My impression of the '06 X3

[X5Jay]

Very nice! Great color and I really like those wheels. Were they an option or are they standard w/the 3.0 sport pkg.?

[RastaGurl]

They're standard. The sport package has 18" wheels, which are a different style.

[fq1]

Originally Posted by alpine rasta

The most noticeable was that the '04 version was noisy as hell. Lots of annoying squeaks, noisy moonroof, etc. Not so, in the new (and presumably improved) '06 model. Yay!!

Noise question: Is the lower noise level just from the removal squeaks/rattles or you think they have put more/better noise insulation. I love my 04 3.0 but hate the high noise level. However, I do not have squeaks, but more driveline noise, road noise and tire noise. The driveline noise is the worst though.

Also. do you think they have improved any interior materials quality? That in my opinion is another item that keeps it from being the best "truck" on the market.

Congrats on the new ride!

[RastaGurl]

I think it's a little of both. With my '04, despite replacement of the window seals, etc. the rattles persisted. I even had the one-way valve installed in the moonroof, to no avail. There was also road noise. That's not completely eliminated in the '06, but is noticeably reduced, I'm assuming due to better insulation. In addition, there are no rattles or squeaks whatsover, so I can now listen to the radio at a normal volume! I also noticed that with my summer tires (Pirelli Scorpions) the road noise was less than with my winter tires (Dunlop M3's), and I guess that's expected. I"ll be interested to see if there's a noticeable difference with the '06 once I switch to the winter tires.

As for the interior, it's not much different from the '04. The materials look the same, but feel a little less cheap. I got leather seats in this car as well, and it's definitely of a better quality than my '04 version. The leather both looks, and feels softer.

[fq1]

Originally Posted by alpine rasta

I think it's a little of both. With my '04, despite replacement of the window seals, etc. the rattles persisted. I even had the one-way valve installed in the moonroof, to no avail. There was also road noise. That's not completely eliminated in the '06, but is noticeably reduced, I'm assuming due to better insulation. In addition, there are no rattles or squeaks whatsover, so I can now listen to the radio at a normal volume! I also noticed that with my summer tires (Pirelli Scorpions) the road noise was less than with my winter tires (Dunlop M3's), and I guess that's expected. I"ll be interested to see if there's a noticeable difference with the '06 once I switch to the winter tires.

As for the interior, it's not much different from the '04. The materials look the same, but feel a little less cheap. I got leather seats in this car as well, and it's definitely of a better quality than my '04 version. The leather both looks, and feels softer.

Thanks for the rsponse. I have the Scorpions and they are pretty loud. Hopefully they increased the insulation so that there is less tyre noise in the cabin. The other place where in my opinion the noise comes from is the transfer case/transmission, which is pretty loud on my car. I am gald they they have improved the interior materials quality to make it feel more like a BMW.

I am not familiar with the one-way valve. What is that for?

Thanks!

[RastaGurl]

I noticed on my '04 that there was an annoying whine from the moonroof at speeds greater than 60-70 mph. (By no means was I ignoring posted speed limits! ) Apparently this was a known issue, and required installation of a one-way valve. I'm not quite sure what (if anything) the valve did, or was supposed to do, as there was no real improvement once it was installed.

BTW, I've noticed you use the British spelling - tyre. Are you West Indian, Canadian, or British?.....or none of the above?

[xx3]

the one way valve was actually for the moonroof gurgling noise which could be heard when there was light rain and the roof was either closed or in the tilt position.

There was another TSB for the whiny noise though, and that required the dealer to reapply glue to the top of the windshield.