Looking to buy 2009 X3

Hey guys,

I am looking to buy a new 2009 X3...can't decide whether to go with the one with Navigation or not.

I feel the built in navigation might be too complicated for the wife.

Any comments???

How would an X3 compare with the Audi Q5 or RX350 or Acura RDX?

Thanks

I love the nav -- find it very easy to use and the best placed (phsysical location on the dash) of any I`ve used. (Audis, MB`s and Porsches I have owned/used) Yes the graphics are a little cartoonish, but it works and I like it.

I got my 2009 without the Nav. I've had a couple of the "stick on windshield" portable units and I liked them both better than the BMW navs in my buddies' cars. Too fiddly, too much digging through menus. If I was geting a Mini it might be different because the way they install it is so damn cool.

also keep in mind the NAV technology in the X3 is 10 years old now.

Nick, when you say "compare with" do you just mean the nav or the whole package. If it is just the nav, I didn't get the factory because it was (as KJ mentioned) old tech and my stick on Garman was better. As far as the whole car, the SUV/SAV's you mentioned will be a whole lot more comfortable than the X3. Your wife may appreciate the excellent upscale interiors on all three, compared to the rather spartan interior of the X3. Have HER drive the X3 over some rough nasty pavement, easy to find these days of deferred road maintentance, to gain a real appreciation for the rough unyielding ride. Then drive the others over the same roads to see the difference. I think you will be amazed. BTW, be sure to read the transmission sticky at the top of the page before you buy any post-07 X3 automatic. Good luck!

If you want to know what the navigation is like on the X3, find a friend or a used E46 3-series (2002-2005 or 2006 coupé/cabriolet) and play with it. I think it's a fine system but then again, I'm not the most up-to-date person in the world. Some folks find it archaic since it is 6 years old, but I feel it gets the job done without fuss. Plus, the screen flips down when not in use, something I wish was true of iDrive in other BMWs.

Thank you...we do have an 2004 X3 now and boy it handles rough. I was meaning to compare the whole package and so far RX350 is the most comfortable ride for the wife. Audi Q5 is nice but we are not sure about the reliability.

Thanks again for your thoughts

Originally Posted by UncleJ

Nick, when you say "compare with" do you just mean the nav or the whole package. If it is just the nav, I didn't get the factory because it was (as KJ mentioned) old tech and my stick on Garman was better. As far as the whole car, the SUV/SAV's you mentioned will be a whole lot more comfortable than the X3. Your wife may appreciate the excellent upscale interiors on all three, compared to the rather spartan interior of the X3. Have HER drive the X3 over some rough nasty pavement, easy to find these days of deferred road maintentance, to gain a real appreciation for the rough unyielding ride. Then drive the others over the same roads to see the difference. I think you will be amazed. BTW, be sure to read the transmission sticky at the top of the page before you buy any post-07 X3 automatic. Good luck!

Thanks everyone for your comments. I think we have decided to go with the RX350, until the wife changes her mind again.

Thanks

Originally Posted by nickmetha

Thanks everyone for your comments. I think we have decided to go with the RX350, until the wife changes her mind again.

Thanks

Thanks UncleJ...!

Hey, if his wife is happy than he will be happy!

I asked a lot of questions about the nav system before ordering my X3, and I ignored much of the advice I got and ordered it. It is mostly useless, unless you just use it in map mode, and don't let it guide you. You cannot turn off the voice. It gives awkward instructions, sometimes totally wrong instructions. The interface can be downright frustrating at times. It is very limiting. I usually wind up pulling out my iPhone to get better advice.

Originally Posted by UncleJ

Hey, if his wife is happy than he will be happy!

Very true... haha

Originally Posted by nickmetha

Hey guys,

I am looking to buy a new 2009 X3...can't decide whether to go with the one with Navigation or not.

I feel the built in navigation might be too complicated for the wife.

Any comments???

How would an X3 compare with the Audi Q5 or RX350 or Acura RDX?

Thanks

I think I would skip the NAV. My wife wanted that, but it is old technology. Better to get a TomTom or Garmin.

This is my first big plunge into BMW's (I have 2 now). Lexus/Toyota guy before. I have always had good luck with Toyotas. A friend has an RX300 and has had a lot of things replaced (trans, electrical components, many other things) so hopefully it was just a bad vehicle.

So far, I have loved my X3, as does my wife. Power in the 2007's or newer is great. Auto trans for most is fine, but as the sticky at the top shows, there are issues!

Personally, I would go for X3 or RX350. I bought CPO, which gave me a 100k warranty. 2007 with 15k miles, so "almost new." 60% the cost of new, so great savings.

Originally Posted by nickmetha

Hey guys,

I am looking to buy a new 2009 X3...can't decide whether to go with the one with Navigation or not.

I feel the built in navigation might be too complicated for the wife.

Any comments???

How would an X3 compare with the Audi Q5 or RX350 or Acura RDX?

Thanks

The NAV was a requirement for me. I had a 2002 325 and after testing other cars and their NAV systems I concluded BMW's was the best for the following reasons:

Simple interface.

Display looks like a map and not a video game. Sorry but some of the 3D graphics of other systems are distracting and not necessary.

Can change on the fly. Other systems are only voice activated while driving and are very frustrating to use and not as good.

Is it perfect, no. But it is very good and despite being "older technology" works just fine.

Regarding the other vehicles mentioned, I looked at them all and chose the X3. It all comes down to personal preferences so test drive them all and decide what works best for your needs.

One note of caution. If you are looking at a 2009 X3 and want an alarm make sure it either has one already or is a pre march 09 build. Otherwise, it won't have the prewiring to add the alarm later - big mistake on BMW's part in my opinion.

Originally Posted by archrenov8

You cannot turn off the voice.

My turns off and on very easily. Select the item with the speaker on it, I think it's "Get Directions", press and hold the right knob in for a second and you should see a red circle with slash appear over the speaker icon and the voice should stop.

Just took delivery of a brand new 2009. It is again going back to the dealer to see why it rides so roughly.

I looked at the Q5 (too small and a bit gimmicky for me) , the RX and several Volvos (too boat like), etc. I settled on the X3 after a decently long test drive and because I already had a BMW and loved-loved-loved it.

Oh my god.

It is so bumpy! It is bumpy going over gentle curves in the road. It reverberates for several feet for some unknown reason. I had read that it had a 'harsh' ride in earlier models but this is brand new and the kinks were supposed to have been worked out in post 2007 cars.

I cannot imagine how harsh the pre 2007, sports package cars were.

I have had other people ride/drive it and they say it is fine. I have only had sedans so this may be why it is such a big adjustment for me.

On the plus side: great HP, great handling, great brakes. Comfortable seats, decent technology --- not great --- actually the Prius had the best - even better than its big brother the RX. The four piece panoramic roof is amazing and it has some serious cargo space especially with the seats down. It looks tiny on the outside but feels spacious and open on the inside especially with the roof open.

I read that a different set of tires can make a big difference in the bumpiness...I will have to look into that because, obviously, it is sitting inside my garage at the moment! I figure that there is no perfect car (which is why there are so many models) and I am hoping that the suspension gets mushier over time or our bodies adjust to the jiggling.

Is that too much to ask for a $40K car?

Opted out of the options as we only need a car to run errands in for the most part.

Got the Garmin Nuvi for about $200 aka 1/10th the price of a Nav system for the RX. It isn't built in but it can also go with you. The wires - to the AUX port for the sound and to either the ashtray or the back of the console power port for power are a pain although you can charge it up for shorter trips and not plug it in at all using the internal speakers instead.

It sits on the lid of the dashboard compartment which would normally (I think) house the optional NAV system. Technology changes constantly so, other than the wire problem, I don't know why people go with the built-in. The Nuvi has bluetooth, Audible books and mp3 although it doesn't have as much memory as it should.

Originally Posted by PPXYZ

Just took delivery of a brand new 2009. It is again going back to the dealer to see why it rides so roughly.

I looked at the Q5 (too small and a bit gimmicky for me) , the RX and several Volvos (too boat like), etc. I settled on the X3 after a decently long test drive and because I already had a BMW and loved-loved-loved it.

Oh my god.

It is so bumpy! It is bumpy going over gentle curves in the road. It reverberates for several feet for some unknown reason. I had read that it had a 'harsh' ride in earlier models but this is brand new and the kinks were supposed to have been worked out in post 2007 cars.

I cannot imagine how harsh the pre 2007, sports package cars were.

I have had other people ride/drive it and they say it is fine. I have only had sedans so this may be why it is such a big adjustment for me.

On the plus side: great HP, great handling, great brakes. Comfortable seats, decent technology --- not great --- actually the Prius had the best - even better than its big brother the RX. The four piece panoramic roof is amazing and it has some serious cargo space especially with the seats down. It looks tiny on the outside but feels spacious and open on the inside especially with the roof open.

I read that a different set of tires can make a big difference in the bumpiness...I will have to look into that because, obviously, it is sitting inside my garage at the moment! I figure that there is no perfect car (which is why there are so many models) and I am hoping that the suspension gets mushier over time or our bodies adjust to the jiggling.

Is that too much to ask for a $40K car?

This is my first experience with an SAV/SUV. I have the sports pkg and the 19"wheel/tire package - with Pirelli PZero Rosso tires. In my area, we asphalt roads and while on certain surfaces the sport suspension produces a bit of a choppy ride but this is very rare in my experience. Prior to buying I tested both the sport and regular versions and felt that for the very rare pavement issues that the big improvement in handling was worth it.

This of course is subjective and for me (and the roads I'm on) I definitely do not find the ride rough or bumpy in the least and was really impressed by BMW's job in balancing the ride and handling trade off. I do favor a tighter feel however. If you drive on concrete with lots of expansion joints it might be a totally different story though.

Anyway, you should have your service center confirm that all of the shipping blocks were removed and that your tires are not over inflated. Mis-alignment, unbalanced or bent wheels can also induce vibration but this would be different than what you seem to be describing. Best of luck.

You need to check what wheels/tires you got on your new 09. We have an 07 with 18" wheels and it is a bit stiff. I drove an 09 with 17" wheels as a loaner the other day and it was just so much nicer. Still a bit stiff, but not jouncy.

Originally Posted by claud 3

You need to check what wheels/tires you got on your new 09. We have an 07 with 18" wheels and it is a bit stiff. I drove an 09 with 17" wheels as a loaner the other day and it was just so much nicer. Still a bit stiff, but not jouncy.

Just standard wheels so should be the same as what you drove with 32 inflation.

What do you mean by stiff? Does that mean you feel every bump in the road but you do not get the cabin bouncing around either fore/aft and side/side?

Thank you.

.

Originally Posted by archrenov8

I asked a lot of questions about the nav system before ordering my X3, and I ignored much of the advice I got and ordered it. It is mostly useless, unless you just use it in map mode, and don't let it guide you. You cannot turn off the voice. It gives awkward instructions, sometimes totally wrong instructions. The interface can be downright frustrating at times. It is very limiting. I usually wind up pulling out my iPhone to get better advice.

As pointed out above, this is not correct. While in navigation mode. push the right knob to bring up the sub-screen, scroll down to "Instruction", push and hold the knob until there is a slash (/) thru the speaker icon, let go. The Nav will then work as usual but without the voice prompts.

P.S. This is in the manual and has been on all X3 Navs since 2004.

Originally Posted by PPXYZ

Just standard wheels so should be the same as what you drove with 32 inflation.

What do you mean by stiff? Does that mean you feel every bump in the road but you do not get the cabin bouncing around either fore/aft and side/side?

Thank you.

Probably have overinflated tires from the dealer or stateside inspection. I would recommend checking that first, because that can REALLY change your ride. I have the benefit of having had an 07 with 18" rims and now an 09 with 17" rims. Huge difference - the 09 rides a helluva lot nicer.

Also - the great handling comes at a sacrifice. You can't have awesome handling without some overall chassis/suspension stiffness, no matter what the companies say. That's simple physics. A big ol' boat Buick will be nice and wallowy, but it will totally fall apart in any aggressive driving.

JM2C.