Used 2011 BMW X3 xDrive35i 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A) Consumer Reviews
Used X3 for sale
I like it, but...
lwprescott, Warsaw, IN, 06/01/2012
BMW X3 xDrive35i 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A)
4 of 7 people found this review helpful
I am in month 10 and while I love the incomparable BMW handling, every time I drive it I am frustrated by the unnecessarily complicated shifter and the door locking system. I would not buy this car again if it had the same awkward shifter or if the door locking could not be reprogrammed. I am constantly pulling on locked door handles, but have been told by my dealer that this cannot be changed for safety reasons. Funny that Lexus does not have that concern. I also don't like the navigation display. Not enough street names are clearly identified and the background colors make it hard to read. By comparison, my wife's Lexus SUV has a dazzlingly clear and complete navigation screen.
Have a backup vehicle
ByeByeBMW, Forest, VA, 07/27/2018
BMW X3 xDrive35i 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A)
6 of 13 people found this review helpful
I have owned my BMW X3 35i for 3 years now. In that time, I have spent almost $6500 in repairs. It it not a reliable car and I am surprised by this given the BMW reputation. I am looking to get ride of this car ASAP. I will never own another BMW again.
- Performance
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- Comfort
2011 BMW X3 for sale near you
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- xDrive35i 4dr SUVMSRP: $10,00052 mi away
- xDrive28i 4dr SUVMSRP: $5,99573 mi away
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First time BMW owner
jrr25, Providence, RI, 10/15/2011
BMW X3 xDrive35i 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A)
14 of 34 people found this review helpful
Best SUV period. Drove the Mercedes GLK (nice SUV, styling inside and out a little old fashion), The Audi Q5 (excellent exterior looks, interior is very nice, steering felt odd within an unusual firming up - 2nd place choice) and the Acura RDX (very agile, nice steering feel but needs to be quieter on the highway). The turbo X3 was the clear winner for me. Smooth, yet sporty ride, very quiet, nice engine note, business like interior, excellent cargo space, the engine and transmission work flawlessly together (except for initial acceleration from a stop which takes some getting used to) and acceleration is unmatched by any in the class.
Classy, comfortable, and a thrill!
viking bard, Laramie, WY, 04/22/2023
BMW X3 xDrive35i 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I bought my 2011 x3 35i at 145k last year. I'd never driven luxury cars, and honestly would normally scoff at "fancy cars", but when I got to the dealership looking for a replacement, stepped into this nice leather interior with a panoramic sunroof, wood trim, and then hit the pedal to the floor... I was sold. Cars drives smooth, accelerates fast, and is SOOOOO much nicer on long drives where you're needing to pass people on hills, the power from the turbo charged six cylinder gets you up to speed with ease. The acceleration is a bit abrupt when taking off from a stop, but after driving it a year I've gotten a better feel for its character. The ride is stiff, so taking it over speed bumps or sudden dips is best done slowwww, but it feels great going through turns in mountain roads. The braking is strong and confident. Inside noise is low, and paired with a nice sound system, it's great for listening to music. Leather I love, and leather seats is totally my style of getting a taste of things that are classy and eye catching. The heated seats and steering wheel are AMAZING in the winter. Within just a minute or two of taking off, the feel of warmth on your hands and body against the cool air inside makes those early morning winter commutes something to look enjoy. Oh, and another thing that I really love about the vehicle is the surprisingly good gas mileage it gets once you get on the highway. I recently had a 14 hour road trip where I was able to get 31mpg, in a straight 6! Around town, I typically get around 21-23, which honestly is better than my last car, a Subaru Forester 2.5l. I think the biggest thing that isn't great is the onboard GPS, which is fairly dated for 2023. It does work, but entering addresses character by character with a spin-dial in 2023 is just not something anyone does anymore. It's far easier to plug in your phone and pull up your google or apple maps. I do however like keeping a map up on the screen when I'm traveling to see the bird's eye view satellite maps as well as street names and such. Otherwise, while the rest of the console tech generally may not be the latest and greatest, it's perfectly functional for what is needed, i.e. checking system status, listening to music, etc. Some qualms: The fact that this vehicle doesn't have an area for a spare, and makes you either dish out cash for run-flats, or risk getting stranded with regular tires, is something I wish could be included. I'll likely stick to run-flats, but I'd like a broader choice of tires and run with even a compact spare in an emergency. So far I haven't experienced a flat tire (knock on wood), so as far as experiences actually using them, I have yet to experience that situation. I think that's honestly one of only qualms. Some good/bad features: It does take premium fuel, which costs a bit more, but eh, I love the car so I don't mind the cost. BMW's need a special type of mechanic, I've been turned away from some shops because they're not comfortable working on this type of car. Additionally, for BATTERIES most autoshops won't install a battery for you because of BMW's reset and re-code process. I ended up reading up on it, and understand it only needs to be reset (not re-coded) if a battery is the same amp hours and battery type and all, and when I replaced my battery I did it myself and threw in a replacement, then just reset the battery w/ an OBD reader. I haven't seen any issues so far, and the general consensus I've read is this won't be an issue, so that was a nice way of avoiding paying a BMW dealership $550 for a new battery. As far as how I got my BMW, mine was previously owned by a doctor, and part of my deciding to buy was that it had been VERY well taken care of, with regular trips to the dealership. Not something I personally was planning to continue, as I can take care of my own cars and when a job does get too big, I take it to my local mechanic, but knowing they were paying to have it done made me that much more confident in the vehicle's history. After doing research on this particular model, with this particular engine (the N55), as well as the transmission (ZF8) I was even more convinced this will be a car I'll driving for years to come. I've had it about a year now, with no serious issues. The battery was getting a little low, so when it was cold it'd start turning off accessories after turning off the vehicle, but a battery was easy enough to take care of. I'm planning on getting new spark plugs and coils, then preemptively replacing the water pump and solenoids, after which I'll start looking at replacing the oil housing gasket, and eventually get to a new oil pan gasket. That may be a job I'll have to dish out a bit for even w/ a local mechanic, but as I can take care of most of the rest, I don't mind paying a little every once in a while. I'll also look at installing one of the upgraded charge pipes, and maybe looking at replacing any of the other hoses and connections as needed as time goes on. My main concern in my vehicle is the transmission, as I'm unsure if there's been any regular flushes on that item, and at 155k miles, I'm hesitant to try a transmission fluid replace. If I end up keeping it for the long term, I imagine that may be one of the things that would mark the end of the life of this car, unless I'm ready to pay to have a new one put in. I love this vehicle, and I honestly am hoping to see it continue running for another 10 years!
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- Reliability
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Nicknamed “Break My Wallet” for good reason
Deez Nutz, Lakeland, FL, 04/08/2019
BMW X3 xDrive35i 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A)
2 of 6 people found this review helpful
Break downs & repairs will wear you down. The pros include the interior design, navigation & dash screen. Every 6 months there is a major repair. Wheel sensor for chassis stability, TPM sensors, sunroof stuck open, major oil leak X2. There’s a reason why the warranty is only 3 years, 40K miles. They make more money fixing the damn things. I’m so close to paying it off it’s better to keep it than sell it. Never again to BMW, stick with Mercedes, Lexus or Acura for a luxury alternative. My C250 is older, has more miles and has only been in for repair once.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value