The car is great, little things are popping up that is annoying and have to take to dealership. The dealership does not give you an answer unless you bring it in the shop.
The BMW salesman took me for a wild test ride in a San Antonio flash flood that cinched the deal. Then the car out jeeped the Jeeps in DC's Blizzard of '09, handling 12" of unplowed snow without problems. Then to top it off, I ended up driving through Nashville's flood of 2010 negotiating severely flooded roads and torrential rain with confidence. Having a sharp car that turns heads is nice. Having the same car survive two major natural disasters and keep motoring without a scratch is X3i. My salesman said a Volvo survives a crash great but that this little X3i avoids a crash the best. He was right.
Best Features
The Bluetooth. The confident ride. The zip. The luxury features. Safety. When my daughter turns 16 in four years this is the only car I'll trust her to drive.
After trading in an Acura MDX, I went for the X3. It is peppy, handles like all the other 3 series, hugs the road, has great pick-up and at 6'5", I have plenty of room. In the snow it behaves like a military tank, and on the freeway it secures the road with confidence. I bought it as a second car, and I find myself driving it daily. It's cargo capacity is more than enough and it allows for organizing anything inside. I have had absolutely no problems. I thought initially it was pricey, and now, boy! I got my money's worth and then some.
The X3 is awesome. I have had the pleasure of owning a 325 (06), and a 328xi coupe (07). I was afraid no SUV would bring that joy back but the X3 delivers.
Best Features
Superior handling
Worst Features
Additional front cup holder Make standard the adaptive headlights