I had two X5's, a 2002, and a 2005. Loved them both, but when the lease was up on the '05, I just could not warm up to the new E70 X5... Bigger than I needed, not a big I-Drive fan, and hate the fact that the E70 comes with run flats.

So, I picked up an '08 X3 for my wife, and ordered an ML-320 CDI for myself.

I enjoy driving the X3, and as many have said, it is more fun to drive than the X5, and it really is quite nimble. A lot of '08's have transmission issues, and mine is not immune to this. The six speed auto hunts for the proper gear, and does not shift nearly as smoothly as it should. BMW says this is "normal", but I and many others don't buy it.

Would I buy another one? Probably not, due to the transmission issues.