2025 BMW X3: What's It Like to Live With?

• BMW redesigned the X3 for 2025.
• This is the third X3 we've had in our One-Year Road Test fleet.
• Will we like it more than its predecessors?

What did we get?

For 2025, the BMW X3 is only available in two trim levels, both of which come standard with all-wheel drive. The range-topper for now is the sporty M50 xDrive, which pairs more aggressive styling with a 393-horsepower turbocharged inline-six engine. This isn’t the one we bought.

Instead, we went with the current base model, the X3 30 xDrive, as it’s the one most people will buy because it's less expensive. While its 255-hp turbo inline-four engine is less potent than what you get in the M50, it’s expected to be more efficient. In terms of options, we kept things fairly light with the single most expensive add-on being the $3,400 Premium package. Given that it’s the only way to get adaptive cruise control, a curved display and a panoramic roof, it was a must.

From there, we paid $650 for this X3’s Arctic Race Blue paint, $600 for its 20-inch two-tone wheels, $200 for the Parking Assistance package, and $235 for all-weather floor mats. Thankfully, its dark brown interior finish was a no-cost option. 

Add in a $1,175 destination fee, and our new BMW X3 cost us $56,260, representing only a modest increase over its $51,125 base price. (Edmunds purchased this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.) Still, while BMW’s latest is priced similarly to an Audi Q5 or a Mercedes-Benz GLC, it costs significantly more than SUVs like the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Kia Sorento, distant rivals that go toe-to-toe in terms of available features and space. Does the X3 feel premium enough to fend off an emerging class that’s also making an upmarket push?

Instrumented testing results

How's the BMW X3's fuel economy?

• EPA fuel economy rating: 29 combined (27 city/33 highway)
• Edmunds' observed fuel economy: 27.0 mpg
• Best fill: 33.4 mpg
• Best range: 504.1 miles
• Miles driven: 11,902

BMW X3 vs. Genesis GV70

"Market forces, tariffs, Mother Nature, Father Time, Zeus — it doesn't matter who does what or how, compact luxury SUVs like the 2025 BMW X3 and Genesis GV70 are here to stay. The X3 was BMW's second most popular car last year, and the GV70 was the top seller for Genesis. "

"Both cars also happened to get updates for 2025, though the X3's move to an all-new generation is bigger than the GV70's medium-sized refresh. So we did what anyone looking for a new luxury sport-ute would do and compared them back to back. Over the course of two weeks, we subjected four versions of these two cars to our instrumented testing and lived with them as daily drivers to suss out a winner." — Nick Yekikian

Who came out on top? Read on.

The interior of the BMW X3 is good, not great

"The X3 we used in that comparison test is part of our One-Year Road Test fleet — a group of vehicles we live with and evaluate over the course of 12 months and 20,000 miles. And the more time we spend with the X3, the less we seem to come around on not only the cabin's overall design but also the use of questionably cheap materials." — Steven Ewing

Click here to read the full story.

Is our BMW X3 the perfect road trip companion?

"My thoughts on the X3 ultimately proved somewhat mixed. There were aspects of it that made for a perfect road trip companion, but a few others that inspired less kind reactions from both of us. So let's run through the reasons why you would (or wouldn't) want to take an X3 on a long journey of your own." — Brian Wong

Read the full story.

BMW X3 vs. Mercedes-Benz GLC vs. Audi Q5

"It's a great time to be in the market for a new small luxury SUV. Both the Mercedes-Benz GLC and the BMW X3 were revamped within the past two years, and now Audi has reentered the party with the new Q5. Which one most deserves your hard-earned money? We put the trio through our instrumented testing and ratings process, with one of these German SUVs clearly outdoing its rivals." — Brian Wong

Read the full story here.