My F25 X3 35i M-Sport

gavsadler

///Member
Nice updates. Glad to see things are going well.

I'll buy it back from you in a few years time. My daughter asks about this car frequently, she misses it, haha.
 

KPM3_30

Moderator
Staff member
New Tyres are also needed. I went with the Nexen Nfera AU5's again. For the price I think they perform quite well. I got 35 000km from the current set. Not sure if that is good or bad but for the price I can live with changing tyres every 35k km.

Excellent maintenance log!

What price did the Nexen's set you back and where did you get them from? Almost time for tyres on the X3, definitely not going the route of the GoodYear Excellence that are currently on the car.

I see the Michelin or Bridgestone options are around R20k for a set of 4 runflats (19" wides and narrows). Ideally looking for a set of runflats as I don't have the space saver.
 

Anees

Well-known member
Nice updates. Glad to see things are going well.

I'll buy it back from you in a few years time. My daughter asks about this car frequently, she misses it, haha.

Trying to keep her as well maintained as possible

My little sister also absolutely loves the X3. Whenever we have to do a long distance trip she always makes sure we go in the X3 😂
 

Anees

Well-known member
Excellent maintenance log!

What price did the Nexen's set you back and where did you get them from? Almost time for tyres on the X3, definitely not going the route of the GoodYear Excellence that are currently on the car.

I see the Michelin or Bridgestone options are around R20k for a set of 4 runflats (19" wides and narrows). Ideally looking for a set of runflats as I don't have the space saver.

With me servicing partial DIY and private, I'm trying to keep the maintenance log as updated as possible

I got my Nexen's from Tars Tyres in Bloemfontein. The owner is a buddy of mine. A set of 4 x 245/50/18's come in at R9800. They are non-runflat though

I bought a second hand rim as a spare. It takes up quite a bit of boot space when travelling with the family that's why I travel long distance with the roofbox
 

Anees

Well-known member
Update - 163 7xx km

Nexen Nfera SU1 - 245/50/18


New tyres have been fitted to the X. I previously had the Nfera AU5's on and were going to replace with the same but when I got to the shop they had ordered SU1's for me

The SU1 is the performance variant where the AU5 is more a touring tyre. Spec wise the SU1 seems a lot better

Will be interesting to see what mileage I get from it as compared to the AU5
 

SHABSFS

Member
Having been inspired by MR Y,, i attempt this review...

on Saturday evening we received a funeral message and immediately set out for Durban. Four adults and my teenage daughter, two full size spares in the boot as well as luggage. Left home at 7pm and reached Durban at 1.15am. 680 kms with two pitstops of 30mins.

spacewise and comfort : the f25 provides more than sufficient legroom , seating posture and general comfort. luggage space was more than adequate.. still managed to add in three cooler bags on the return trip.

ride height and stability : the higher ride height gives the driver a much better view of the terrible, pothole ridden roads in the Free State and smoothens out the often uneven road surfaces. Xenon lighting is more than adequate and using the front fog lights extends side vision. The Nexen SU 5 tyres grip well and gives one the confidence to tackle the bends at higher speeds. even though we drove through strong winds and higher speeds through the Vrystaat Velde , the vehicle was always stable and never felt top heavy.

fuel efficiency : the moment one mentions 35i, the term guzzler comes to mind. however, i feel the following figures are more than reasonable...
going down to durbs, first 300 kms at 120, then higher speeds to cover lost time, consumption of 10.2l / 100km.
did about 150km in durban traffic and swopped drivers on the return trip,, higher average speed and more than a few spirited runs in the Free State.. long open stretches of road.. returned an average consumption of 11.8l / 100km. overall hot hatch performance in a family sized vehicle.

value for money : all of the above for polo vivo money

my verdict :: perfectly happy with my sons choice of vehicle.. a true sleeper.. no badges, big wheels or aero kit to impress. just power delivery and the roar when you decide to floor the pedal.
ps. sorry for the long read
 

1 Eyed Monkey

Active member
Thats a proper review. I know those spirited runs when there are no potholes, can be alot of fun. And fuel consumption aint bad at all.
 

Anees

Well-known member
Update - 170 xxx km - Oil + Filter Service

170 xxx km later and the X3 is still performing like a BEAST. Had a little coolant issue with the 30d recently and had to use the X3 for two weeks. Did a total of 1345km and absolutely loved it. A totally different driving experience compared to the 30d but still very fun in its own right. The petrol sound coupled with the pops on upshift and slight burbles on downshift is unmatched 🥰

I did 463km of open road driving at night at 120km/h and averaged 9.9l/100km. The drive back was a bit spirited but I still averaged 11.1l/100km.

The thought has crossed my mind to change the 35i for a X3 30d at some point but for the fun factor of the petrol and the current fuel consumption, I don't think it's actually worth it right now. The dream is a X5 30d, but that's still something for the very distant future

Usual 10 000km service took place over the weekend using the following:

Liqui Moly Engine Flush
Motul 8100 X-cess
Liqui Moly Ceratec
Mann Oil Filter
Blue Print Air Filter
Blue Print Cabin Filter

That's a wrap for now
 

Anees

Well-known member
A picture since its been a while

The only view that other motorists get to see 😉😂

s49MGCV.jpg
 

Anees

Well-known member
Update - 173 xxx km - Maintenance & Tune

With the mileage climbing on the X, it was time to do some maintenance work again

Dropped the car of at Xcede and had the following done:

- New OEM coilpacks
- New OEM BMW colder sparkplugs
- Xcede tune

IMG-20231211-WA0022.jpg
 
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SHABSFS

Member
Update - 180 xxx km - Oil Service

Not much mileage being put on this car. Last service was done end Aug 2023 and now again at the end of Jul 2024

Vehicle is mainly used for long distance travelling as it loves eating up the miles

Vf6nfMe.jpeg
This car loves the open road. Even though the 120d coupe is in the garage, the X3 is my wife's and daughters go to car. It's really going to be a difficult vehicle to replace at the price point.
It's really amazing bang for buck... with the pops
 
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