BMW X3 Review

BMW X3

Ease of Use

I know a lot of four wheel drive owners will sneer at the BMW X3, believing that these soft road owners never go off road. BMW’s research shows that 20% owners go off road once a month although it doesn’t state what off road really means.

I live in rural Devon on a farm and I was more impressed than I imagined with the X3's capability off road. Sure, you don’t have locking differentials and a low ratio gearbox but it did make reasonable progress across my local farm tracks and fields and I didn’t get stuck, where in my Honda CR-V I undoubtedly would have. If you are interested in the off road statistics - approach angle 26.1 degrees, departure angle 23.6, and break over angle 19 degrees - with a wading depth of 500 mm, ground clearance 201 mm. A Land Rover Freelander2 vital statistics are 31, 23, 34 - with the same wading depth and ground clearance is 210 mm.

The X3 features BMW’s xDrive system which was first seen on the X5. It works by ensuring that power is always delivered instantly to the axle that needs it. This is achieved through an electronically activated, multi-plate clutch which can distribute power between the front and rear axles. In conjunction with xDrive, the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) tries to prevent the loss of traction before the drive is aware that there is a problem by controlling the throttle and brakes.

In normal situations the power distribution offers a 68:32 power bias to the rear between the front and rear axles. xDrive's constant monitoring means that the multi-plate clutch is able to distribute power from an extreme of 100 per cent rear and 0 per cent at the front (with the clutch fully open) through to 50:50 front to rear drive with the clutch completely closed depending on the surface conditions.

DSC offers additional assistance controlling the power to slipping wheels giving virtually 100% power to the front should the need arise or even 50% of the power to just one wheel. It is all very clever and in practice works well, with little driver input required bar sensibility.

Of course xDrive doesn’t only work off road, as on road it helps maintain stability through the most demanding of bends with its ability to transfer power between the front and rear - it does its best to counteract both under and oversteer.

Plus off road - Hill Decent Control allows you to set the descent speed (3mph - 16mph) via the cruise control, which worked quite well, where ham fisted manual braking could have caused an inevitable skid/slide down hill.

Overall the X3 is a very easy car to live with - it is well laid out, with everything to hand. The controls are easy to find and use although the optional Satellite Navigation system was a little tricky to operate.

BMW X3