Narrowed it down to two.....

[Bill97Z]

Well we can take the cheap way out, or splurge for a nicer looking one (sport package), but with some options that we really don't need that inflate the price.


2006 X3 Silver Gray / Black Leatherette 20K miles (non CPO)
Heated seats
STEPTRONIC Automatic Transmission
Heated Steering Wheel
Satellite radio preparation
Park Distance Control
Price: $23,500


2006 Alpine White / Black Leather - 19K miles (CPO)
Cargo net
Cold Weather Package
Navigation system
Park Distance Control
Premium hi-fi system
Premium Package
Privacy glass
Satellite radio preparation
Servotronic
Sport Package
STEPTRONIC Automatic Transmission
Xenon headlights
Price: $27,500

What do you think?

[Terry J. Harris]

Well, the added packages and options with the white one easily account for the dollar difference. But my personal preferences would leave me passing on X3's without (1) Xenon headlights (2) Servotronic, (3) leather, and (4) privacy glass (then again, the sun shines all the time out where I live). Those options alone add up to about $3K these days. My '07 X3 was Silver Gray non-Sport Package. When I ordered my '08, I went with Jet Black and the Sport Package, along with some other nice options. I would go with the Alpine White.

[iamthewalrus]

As the owner of a 2006 CPO X3 3.0i with sport, premium, xenons, premium stereo, privacy glass, cargo net, ipod adapter, PDC, and servotronic, I say spring the extra $4k.

The only thing that would nudge me toward the cheaper one is the navigation. I really, strongly, seriously dislike integrated navigation systems, but that's clearly a personal thing. :)

Enjoy it either way!

-James
Seattle, WA

[X3 Skier]

I would pass on both since neither is a manual.:D

OTOH, I would not pay the extra for your second option. Too much of stuff that I would not want / need like PDC and NAV and can cause problems. If it is CPO, that removes that particular worry at least for a few years.

Still if it is what you want, the payments will not be that much different if you finance your purchase.

Cheers

[Bill97Z]

Thanks for your comments.

Describe to me how the servotronic works? Does anyone really use the PDC? Is it useful?

I have read that the nav is kind of lackluster, it's a shame, the white one with sport package looks sooooo good! I just feel (as others said) that we are paying a lot more for options that don't matter to us. As for the other one, if it had leather we would be sold, price is atrractive but still on the fence about the leatherette (like the looks just worried about durability as posted in my other thread).

One more question, is the tire pressure monitor finicky? Reading service history for a few of these I see that come up a lot....also a lot of the ones I test drove, the monitor light was on ni a dash.

[kyfdx]

Get #2..

3.9 financing for 36 months... with your first two payments made..

If you finance for 30 months, your payments will be nearly $1000.... BMWFS making the first two payments cuts your costs by $2K. Plus, $500 more from BMW NA for being a CCA member...

That knocks down your actual price to $25K for the nicer unit with the better warranty... If the $1000 payments get to be too much to handle, then refinance later..

EDIT: That white one is exactly what I'm looking for.. If I buy it, will you drive it halfway to Cincinnati for me? LOL

[X3 Skier]

The only two times I had the tire pressure monitor come on it was a) a small nail in the right rear sidewall causing a very slow leak, and b) the left front tire was actually low. That's is since Oct 04 and 40000+ miles.

I use a HP iPaq as a nav system and it works fine when I need it (which is very seldom anyway).

Leather vs leatherette would not be a deal breaker to me. I have leather and the wife hates it because it is very stiff compared to her Grand Cherokee. Me, I like mine better than hers.

Been parking cars for a looooong time without a PDC. Just another electronic gadget to go wrong.

Cheers

[Bill97Z]

Get #2..

3.9 financing for 36 months... with your first two payments made..

If you finance for 30 months, your payments will be nearly $1000.... BMWFS making the first two payments cuts your costs by $2K. Plus, $500 more from BMW NA for being a CCA member...

That knocks down your actual price to $25K for the nicer unit with the better warranty... If the $1000 payments get to be too much to handle, then refinance later..

EDIT: That white one is exactly what I'm looking for.. If I buy it, will you drive it halfway to Cincinnati for me? LOL


I think the first two payment think has a max payout of 1000 bucks.

[kyfdx]

I think the first two payment think has a max payout of 1000 bucks.

I was under the impression that it was $1000 per payment...

But, you may well be right..

[kyfdx]

"Limited to lease and retail installment sale contracts with a minimum 36-month term. Reimbursement for the first two payments shall not exceed $1,000 per month. First two payments due will be paid by BMW Financial Services NA, LLC on Certified Pre-Owned X3 and X5 Series vehicles. "


$1000 per payment.. ;-)

[Evlengr]

The $4k you spend additionally can be (minus PDC) can be added for under 3k with better quality.

The only reason I went for tobacco leather was color not material. The leatherette seemed just as good to me.

The servotronic essentially makes steering easier at lower speeds and stiffens up at higher speeds.

My wife is teeny and she handles my X3 with no problems.

[shamernj]

That's a good price on the white CPO. When I was looking for an X3 earlier this year I specifically did not want either the Nav (heard it wasn't that good and I have a Garmin Nuvi) or the Sport Package (read about the bumpy ride). When I went to the dealer to look at some specific cars I found they had been sold but they had this 06 with Sport & Nav. Well I took it for a drive and bought it.

It is true that the Nav is not that great but it does what it needs to do and I like the fact that it's integrated and the big screen for the vehicle computer.

It is also true that the ride can be a touch bumpy but I'm also glad I got the Sport Package as the handling is superb.

The Xenons are also cool but wouldn't be a deal breaker for me - 99% of my driving is in well lit towns or on the highway. They're awesome in dark windy roads though.

Stuart

[Mystic1]

The CPO portion of the second one is costing $1500-$2000 of the $4K price difference. If having the extended waranty is something you think you want, then an additional $2K for the added options looks to be worth it. Are those listed prices, or negotiated prices?

[Andrew*Debbie]

Does anyone really use the PDC? Is it useful?



We have PDC on our 2007. It comes on automatically every time you put the car in reverse. So we "use" it all the time.

It is somewhat useful but not a must have. Most useful feature is that it will sound if someone steps behind or in front of the car. I'm always looking in the direction the car is moving. However the X3 has significant blind spots low in the back. If a small child ran behind the car you might not see them but the alarm would go off.




I have read that the nav is kind of lackluster,


The User Interface is dated and not as easy to use as our Nuvi. The actual navigation works better than many hand-helds. We didn't get it because of the price. If it had been $600 instead of $1800, I think I would have ordered our car with Nav.



One more question, is the tire pressure monitor finicky? Reading service history for a few of these I see that come up a lot....also a lot of the ones I test drove, the monitor light was on a dash.


It isn't on our '07. I'm not sure if the '06 uses the same system. Quite a few things were updated for the facelift. If the light is on, get out a gauge and check the tires!



Try making an offer on the white one. If you can get the price down enough, you could end up paying for only the options you want. If not, keep shopping!

If you decide to get the one without CPO, be sure to ask to see the service history. For that matter, you should ask to see the history for any used BMW.


If you keep the car long enough, CPO is worth a few thousand. Be sure to read exactly what is and isn't covered. CPO isn't 100% coverage.

The silver one was almost certainly a customer ordered car. Like our X3 it is an unusual mix of options.

[Bill97Z]

Those are "negotiated" prices. The dealers refuse to take a loss no matter how bad the market is so unless they have no choice but to auction it the next day, I've been finding that I can't do much better than their basis plus a few hundred.

Anyhow, I didn't think to do that 3 yr loan program to get 2 HIGH payments paid by BMW........I think the least you can do though is 36 months so that would be like 800 month. There is no prepayment penalty but I wonder if it's possible to refinance a car loan like through my credit union 3-4 months into the purchase?????

[UncleJ]

Before you buy the sport package make sure you take your wife for a LONG test drive over some potholed, uneven roads. The "normal" ride is bad enough over this kind of surface. While you will usually be driving on smooth surfaces there are enough of the nasty bits around, especially raised expansion joints, to make a trip miserable in a stiffly sprung X3. It is not so bad for the driver, probably because of holding the steering wheel and thus able to absorbe the bumps and jars, but the pax are like bobble heads inside. My grandkids love to ride in the back seat, they think it is like an "A" ticket ride, bouncing around back there (belted in of course).

[AzNMpower32]

I've driven both cars with Servotronic and mine with the standard setup. It could be a fluke, but I thought the Servotronic was too light. What it officially does, is vary the power assist by vehicle speed, as opposed to engine speed. Drive the two if possible, see which one you like.


I do not know if the 2006s were equipped with the FTM (like the E46) or the TPMS, but I suspect it is the former. In which case, the system is not finicky at all if it functions normally. The one on our '04 X3 has never gone off. Ever.

If I were choosing between the two, I'd go for the CPO sport model. It's $4k more, but it comes with a lot more kit, inclusive sport and xenon headlamps. Also, the CPO provides peace-of-mind. But its important to drive and check things out in person, since the condition of one may vary greatly from another.

[Terry J. Harris]

I should add that I've never driven an X3 without Servotronic. My preference is based upon the loaner 328xi I drove that did not have it - it felt heavy, or cumbersome turning the car at very low speeds. I only imagine the X3 without Servotronic would increase this sensation. But the different feel of the 328xi sans Servotronic was very noticeable, so as suggested above - drive both to see if you notice any difference. Good luck!

[jiawei725]

i want to add that CPO will get you two more year warranty. I would not drive a bimmer without warranty. plus the additional goodies, it is def worth the additional $4K.

don't know if this helps. i just bought a 2006 CPO X3 today as well for $28000. a little less miles, but without hi-fi and sports packages. i would say that you got a very good deal.

[HT417]

To me it's an absolute no brainer - get the white sport!.

The sport package helps significantly in taming the understeering beast, has great seats, leather is much more breathable in warm weather, white is sportier than the gray(and do you really want both cars to be the same color? And the gray is harder for other people to see in inclement weather.), the nav is acceptable, XENON, cold weather package, less miles and CPO. PDC is a must have for me here in Germany but since you live in the land of normal sized parking spaces and streets, it may not be big deal. However, you'd be getting it at a price less than the $700 retail and I think you'll find it useful over time. The Servotronic I could take or leave. I have no issue with my non-Servo X3. Definitely test drive it.

Unless specific needs are driving your choice, there is no choice there for me.

Either way, good luck with which ever you pick.

[noego]

To me it's an absolute no brainer - get the white sport!.

The sport package helps significantly in taming the understeering beast, has great seats, leather is much more breathable in warm weather, white is sportier than the gray(and do you really want both cars to be the same color? And the gray is harder for other people to see in inclement weather.), the nav is acceptable, XENON, cold weather package, less miles and CPO. PDC is a must have for me here in Germany but since you live in the land of normal sized parking spaces and streets, it may not be big deal. However, you'd be getting it at a price less than the $700 retail and I think you'll find it useful over time. The Servotronic I could take or leave. I have no issue with my non-Servo X3. Definitely test drive it.

Unless specific needs are driving your choice, there is no choice there for me.

Either way, good luck with which ever you pick.

understeer? driving a '06 w/out SP and 17" Scorpians pretty hard on occasion and no evidence of understeer. in fact the handling of this two ton tessie continues to amaze me. of course maybe i'm not trying hard enough :thumbup:

[X3 Skier]

understeer? driving a '06 w/out SP and 17" Scorpians pretty hard on occasion and no evidence of understeer. in fact the handling of this two ton tessie continues to amaze me. of course maybe i'm not trying hard enough :thumbup:

Same for me with the 05 version.

Cheers

[Evlengr]

I have never had any issues with the handling capablity of either my 07 or 08 X3 without sport package. Although aesthetically I like the looks the sport package really didn't seem to add much in the way of shocks, sway bars, idler arms, etc.. as some sport packs do.

[Mitch3672]

No understeer here either. It is a terrific handler with the xDrive. As well, at least around the city I find the only complaint I have is that my 07 non-sport is still a little too crusty and could do with a little more give and rebound compliance (just a little, perhaps 10%, no Lexus flaming please). Of course out on the highway doing 65-85 mph the thing just amazes me as to how accurate, precise, full of feel and the total control it has especially for a tall vehicle. Just amazing how good it is. However, like a lot of people most time is spent on winter worn urban/suburban areas where the X3 feels every bump and change in pavement just a little too much.

I can't imagine enjoying it even stiffer with the sport pack. The non-sport is just a stiff as my past 3 series cars with sport if not more so.

I hope the next gen X3 at least has variable damping or electronic air suspension.

I was thinking of getting some Bilsteins but no one seems to have done it and I can't ascertain if the ride will improve at all since I don't mind the ride but wish to customize just a bit.

[AzNMpower32]

I have an '04 non-sport, which is firmer than the non-sport versions of other years. I think it's very competent in the bends when driven hard and have no complaints about the ride. When I got my current set of tires, they were softer than expected, which improved the ride but ruined the feedback. Nevertheless, the X3 has more cornering capability than most would ever have the courage to try.

I actually wished I had the sport setup. When I really push it to the max (oh say, 100 km/h full throttle around a mountain corner :angel:), there is a bit of excess softness that I'm sure the sport suspension would cure. But really, no complaints here.

[3seriesbmw]

Get the white one. It's alot nicer and it looks better:thumbup:

[Bill97Z]

We really want the white one, we are going to try and negotiate a few more bucks off the price though in order to justify it over the other one.

[mumsa]

1. get the grey if you plan on keeping it and not reselling.
2. get white if you plan on reselling. all that xtra stuff will help dazzle the buyer. that said, informed bmw buyers will not all be appreciative of options such as the nav, pdc.

[Barcius]

Well we can take the cheap way out, or splurge for a nicer looking one (sport package), but with some options that we really don't need that inflate the price.


2006 X3 Silver Gray / Black Leatherette 20K miles (non CPO)
Heated seats
STEPTRONIC Automatic Transmission
Heated Steering Wheel
Satellite radio preparation
Park Distance Control
Price: $23,500


2006 Alpine White / Black Leather - 19K miles (CPO)
Cargo net
Cold Weather Package
Navigation system
Park Distance Control
Premium hi-fi system
Premium Package
Privacy glass
Satellite radio preparation
Servotronic
Sport Package
STEPTRONIC Automatic Transmission
Xenon headlights
Price: $27,500

What do you think?

Get the white. The added warranty and the options alone are worth the premium.

[Bill97Z]

White one sold :(

But now with the end of the month crunch I have dealers calling me every day......one sounded good but since it only has 13K miles they won't certify it....well I think they just want to move it fast...... Black on Black, premium, cold weather, appearance package (not sport), and auto for 26100 (no CPO though). Our deadline is Monday, so well see! Thanks for all the comments and suggestions.

[Mystic1]

Too bad about the white sport. You'll find another. Don't buy into the BS of end of month deadline. Just a way for them to try to make you buy quickly. Some dealers will make a slightly better deal at the end of the month to make quota, but there is no reason they won't carry it over to the beginning of the next month. If not, move on.
Wondering why they will not certify the X3 with 13K on the clock. Years will most likely run out before mileage, but why should they care about that? Certifying a low mileage vehicle should also be easier as brakes, tires, etc have fewer miles on them and won't need replacing. To certify it will most likely only take half a day. Just curious as to their reasoning here.

[Bill97Z]

Well the Saga is amost over...... Going to see an 06 Silver with Black interior 21K miles for 26K CPO. If it's clean we are going to buy it tonight. Not our first choice color, but for the price it's nicely equipped (no xenons, but I am really starting to like the SP rims!

BMW Assist w/Bluetooth System

Heated front seats

Privacy glass

Satellite radio preparation

Sport Package

STEPTRONIC Automatic Transmission