Photo: Caranddriver.com
When the X3 was launched the target was to give the customers a proper Crossover Utility Vehicle. The first version of the X3, the E83 was based on the E46 chassis and suspension and, even BMW has to admit, it wasn't so popular.
The new X3, the F25 is almost as big as the first X5 and has been deemed a worthy competitor for the best seller in America (that's until the X3 came out to play), the Audi Q5.
So, if you're looking to buy a CUV surely you will have, at one point, to choose between the X3, Q5, Evoque or GLK. Today's comparison takes the first 3 out for a drive. The tested cars for today were all 2.0-liter petrol engined versions: BMW X3 xDrive2.8i, Audi Q5 2.0T and Range Rover Evoque, powered by the only available engine for the US, the 2-liter 240 HP turbo.
The new X3 is by far the sportiest and the best handling car in the line-up. The guys over at Car and Driver found this amazing, even though the car's size has been increased for the F25 platform and the X3 is the heaviest one of all. The 2-liter turbocharged petrol engine bests the Q5's and the Range's Ford delivering the best performance in its class.
We said above that the X3 is the heaviest one of them all ( it has a curb weight of 1,900 kg) but that is down to one reason. The X3 offers the best interior space, especially on the back seats. The Evoque makes you feel crammed and the Q5 is better but still behind the X3. Also, this heavy-weight might suggest that the F25 will be the thirstiest one of them all. False, in the real-life comparison, the X3 won the fuel efficiency test against the Range Rover but fell a bit short of the Q5 (less than 1l per 100km in favor of the Audi).
Finally, the only bad thing the X3 showed during the test drive was that the breaking distance from 110 km/h was bigger than the Audi's or the Range's. The difference was remarkable even though the BMW has the biggest brakes. That can only mean, as the editors said, that this flaw is directly related to the tires that were not adequate for this kind of testing.
Overall the best choice would be the X3. The only fault found was related to a poor choice of tires and cannot be blamed on the car. Even though some might say that the Q5 is cheaper, the Bimmer will prove its worth, even at a higher price.
So, if you're looking to buy a CUV surely you will have, at one point, to choose between the X3, Q5, Evoque or GLK. Today's comparison takes the first 3 out for a drive. The tested cars for today were all 2.0-liter petrol engined versions: BMW X3 xDrive2.8i, Audi Q5 2.0T and Range Rover Evoque, powered by the only available engine for the US, the 2-liter 240 HP turbo.
The new X3 is by far the sportiest and the best handling car in the line-up. The guys over at Car and Driver found this amazing, even though the car's size has been increased for the F25 platform and the X3 is the heaviest one of all. The 2-liter turbocharged petrol engine bests the Q5's and the Range's Ford delivering the best performance in its class.
We said above that the X3 is the heaviest one of them all ( it has a curb weight of 1,900 kg) but that is down to one reason. The X3 offers the best interior space, especially on the back seats. The Evoque makes you feel crammed and the Q5 is better but still behind the X3. Also, this heavy-weight might suggest that the F25 will be the thirstiest one of them all. False, in the real-life comparison, the X3 won the fuel efficiency test against the Range Rover but fell a bit short of the Q5 (less than 1l per 100km in favor of the Audi).
Finally, the only bad thing the X3 showed during the test drive was that the breaking distance from 110 km/h was bigger than the Audi's or the Range's. The difference was remarkable even though the BMW has the biggest brakes. That can only mean, as the editors said, that this flaw is directly related to the tires that were not adequate for this kind of testing.
Overall the best choice would be the X3. The only fault found was related to a poor choice of tires and cannot be blamed on the car. Even though some might say that the Q5 is cheaper, the Bimmer will prove its worth, even at a higher price.
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