BMW X3 long-term test: report 3

The car BMW X3 20 xDrive M Sport Run by Steve Huntingford, editor

Why it's here To see if the latest version of this popular SUV is worth a place on your shortlist

Needs to Combine a refined and enjoyable drive with family-friendly practicality and good real-world efficiency

Mileage 3046 List price £51,985 Target Price £49,995 Price as tested £61,260 Test economy 42.4mpg Official economy 40.4mpg

21 May 2025 – Efficiency drive

When I was at school, we were taught that there are nine planets in the Solar System. But then astronomers discovered a whole mess of other icy objects out beyond Neptune, which resulted in poor Pluto being demoted to the status of a dwarf planet.

That was back in 2006 – a time when anyone who bought a large, petrol-engined SUV quickly learnt that it required them to spend a fortune on fuel. However, with my BMW X3 this is another lesson that no longer applies.

You see, the latest X3 is almost 4.8 metres long and weighs the best part of two tonnes, yet the 2.0-litre petrol version I have is officially capable of 40.4mpg. And if anything this figure appears to be conservative; calculating my average economy between my last two brims of the tank, I discovered I’d actually achieved 42.4mpg. That’s enough to go around 600 miles between fills.

True, my car benefits from mild hybrid technology, which eases the strain on the engine. But this electrification isn’t strong enough to power the X3 on its own (hence the word ‘mild’), so the inherent efficiency of said engine is largely to thank.

It’s not even like I’ve been going out of my way to help it: on the motorway I drive at the national limit whenever conditions allow; on winding roads I make the most of my X3’s willingness to rev; and no matter what the type of road, I use the climate control.

Most of it, anyway, because for some reason the vent ahead of the driver’s door recently started to pump out hot air even when the interior temperature is set to be as cold as Pluto. It feels like someone’s blowing me in the face with a hair dryer.

The simple solution, of course, was to shut that vent off and just rely on the ones in the centre of the dashboard, but it’s still an issue that I’ll need to get looked at.

After just 3000 miles, I find it hard to believe that the system is low on refrigerant or that I’ve got a clogged filter. But perhaps a fuse has blown or one of the mechanical flaps that controls the mix of hot and cold air has become stuck.

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