Road Test

BMW X3 2.5i SE

Test date 27 July 2004  Price as tested £29,725

For Silky drivetrain, agility, cabin space

AgainstStiff ride, poor interior plastics

The X5 might have been BMW’s first SUV, but prior to that the Bavarian firm was already producing four-wheel-drive 3- and 5-series saloons and estates, primarily for the European market. Recognisable by the X suffix on their bootlid badges, their extra traction in slippery conditions was particularly welcome at a time when Audi’s four-wheel-drive saloons were highlighting the dynamic limits of cars like the tail-happy Three. BMW previewed the look of the X3, minus the B- and C-pillars, with the xActivity concept car at the 2003 Detroit Motor Show.

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