Item: Used BMW X3 4x4 2010-2018
Rating: 4
Author: Steve Huntingford

<p>The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/bmw">BMW</a> X3 has been at the top of its class for a long time, but the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volvo/xc60/4x4/used-review/n17383">Volvo XC60</a> gives it a run for its money in terms of ride comfort, space and interior quality, even if it’s ultimately not as satisfying to drive.</p>

<p>The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/freelander/4x4/used-review/n747">Land Rover Freelander</a> is a more capable off-roader and also pretty spacious, while the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/range-rover-evoque/4x4/used-review/n846">Range Rover Evoque</a> ups the cool factor and is decent to drive, albeit much smaller than the BMW.</p>

<p>The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/q5/4x4/used-review/n244">Audi Q5</a> is another close rival for the X3 but again lacks its dynamic polish. Finally, if you need seven seats the more recent and brilliantly packaged Land Rover Discovery Sport is well worth considering.</p>

<p><strong>For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html"><strong>here</strong></a></p>

<p><strong>If you're interested in buying a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/bmw/x3?nearlynew=true&amp;used=true&amp;yearTo=2018">used X3</a>, or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our used car buying site <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">here</a>.&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><strong>Page 5 of 5</strong></p>


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<h3><strong>Rear spoiler</strong></h3>

<p>The rear spoiler fitted to some cars made between 14 July 2017 and 22 February 2018 could fall off. The early sign of this is&nbsp;that you might&nbsp;hear additional wind noise when it starts to come loose. Speak to a BMW dealer to find out further information, because they'll&nbsp;need to fit improved fixings to solve this issue.&nbsp;</p>

<h3><strong>Restricted fuel supply</strong></h3>

<p>A problem in the fuel tank of examples made from 16 August 2016 and 21 January 2018 could lead to restrictions in the fuel supply and cause the engine to stall. If your car is affected by this, it will need to have the fuel system inspected by a dealer in order for repairs to be carried out.</p>

<h3><strong>Isofix restraints</strong></h3>

<p>The rear Isofix restraints on cars constructed between 1 August 2010 and 15 April 2016 could work loose over time. A BMW dealer will be able to tell you if your car is subject to this recall and book the car in for repairs.&nbsp;To prevent this from happening again,&nbsp;additional reinforcements will need to be welded to the mounting points.</p>

<h3><strong>Front passenger airbag</strong></h3>

<p>A small number of&nbsp;X3s built before 2013 could have a problem with the front passenger airbag not deploying correctly in a collision, so contact your BMW dealer to find out if your car is affected by this.</p>

<h3><strong>Power steering failure</strong></h3>

<p>An electrical issue with the power steering system could cause it to fail on X3s built between 19 September 2011 and 8 December 2015. The driver may notice heavier steering than usual if&nbsp;it does fail. Affected examples will need to have a new power steering system fitted to fix the fault.&nbsp;</p>

<h3><strong>EGR cooler</strong></h3>

<p>There have been three recalls for leaking EGR coolers and apply to various models built between 5 August 2010 and 24 October 2017. With such a broad timescale, contact your dealer for further information, because you'll need to have the vehicle inspected if it is suspected to be one of those affected.</p>


<p>With an ageing fleet of examples, this generation of X3 is slipping down the reliability rankings and only managed a lowly 17th place finish out of a class of 23 large SUVs. The news doesn't get any better because&nbsp;BMW as a brand came in a disappointing 21st&nbsp;place out of 31 manufacturers.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>If you would like to see the full reliability list, head to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2020-what-car-reliability-survey/n20042">What Car? Reliability Survey</a>&nbsp;pages for more information.</strong></p>

<p><strong>Page 3 of 5</strong></p>

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>


<p dir="ltr">Munich-based BMW is most famous for its sports saloons, in particular the 3 Series and 5 Series. However, it actually builds almost every type of car imaginable: everything from two-seat convertibles to seven-seat MPVs.</p>

<p dir="ltr">The cheapest model in the BMW range is the 1 Series hatchback, which is a rival to the Audi A3, Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Volkswagen Golf. Meanwhile, at the other extreme is the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car, which costs more than £100,000.</p>

<p dir="ltr">BMW was also quick to capitalise on the rise of the SUV and now has six in its range: the X1, X2, X3, X4, X5 and X6.</p>

<p dir="ltr">All of this makes it one of the big three German prestige brands, along with Audi and Mercedes-Benz.</p>


<p>The second iteration of the BMW X3 put right all the wrongs of its predecessor – and then some</p>


Used BMW X3 4x4 2010-2018

<h3><strong>MPG</strong></h3>

<p>For the lowest running costs, you’ll need an 18d in rear-wheel-drive (sDrive) form and a manual gearbox. This combination managed 55.4mpg in official NEDC fuel economy tests.&nbsp;Go for a 20d with four-wheel drive (xDrive)&nbsp;and an automatic gearbox (as most do) and you should average 50.4mpg, while there isn't much difference between the two&nbsp;six-cylinder diesels: the&nbsp;30d gets 47.1mpg&nbsp;and the 35d gets 46.3mpg.&nbsp;</p>

<h3><strong>CO2 emissions</strong></h3>

<p>Pre-2014 X3s produce&nbsp;the most CO2, while later ones are a little bit cleaner. The 18d is the best with figures of 135g/km and 124g/km for revised examples. Next up is the 20d which is a little worse due to four-wheel drive at 149g/km, but this was improved to 138g/km. Finally, you have the six-cylinder 30d and 35d that emit 159g/km and 162g/km, respectively. However, the improvements made to both engines meant that the two ended up in the same tax-bracket after 2014&nbsp;because the 30d spits out 156g/km while the 35d got down to 157g/km.</p>

<h3><strong>Road tax</strong></h3>

<p>Road tax for all models registered before 1 April 2017&nbsp;will vary depending upon the emissions the engine produces (see paragraph above for more information)&nbsp;while examples registered after this date will have&nbsp;the same flat rate fee for cars that cost less than £40,000 when new, currently £150 a year. To find out more about the current <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/car-tax-changes-in-2019-%E2%80%93-what-do-i-need-to-know/n1153">road tax costs, click here</a>.</p>

<h3><strong>Servicing</strong></h3>

<p>If you’re looking at an X3 that’s less than five years old, it might still be covered under an original BMW servicing agreement. Failing that, you’re looking at about £150 at a BMW main dealer for a minor service or £350 for a major one if it is a 18d or 20d, or £160 and £400 if it is a 30d or 35d. The servicing schedule itself is variable, but reckon on the car telling you it’s ready for attention at least every two years or 18,000 miles.</p>

<h3><strong>Page 2 of 5</strong></h3>


The second iteration of the X3 put right all the wrongs of its predecessor – and then some

<p>Being a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/bmw">BMW</a>, it’s perhaps not surprising that the X3 holds onto its value better than most SUVs. For example, an early 20d with well over&nbsp;100,000 miles on the clock will still command £6500 on the used market.</p>

<p>Increasing your budget to between&nbsp;£8500 and £10,000 will grant you access to a face-lifted 2014-onwards&nbsp;example with the improved 2.0-litre diesel&nbsp;engine.</p>

<p>For a six-cylinder X3, expect to pay at least £9000, even&nbsp;for a car with a six-figure mileage. A good X3 of this vintage will likely set you back somewhere between £10,000 and £18,000.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Check the value of a used BMW X3 with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-valuation/">What Car? Valuations</a></strong></p>


<h3><strong>Engine</strong></h3>

<p>Diesel-lovers will be pleased with the engines available, but while the six-cylinder 30d and 35d are great, the more economical 20d is the better choice. Just make sure you get one built after the 2014 facelift and you'll potentially have fewer issues.</p>

<h3><strong>Specification</strong></h3>

<p>On balance,&nbsp;SE would be our choice because it&nbsp;provides all the equipment you'd need and a more supple ride than the firmer M Sport cars.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Our favourite BMW X3:</strong> xDrive20d SE</p>

<h3><strong>Page 4 of 5</strong></h3>


<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Plenty of space for all passengers</li> <li>Large boot with lots of clever storage solutions</li> <li>Good fuel economy and running costs</li> <li>All-round comfort</li> <li>High-quality interior finish</li></ul>

<p>We define a large SUV as anything longer than 4.5 metres. These cars aren’t usually particularly cheap to buy or lease, so in return we expect a roomy cabin, a lengthy list of standard equipment and excellent cruising refinement. A few models in this class are two-wheel drive, but the vast majority have four-wheel drive for at least a modicum of off-road ability.</p>

<p>The Mazda CX-5 is firmly road-focused, but its 2.0-litre petrol engine is a strong, refined performer, making it looks good value for less than&nbsp;£25k. If you can stretch the budget a fair bit, the Audi Q5 provides a combination of comfort, driving prowess, quality and space that's hard to beat. Unlike some rivals, it can't be had with seven seats, though.</p>

<p>A more affordable, yet well-equipped alternative is the Peugeot 5008. It’s more than capable of coping with family life&nbsp;– and all versions have seven seats as standard.&nbsp;</p>

Large SUV

<p><a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/bmw">BMW</a> has been known to be tardy when it comes to updating the X3’s sat-nav, so see if you can find out if and when it was last done.</p>

<p>Also bear in mind that although most versions of the X3 have four-wheel drive, it is not an off-roader in the same way as a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/land-rover">Land Rover</a>. If you need a car that can also cope with journeys off the beaten track, look elsewhere.</p>

<p>Other than that it’s a case of carefully assessing the car’s general condition, looking for damaged panels or kerbed wheels, insisting on evidence of servicing and using the online MoT history check to verify the mileage hasn’t been tampered with.</p>

<p>All X3s use timing chains rather than belts. On early examples of the 20d this includes BMW’s N47 engine which has been known to suffer timing chain problems when used in other BMWs. For peace of mind, it might be worth tracking down a facelift car with the later unit, known as the B47.</p>


<p>The first generation of <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x3/4x4/used-review/n17389">BMW X3</a> was not well loved thanks to its poor quality, bizarre styling and firm ride – but this second generation, launched towards the end of 2010, is as brilliant as the original was below par. It did so well it lasted until 2018, when it was replaced by an <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x3/4x4/used-review/n18008">all-new third-generation model</a> that carried&nbsp;on a lot of the good ideas started with this car.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The diesel-only engine line-up consisted of a 181bhp 20d that used a 2.0-litre four-cylinder and a 3.0-litre straight-six in 254bhp 30d and 309bhp 35d guises. A more economical version of the 2.0-litre diesel arrived in 2012 in the form of the&nbsp;141bhp&nbsp;18d,&nbsp;and it's the only X3 to be found with rear-wheel drive.&nbsp;A new and more powerful 2.0-litre diesel was available as part of the 2014 revisions, so both the 18d and 20d produce&nbsp;148bhp and 187bhp respectively.&nbsp;The six cylinders diesels didn't alter much but do have improved fuel economy and emissions.</p>

<p>The six-cylinder units deliver&nbsp;smoother and much stronger performance but are&nbsp;also significantly more expensive to buy and run, which is why most buyers opted for the 20d when new instead. Whatever X3 you go for, we’d recommend the smooth automatic over the manual which has an awkward clutch and a rubbery action.</p>

<p>When you buy a BMW there are also certain expectations around the driving experience, which is where the original X3 ultimately fell widest of the mark. No such dangers with this replacement version which is all at once respectably fast and good fun, but also quiet and comfortable. Or at least it is if you opt for an SE version rather than the M Sport with its overly firm suspension. If you do fancy the sportier looks of the latter, we’d advise seeking out a car that’s also fitted with the optional variable damper control adaptive suspension.</p>

<p>Pre-facelift <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/bmw">BMW</a> X3s were split into SE and M Sport trim levels. The former comes with 17in alloy wheels, leather seats, dual-zone climate control, a 6.5in infotainment screen and front and rear parking sensors. To this M-Sport adds sportier styling, sports seats, sports suspension, 18in alloys and xenon headlights.</p>

<p>Post-facelift X3 from 2014 onwards can be found in SE, M Sport and&nbsp;xLine forms. SE gained heated front seats, the upgraded Business navigation package and an electric tailgate. The new xLine model&nbsp;got&nbsp;upgraded leather trim and 18in alloys, while M Sport carried on much as before but got larger 19in wheels as standard.</p>

<p>This second-gen model is&nbsp;a much larger car than the first, with loads of room for four adults to travel in comfort, and a big boot too. Granted, the central fifth seat is still rather narrow and there’s a large raised section in the floor where you want to put your feet, but the same applies to the X3’s rivals such as the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/q5/4x4/used-review/n889">Audi Q5</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volvo/xc60/4x4/used-review/n978">Volvo XC60</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/range-rover-evoque/4x4/review/n109">Range Rover Evoque</a>.</p>

<p>It’s in the front where you really get to enjoy the X3, though, not only for the raised driving position and sense of space, but for the classy design and solid build quality. All models are equipped with&nbsp;BMW’s iDrive infotainment system that's&nbsp;still one of the best systems on the market in terms of features and ease of use.</p>

<p>EuroNCAP gave the X3 the maximum five-star safety rating when it was tested back in 2011. All versions come with six airbags, two Isofix mounting points across the rear seat bench and an&nbsp;Electronic Stability Program (ESP) as standard to help control the car tricky conditions or during an emergency manoeuver.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If you're interested in buying a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/bmw/x3?nearlynew=true&amp;used=true&amp;yearTo=2018">used X3</a>, or any of the other cars mentioned here, check out our used car buying site <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">here</a>.&nbsp;</p>

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Wondering what the best used BMW X3 2010 - 2018 is for your money? The expert What Car? review team can help you out.

EngineDiesel-lovers will be pleased with the engines available, but while the six-cylinder 30d and 35d are great, the more economical 20d is the better choice. Just make sure you get one built after the 2014 facelift and you'll potentially have fewer issues.,,SpecificationOn balance, SE would be our choice because it provides all the equipment you'd need and a more supple ride than the firmer M Sport cars. Our favourite BMW X3: xDrive20d SEPage 4 of 5

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Used BMW X3 4x4 2010-2018 review

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