New X3
 

Not bad, not bad at all. I saw one a few hours ago live and in the flesh. It's fairly close in size to the E53. The interior was really nice. The ///M and ///M sport should be super nice looking. The lines of the body flow well. Great improvement BMW :thumbup: ............Phil

I've already studied the owner's manual :D Funny because I would never actually buy one.

:thumbup: Also faster than E53 X5.

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachments/...vse53-true.jpg

http://www.xoutpost.com/attachments/...9_27_22-am.png

With the size of the new X3, the X1 will be a nice addition as long as BMW doesn't cheap it down with a bunch of cheap plastic and a ton of faux leather.........Phil

Nice chart, LM...
I snitched it, with credit to you, for the head scratchers on the B'fest X3 bored...

The X3 will probably be on my look at list, if/when our ol'X5 needs more than
gentle resuscitation.
BR, mD

I'm the kind of person that kinds it hard to buy the X3 in the US when I know there's an xDrive20d with 3-pedals available, but not sold in the US. Not to mention that non-RFT are offered in Germany as well.......

It's a matter of principle. If BMW NA won't offer something I prefer, I'm not going to compromise. Rather, it's a sale that BMW loses.

Seems to me the effect of not getting a new car and continuing driving an old one is greater on you, than the effect of one lost sale is on BMW. Do you think they will notice?

Also, wouldn't the X1 be more the target vehicle for you than the new larger X3?

Haha yeah, I would prefer the X1 but I know BMW NA isn't going to sell the model I want: the sDrive20d with a manual transmission.

My next car will most likely be a hatchback with a 4 cylinder engine. The E83 is about as big as I ever want a car to be. The VW Golf TDI is the most suited to what I need and want at this moment, but my X3 isn't going anywhere for at least another year or two.

BMW is coming with 4-cylinder with new 3er with performance comparable to 6-cyl.

Having more diesels or stick shifts in US is matter of demand and supply. If people will not buy diesels or stick shifts in US, than we can't blame BMW. Same goes for manual vs. auto tranny. There is single digit percentage population interested in manual tranny in US for daily use cars. (less than 5% of cars produced by Toyota and Honda have manual transmission).
In 2001 17% of US cars had manual transmission and it has been declining since. It was 35% manual transmissions in 1980. In 2007 the number dropped to 7.7%.

I don't see BMW making any manual transmission cars in another 5-10 years.

If you love 3-pedals and diesels in US so much than my question to you is, Have you done anything to promote these in US lately? ;) :D

In the US maybe. In Europe, manuals are still everywhere. And i mean, they brought the new 5 series in a manual. I think that the morons at BMW NA recognize that theres still the enthusiast market, even through special order.