm from Nebraska, and we deemed 4-wheel drive city vehicles as silly b/c they'd just get you further from the road before you'd get stuck. Now that Jeep would get you home. I doubt this thing could crawl out of a baby carriage.
3) get rid of this thing, its a waste of IL's (and your readers') precious time.

Kevin

Another BMW a$$ kissing blog....no thanks. I would rather read about anything else....really.

Drive it off a pier and see if it floats.

I agree with many of these posts in that, if you're not interested in the car, skip the review and get a life!

If you don't like the cars that IL blogs about, start your own website!

I also agree that this BMW is a lame ride. Way lame!

Maybe doing a comparison of the X3 to more reasonably priced mini-utes. Is the extra $28,000 or so you pay for the X3, REALLY worth it, as opposed to say a Honda CRV?

That being said, if someone offered me a BMW X3 to drive for a while, I'd have no problem accepting the ride and reporting on it.

There ARE people who are interested in this CUV. Just because they lack taste, style, and financial sense, doesn't mean you shouldn't report on the car. I mean people do buy Lincolns and Buicks, and just because I think their taste is goofy and dull, doesn't mean that they don't deserve to do research on their cars.

Haters.....have a beer!

Inside Line, you are my favorite website. Kudos!

I'm absolutely interested in your driving impressions of the X3!! Just ignore the folks complaining about how dull the vehicle is. I'm not interested in at least 50% of the vehicles you choose for long-term test, but I don't feel the need to complain about them because I know someone else *is* interested! BMW sells a lot of X3's, so it's a good choice for a review - particularly since it's a bit of an oddball in the CUV market. Very expensive, yet in some ways more of a sports car than a CUV, and refined enough to be compared to luxury SUV's.

What do I want to hear? Do you think this vehicle is worth the cash compared to the competition? Cost of ownership - specifically, what the "free service" you have during warranty would have costs out-of-pocket once it's out of warranty? What happens when you drive it offroad. How does it handle in rain? Snow? Can you put a bike in it? Does it have a spare tire? You know - all the stuff you usually do!

I will however, agree to the people complaining about the mention of the seat heaters. We all acknowledge that seat heaters are great in a car with leather seats in cold weather. They are therefore only worthy of note in reviews for their absence in vehicles with leather seats (in cold weather).

Haha. This is hilarious. This thing is universally hated by the commentariat.

Well, IL, you've got your marching orders! From now on you can only review street racing cars or offroad monsters. No cars that 95% of people would actually buy...

95% of people are in the market for a $55k compact crossover that has virtually no utility? Interesting.

Fewer free cars. We get tired of reading what the car companies want you to write about. Write about what WE want to read about: enthusiast cars/trucks and old sports cars.

God, I remember when you guys had two Mitsubishi SUV's (I didn't bother to remember what model), just in different colors.

If you want to read about any other cars you can get the annual Consumer Reports car edition.

@rl5 - if the X3 isn't 'good enough' to test, then 95% of the cars bought today aren't, either. And 'no utility' includes carrying 4 people in comfort at speed, good handling, and great all-weather capabilities? Plus carrying the occaisional bulky item?

Please list all vehicles that are better than the X3 in all categories. There must be HUNDREDS!

"I guess a lot of people have been burned out, not just by ubiquity of BMW reviews, but their utter unreliability. I don't know any person who owns BMW who doesn't have some horror stories related to its reliability. The same goes for Audi, except that Audi in addition has terrible dealerships with superiority syndrome."

And the number of BMWs you have owned is?
Audis?

"On to my 4th BMW now, zero problems.
Just one (or four) data point(s) for your consideration."

I've had nine. In 128,000 miles my 2004 X3 needed an SRS sensor(a recall), one set of pads and rotors, and a serpentine belt.
At 131,000 miles my 1995 3er track toy has needed brakes, serpentine belts, a couple of idler pulleys, a thermostat and a heater hose fitting, Oh yeah, and tires. Lots of tires...

"You don't see me poo-pooing in the Mustang posts, even though it's not my cup of tea. Some of the remarks are true gems. "Piece of junk"? "Polished turd"? Sheesh. Either their daily drivers are Maybachs or Mulsannes, or a BMW ran over their dogs in the morning."

It's also called bitter envy or sour grapes. And as I posted in another thread:

Something has to be eating at them. Bad. I have a Jeep TJ and I never post snotty comments on the Land Rover boards. My TJ does what I want it to do and I don't need to justify my choice. Ditto for my Mazdaspeed3. I leave the guys in the GTI, MCS, Si, and WRX boards to their own devices. Again, why bother them? And as for my X3 and 3er, I feel no compulsion whatsoever to troll the Audi, Infiniti, Lexus, or MB boards. What's the point? The same goes for my Speed Triple. However, there always seems to be a few non-BMW owners who just have to yell "Mine's bigger!" in the Bimmer topics.

I don't want to mimic 1487, but I'd like to make one final point. The only cars that in the LT fleet that interest me are the following:

NSX
X3
500
Mustang GT
Wrangler
Miata
Mazda 3
Countryman All4
911

As for the remaining cars/trucks/vans, I have no interest whatsoever in either driving or owning any of them. In fact, the thought of having to own and drive several of the LT vehicles -six in particular- would be my personal definition of Hell.
So guess what?
I NEVER post in those topics.
Simple.
Simple.

And for those who think the 328xi wagon would be better, while I'm sure it's good, it's smaller inside, both for people and luggage, more expensive than the equivalent X3, and isn't available with the turbo 6.

To answer the question, I agree with the guy who wants a Grand National added to the fleet. Personally, I'm more interested in the used cars in the fleet, as that is what I would actually buy. Specifically, muscle/pony/sports cars.

As a side note, I'm going to lose my mind with all these damn wagon comments. It's hilarious that a wagon is supposed to be the enthusiasts choice. We get it, there needs to be more manual trans, diesel wagons on the market.

charger, Focus, Dart, ATS, Escape, 2013 MKS, Fusion, GT500, etc. Get a few off that list.

Wow - a lot of passion for a car that nobody cares about :)

I'm curious about the kind of fuel economy you get out of the 300HP turbo, but also if it has stop-start technology is it intrusive and how does it change the driving experience.

I must say, I'm surprised that you didn't get a new 328i so that you can test the turbo 4-banger.

Give it the same treatment the Juke got: climb up a mountain trail, have fun in the desert.

What the LT blog seriously needs is a Focus with the Powershift tranny. A local blogger had serious issues with that tranny, and VW's DSG in simple week-long blogs. His sloping driveway (garage under the house) is the culprit. With the cars parked nose down, they would not reverse.

THAT's a serious issue. The Jetta had many tries before it backed up. He almost needed a tow!

Technology that can backfire in the real world is of interest in a long-term blog.

The X3 has qualities, but this executive-leased toy is more pertinent to us here when it becomes a CPO prospect 2-3 years down the road.

i like the x3 but theres just no way that i would pay over 50 grand for it even if i COULD afford it. i know it is only slightly more expensive then the competition but still. i know you guys wanted to get a new 328i but they arent available yet so this was the next best thing i suppose but ... meh. i would be more interested in a new taho or suburban. i would especially be interested in a durango or a chrysler 300. (i like the new charger but i could never own a car that flashy every time i see one in person i just see it as a bling mobile)

in short im not interested in this car and there are MANY other vehicles that i would rather read about. can we have another survay for long term cars that we want to see you guys test? the nsx and wrangler are so great because they are cars that we asked you to get.

Please please please, every chance you get, Blog about how misguided it is that BMW and others deprive us of the opportunity to own one of these vehicles with a turbo diesel! Available in the 3 series sedan, but not the wagon, available in the X5, but not the X3. Tell me just ONE SUV or CUV that has useable cargo space, comfortable seating height, and gets decent gas mileage. Let me tell you how many there are...none! 2012 CRV is a step in the direction...no power liftgate. Maybe if Mazda determines that we'll buy the CX-5 with the 2.2 diesel, we'll finally have an it as an option! Better yet, tell us how we can make an impression on those who make the decisions to keep the diesels over there rather than sharing with us...

I believe there's one simple fact that remains true about the readership of this blog. That is, the readers do their level best to live vicariously through the blog editors. So the readers want to see the editors here driving the cars that the selfsame readers dream about driving.

The X3 is (almost?) no one's dream car and is, therefore, almost preemptively declared boring.

How about a YouTube video of the hydraulic gauges on the crusher you use to get rid of this useless shed.

@bodyshopboy - who said BMW won't give them one of those so they can slather it with praise and ignore the IS, C, etc.

I personally want to see the new Lexus GS when it's available. Read many things on how it's different from other Lexuses and I would like to see if that's actually true or not.

To be honest, I don't want to read ANYTHING about this vehicle. I've test-driven it, it's a pretty dull-looking (even compared to previous generation of X3) vehicle which "feels" even more dull (once again, compared to previous-gen X3), so I have absolutely 0 interest in this BMW's lame attempt at copying RX350. Of course I do realize that you MUST write SOMETHING about it, sooo... just write whatever you want, as long as it is NOT about seat heaters (which you can't properly write about anyway - if you want to review seat heaters in USABLE (for your readers) way you must use a FLIR camera and post resulting photos, like other serious car magazines do).

It is always interesting to me to see how many BMW haters there are out there. I don't own one, I own an older 4-runner. I have owned many cars though...chevy cavalier, honda prelude, toyota 4 runner, Acura TSX, another 4 runner, and a couple short stints with other cars. I also traveled 100% of the time for several years for my job, and drove rental cars 100% of the time. So I have driven many different cars....

My comments:
1. People should stop whining so much. The idea of the long term road test is to get some of the mundane information that you don't get from a two page summary road test. It is made to tell you the seat heaters work or don't work or make you too hot, or that the back seat doesn't fold down easy when you get groceries, or whatever random fact.

2. I would like to hear more about cars in the 2-10 year old range. I want to know now in '12 about how an '07 3-series does out of warranty. Does it have the oft-mentioned high priced horror story repair/maint bills? What about an '04 Accord? Partially because maybe I buy one of those cars, but also...if I am considering a brand new 3 series, a review of an '07 gives me an idea of what i can expect in 4 or 5 years (you guys did an '06 BMW, but you did it when it was brand new...not the same.)

3. I loved the '02 M3 review. I like the idea of reviewing fun cars that are expensive up front, but obtainable for many several years down the line. It lets you know if the performance holds up, what the maine. runs, etc...

4. No real Lexus love on here, not sure why. Because they are dependable and boring? Still might be interesting. Same goes for Acura (only the sport wagon was/is being reviewed). What about Subaru?

5. I think the subject-matter is great. Keep up the good work. Like I mentioned above, this isn't a road report. It is many different opinions on a car in various situations, life circumstances, etc... Very interesting. I love the long term review section!