Changes on Face-Lift X3 (Pre-SEP 2006)

[mrebholz]

Hi all,

Maybe many of you have't yet had the pleasure (!) of owning two X3's already - one before the facelift, and one after. I have, and only because my new 2006 model year got stolen towards the end of last year, and now I have a new one, courtesy of insurace.

I was going to start a list of things we people think/know have been upgraded/ improved or changed between models. Of course, there are those things which BMW crow about (e.g. obvious external body kit differences, the brake pre-tensioning, LED rear brake lights and cluster change etc) but there are also things that have changed which are not mentioned anywhere else IMO, all of which make the car a definite upgrade.

I'll start the list, but if anyone else has anything to add, please do so:

1. Addition: Ipod/any stero jack AUX input. Located bizarely under the flap of the cigarette lighter socket facing the rear of the vehicle. This was not included in the pre-SEP06 model.
2. Change: Dashboard soft-touch interior. Looks and feels much more sumptuous and more remininscent of the old-style E46 3-series.
3. Change: Sensatec looks and feels better, looks much more like leather, it's only when you feel it you realise it is not, but I swear it feels softer.
4. Addition: TMC on seperate channel setting for the Radio/Nav. Previously, as only CLASSIC FM in the UK broadcasts TMC info, if you were not actively listening to a CD (i.e. tuner free for tuning to Classic) or the classic station itself (i.e. you were listening to another station - shock, horror) then you simply did not get TMC. So.. if you wanted to stay informed of traffic problems, you HAD to listen to a CD, or stayed tuned to Classic. No longer. Now, you can set the TMC channel to classic, and then listen to anything else you like. You can also set and define your preferred TP channel for the X3 to listen to (e.g. BBC Radio4). Perfect. This is a major step forward.

Also - if you can - DO get the servotronic steering option. At low-speeds, quick steer maneouvers around tight UK-style mini-roundabouts is SOO much easier. In the previous X3 this was a pain..