It's that time again - a rental review from me. In this case, it's a mistake of a rental review. Why is that, you may ask? Well, at Enterprise, the "BMW 3-series or similar" was unavailable at the time of rental for my wife and me. So, we got a "free upgrade" to the "Full-Size Luxury Elite SUV", which is of course, "BMW X3 or similar", in spite of the "Full-Size" part. I'll never quite understand rental car category naming.



What is it?

The X3 is, and has been even in its introduction, a staple BMW product. Based on the same platform as the 3-series, the X3 provides a stepping stone into the rest of BMW's lineup for those who want something a bit more "active", as BMW puts it. The 2021 BMW X3 xDrive 30i you see here is based on the same "F" platform as the last-generation 3-series, featuring a longitudinally-mounted engine configuration with optional all-wheel-drive. The X3 weighs about 4000 pounds in "xDrive 30i" trim and sends power to all four wheels, all 248 horsepower and 258 ft-lbs of torque. The ZF-sourced 8-speed automatic transmission is also the same unit as in its sedan sibling, one that I've used on multiple occasions, each time with a high level of satisfaction. It features BMW's iDrive system and assistance features like parking sensors and a lane-departure alert function. It even has a hill descent control mode, for those times you are free from conducting your business meetings and can hit some trails.

This one happened to be almost entirely brand-new, with a mere 461 miles on the odometer when we picked it up from Enterprise. It was essentially the volume spec of the X3, with SensaTec upholstery on the seats and lacking some features, such as ventilated seats. However, it did come with a heating steering wheel, perhaps a nod to its location in Kansas City, with its cold-ish winters. That said, I didn't feel like this was a poverty-spec X3 by any means, as ironic as that may sound.



Styling and Interior

The X3 manages this funny feat where it seems both somewhat opulent and low-key at the same time. It's got big ole kidney grilles in chrome, yet the wheels are a graphite gray. It has wood on the dash, but all metallic trim elements are satin or matte. This trait makes it the epitome of today's premium automobile - mature, but of a high quality. The other funny thing about the X3's styling is that it really doesn't make me respond emotionally. It just looks like a premium SUV - nothing more. Unlike the curvy Alfa Romeo Stelvio or distinctively sporty Porsche Macan, the X3 comes across as almost uninteresting to look at. The headlights and taillights provide some visual interest, with the quad DRLs up front and wraparound LED elements in the rear. The entry-level wheels are somewhat interesting, as well, with their dark gray finish and Y-spoke configuration. Perhaps the one thing about the exterior that stood out to me was the inclusion of real exhaust tips. They look quite appealing to my eyes, and that's especially true on this example, which hasn't had time to stain its exhaust tips with carbon.

The interior is unquestionably a nice place to be, but I want to highlight some flaws before listing strengths. For one, the SensaTec upholstery on this car is "just okay", if you will. It feels reasonably soft, yet a bit more dense than I would like. This is reflected in how it doesn't breathe well, which led to a sweaty backside on the longer drives we took. Even my GTI doesn't suffer as badly in this regard. Next, the upper dashboard plastic just looks a bit cheap to me. It feels softer to the touch than I would expect from, say, a Hyundai Sonata, but it isn't remarkable in this area - especially compared to some Lexus models - and also has an obvious fake grain to it. Finally, we can't ignore the glossy black plastic. It looked absolutely awful on a car with less than 500 miles under its belt - dusty and rife with fingerprints.




Moving on from the nitpicks, I actually love the interior. The first thing I noticed was the handy center console area with a roller cover for the cupholders and USB port area. For us, this area was most definitely mask storage given the fact that it's 2020 and that there's a new normal, or some such. There's also something delightfully cheesy about the nearby "X3" badge, too. It feels out-of-place but also very on-brand for BMW at the same time. All the controls for the various drive modes and infotainment are plain and simple to use, even if there's an excess of gloss black surrounding them. Moving on, the door pockets are absolutely massive, and they swallowed our 20-ounce water bottles. Similarly, the cargo area is generous and has a huge opening to it from the hatch, making loading and unloading no big deal. Finally, the steering wheel is one of the greats. It may not be the fancy "M-Sport" style wheel of higher-end models, but it is wonderful. The thickness is spot-on - not as thick as some other sporty German cars, but enough to feel substantial in my hands. The leather on the wheel, too, is ever-so-slightly squishy, giving it this satisfying feeling. Beyond that, the car is just generally very easy to comfortable in, with an upright seating posture and miles of shoulder room and headroom.

Driving Impressions

"The Ultimate Driving Machine" is BMW's tag line for a reason. You might be surprised to hear that even their baby buggies can make this slogan believable.

However, my arrival at such a line of thinking was delayed significantly by a first impression - the Comfort mode steering. At parking-lot speeds, it's finger-light. As in, I could stick one index finger into the steering wheel and rotate it, no problem. This immediately gave me pause about how this thing would feel to drive. Yet, once I was off and running, the steering weighted up nicely and started to feel natural. Combined with a fairly non-touchy throttle pedal and soft ride, the X3 comes across initially as a luxury-first ride. The ride out on the open highway is actually astoundingly good over all but the worst of surfaces. It's quiet. It's composed. It's filtering out most all impacts, with only a slight "thud" and vibration making it into the cabin, never any crashing or banging. If there weren't 35-MPH gusts of wind on portions of our journey, it'd have been nearly silent inside the X3. This means even the base sound system isn't all that bad, since it can come through clearly thanks to the relative lack of ambient noise. Comfort-wise, this car is rather impressive.

Usability-wise, too, it's quite sound. Gauges are crisp, easy to read, and unfussy. I have no trouble operating the iDrive system to perform basic functions while driving, such as adjusting drive mode parameters or adjusting the audio equilibrium. The mirrors and large windows give me great outward visibility, though the rear window does seem oddly pinched from the inside. Selecting gears with the gear selector is always a bit awkward for me, as a non-BMW owner. There were more than a couple of times over the weekend that I forgot to press the unlock button on the side of the gear selector to get out of Park, only to have the car chime at me. BMW-isms aside, it's darn easy to drive.

Dynamically, the X3 is actually quite charming, to put it one way. While it isn't like this car has air suspension that can totally change the ride height or spring rates, it is still fully capable of modifying the steering and powertrain responses. Sport mode actually became my favorite mode for driving around town, and to an extent, back roads or highways, too. The transmission is slightly more eager to rev the engine out in 3rd gear and beyond, and the gas pedal gains responsiveness that mostly just makes it feel more usable. Sport Plus is probably overkill for this car, honestly. The car downshifts eagerly, and the accelerator becomes borderline touchy. It is fun for a few minutes, but switching back to Comfort or the regular Sport mode is going to be necessary. While the car is a bit soft and feels reluctant on turn-in, it actually feels quite comfortable going around a corner at speed. Again - composure is the trait I observed. Combined with a very willing drivetrain, I see this car as being truly enjoyable to drive spiritedly. Is it quick? Actually, it's somewhat quick, but nothing surprising.

It's really the other aspects of the drive that work well together. While I won't go so far as to say this drives like a sport sedan, or even its competitor the Macan for that matter, it is a pleasure to drive it in virtually any situation. What's more important here is that this is a car that I drove for many hours over the weekend and had little fatigue from doing so. It's just so well isolated and damped that I'm not getting beaten up from noise or harshness. On top of that, the tuning is so well-judged that I am never frustrated driving it either. It just works.

Conclusion

I went into this expecting a milquetoast experience. It's a "Mom car", right? How good can it be? Well, turns out that it's a BMW mom car. That's how good it can be. Sure, there's some cost-cutting here and there, and the steering can be a bit rubbery in Comfort mode, but out on the open highway, this X3 is a peach - a car that can eat up some road and have room for seconds. Now, just give me the inline-six engine and some sportier dampers, and it might really be able to do it all.

Other "My ___ with the ___" reviews:

• 2015 Hyundai Genesis 5.0 Ultimate RWD
• 2015 Porsche Macan Turbo
• 2016 Jaguar XF 35t Prestige
• 2019 Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible

 

I'm taking my car in for the second/permanent airbag recall (BMW sent me no less than 7 letters and one was FedEx next day air). don't worry I can't sue them I settled back in 2016 and was paid out Jan 2019. I tend to go to the dealer 1/yr for a state inspection.

Anyway it will be interesting to get the loaner, I assume it will be the new 330 x drive as those are the fleet cars. Last year, I was given the F series (can't stand them--steering). Back in 2016 when I was given a 328i for 4.5 mos. (I signed an agreement that I would not drive my car so it sat in the garage all that time), some guys got X5s which I have to admit would have been nice.

I would say none of the new BMWs are for me, not even the X8 which I drove at an event. If anything I'd go for for a 2013 S class to buy, or a new Mercedes to test drive or rent.

 

I really wanted to get the new G20 3-series, or perhaps an Infiniti Q50 since I haven't driven one for more than a couple blocks. They even had some Volvos - an S60 would have been interesting as well. But, I think the X3 is darned good as a cruiser. "Fun", maybe not so much? But still, like I said, a pleasure to drive. I would be more than happy if it was a loaner for me.

 

I bet you would really have liked the X3 M40i with the B58 engine. It's a good mix of power and stiffer suspension without going full M where I hear the X3M is pretty harsh.

 

As a current owner of X3 M40i with the updated B58 engine - its a great SUV for a car enthusiast. The steering on this one in Comfort mode would be too heavy for 90% of regular drivers lol. Huge difference compared to base X3.

I have had mine for almost a year and close to 11k miles now. Will be posting a formal review soon.

 

Look forward to reading up on it! I like the idea of this car but with a little more power. The car is tuned so well already, just a little too soft for back roads - but hey, in this specific instance, it worked out well for us since we were on the highway a lot.