Your thoughts on a BMW X3

MoCarCandyBMW

///Member
Hi Guys

I am in the market for nice family car.

I have noticed the X3s are priced in the 80k to 100k range.

Any issues with the X3?

Anything I should know?

Your response will be highly appreciated.
 

splintheter

///Member
MoCarCandyBMW said:
Hi Guys

I am in the market for nice family car.

I have noticed the X3s are priced in the 80k to 100k range.

Any issues with the X3?

Anything I should know?

Your response will be highly appreciated.

They are Ugly and look like the X5's "Special"Cousin, but thats just me :sorry:
 

Jerez

Well-known member
shanoo said:
I drove one for a day it was quite nice to drive. Launches nice

Couldnt have been a 2.5i then...Drove a petrol 2.5i years ago and it was an absolute dog -Diesel please
 

Willy

Member
Well I bought a 20d X3 a month ago. It is a great family car.

I got about 7l/100km on a recent trip to KZN. Which even if it is more than what BMW claims, i still think it is good for how I drive and how heavy it was loaded.

I think the F25 is really a good car.


O only saw now that you are talking about the first shape.

If you can live with the looks, there is nothing wrong with them.

I wouldn't go for a 2.5, it is heavy on fuel and slow. at least the 3.0 is a bit quicker to offset the fuel usage.

I would look for a X5, they didn't hold their value so you will probably get a good one of the same year.

30d then.
 

Blue Shirt

Well-known member
My wife has owned an E83 X3 3.0i for about 11 years and 250000km now.

The car has been very good so far, it only has a few weak points which you should address when considering to buy one:
  • E83 X3's have the usual E46 cooling system issues. Pay attention to the expansion tank, thermostat, hoses and water pump and replace every 100000km to ensure reliability.
  • The transfer case needs to be serviced regularly as they mostly fail at around 150000km if not serviced. The failure mode can be either a worn-out actuator (easy to fix) or a stretched chain and worn clutches (expensive to fix).
  • Ensure that all 4 tyres are the same size and brand, with equal wear front & rear, otherwise you will be guaranteed to have a failed transfer case after a while.
  • If you are buying a petrol-engined version, keep an eye out for the usual oil leaks (valve cover gasket, oil filter housing) and consider to replace the VANOS seals, they mostly fail after 150000km or so. If looked after, the engine is good for 500000km at least.

The E83 X3 is mechanically very similar to the E46 cars, so they are not too difficult to DIY for the usual maintenance items.
 

m0lt3n

Active member
Blue Shirt said:
My wife has owned an E83 X3 3.0i for about 11 years and 250000km now.

The car has been very good so far, it only has a few weak points which you should address when considering to buy one:
  • E83 X3's have the usual E46 cooling system issues. Pay attention to the expansion tank, thermostat, hoses and water pump and replace every 100000km to ensure reliability.
  • The transfer case needs to be serviced regularly as they mostly fail at around 150000km if not serviced. The failure mode can be either a worn-out actuator (easy to fix) or a stretched chain and worn clutches (expensive to fix).
  • Ensure that all 4 tyres are the same size and brand, with equal wear front & rear, otherwise you will be guaranteed to have a failed transfer case after a while.
  • If you are buying a petrol-engined version, keep an eye out for the usual oil leaks (valve cover gasket, oil filter housing) and consider to replace the VANOS seals, they mostly fail after 150000km or so. If looked after, the engine is good for 500000km at least.

The E83 X3 is mechanically very similar to the E46 cars, so they are not too difficult to DIY for the usual maintenance items.

nice info. my father has 150k km on his now. how do you service the transfer case?

great car, he has a 2007 2.0d
 

Blue Shirt

Well-known member
m0lt3n said:
nice info. my father has 150k km on his now. how do you service the transfer case?

great car, he has a 2007 2.0d

Get the oil changed in the transfer case. It is an easy DIY, just buy the correct oil from a BMW dealer. It is quite expensive at around R1000 per liter, but you need less than a liter to replace the oil.
 

Gizmo

Banned
Blue Shirt said:
m0lt3n said:
nice info. my father has 150k km on his now. how do you service the transfer case?

great car, he has a 2007 2.0d

Get the oil changed in the transfer case. It is an easy DIY, just buy the correct oil from a BMW dealer. It is quite expensive at around R1000 per liter, but you need less than a liter to replace the oil.
I recently bought 1lt from the agents, its R600/lt.
 

davelo

Member
I've had my 2009 E83 2.0d MSport for almost 3 years now, and it now has 160 000 km on it (bought it with 100 000 km). Extremely versatile, lots of space, remarkably good handling, and more capable offroad than you may think too. Only problem I've had was a noisy belt pulley, which was a quick fix and not hugely pricey. Maybe I'm a bit more anal about my cars than some, but it still looks and drives like new. Average consumption (50/50 town and highway) has been 7.8 l/100km, but you can get it below 7 on the open road if you keep to the limits.

Mine has the staggered 18" dual-spoke M rims on it, which look good but are a pain in terms of tyres. As was mentioned, it is critical that the same make of tyre is fitted all round and that you don't have a big difference in tread wear between front and rear. The staggered setup makes this more difficult, as one can't rotate the tyres. I am also having problems at the moment in sourcing the Dunlop SP Sport 01 tyres, seemingly the only tyre available locally in this size combination (255x45x18 and 235x50x18) that works on this vehicle. Monitor tyre pressures closely too, as I detected what seemed to be a transfer case noise / vibration, but then found the rear pressures were about 0.3 bar too low. Inflating them cured the issue completely. IMHO, if you have any sort of drivetrain noise or vibration, the first thing to check on these vehicles are the tyres.

I will likely keep it for another 100 000 km, if not more. Far better vehicle than I was even expecting when I bought it.

Dave
 
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