BMW X3 xDrive20d M Sport
Active it still is. But it won’t wear you out anymore.
P4.4 million (excluding M Sport items)
2.0-liter, inline-four, Euro6compliant diesel with twin-scroll turbocharger, intercooler and common rail direct injection; 187 hp @ 4,000 rpm, 400 Nm @ 1,750-2,500 rpm
Eight-speed automatic All-wheel drive 19 inches, 275/40 Adaptive LED head lamps with LED daytime running lights, turn signals and fog lights; multi-information display; BMW ConnectedDrive multimedia with touch screen and USB, aux-in, iPod and Bluetooth connectivity; leather steering wheel and seats; reversing camera and sensors; automatic climate control; smart entry with push-button start/stop; panoramic sunroof; automatic engine start/stop; electric power steering; brake energy regeneration; driving mode selector; M aero package; sport suspension; M interior trim matter the type of terrain — within reason, of course — underneath the car.
M Sport package allows the X3 a higher degree of athleticism, largely due to firmer dampers and larger wheels with lower-profile rubbers. Unsettling this tall car, even when cornering at a fast clip, is difficult. It feels well-planted in highway cruising, too.
Firmer dampers and larger wheels with lower-profile rubbers hark too much of sport sedans. If a cushy ride is what one desires, forego these pieces and opt for smaller wheels that can be fitted with tires that have more sidewalls. The X3 won’t feel as sporty, true, but this added sportiness is something that will be noticeable only during hard — really hard — driving.
BMW’s default setting is always having the automatic engine start/ stop system switched on (to cut on fuel use and emissions the system shuts the engine off when it’s merely idling and instantly fires it up when the car is about to move). The trouble is that the system is a bit obtrusive, particularly in stop-and-go traffic, when it repeatedly goes through all the shutting and starting. And having to constantly switch the system off every time one uses the car is a bit of a bother, too.