2018 X3 20d xDrive

[MR_Y]

Hi,

My last BMW was a 2017 320d LCI M-Sport Sports Automatic - thread is here: https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/threads/mr_y-2017-320d-m-sport-auto.89261/
That car was sold in 2019 August.
After a few cars, I am back to the BMW brand today with a 2018 X3 20d xDrive on 36,000km.

This is the wife's car and the long distance family car.

Full specs/options below (with my comments):

Mineral White Metallic (paint looks more pearlescent than Metallic and has a nice sheen in low light)
Leather (standard spec has the synthetic stuff, I guess)
19 Inch V spoke 692 wheels (I would be happy with standard 18s, but this car was specced with the larger wheel and thick 245/50 tyres all round. Looks decent)
Mechanical roller blinds for rear passengers (a neat nice to have)
Smartphone integration (pointless for my family, since we are Android based and this only works on iPhone)
Parking Assist (PDCs all round and reverse camera. Not sure if this has self park functionality)
Automatic trailer tow hitch (very nifty gadget that neatly hides away)

Other additions:
The previous owner fitted smash-and-grab, so that is a bonus.
Also, the dealer fitted brand new Bridgestone Alenza tyres as part of the basic deal.
I got a space saver spare wheel, jack and tool kit at a significantly reduced price and includes straps that hold it down firmly in the boot.
X3 G01s can be specced from the factory with a no cost space saver wheel that includes a compartment in the boot, but that kills your boot space.
I may consider a roof box in the future.
I also asked for rubber mats to be included in the basic deal.

The car is in excellent condition and it helps that the white paintwork stands up well.
No need for VPS or ceramic coating, given the colour and family based nature of the car.

One niggle is a clicking noise on the steering wheel that is due to the position-return switch on the indicator stalk clicking when the steering wheel turns at low speed. Workshop confirmed that it is not impairing any function on the car (have this on email). The part has been ordered and will be fitted in the next few weeks (hopefully).

Why did I choose the X3?
After many test drives on other brands in this price range, one cannot beat the X3 for performance and reliability (at least on the 2.0d engine).
Volvo XC60 has a dim witted gearbox and even the high powered D5 feels slow due that gearbox.
Merc GLC is too plasticky inside (at least the 2017-2018 versions) and has only 180mm ground clearance which will not work out for driving on my gravel roads.
Audi Q5 has a DSG box and that will eventually go kaput. Also, the TDI is not as reliable at the BMW 2.0d as the miles clock up.
The Chinese brands were not considered given that I feel that they still need to prove themselves over the long term.
New Kia Sportage was considered - it looks good, has some pep (1.6 turbo), has decent standard tech - but is FWD and I feel will not last the distance as an X3 20d.

This weekend, I am going to spend most of my time reading through the owner's manual, playing with all the quirks and features and taking the car for a 200km drive on Sunday.

Here are the dealer pics for now.

 

[Nish_H]

Congrats man, wish you and the family many happy and safe miles.

Look forward to your detailed review on this car.

 

[Diesel]

Congratulations. Good choice you made. Wishing you many safe miles ahead.

 

[CK4LIFE]

Congratulations bud, hope this one lasts longer

 

[Quintin140]

Congrats. Wish you many happy miles


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[maxkool]

Congrats... You will really enjoy the 20d. Great cars...

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[cos_mo]

Congrats.
That's a lovely car

 

[r0ckf1re]

Congrats on the new addition.

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[///M Individual]

Congrats again bud. Excellent choice!

 

[MR_Y]

Congratulations bud, hope this one lasts longer

Thanks man.
I made peace with the fact that my cars may change like the seasons

 

[Spanky]

Congrats!

 

[MR_Y]

Update after some driving

The Good:

- The car is very spacious.

-The ride quality is excellent. Those 245/50 19s Runflats do not negatively impact the ride. Both poor tar roads and gravel roads are not a problem for this car. Significantly better than my V60 CC which felt a lot firmer and better than a GLC that I drove a while back. BMW have made this a true South African premium SUV for our roads. Don't waste your time with the M Sport suspension and 20 inch wheels if you drive on typical SA roads - the standard suspension is excellent.

- The Connected Drive tech is impressive (though I am having some issues with the MyBMW app with sending locations to car). Having the ability to monitor the status and location of your car is pretty neat. So to the ability to remote start the aircon, or lock/unlock the car or flash the lights and honk the hooter. On the flip side, I wonder how easy it would be for someone to hack your car and cause havoc..

- Even with a space saver wheel (not the factory fitted spare wheel compartment that eats up more space) strapped in the boot, boot space is very decent. I may consider a roof box in the future after weighing up the long distance haulage benefits vs costs

- ZF gearbox is quick to respond and pairs well with the engine to enable quick cut and thrust maneuvers. The best gearbox in my view.

- The interior materials feel well built and there are some nice medium or soft touch panels in frequently touched places both in front and rear. Certainly better looking and feeling than my LCI F30.

- Controls are fairly easy to use and there are nice hard buttons for key features. I also love the programmable hotkeys, that I have assigned to some basic diagnostics (TPMS, Control Check, Driving Analysis, Oil check, etc).

- The bog standard sound system sounds very good for a basic system. No need to upgrade to HK or Bose here, especially for a family based car

The Bad:

- Engine note is bland, though that is true of all its 4 cylinder diesel rivals. I miss the gruffness and off beat idle of the 5 cylinder Volvo motor.

- At higher speeds it lacks the oomph of my 5 cylinder Volvo diesel in the V60 CC. I miss the effortless overtaking ability of that car, granted Volvo's newer diesels (which have been totally discontinued recently) lack that old 5 cylinder punch too.

- The steering feels a bit too light to me, even in Sport mode at higher speeds. The V60 CC had a control to increase hardness on the steering up to 3 levels. Anyway, not a real issue for a family SUV and my wife prefers lighter steering. I assume there is a BMW option tick box when building your new car to get the better steering feel feature.

- the seats are full leather but feel very firm. Though, I guess this is good for one's back over longer distances - something to check out on my next trip to KZN.

- there is no sound/heat insulation cover underneath the bonnet lid. Which I find unusual, since it seems like cost cutting.

- The below is a list of items (missing standard features) that my wife was very critical on and which I feel should be noted by family and/or female car buyers. These features are usually standard on Volvo and other brands that play in the family SUV league.

1. The car has no keyless entry and boot auto opening. This can be an issue for women with kids who have their hands full and need to quickly open the car.

2. There is no button that automatically applies the child lock to the rear doors. You need to manually child lock each door. This can be annoying if one switches between carting around kids and adults in the rear.

3. No electric seat and no memory feature for seats and side mirrors. After switching between my and my wife's driving position, this can be a bit of an irritation when a quick driver change is needed and the height difference is significant.

4. No tray feature in the rear armrest, besides for cupholders. Kids have no stowaway space for their crayons and little items that end up going tumbling down onto the floor.

Anyway, I am only listing the negatives above just for awareness. These are not real deal breakers and one can get to live with them. However, there are other SUVs that offer more family/women friendly standard features though lacking in other key areas where the X3 excels.

This is a good car but if it was my main and only car, I would upgrade to an M40d or M40i with most of the luxury options ticked.

The base X3 is a solid and decent family car, with some areas of improvement that sadly need one to tick the options box.

Do I miss the V60 CC? Yes. Its offbeat 5 cylinder motor and strong midrange power and ability to humble lower rung executive cars made it an unforgettable car.

Do I regret buying the X3? No. It fulfills its main purpose of being spacious and handling gravel and rough tar roads well.

Since this is the wife's car, it will likely not end up being changed in less than 4 years, so looking forward to a long term relationship with this one.

Pictures to follow in a later post.

 

[CK4LIFE]

Nice one man. Lack of keyless entry can be a bit of a let down but you'll or wifey will get used to it soon.

 

[MR_Y]

Nice one man. Lack of keyless entry can be a bit of a let down but you'll or wifey will get used to it soon.

Buying used at a significant price saving over new does make the lack of certain features more palatable.

You should keep your XC60 though - that offers the best of most worlds. Very hard to find that shape with low mileage at a decent prices. Ironically, Volvos are keeping strong resale!

 

[CK4LIFE]

Buying used at a significant price saving over new does make the lack of certain features more palatable.

You should keep your XC60 though - that offers the best of most worlds. Very hard to find that shape with low mileage at a decent prices. Ironically, Volvos are keeping strong resale!

Ya thanks man. Planning to keep it longer, currently on 123000km with regular oil changes,it should be good for another 100k km.

 

[r0ckf1re]

Buying used at a significant price saving over new does make the lack of certain features more palatable.

You should keep your XC60 though - that offers the best of most worlds. Very hard to find that shape with low mileage at a decent prices. Ironically, Volvos are keeping strong resale!

I can understand her frustration. When I had the fiesta as my daily, it frustrated me not having keyless entry (& push start) that was one of the reasons I went with the GLX on the Swift.

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[MR_Y]

Pictures and comments

A decent looking car in base spec. Apart from the 19 inch wheels and PDC, this is what a base 20d X3 looks like.
White paint is metallic, but has a pearlescent look to it in low light conditions.
This X3 generation is as large as (if not slightly larger than) the 1st gen X5.
White and silver paint makes it look smaller than it actually is...
Also, for a 4 year old car, the previous owner took good care of her.



The stuff of legends. B47 2.0 diesel. Not the most in powerful or characterful sounding engine but has the best mix of performance/frugality/usability in its class. No wonder resale on cars with this engine is bloody strong.

Just a bit disappointed that there is no sound/heat insulation material underneath that bonnet. Not saying that the car needs it, but it would look a bit classier for a car in this league.


LED headlights are standard. Have not driven the car at night, so can't comment yet on how it holds up in the dark.


Fake air vent looks off in a car of this league. Serves no purpose.


245 50 19 tyres are an upgrade from the standard spec 225 18s. Surprisingly, these 19s ride really well and pair well with the standard suspension to be comfortable over gravel roads, but still feel nicely planted on winding tar roads at speed. Also, happy that the tyres are the same size all round, so can be rotated to ensure even treadwear. Unless you only drive on manicured tar roads and have an X3 M40i/d or X3M, the M Sport suspension and 20+ inch mixed wheels are totally unnecessary on a 4 cylinder X3. This is certainly the best riding SUV in its class, with standard suspension.


Car comes with optional retractable, electric towbar. Because I am (a) paranoid about this complex electric system going kaput and (b) mindful of someone rear ending the car and denting the rear bumper, I chose to keep the tow bar permanently open/erect.


Rear cargo space is decent.


Under floor storage has my usual emergency items.


Space saver spare wheel takes up a little space. Cargo net keeps it in check. Will consider a roof box for luggage after weighing up pros and cons in future


Tyre pressure guide seems too low to me for my 245 19s. 2.2 bar is a bit low...


Standard seats were optioned with full leather, but seats are very basic and lack lumbar support and side bolstering. Sad to say this, but my aftermarket leather seats on my EcoSport feel better than these seats. I guess M Sport seats, with lumbar, would feel better. I need a long road trip to properly evaluate these seats.
Rear leg and head room is very good and easily beats my Volvo station wagon (V60) for passenger space.


Standard screen is tiny but at least includes satnav and audio streaming and the usual Connected Drive features (though as an added cost subscription).


Basic spec driver instrument dials are really basic. Even my 6 year old Volvo has better graphics and more configurability than this. Granted, you can get fancier dials at a significant cost when ticking the right option box on a new X3. Given what I paid for the car, not really complaining though.


Excellent steering wheel. Not so much the actual feel on the road (which feels over assisted even in Sport mode), but how the wheel feels in your hands. The rim is not super thick (I hate M spec thick steering wheels on non M cars) and the wheel feels easy to swirl around. I also like the simple design and the leather rim feels good to touch. Also, good job BMW on not having a hollow sounding plastic mid/lower spoke on the wheel. My F30 LCI M sport had an annoying hollow mid spoke (when you tap your finger on it, it sounded cheap and hollow).

 

[MR_Y]

Just to add, that the X3 passed my daily commute test (which my EcoSport endures daily). I used the X3 once to work. Wife will use it daily on less harsher roads.

 

[zabbo]

Enjoyed this write up.. anyone in the market for an SUV will gain alot from these posts.

 

[CK4LIFE]

Nice one man.. love those seats..