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..

[Steve Gill]

Just ordered a new 3.0sd Sport for delivery in March, upgrading from our pre facelift 2.0d Sport, so thanks for this post. Looking forward to March!

[xnsf]

i thought one of the more significant changes, well most appreciated, changes was the addition of padded door panels...

i couldn't believe the older ones didn't have those

[trueX5er]

And of course it's got AEs now

[mrebholz]

AEs?

[applicat]

There are also some additional changes... Some of them I found myself reading on the net and for some I was pointed by distributor:

1. Servotronic is now BMW generation II

2. Automatic gearbox is now Generation II - much faster with better mechanics and (much) modified sw. It's 6 speed instead of 5 (if apply to your model)

3. Automatic gearbox on 3.0SD is generation III (or IIa) and is 25% faster than on generation II (50% faster than on generation I). Diler mentioned that sw when gear is in SD mode learns drivers habits of driving... although this is not user visible...

4. Brake Assistance Managment is completelly new and includes emergency braking - when you moove your leg from the trhottle fast and apply strong pressure on the break pedal it wipes brake disks and apply stronger pressure....

5. XDrive is now Generation II with numerous improvement and updates to Generation I. Accelerometers arround the vehicle measuring latteral acceleration on all 4 sides of the X3 and in the center gravity are new and much more sensitive. Gyroscopic system is new.... Electronically Driven Cluthes are new and have 3 times faster response and can susain double pressure than previous...

X3 is the first BMW with Xdrive generation II implemented. It will also be introduced on series 3 and series 5 XD cars in 2007...

6. Suspension system implemented is new. X3 is now more comfortable than before without sacrifising lateral stability...

Basically the biggest and the most important upgrades in X3 are in XDRIVE. and in NEW suspension system and unfortunatelly this is not recognized by magazines and even not by users...

My diler mentioned that complete Vehicle Managment Systems computer is new generation, new processor. It is more complex and new training was requested for maintenance technicians. The SW is now 4 times the previous one (in size)....

It will be interesting if we have some BMW service technician on board, authorized/trained for old X3 and facelift to give us some more insights and proof if I was informed properlly...


Regards

Alex

[asawadude]

Excellent information from mrebholz and applicat! Thanks! Where's the N54 twin turbo engine?

[mrebholz]

Not all of these things are strictly post-facelift though. My MAR 2006 X3 had 6 gears on the auto, although I wonder if my new X3 changes gear faster. I did always find the previous X3 sluggish to change gear, and it sat sometimes at high revs and was reluctant to change without me 'blipping' the accelerator. Servotronic was also on my previous options list, but I didn't take the plunge. ;-)

I agree about the suspension. I deleted sports suspension for this model as the old one was a very hard ride WITHOUT it, so I didn't want to make it worse. Now, actually, it's probably OK with sports susp; it'd be fun to try it.

The other issue was the door panels - yes, door panels look much nicer, and the storage pack gives much better pockets - deeper and tougher for carrying, and extra 'net' pockets behind the front seats, by the passenger footwell, and the net in the boot (trunk!)

I've got the 3.0D MSport, pretty loaded with kit, so if anyone wants to ask any questions, please fire away. I had the 3.0D Sport previously (old '04/05/06 model)

thanks
Mark

[xnsf]

Originally Posted by mrebholz

AEs?

angel eyes

[tugpilot]

Nice to hear some good comments on the X3 especially after Clarkson slated it on Top Gear, what did you think of Sundays Top Gear, what a load of rubbish, the only thing that it highlighted was the desperate situation, still after the hurricane.
I hated the sport suspension so much i paid to have an AC Schnitzer set up, now it is great, still firm but rides as a sport should, gone is the bone jarring ride, at the same time had the power up-grade from Autolgic, now plus 40 bhp and goes like the clappers seems to have improved the auto gearchange, but on a recent trip still returned 38 mpg that is impressive, if there is anyone interested in the original sport suspension i have set for sale, my local BMW specialist did the swap for £160, the hardest part was removing the interior trim.

Happy motoring to all you X3 lovers/drivers.

Derek