BMW X3 long-term test

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 5024 List price £53,405 Best price £49,665 Price as tested £61,260 Test economy 40.8mpg Official economy 40.4mpg Private price now £46,563 Dealer price now £47,880 Running costs (excluding depreciation) Fuel £636

5 July 2025 – Split personality

When the term sport utility vehicle was coined, the ‘sport’ part referred to the customer’s lifestyle (or at least, the way it was imagined by the marketing team) rather than the ability of the car. However, during my time with my BMW X3 it has shown that the traditional strengths of such models – chiefly practicality and a high driving position – needn’t come at the expense of driving fun.

On winding roads, with the adaptive suspension (a £550 option) set to Sport mode, it always felt agile and involving. And I particularly admired the way there was still enough suppleness to the ride to prevent the X3 from being bounced about by bumps; you’d swear it had been engineered for Norfolk or North Wales rather than the Nürburgring.

So, this was an SUV that I very much enjoyed spending time in when I was on my own. But, just as crucially, it made an excellent family car. When you switch the suspension to Comfort mode, it can take the sting out of pitted and poorly patched-up city streets. Plus, on the motorway the ride is cushioned without being floaty – a blend that’s pretty much ideal for preventing car sickness.

Up front, my comfort was further enhanced by the supportive and hugely adjustable driver’s seat. Meanwhile, the wide bench in the back of the X3 allowed my wife to sit alongside our daughter (in her bulky child seat) and our family dog (settled on her favourite blanket) without anyone feeling cramped.

While she had plenty of space, though, Skye the dog was clearly most appreciative of the three-zone climate control, getting as close to the central rear vents as her harness would allow during the recent hot weather.

In addition to a reputation for roly-poly handling, SUVs tend to be associated with heavy fuel consumption, but this was another area where my X3 defied conventional wisdom, despite being powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine (albeit one with mild hybrid electrical assistance). Indeed, during my time with the car I averaged 40.8mpg, which is actually slightly better than the official figure and allowed me to cover almost 600 miles on a tank.

This is all the more impressive given that I never went out of my way to drive especially efficiently; on the motorway I cruised at the national limit whenever conditions allowed, and when I was enjoying the handling, I’d make the most of the engine’s willingness to rev.

So, everything was great, right? Well, not quite. My car did suffer a couple of minor glitches, including the vent on the driver’s door suddenly pumping out hot air even though the climate control was set to mimic a fridge; it felt like someone was 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. And when I opened the side vent up again a couple of days later, the problem had fixed itself, so perhaps there was just a minor blockage.

As for the other issue I experienced, it was related to the heated and ventilated seats. These are activated via a menu that’s supposed to pop up when you press an icon at the base of the X3’s infotainment touchscreen. However, on a few occasions it refused to respond even when I prodded repeatedly.

The most disappointing thing for me, though, about the latest X3 is its interior quality. Don’t get me wrong, it feels reasonably solid, aside from the control panel on the driver’s door. But the sort of coarse fabric that covers the door tops and the upper dashboard doesn’t feel plush enough when it's used in a £30k Mini Cooper, let alone in a £53k BMW. What's more, this is actually part of a £450 upgrade in the X3, so I can only imagine how low-rent the standard trim must feel.

Still, BMW is (sadly) far from the only German brand to have downgraded the quality of its interiors in recent years. And, aside from those glitchy seat controls, the X3 has all rivals beaten when it comes to the usability of its infotainment system.

Whether or not I’d recommend one, then, really comes down to your priorities. But if, like me, you want something that's practical and good to drive, it’s got both sides of the story covered.

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