Reviewer Photos & Videos
Craig28AU
- 4 reviews
- 3 likes
Great engine. Pity the rest of the SUV doesn't match it!
I did a lot of research before I purchased my 2015 BMW 30D X3 F25 LCI. I thought it was my dream car, but it didn't turn out that way. it drove and handled well, and that 3L Diesel engine is just delightful. Unbelievable go for a Diesel engine. The problem was that within weeks the car developed awful squeaks from the doors, tailgate and sunroof. After many visits to BMW Melbourne, who I would not recommend if you are purchasing a BMW, the squeaks always returned within weeks. The only thing ever permanently fixed was the squeak from the sunroo...Read more
f, and that meant my car was with the dealer for a whole week. When I checked online it turns out that the squeaking door seals are quite common and it looks like some owners spend a lot of effort to defeat. No matter what I tried or the dealer tried the squeaks always returned. They were so bad they ruined the entire driving experience. I had an opportunity to exit the X3 after 2 years of persisting with the issues, and I gladly got rid of the vehicle. I changed over to the new generation Mazda CX-9 and I can tell you the service experience and vehicle are superior to BMW in every way. BMW need to do lots of work if they think the experience they offer is that of a premium brand and vehicle.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
WazSydney Surrounds, NSW
- 4 reviews
- 2 likes
Not All It's Cracked Up To Be
I just read a review on Product Review of a new BMW X5, raving about the fuel economy, heads up display and lane departure among other features. Well my opinions of my 5 month old BMW X3 differ somewhat. Unfortunately my 2.0X Drive wasn't optioned with those features above and fuel consumption is only marginally fair with 9.0 l/100km as about the best I can get around town. Look, the car is comfortable, spacious and looks prestigious but has little grunt (typical of a 2L engine under biggish body). I advise, go the 3L or TDi. The navigation sys...Read more
tem can be difficult and over-complicated to initiate but after a while, it's manageable. The 8 speaker sound system is terrific but again over complicated. The seats are comfortable but I kept getting a sore neck after driving. My osteopath said it may be the design of the seats as he knew of people who had real back issues with Mercedes seats. My biggest issue with this BMW however, is the steering. I really didn't detect it in my test drives but the steering is stiff and quite heavy around town. Get out on the freeway and it is highly direct. Move the steering wheel a tiny fraction and off you go. Correction is needed at every step. As a result, it is not a comfortable, relaxed drive. I find myself moving all over my lane. And it's not just my car. BMW acknowledges the directness of its electronic steering particularly as speeds increase. This car has disappointed me. I did lots of research against Audi Q5, Volvo XC60 and Landcover DiscoSport and reviews generally had X3 on top. Lucky I'm not a professional car reviewer.
Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
688aAU
- 25 reviews
- X3 F25 xDrive30d (2011-2017)
- Verified purchase
Excellent easy to drive Car
I bought the X3 in May 2016, it is a 30d model, which is a diesel 6 cylinder twin turbo. The car is really easy to drive and park, it has plenty of power and if you want extra you can just put it in sports mode. The fuel economy for this powerful car is amazing, around town I get about 8.6l/100km. The 360 degree parking system makes parking the car super easy, along with the reversing camera and sensors. The car handles very well and is a pleasure to drive.
The front seats in the car have many adjustments to make you comfortable while drivin...Read more
Purchased in May 2021.
Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Find out how BMW X3 F25 compares to other Midsize / Medium SUVs
Know better, choose better.
OnTheMoveGreater Melbourne (Metropolitan), VIC
- 14 reviews
Very satisfied, highly recommended!
Bought from BMW Melbourne August 2016. Excellent service and great car performance. Nothing to complain of. The leather seats are really comfortable (should have chosen the white color interior). Adjustable lumbar support, great and handy control panel, and love the heated seats. The head up display and the drive assist are A MUST features!! A base model would not have any of those. Fuel efficiency with their 2L Diesel engine is also great.
Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
DavidSouthwest, VIC
- 12 reviews
Just a nice car to drive.
Traded in a 3 Litre BMW X5. Outward appearance, dependent on color it is hard to differentiate between the X5 and X3, the 2 exhaust at the rear of the X5 is always our decider.
Interior, the X3 is noticeably smaller and took a while to get used to but 6 months on we find there is plenty of room especially for the two of us.
Interior fit is excellent as expected, we opted for the faux leather seats which are great, you miss out on the new car smell. Rear, (boot space) is small but average with the mid range SUV's.
Engine performance is bril...Read more
Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Symbol57Sydney, NSW
- 17 reviews
- X3 F25 xDrive30d (2011-2017)
- Verified purchase
Good, but BMW Germany is cheap
I have had my X3 3.0d for a year and I haven't had any issues yet. However, it is clear that BMW Germany is making their cars as cheap as possible by removing small features that would make it a great car. I should say that I had a Citroen C4 prior to this which was fantastic but missing the quality to last. In comparison, the X3 is missing some natural features such as where do I put my keys once I have started the car? I have lost them twice on the black carpet. There used to be a spot on the dash for older models, but this is now missing. BM...Read more
W still have the Cold/Hot variance switch as a hangover from the very early days. I thought auto temp was to manage this! The back seat is a bench seat and not comfortable for long hauls. BMW could have easily done better. For the interior, if you want to see what can be done with the driver and passenger in mind, have a look at the Citroen DS5. The BMW is very very ordinary, even the Audi have done a good job internally. Run flats tyres give a harsh ride and are expensive. Whilst not having a spare does save on fuel economy, getting a flat tyre in the country or at 5pm on Good Friday evening is a disaster. BMW customer service is useless to help. Make sure you have the number of a 24 hr tyre service and expect to pay about $270+ for the call out. The new X3 comes with different size rims front & back, (doh! another stupid move for AU). I tried getting replacements and found it difficult to get a set as tyre fitters don’t readily keep that split combination. Also, you cannot just replace 1 tyre if it is punctured and you have notable wear on the others, you have to replace all the tyres as the differential will chew out the transfer case. I found a spare set of rims for $500 which now have standard Coppers tyres for spares. So, the interior is basic, the ride is harsh, the fuel economy is good and the support service is non-existent. The 3 lt diesel is great and seems very reliable, so far. Lots of power when needed and an Econo mode for most of my driving. BMWs are expensive to take to an Authorised dealer to get fixed, however there are plenty of excellent garages that will do the job for far less cost. My advice is to do your internet homework on the reviews an select a good mechanic as there are some trashy BM service garages out there. I had a Swiss mechanic for my old BMW 540 who kept it going for 14 years. He was god over the car till he retired.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
HenryACT, 2615
- 4 reviews
- 2 likes
Excellent BMW X3 xdrive 20d, F25 LCI
This is my first SUV prestige car. The car has currently done 17,000kms. It had its first 15,000kms service at the BMW dealer last month. My car has Msport package so it is comfortable, reliable and has top of the range options. The car has been bought as brand new from the warehouse with zero kms on it. The car was built in December 2015 and has been registered in January 2016. I have used the car mainly for driving to work and driving home from Belconnen to Tuggeranong and drop my missus off in Woden. At the weekend, drive my son to pr...Read more
ivate tutoring and my wife to Canberra centre to work. I have found diesel is economical as I fill up every 18 days that means the diesel has about 10kms left on the car. I would give the car as 5 stars as I have not found any faults or anything that I am unhappy with. I love all the options especially panoramic electric sunroof, headup display, surround cameras (front, rear and sides) with live traffic, Hifi stereo with subwoofer. I have been driven to the Coast, Tuross Head last Easter and Queens birthday with half of the tank. In regard to car servicing, I have got 5 years service FREE so I am very happy with this option. This is the best car I have ever driven and would buy it again when the lease has run out.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Great car - but expensive to maintain.
Bought our X3 3.0d brand new in October 2014. Great car to drive, everything we wanted in a car. The diesel motor is an absolute cracker.
Only downside has been the after sales service. BMW are quick to take your money, but not interested in following up with problems (such as excessive waxing that they put in to the car for shipping).
We have just clocked up 40,000ks in ours, majority of it being freeway driving and have to get new brakes ($3,200) and new tyres ($4,100) from BMW. Personally think that's a bit quick to have to replace these items (the car is driven by my wife - certainly not driven hard).
Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
JackyTaylors Hill
- 2 reviews
- 3 likes
X3 Good drive - very bumpy due to Run Flat tyres - I'd give a 3.5 stars...
First of all, this is my first Beamer X3 2015 to replace my VW Tiguan 20TSI. It is also my first Diesel car.
Pros:
1. Stable drive.
2. Reasonable pickup for a Diesel car
3. Good Torque
4. reasonable space inside the car with a panoramic roof.
5. Vehicle status is monitoring (especially tyre) is a life saver.
Cons: ...Read more
1. Run flat tires tends to be very bumpy. 2. It is confusing how their climate control works. You have to set the temperature, then there's also a dial you have to set for cool/warm/hot air coming out of the vent. One would think they supposed to be taken care but it's obviously not. 3. The automated wiper is also an oddball. It's not consistent with it's rain sensing capability and randomly it goes fast, slow and hibernate. Pretty strange behaviour. Suggestions: 1. Get an adaptive suspension. You'll need it. 2. Consider X5 if you think X3 is a little too tight. I have 2 baby seat at the back and it's quite cramp for 3rd person. X5 would have been better option. 3. Make sure you get the Car Service option for about $3000+, giving you 5 years services inlcuded; instead of paying everytime. It'll cost more than just 3 grand. Thoughts: My next car will not be X3 or BMW at this stage and might move over to Audi or MercSimilar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Find out how BMW X3 F25 compares to other Midsize / Medium SUVs
Know better, choose better.
MiklyshaSydney, NSW
- 10 reviews
XDrive20D - Reasonable family car but struggling on take off
We had our 20D for over a year. We were one of the first people to buy a new model. I bought it for my wife and our 3 year old. So, it's plenty of space for what we are using it for which is mainly driving around city, doing shopping etc.. we don't go away long distance, so no need to transport a lot of luggage. Having said that I think the back storage compartment is more than adequate to fit several suit cases. My wife really likes high sitting position, which i personally dislike. Compared to my BMW 1series i can't go through corners any fas...Read more
t on x3 since it feels like it will roll over to one side. Major issue that annoys us both is that it just hasn't got that much power on take off from still position. When you press it down it takes off but very jerky and you never know how much to press it down because it takes some moments to kick in and if you overdo it then you'll have too much acceleration in few moments and even some loss of control. Basically we often get a kick in our back when we try to merge into traffic or just taking off lights. Once it took off it accelerates pretty fast though. Also we upgraded navigation system - which is only available as part of some package, can't remember what it's called now. Anyway, it gave us a bigger screen, which is nice. However, their navigation is not that good. It often makes mistakes and gets lost. My old navman beats it hands down. BMW, please get your act together! Also, I think this upgrade allowed us to stream music wirelessly from our iPhone, which is a great feature and I can't advice more anyone considering any BMW to make sure that it's there. We also upgraded to seats with lumber support, but I must say their standard seats are quite comfy and I don't think lumber is that useful. We did it because I had some back pains and so it was kind of insurance in case if it helps a little, which it does, just not that much difference really. Another somewhat concerning thing is that apparently it's ANCAP 4 star rated. I wonder why? Overall, my wife likes this car because of high seating position and lots of space, yet that it's not too big - for us living in Sydney it's easier to cope with traffic and parking. Our friend bought x5 and although it's only a touch bigger they already smashed their mirror twice, and it's 2K to fix a mirror on x5 :) Also, she really like heads up display, which was an option.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
M. JMelbourne
- 3 reviews
Great car until something major goes wrong
My BMW X3 2011 was fantastic until it broke down with major engine failure, taking 2 months for BMW to source the parts and repair the vehicle. Customer service is severely lacking at BMW. It takes days for people to return phone calls, if they do at all.
Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
John TaitMerimbula
- 4 reviews
- 1 like
BMW X3
I love the quality of this vehicle. It is very nice to drive. It is comfortable, well fitted out with quality seats and instrumentation. It looks good. The 2.0 litre diesel has lots of power and is very economical with an average of 5.5 litres per 100kms.
Styling. Fit out. Diesel power.
Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Questions & Answers
Sandyasked
Hi I want to purchase bmw but what x1 or x3. Also which engine to pick as petrol ones are cheaper but economy is not great. How do cost to do Service
No answers
Katherineasked
How do you take the brakefilter from a bmwx3 30d?
1 answer
What is a break filter? Brake system includes brake pad, rotor, wear indicator and brake fluid, etc.
NorwestErgoasked
Hi, anyone else had a problem with the carpet wearing adjacent to the left heel/foot rest, driver's side. My car is only a year old X3 Sports. I am female and wear flat shoes or soft wedged heels for driving.
4 answers
I can’t comment on my X3 as it is too new. With my 1 series BMW there was certainly wear on the carpet mat after 2 years in the location you describe on the drivers side. This also occurred in my Mazda. I think it is just a common wear issue. If it gets unsightly you could replace the mat. Or if you don’t have mats you could grab them from your BMW dealer.
I had exactly the same wear at the same location, which is replaced later under warranty. The wear has occurred less than a year after I bought the car brand new. I did not drive the car hard either, nor wearing shoes with spiky sole.
Thanks Tim. I notice you are based in Sydney - any chance you used BMW Sydney at Alexandria. They are saying they have never seen this fault before and it is not a warranty issue. very interested that you had it replaced under warranty.
Other Midsize / Medium SUVs
Kia Sportage
4.4(192)Subaru Forester
4.2(288)Toyota RAV4
4.1(251)Mitsubishi Outlander
4.1(255)Hyundai Tucson
4.1(195)Honda CR-V
4.1(236)Mazda CX-5
4.1(278)Nissan X-Trail
4.0(348)Renault Koleos
4.0(86)Volkswagen Tiguan 5N
3.6(152)Ford Escape
4.0(45)Suzuki Grand Vitara
3.5(107)Other Midsize / Medium SUVs
Kia Sportage
4.4(192)Subaru Forester
4.2(288)Toyota RAV4
4.1(251)Mitsubishi Outlander
4.1(255)Hyundai Tucson
4.1(195)
Brand Manager for BMW?
Register now and take advantage of ieatwords's Brand Management Platform!
ieatwords.com.au has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence our content moderation policies in any way, though ieatwords.com.au may earn commissions for products/services purchased via affiliate links.