Auto Trader cars

Skip to contentSkip to footer

BMW X3

New from £46,975 / £613 p/m

Search new & used Lease this vehicle
Hybrid options
Automatic
SUV
5 seats
5 doors
Auto Trader Logo

Is the BMW X3 SUV a good car?

Read our expert review

Icon image of erin-baker

Words by: Erin Baker

"The X3 sits at the core of BMW’s regular SUV line-up of the X1, X5 and X7 and their coupe-styled X2, X4 and X6 derivatives. As the years have passed, the X3 has bulked out and grown up and now carries the same stature as the original X5, making it all the SUV most family drivers will need. Choose from petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid or, if it's pure electric you desire, the BMW iX3."

4

Read the review by category

chevron-down

Running costs for a BMW X3

3/5

Monthly PCP finance payments may cost you a bit more than those for rivals like the Audi Q5, Volvo XC60, Land Rover Discovery Sport or Porsche Macan because the X3's residuals aren't quite as strong all things relative. Like all of the above it’s also got a hefty sticker price, but for those determined to buy a BMW, it's a case of no pain, no gain. Day-to-day BMW's petrol and diesel engines are pretty fuel efficient, but the plug-in hybrid version will be even better if you do short runs throughout the week on electric power alone from a home charging point with a suitable off-peak tariff. Company car drivers will also benefit hugely from the tax break provided by the super-low emissions of the hybrid version, the electric iX3 even more attractive by this measure.

Reliability of a BMW X3

4/5

We're willing to ignore BMW's poor reliability record at brand level, because the X3 actually fares very well in most owner satisfaction surveys, especially the petrol version which came top in <I>What Car?</I>'s reliability survey with the diesel in third. BMW also scores extra points for offering unlimited mileage with its three-year warranty, rather than the industry-average 60,000 miles. If you plump for the plug-in hybrid, the battery is covered by a separate six-year warranty.

Safety for a BMW X3

3/5

Unsurprisingly, Volvo's XC60 beats the X3 in safety testing but the BMW still scores well, with six airbags, tyre-pressure monitoring and emergency braking as standard. We are forever disappointed, however, when interventions to steer you out of a collision course with an unseen vehicle in your blindspot aren’t included as the same. You do get alerts as standard and BMW includes this excellent safety feature in its optional Driving Assistant Professional package but, given it’s actually more useful than the intrusive lane departure and collision warning systems typically included as standard, you shouldn’t have to pay extra. The Driving Assistant Professional pack also gives you active cruise control, cross-traffic alert, parking camera and so on.

How comfortable is the BMW X3

4/5

A point deducted for the ridiculously shallow boot in the plug-in hybrid version, which is raised up to accommodate electric innards and charging lead storage. It leaves you without enough room for large items, despite this being a family SUV. Apart from that, the X3 is a very comfy car, with supportive sports seats offered from mid-way up the trim line, a broad panoramic sunroof letting in plenty of light, ‘acoustic’ glass giving the interior plenty of sound deadening and lots of legroom for rear passengers. We’ll caveat the latter by saying the seats are quite low, making it tricky for some children to have a good view out. The Comfort Plus pack costs nearly £2,000 extra and includes heated steering wheel, electric seats with memory setting, and lumbar support, which seems like quite a lot of money for not much.

Features of the BMW X3

4/5

It's all here for the taking, it just depends how much you want to pay. We'd say don't bother with the clever gesture control, on the basis it's not clever enough. In theory you should be able to adjust the media volume and move on to the next track by waving your hand at the screen. While that mostly works once you get the hang of it a careless prod of the screen to access another function often results in muting the audio. It's annoying, in other words. This system was part of the optional Technology Pack on our test car, which also adds a head-up display projecting essential driving info onto the windscreen, wireless phone charging and fancy Harmon Kardon speakers A thumbs up, too, for one of the few sat-nav systems in the car world that's almost as good as Google Maps.

Power for a BMW X3

4/5

You get that wonderful BMW steering with plenty of weight and precision, as well as great handling, spirited petrol engines and smooth diesel engines. The plug-in hybrid is capable of about 25 miles on electric power (BMW claims a maximum 30 miles), which is average in this sector. Those drivers looking for serious performance from their family wagon can spend extra on the M40i petrol or M40d diesel; both have great balance and tuck tightly into corners, but you'll pay for that extra acceleration and explosion of fuel in the tailpipes at the pumps. From our experience we’d go for that xDrive30e plug-in hybrid model on the basis that 25 miles of electric range proved enough for the school run, shopping trips and working from home environment for our entire week with the car.

Lease deals

These deals are based on terms of 8,000 miles, for a 36 month lease with a 6 months initial payment.

Standard equipment

Expect the following equipment on your BMW X3 SUV. This may vary between trim levels.

Other vehicles in the X3 family

Alpina XD3 SUV

  • tick

    Rare badge

  • tick

    Strong residuals

  • tick

    Great performance

Related articles and reviews

BMW X3 (2021 - ) review

BMW’s updated X3 is the right size to fit easily into most drivers’ lives and the option of petrol, diesel, hybrid or full electric has all bases covered

Expert review2 years ago

Coming soon: BMW iX3

BMW’s first all-electric X model combines familiarity of the popular X3 with the latest in EV tech … and a touch of Hollywood into the mix

News4 years ago

BMW X3 SUV (2017 - 2021) review

The X3 is BMW’s key player in the mid-sized premium SUV market, the already impressive range now bolstered with the arrival of a plug-in hybrid version

Expert review4 years ago

New BMW X3 SUV to go on sale in November

Although the third generation of BMW's X3 doesn't look very different to the current car, the new range includes a couple of new engines, one of which powers an M Performance model

News7 years ago

Your questions answered

Monthly rentals ('payments') are not an offer of credit. Payments are based on offers available today which may be withdrawn or varied at any time in the future without notice.

Contract Hire ('Leasing') is subject to status and approval and is only available to UK residents aged 18 and over. Vehicle must be returned with no more than fair wear and tear to avoid further charges. You will not own the vehicle. Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply.

Auto Trader Limited (Firm Reference Number: 735711) is a credit broker and not a lender. Auto Trader Limited introduces you to Autorama UK Ltd (Trading as Auto Trader leasing), which acts as a credit broker in its own right. Autorama UK Ltd, Maylands Avenue, Hemel Hempstead, HP2 7DE (Firm Reference Number: 630748) may go on to introduce you to one of a limited number of funders. Autorama UK Ltd will typically receive a commission or other benefits from the funder as a result of this introduction.

Autorama UK Ltd is an Auto Trader Group Plc company.

Vehicles are subject to availability and may vary from images shown.