Just picked up our "new" 2005 X3 3.0i

[Drum]

What a cool little vehicle!
I really like the drive and even the ride, despite the fact that it is the dreaded and much maligned "Sport" suspension. It is certainly a "rougher" ride than the Passat wagon it replaces or my 540i/6, but it is a good deal less head-tossing than my 1991 Jeep Cherokee Laredo was. I must admit to a certain self-destructive joy in an SUV's jolting ride and so I am probably not a normal consumer in that respect. However, the stiff ride seems to really pay off in those long curving highway on ramps and while hugging the twisty back roads in our neck.

Alas, within three hours of delivery, some daffy broad from NJ had managed to rear end us in her Honda whatzit. Seemed to go basically under the rear bumper of the X3. Dinged one of my shocks with the muffler and knocked the muffler off of it's hanger. Aside from some shredded plastic (the spare tire holder is damaged but usable) and possibly a bent exhaust, the X3 seems to have weathered the bump fairly well.

Unlike the Honda which suffered two broken headlights, a stoved in hood and probably a damaged engine. It would not start after the collision and I had to drive the little lass who hit me to a gas station to arrange for a tow. All the while she is riding in the X she is saying, "Wow, this is a really nice car!" My response, semi-tongue in cheek... "It surely was."



For those who are curious, ours is a 3.0i with all the bells and whistles except for navigation in highland green. We picked it up as a lease return at a local auto auction for just over $19k. It has 32k miles and is (or was) immaculate as a CPO.

Any other X3 Sport fans out there?

Cheers,
D

PS: If anyone wants to see, I can post some pics, but I am waiting for the pollen to stop falling so I can give her a good bath. That, plus the "repairs" ought to be done before I expose her on the web.

[RastaGurl]

Congratulations (on your new acquisition, not the subsequent wreck), and :xoutpost:

[Ishniknork]

Man, what a drag to get rear-ended right away . Glad it survived it so well! I've got a 3.0i '05 Sport also and love it. Having driven sports cars most of my life the ride doesn't bother me at all and I love leaving tail-gaters behind on those ramps!

Post some pics when you can and :xoutpost: !

[xnsf]

:xoutpost:

sorry about that mishap, but enjoy the car!

[sniper321]

Ive owned sports cars my whole life too, and I cant imagine NOT having the Sport suspension. Personally, I love it, as it has made the transition from sports coupe to "SAV" a breeze.

Congrats on the new ride.

[AzNMpower32]

Congrats on the ride! Sorry to hear about the fender bender, but it sounds like something that can be easily rectified without too much trouble.

I'd love to feel what the sport models are like. I have an '04 (firmer suspensions all around) non-sport, and when I'm tackling mountain bends, it handles amazingly but I'm sure it'd be even more of a hoot with firmer damper rates!

[Drum]

Thanks for the kind welcome, folks!
I have been out today bombing around in the rain with the X3. Somehow, the rain on the windshield makes me realize and appreciate the amazing all around view afforded by this new ride. The height advantage is really very easy to take for granted, unless you are dividing your time between an X and an E39.

The gearing is very different (of course) between the two cars as well. I really like how switching between such different vehicles keeps you on your toes in both. This X3 reminds me a good deal of my old 325is (E30? I forget) in both the gearing (the X3 is a bit lower and has that 6th speed that I always wanted for the 3) and the handling.

Bumpy is certainly one way to describe the ride. I do not see this version of the X3 being much of an off-road master at all. At slow speeds over broken ground, it seems sometimes a challenge to stay in your seat. I do not, on the other hand, mind the road-related jolts that come with highway speeds over Pa. roads. The X3 definitely feels more like my beloved 3 than my 540i.

As for the damage, do not fear. The offender's insurance co. has already been in contact and will be viewing the car on Tuesday. I am having my superb independent Bimmer guy do me an estimate as well and I will be sure to get my new friend all cleaned up in no time. Probably all she will need is a new bumper cover, spare tire tray and muffler before she is good as "new".

I have a couple of newb questions, but I figured it better to start a new thread for those.

Cheers and thanks again for the welcome.
D

[AzNMpower32]

Oh, so you got a manual? Great choice

[Drum]

Absolutely!

Not just because they are my favorite way to stay involved with the car while driving either.

As a criminal defense attorney who does a lot of court-appointed work with juvenile offenders, I have learned an important fact; very few Americans under the age of twenty or so have any idea how to drive a stick shift vehicle.

My clients, several of whom are teenagers who steal cars for fun and profit, have told me that when choosing a car to "boost" will not even bother with a car that has a clutch. They can't drive it so they don't want it.

I do not pretend to know what percentage of car thieves who would tackle a new-ish BMW are actually juveniles or young adults, but I figure driving a vehicle with a standard transmission has got to cut the odds some.

I will never own another automatic shift vehicle, at least until they are all gone.

D