- suv 111,896
- 1,336 below average
- 6,500 good
- Buda, TX
-
- autoshopper.com
- 1,336 below average suv 111,896 gasoline white automatic
2006 bmw x3 review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Upscale compact suv. introductionthe bmw x3 enters its third year of production flush with success. In its first year, the x3 sold almost as well as the larger x5, doubling bmw's impact on the suv market, and there's little sign of the trend toward smaller, more fuel-efficient suvs cooling off any time soon. the 2006 bmw x3 is available only with the 3. 0-liter six-cylinder engine. the x3's drivetrain is equipped with bmw's xdrive all-wheel-drive system, dynamic stability control and hill descent control, all designed to give it tenacious grip and secure control in less than favorable conditions. the x3 is quick and fast, considering its heft. The xdrive puts it at the head of the class when weather or road goes north. It's roomy, both for passengers and cargo. And just as important, it's replete with safety features, both active and passive. lineupfor 2006, the bmw x3 comes in one model, the 3. 0i. (the 2. 5-liter model was discontinued.) the x3 3. 0i sports a 225-horsepower 3. 0-liter inline-6 hooked to bmw's xdrive all-wheel drive. a six-speed manual transmission is standard, while a five-speed automatic steptronic is a no-charge option. the 2006 x3 3. 0i 36,800) is stuffed with standard equipment. The sport package includes a sports suspension with stiffer springs and anti-roll bars; 235/50r-18 all-season tires; shadowline exterior trim; and eight-way power adjustable front sport seats with two-way manual thigh support. the cold weather package 750) includes a headlight washer system; heated front seats; and a ski bag. Other options include servotronic steering 250), xenon adaptive headlights with auto-leveling 800), front and rear park distance control 700), 18-inch double-spoke alloy wheels 300); 18-inch star spoke alloys 500); heated front seats 500); heated steering wheel 150); cargo net 150), navigation system 1,800); bmw assist with bluetooth technology 675); satellite radio prep 74); and privacy glass 350). Dealer-installed accessories include two choices of aerodynamic kit; a car cover 210); a roof box 520); a hitch bike carrier 425); a hitch ski/snowboard carrier 169); cargo area bicycle rack 275); rubber floor mats; all-weather cargo liner 70); auxiliary input adapter cable 40). safety features include abs, two-stage frontal airbags, front door-mounted side-impact airbags and curtain airbags for front and rear seat head protection, front safety belts with automatic tensioners and force limiters, all standard. Adaptive brake lights signal the urgency with which the driver has pressed the brake pedal. Optional: side-impact airbags for the rear-seat passengers 385). The x3 comes with good seat belts. Only when parked side by side are the differences noticeable, and then only to the extent of inches or less. the 2006 bmw x3 gets a few new exterior touches. Most noticeable are the body-color front and rear bumpers. This is no real surprise, as the x3 is but 0. 7 inches narrower than the x5; its track is within 1. 5 inches of the x5's track, which is the distance between the left and right wheels. the x3 looks like the x5 in side view as well, though the cut line from the front wheel wells to the front doors was eliminated for a cleaner look. A mild character crease bridges the space between the fender blisters, and a relatively low beltline adds openness to the side windows. The trademark dogleg in the rear quarter window has been stretched a bit, however. physical measurements support the visual similarities. The x3's 110-inch wheelbase is less than 1 inch shy of the x5's. (the wheelbase is the distance between front and rear wheels. Overall length comes up short of the x5's 183. 7 inches by only 4 inches. The x5 is just 1. 5 inches taller than the x3. from the rear, the only marked difference between the two is the single, double-tipped exhaust exiting on the left side where the x5 sports dual exhausts exiting at the corners. interiorpeople familiar with bmw interiors will immediately feel at home in the x3. Controls are where they should be and feel the way they should, with the proper directional movement, resistance and detents. Instruments are easy to read at a glance and communicate the proper and necessary information. the display for the optional navigation system is one of the most thoughtfully positioned of the lot, rotating up out of the top center of the dash, gray instead of black, so it's visible to driver and navigator but nestled unobtrusively halfway down in the recess where it stows when not in use. passengers will climb in over aluminum doorsill trim with the bmw logo and will find refined interior trim and materials. We like the maple sycamore dark wood trim. the front seats are supportive and comfortably bolstered. The standard seats are more comfortable than the sport seats and quite adequately restrain the occupants' posteriors when the road turns winding. Seatbelts feel right, properly tensioned. Ranges of seat adjustment are extensive, to the point a six-footer can enjoy major amounts of headroom and actually put the steering wheel and forward footwell well out of reach; at these extremes, however, rear-seat legroom is seriously diminished. in terms of roominess, the x3's interior compares favorably with its most likely direct competition, the lexus rx 330 and infiniti fx35, giving up an inch or so here and gaining the same there. In many measures it bests the more expensive x5. There's almost an inch more legroom in front and about half an inch more in the rear, for instance. Front-seat headroom is about a half inch less than in the x5, but rear-seat headroom is nearly an inch greater. On the downside, the x3's rear seat is quite firm and virtually flat, like a church pew, where the x5 and the others offer more form fit and comfort. The x3's rear center head restraint is fixed, offering no vertical adjustment. cargo area, at 71 cubic feet, is impressive, exceeding the x5's by 2 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, and slotting in between the rx 330's 84. 7 cubic feet and the fx35's 64. 5. Caesar the 170-pound mastiff was happy here, with the second row of seats flipped down. storage areas are numerous and flexible, many fitted with netting that stretches to accommodate odd shapes and medium-sized water bottles. Rear-door map pockets forfeit several square inches to the europeans' unabated addiction to ash trays, however. so much for the tape measure. Where the x3 disappoints is in the intangible and tactile, how the interior looks and feels. Textures and materials have been improved, but there's still no mistaking the x3 for one of bmw's luxury sedans. There are two front cup holders, but the one mounted on the center console is sized more for soda pop cans than coffee cups or water bottles and looks like an afterthought, something cobbled together and glued in place forward of the armrest/storage bin. The passenger cup holder pops out of the end of the dash by the door, where it gets bumped by knees when the passenger is climbing in or out of the car. Door closings are followed by a hint of a hollow echo, instead of the solid 'thunk' we expect of bmws. driving impressiondriving the bmw x3 is not like driving other suvs. While the lexus rx 330 tends toward the luxury end of the scale, the x3 leans more to turning two-lanes and the occasional twisty dirt track into a fun drive. Cruise Control✔ Climate Control✔ AM/FM✔ Sport Package✔ Sunroof/Moonroof✔ Bluetooth✔ Navigation System✔ Alloy Wheels
6,500 Buda, TXBuda, TX at autoshopper.com