Originally Posted by ses4me

I don't think "flimsy" is a proper characterization. I own both and the feeling I get in my 3 is of nimbleness, agility and responsiveness, not flimsiness. That said, I can understand how you could perceive the 3 to feel less formidable than the X5 because conversely the first time I drove my X5, I thought it felt chunky, heavy and unresponsive. As time has passed, however, I don't feel that way about my X5 at all. I began to recognize that they are two different types of cars that should not be compared. You must compare the cars with other cars in their categories. That is the true test.