I’m trying hard to figure out who would buy the $51k ($64k as tested) 2025 BMW X3 xDrive30i M Sport. By its dimensions and capability, the X3 xDrive30i appears to be a practical hauler of young kids and their crud, but when fit with the M Sport options, the SUV transforms into a hard-riding performance… Continue reading Test Drive: 2025 BMW X3 xDrive30i Someone Skipped Cardio
“Location, location, location.” This overused real estate mantra is shorthand for the idea that two identical houses in Bel Air, CA and Birmingham, AL have vastly different values. Well, the mantra applies to automobiles as well. As I’ve just learned, two identical BMW X3 M40i’s can be either pleasures or curses depending on their locations.… Continue reading Review: 2020 BMW X3 M40i
As I settle into the black and mustard yellow driver’s seat of the 2020 BMW X3 M Competition, I recognize how much of a BMW aficionado I’ve become. Six years of BMW M3 ownership, countless dealership loaner vehicles, BMW drive events, Turo rentals and BMW Performance School classes have all made the brand as familiar… Continue reading Test Drive: 2020 BMW X3 M Competition
2019 BMW X5 xDrive40i Last year I theorized that the 2018 BMW X5 was so wonderfully serene and spacious that BMW should make it the brand’s flagship vehicle. To me, the X5 was the perfect platform to bestow with all of the cutting-edge technology and luxury features that typically debut in the 7-series. Well, the… Continue reading Test Drive: 2019 BMW X5 xDrive40i and X3 M40i
Curiosity, disappointment, acceptance. These are the emotional stages I went through when receiving a 2019 BMW X3 xDrive30i as a dealership loaner. You see, I’d hoped to draw the X3 M40i, a giggle-inducing SUV I briefly sampled last year and an SUV which seems honestly ready to romp on a mountain road. The xDrive30i? It’s… Continue reading Review: 2019 BMW X3 xDrive30i
My personal expectations for new BMW sedans are not very high. BMW’s chase of luxury comes with fresh designs and the latest technology, but also with increasing isolation from the driving experience. Each updated Bimmer seems to take a step away from the driving involvement I love. My ideal rides are full of feel, spunky,… Continue reading Test Drive: 2018 BMW X3 M40i
The BMW X3 revealed to me that my automotive passion extends to light off-roading, and ever since, I’ve been looking curiously at a sector of the automotive marketplace that I’ve long ignored. I’ve been pacing around Mazda CX-5s, swiveling my head at passing Mercedes GLCs, lusting after Porsche Macans, and I’ve been more generally aware… Continue reading Review: 2017 Audi Q5
My recent experience with the 2016 BMW X3 has piqued my interest in vehicle cargo capacity. The X3 had a spacious and easy to load truck which easily swallowed my family’s weekend luggage. Just how much of that gear would have fit into my M3 or Focus RS’s hold? Determined to find out, I filled… Continue reading Long Term Update: 2011 BMW M3 and 2016 Ford Focus RS
The utility of the M3 sedan has been questioned by the one person who has the ability to force a change in our family garage. “Buy an SUV!” is the refrain frequently whispered, recently with more emphasis, by my wife. After recent back-to-back trips to the far corners of SoCal and SoSoCal, I’m ready to… Continue reading Review: 2016 BMW X3 xDrive28i
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