Should you buy one?

Yes. The BMW X3 is a very recommendable premium SUV. It offers a masterful balance of practicality, comfort and driving dynamics – and we’re pleased to say that you don’t need to throw all your money at the flagship model to get the best experience from the car.

We reckon the best X3 for most buyers will be an xDrive20d M Sport. Put simply, that’s an X3 fitted with the cheapest diesel engine available and BMW’s sporty but well-equipped mid-range trim-level. The most basic diesel offers all the performance an economy you need, while the M Sport specification adds some attractive styling tweaks and loads of standard equipment.

Sure, the X3 isn’t quite as comfortable as an Audi Q5 or a Volvo XC60, but the difference in ride quality isn’t drastic enough to discount it – and the handling benefits offer by its stiffer chassis far outweigh the negligible sacrifice you make in refinement. We’d have one over a Mercedes GLC, too, as we found that car to be a little underwhelming.

What we like

The X3 is one of the sharpest cars in its class to drive, but it also manages to be comfortable. Its iDrive infotainment system is far easier to use on the move than its touchscreen-focused rivals and, providing you don’t opt for the plug-in hybrid version, there’s a plenty of space in the boot. We also like its broad engine range – you can have it with petrol, diesel, plug-in and even electric power.

What we don’t like

If you’re not a keen driver and you just want a comfortable SUV, you’d probably be better served by the Audi or the Volvo. And, while our recommendation is to go for one of the more affordable X3s, no version in the SUVs line-up is cheap to buy or run. Prices for the xDrive20d M Sport starts from a whisker over £50,000 – and if you opt for the M40i or M40d, you’ll fork out almost £65,000.

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