History/Overview
Driving enthusiasts love the BMW 3 Series sedan, but for a more general upscale vehicle audience there’s the X3, a compact crossover that shoots for the heart of today’s luxury car marketplace. Introduced as a 2004 model, the current third-generation X3 arrived in 2017.
What’s New/Key Changes From Last Year
For 2022, BMW has given the X3 a mid-term facelift with a new grille, bumpers and exterior lights. In addition, the M40i gets a 48-volt mild hybrid system bolted onto its six-cylinder engine. The wild X3 M is covered in a separate buyer’s guide entry.
Available Trims
BMW offers the X3 in xDrive30i, xDrive30e, and M40i trims. The first two are built around a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine, with the 30e adding plug-in hybrid drive; at the M40i’s heart is a 3.0L turbo six-cylinder engine. All engines come with an eight-speed transmission and AWD.
Standard Features
BMW X3 standard features include 19-inch wheels (20-inch on M40i), remote engine start, heated front seats and steering wheel, auto-dimming side and rearview mirrors, power-folding side mirrors, front and rear parking sensors, three-zone automatic A/C,
LED fog lights and adaptive headlights, 12-speaker audio, and digital gauges.
The driver assist package comprises forward collision mitigation, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane change warning, and rear collision mitigation.
Key Options
A premium essential package brings passive keyless entry, ambient lighting, lumbar adjustment, and a panoramic roof. An enhanced premium pack adds a head-up display, surround-view cameras, leatherette dash trim, heated rear seats, and a better sound system.
You can also add an advanced driver assistance group to get semi-autonomous highway driving and a traffic jam assistant.
Fuel Economy
As of this writing, BMW hadn’t published fuel consumption estimates for the 2022 X3, but those figures should be similar to the 2021 model’s ratings of 10.2/8.2 L/100 km (city/highway) for the xDrive30i and 11.3/8.7 L/100 km for M40i. The plug-in xDrive30e is rated for 11.0/8.6 L/100 km in hybrid mode, and 3.9 Le/100 when using the battery’s 29 km of electric driving range.
Competition
The BMW X3’s key competitors are its German counterparts the Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLC. You can also cross-shop the X3 against the Acura RDX, Lexus NX, Lincoln Corsair, Buick Envision, Cadillac XT5, Infiniti QX50, and Volvo XC60.
