2005 BMW X3

When BMW introduced the X3 I found myself wondering why they'd want to do such a thing. Then I reasoned the suits in Munich were just trying to get an extra share of the ever-burgeoning SUV market and needed to come up with a smaller, slightly more affordable version of the X5 to do so. Such a cynical attitude is easy to maintain when you've got no real basis for criticism, so in this case a simple test drive really did make all the difference.

In fact, the X3 and X5 are entirely different animals. I never relish the idea of getting into a truck unless I'm looking to go off-roading. Having said that, the X3 is not a truck and it's hard to say how it'd perform over mud and rocks. On the road, though, it's more capable and nimble than many cars I've driven. Notice I said cars, not SUVs. When given the opportunity I actually find myself excited about stepping into the X3, especially if the weather's bad.

This vehicle seems perfectly suited to an active person's lifestyle (which isn't to say I'm particularly active). It can fit a fair amount of stuff in the back, comfortably seat four people (five if the middle person in back is skinny enough) and offers the benefits of improved ground clearance and all-wheel drive. The biggest surprise is that driving the X3 is much akin to driving a 3 Series with a slightly elevated seat position. The clutch is a little long and the shifter is a bit vague, but it takes impressively well to spirited driving and cuts through curves with remarkable aplomb. Power output is adequate, and along with the six-speed manual transmission firmly establishes the X3 as a performance-oriented mode of transportation, in contrast to your ordinary pickups or "utility vehicles." BMW unashamedly points this out in its broadcast ads, referring to the X3 as a Sport Activity Vehicle rather than lumping it in with the larger SUV crowd, and I for one can personally testify the factory claims are spot-on.