discussion 2011 X3 20d

[JoziNick]

hey Fanatics,

Having gone from an f30 320d to the Mrs’ f20 116, to now a c200 merc. I miss the beemer drive (and my diesel every single day) it’s not that there’s anything wrong with the Merc (we went from 116 to c200 as we have new family member that requires a i so fix seat in the back and the 116 was just too small.

I am currently looking at a 2011 X3 xdrive 20d with 150 000kms, for R209k (it is at a bm dealership with pretty bad rep amongst the forum pages)

talk me out of (or into) trading in my 2014 c200 woth 128 000kms for this 2011 x3 with 150 000kms

What is the consumption like on the x3?
Is there any kind of nasty maintenance worry that these are known for? That I should consider?

Pro’s / cons?
Obviously space wise & drive the X3 has me back behind the wheel of a BM. The x3 should have much more room & be a bit more comfy in the back for pass edger baby seat, pram etc etc

Any advice & help appreciated


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[tman]

I am currently looking at a 2011 X3 xdrive 20d with 150 000kms, for R209k (it is at a bm dealership with pretty bad rep amongst the forum pages)

You are setting yourself up for disappointment.

start a clean search elsewhere

 

[AshG108]

Man If i could echo @tman's words above million times...i would.

Listen, I went from a C250 CDI W204 facelift spec to a F20...still have our SUV (Hyundai IX35 CRDi 2016 model). Let me tell you, that the c-class is not a bad car at all and definitely better than getting into an X3 with higher mileage and worse off, a dealership with a bad rep.

I mean why even consider it in the first place? You would probably be better of buying an X3 off one of the forum members with high(er) mileage however dont assume the Merc will cost you more than the BMW or any less reliable etc. Stick to the Merc for now, as safety is including reliability even more when you have little person's in the back seat too.

Shop for another X3...if the dealership has a bad rep, 9/10 you going to have a worse experience with the actual car.

 

[JoziNick]

Ok, so where I thought the vehicle was (Sandton Bmw) it’s not, as there have been many sketchy stories about sandton Bmw on these pages.

The vehicle is actually at Sandton Auto (I don’t know if them or have never heard of them)

But have found a a similar car at an Autobahn BMW,

With 148 000kms within my budget (it is obviously out of plan)

Again is there anything I should worry about with a 2011 X3 with this amount of mileage?

As the C200 is also out of plan so any maintenance & or repair is on my wallet anyway


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[KPM3_30]

They are fantastic, practical cars. Never understood the appeal of a SUV (or SAV) in this case, but having owned and experiencing one, I would definitely keep one as part of the garage. They offer an improved sense of security and I love the go anywhere appeal of them, especially considering both my other cars are pretty low. I have a 2012 20dX model that I purchased in July last year with 85k - currently doing 98k and have done a few things on the car besides the usual services. Since its the car my wife uses, I've done the below for peace of mind:

- Had a bad wheel speed sensor on the front and rear, replaced all 4 with OEM units from BMW.
- Had the LED driver fail on the rear inner driver's tail light and upgraded all 4 drivers with aftermarket replacement boards, as the OEM Valeo units are prone to failure.
- I also had the swirl flaps replaced, EGR cleaned and then deleted.

For the most part these are solid cars that should push high mileage with ease, but they are getting on in age so the above niggles can be expected. My advice would be to look for a sorted example with a good, documented history to make sure it was looked after and maintained properly. They aren't overly expensive to maintain in diesel guise, especially since you've experienced a F30 320d, I would say maybe budget around 15% more over the equivalent 3 series.

 

[cRed001]

The diesel models are quite reliable and relatively cheap to maintain. I'd look out for the following:

1. Vibration damper pulley would likely need to be replaced
2. Service the gearbox at ZF;
3. Have a look at the tyres, if all four tyres are not star rated or the same brand they can cause issues with the transfer case;
4. If it has a sunroof, open the shade cover and listen for rattles when driving

 

[JoziNick]

Thanks guys! That’s what I’m after. Going to take a look at this today will update afterwards


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[byaru1]

The diesel models are quite reliable.

I've been looking at replacing my aging e70 3.0si with a newish x3 20d, 2014 -2016 (partly because those diesel motors can tolerate high sulphur diesel and I like to drive about a bit). Am also curious on the reliability question, but most info I find appears positive in that regard.

 

[JoziNick]

the c-class is not a bad car at all and definitely better than getting into an X3 with higher mileage and worse off, a dealership with a bad rep.

After having driven the X3, you were right the c200 isn’t that bad (this particular X3 albeit in good shape externally internally looked & felt like a car with 200 000kms on it)…
We did happen on a X1 20d, 2017 with similar mileage (for a third more) and drove it…it felt much better than the X3 & in much better shape in every way

I suppose the error in my thinking but is that it would be anything near my f30 msport 320d, and they were both the furtherest thing from it. We’re considering the X1, but a large part of me is saying to instead go back to an f30.

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[PsyCLown]

After having driven the X3, you were right the c200 isn’t that bad (this particular X3 albeit in good shape externally internally looked & felt like a car with 200 000kms on it)…
We did happen on a X1 20d, 2017 with similar mileage (for a third more) and drove it…it felt much better than the X3 & in much better shape in every way

I suppose the error in my thinking but is that it would be anything near my f30 msport 320d, and they were both the furtherest thing from it. We’re considering the X1, but a large part of me is saying to instead go back to an f30.

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Who is going to be driving the car?
You or the wife?

Do you guys NEED an SUV / SAV? Would the space of an f30 work for you?

I am personally not a big fan of the X1, my thinking is that if you want a crossover / SUV then it should have AWD... The X1 does not.
Also the older X1 had the 1 series interior which lacked climate control etc.

I think the 2017 is the newer model though. Does the X1 really have more space than a 3 series? Is the slightly higher ground clearance needed?

 

[JoziNick]

Who is going to be driving the car?
You or the wife?

Do you guys NEED an SUV / SAV? Would the space of an f30 work for you?

I am personally not a big fan of the X1, my thinking is that if you want a crossover / SUV then it should have AWD... The X1 does not.
Also the older X1 had the 1 series interior which lacked climate control etc.

I think the 2017 is the newer model though. Does the X1 really have more space than a 3 series? Is the slightly higher ground clearance needed?

We will be sharing the car (there is no need for 2 cars) but mostly I’ll be driving.

Do we need an SUV? I wouldn’t say particularly that we do, the ground clearance is a non issue as we don’t do much dirt-roading or escapading where it’s needed & after eyeballing the boot of the X1 today I have a doubt that the pram wheels & seat will fit as they do currently in the C200 and seemed smaller than F30 boot by a fair shot (I could be mistaken though)

The reason for looking at an X1 or F30 is primarily the cabin comfort (call it design feel or, I dunno) but the back seat of the c200 while fits a rears facing seat and isofix base with about a cm of space to the rear of the front seat and a person next to the baby seat (it is very cramped, or rather “feels” very cramped, I don’t know if it’s just the way Merc’s are designed but I find the cabin even at the drivers position to border on claustrophobic when compared to that of an F30), the cabin of the X1 felt much better (more open) than the Merc

Secondarily the space, it must match or have more space than the C200, the actual space of the X1 is yet to be determined by trying to fit pram and seat in (but seemed a slightly less)

So an F30 diesel will meet the needs for the case (but I think the Mrs would prefer something slightly elevated and the newer 2017 X1 had a few more niceties than any F30 diesel I’ve seen in that price bracket…nav, sunroof, auto closing boot).

But in terms of drive we found the X3 (xdrive20d) to be very clunky or rather feel very clunky, The X1 felt better (still not an F30) but being front wheel drive that’ll do it

But to be completely honest my aim with my F30 eventually became to try and get maximum economy out of every tank (it was pushed very little)…I was averaging around 800kms per tank…so whether it’s another F30 or an X variant the aim will be the same (however Diesel is a non negotiable)


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[SanM]

You won't get that level of fuel efficiency with the X3 20d vs the F30 320d; probably 80% of the 320d's efficiency.

 

[JoziNick]

I’ll be going to look at an f30 320d gt today hopefully


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[Riaad]

I am personally not a big fan of the X1, my thinking is that if you want a crossover / SUV then it should have AWD... The X1 does not.
Also the older X1 had the 1 series interior which lacked climate control etc.

I think the 2017 is the newer model though. Does the X1 really have more space than a 3 series? Is the slightly higher ground clearance needed?

False, There has always been a Xdrive variant of the X1, the E84s are RWD or Xdrive, and the newer F48 models are FWD or Xdrive - I have noticed a lot more F48s in Xdrive compared to the E84.

The X1 is based on the 1 series, and like the 1 series, climate control was an option. I have an E84 thats Xdrive and specced with climate control.

In terms of space, I would say that the x1 has more usable space compared to the 3 series, especially since the seats fold down, and the higher ground clearance makes life a lot easier.

personally, I dont think you need Xdrive on the X1, as its not a very capable offroader (imo) and lacks the ground clearance of other models in this segment, it also shares most of its underpinnings with the 1 and 3 series which are not designed for challenging terrain.

With the newer F48 X1, i would go Xdrive mainly because who wants a FWD bmw.

 

[PsyCLown]

False, There has always been a Xdrive variant of the X1, the E84s are RWD or Xdrive, and the newer F48 models are FWD or Xdrive - I have noticed a lot more F48s in Xdrive compared to the E84.

The X1 is based on the 1 series, and like the 1 series, climate control was an option. I have an E84 thats Xdrive and specced with climate control.

In terms of space, I would say that the x1 has more usable space compared to the 3 series, especially since the seats fold down, and the higher ground clearance makes life a lot easier.

personally, I dont think you need Xdrive on the X1, as its not a very capable offroader (imo) and lacks the ground clearance of other models in this segment, it also shares most of its underpinnings with the 1 and 3 series which are not designed for challenging terrain.

With the newer F48 X1, i would go Xdrive mainly because who wants a FWD bmw.

Finding one of these variant feels near impossible though. I actually did not even know we got the X-drive 1 series in SA.
I believe we never got the sDrive X3 in SA.

Once again, finding an E84 with climate control is extremely rare. Maybe I just have not had good luck when looking at X1's but they are generally spec'd rather poorly. Finding one with xenon lights and a sunroof can be challenging enough, add climate control and X-drive and you're looking for a unicorn IMO.

The F48 seems to be better spec'd at least. I agree 100% on a FWD BMW... Why? Go buy an Audi then.

 

[Riaad]

I actually did not even know we got the X-drive 1 series in SA.

Nah we didnt, only the new m135i is Xdrive here.

 

[PsyCLown]

Nah we didnt, only the new m135i is Xdrive here.

I meant X1, not 1 series.
Typo on my side.

 

[modocrat]

Finding one of these variant feels near impossible though. I actually did not even know we got the X-drive 1 series in SA.
I believe we never got the sDrive X3 in SA.

Once again, finding an E84 with climate control is extremely rare. Maybe I just have not had good luck when looking at X1's but they are generally spec'd rather poorly. Finding one with xenon lights and a sunroof can be challenging enough, add climate control and X-drive and you're looking for a unicorn IMO.

The F48 seems to be better spec'd at least. I agree 100% on a FWD BMW... Why? Go buy an Audi then.

The G01 X3 18d is sDrive.

 

[///M Individual]

We will be sharing the car (there is no need for 2 cars) but mostly I’ll be driving.

Do we need an SUV? I wouldn’t say particularly that we do, the ground clearance is a non issue as we don’t do much dirt-roading or escapading where it’s needed & after eyeballing the boot of the X1 today I have a doubt that the pram wheels & seat will fit as they do currently in the C200 and seemed smaller than F30 boot by a fair shot (I could be mistaken though)

The reason for looking at an X1 or F30 is primarily the cabin comfort (call it design feel or, I dunno) but the back seat of the c200 while fits a rears facing seat and isofix base with about a cm of space to the rear of the front seat and a person next to the baby seat (it is very cramped, or rather “feels” very cramped, I don’t know if it’s just the way Merc’s are designed but I find the cabin even at the drivers position to border on claustrophobic when compared to that of an F30), the cabin of the X1 felt much better (more open) than the Merc

Secondarily the space, it must match or have more space than the C200, the actual space of the X1 is yet to be determined by trying to fit pram and seat in (but seemed a slightly less)

So an F30 diesel will meet the needs for the case (but I think the Mrs would prefer something slightly elevated and the newer 2017 X1 had a few more niceties than any F30 diesel I’ve seen in that price bracket…nav, sunroof, auto closing boot).

But in terms of drive we found the X3 (xdrive20d) to be very clunky or rather feel very clunky, The X1 felt better (still not an F30) but being front wheel drive that’ll do it

But to be completely honest my aim with my F30 eventually became to try and get maximum economy out of every tank (it was pushed very little)…I was averaging around 800kms per tank…so whether it’s another F30 or an X variant the aim will be the same (however Diesel is a non negotiable)


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Bud I think the X3 you drove probably had some issues as it isn't suppose to feel clunky at all and should have an overall better comfort level than an F30 320d.

Perhaps test drive a few more X3's and do not rule it out as I think long term you will benefit from the extra space and ground clearance from the X3 vs an F30.

 

[AshG108]

We will be sharing the car (there is no need for 2 cars) but mostly I’ll be driving.

Do we need an SUV? I wouldn’t say particularly that we do, the ground clearance is a non issue as we don’t do much dirt-roading or escapading where it’s needed & after eyeballing the boot of the X1 today I have a doubt that the pram wheels & seat will fit as they do currently in the C200 and seemed smaller than F30 boot by a fair shot (I could be mistaken though)

The reason for looking at an X1 or F30 is primarily the cabin comfort (call it design feel or, I dunno) but the back seat of the c200 while fits a rears facing seat and isofix base with about a cm of space to the rear of the front seat and a person next to the baby seat (it is very cramped, or rather “feels” very cramped, I don’t know if it’s just the way Merc’s are designed but I find the cabin even at the drivers position to border on claustrophobic when compared to that of an F30), the cabin of the X1 felt much better (more open) than the Merc

Secondarily the space, it must match or have more space than the C200, the actual space of the X1 is yet to be determined by trying to fit pram and seat in (but seemed a slightly less)

So an F30 diesel will meet the needs for the case (but I think the Mrs would prefer something slightly elevated and the newer 2017 X1 had a few more niceties than any F30 diesel I’ve seen in that price bracket…nav, sunroof, auto closing boot).

But in terms of drive we found the X3 (xdrive20d) to be very clunky or rather feel very clunky, The X1 felt better (still not an F30) but being front wheel drive that’ll do it

But to be completely honest my aim with my F30 eventually became to try and get maximum economy out of every tank (it was pushed very little)…I was averaging around 800kms per tank…so whether it’s another F30 or an X variant the aim will be the same (however Diesel is a non negotiable)


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you cannot compare a W204 to an F30...the W204 era is in comp to the E90, compare the W204 to the E90 as the F30 will better be suited to comparison to the W205 c-class rather.

However, in saying that the boot on the SUV will always be smaller length wise unless its a bigger SUV but the width and height is where your usability is and it takes some getting used to. It can pack well just a different manner ha ha.

The F30 will be bigger than your current c-class all around and you will be happier in the cabin but an SUV (if not X-drive) will feel a bit better as it has more cabin room (overall if I am making sense) and headroom and also no middle bump but the x-drive has the middle bump. that middle bump not being there makes a difference to be honest.

I would also say (flamesuite on) have a look at other brand SUVs also and you will be surprised at what value for money you can get with some good engines, power and reliability also (just some food for thought bud)