To get the point of the X3, hop inside and look at the sun visor. It’s not whatyou’ll see, so much as what you won’t see that I’m getting at. Namely the usual roll over warning that’s found in many sport utility vehicles. Unlike most in this class, the X3 is actually serious about the “sport” designation in SUV (or SAV as they like to call it), and is quite possibly the sportiest utility vehicle ever made. It is by no means the most powerful or the fastest, but it is one of the best in terms of handling, agility and nimbleness, all traits of a true sports car.
But it’s not just an inherent sportiness that’s helped the X3 rise to success. BMW got there by being ahead of the curve, instead of playing catch up. Other luxury brands got their gears in motion after seeing the X3’s success, but only after three competition-free years. Size, performance and class-wise, the only direct competitors are the Acura RDX and Land Rover’s LR2, plus, to a lesser degree the Mazda CX-7, but the real fray will kick in when BMW’s natural enemies, Audi and Mercedes-Benz get in on the action. To keep things fresh in the meantime, the little X3 has been updated both inside and out for this year.
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