Car info,r.e., 2013 BMW X3 xDrive28i

[kantuckid]

We just tested the 4cyl X3 28i today & it is a pretty sweet car! The engine is smoother than my Caddy CTS & doesn't shift down(unlike the CTS) into what seems like "one too low gear" if pushed hard. It is tight in handling-we never owned an SUV- and dosen't have the float in the suspension of the Caddy. The Caddy is nice on L & R but too bouncy. RFT tires are much improved, still the spare,jack wrench missing & expensive to replace. $600 for wheel/tire insurance. Good sales guy(there are a few lot lizards that still belong to the human race) , commented that one person told him the way to do it is live with RFT , wear them down a bunch then dump a box of nails , make a run through & collect...

In trying for the BMW "Loyalty Credit", I don't qualify after buying my 1st BMW car new in 1969 & I counted them up-have owned 16 since then , not counting my kids driving them too. Last was a 2008 but 2 yrs in a Caddy since then & now going back I'm seen as "un-loyal"! Also have 3 BMW bikes & owned 5 total. Hmm! Another issue is the BMWCCA credit is $500 I cannot collect as you must have been a member for the 365 days preceding the new buy- I was a member for probably 20+ yrs, but no $$$ . Why doesn't this come our way via BMWMOA membership , at least on bikes? Is that clubs suction greater?
Question: How much is the dealer payed as holdback money on a 2013 X3?

[EMSimon]

Before you buy the X3, do yourself a favour and check out the Audi Q5. Comes with either a 4-cyl turbo or a 3.2L V6. And it has - arguably - the best 4-drive system in the world.

[kantuckid]

I,ve worked on the AWD systems in both & owned both. Had 2 quattro's. My current CTS4 is AWD too. It easily climbs my steep & curved private gravel road in the snow with OEM all season Michelins-only issue w/CTS is the "cow catcher" rubber air thingy under the front bumper cover is too low for snow very deep.
I recently did a survey of AWD systems in modern cars and it seems there's more there than one might think. When you get into the guts of whats there mechanically & also look at the electronic controls there are quite a few diffs in whats being put into vehicles. The Mercedes 4matic is not so good after that reading. The Audi is better than several others but not necessarily the best.Several mfg's use the cheapest AWD, not the better choice but IMO many people think "if you've got it, then you've got it".
I have had by actual count 16 BMW cars since 1969 & all but a couple(Z3 & 318i) of them since 1989 have been one form or the other of their Xi or iX cars. The x-drive cars work fantastically in wet ,ice & snow. FWIW, My Tundra does too. It's too nice to run in the woods the way I've done lots of rough PU trucks but I turn the 4wd selector every time I come up my road as it keeps my gravel in place. It has never failed to climb my hill in any amount of un-plowed snow. Same for my BMW's -if the clearance allows. Subaru-sameo,Audi-sameo, Z3-of course not,UPS man & FedEx man-of course not.
Quattro is one of the "better versions" of AWD but not the only one that has merit. There's a neat video on web of some Euro types driving an Audi vs. a BMW up a ramp equipped with steel rollers on each side of the incline-guess who wins & hands down at that...
Of course theres way more to AWD than climbing a ramp. IMO, there's also much more to AWD than just the "driving fast(too fast) in the winter " thing as the safety benefit extends to wet roads and staying on the road & under control. E.g., the 4x4 pu's like a old Dodge power wagon(ala new TV show Vegas, see Denis Quaid go zoom) or other early versions are simply not capable of giving the road control of the new stuff-at least some new stuff.

[kantuckid]

Before you buy the X3, do yourself a favour and check out the Audi Q5. Comes with either a 4-cyl turbo or a 3.2L V6. And it has - arguably - the best 4-drive system in the world.

I did & much prefer the new X3 which is much improved over older versions. I also drove an A4. It's time for us to get into an SUV and sit higher & ride with more space than a sedan offers these days. Remember when BMW refused to put cupholders in the vehicles? My Caddy has 2 spots & a door space that barely holds glasses. The glovebox barely holds the manual and zero cuholders,etc in back other than back of seat nets back passgrs have no place to sit anything-trunk is good. Q5 has more body roll than X3 with standard suspension in BMW. I like the engine in seat of the pants much better in BMW & the rear drive feel is better maintained in BMW. I also like the interior better & Audi has always done well in that area. Far more choices to customize the BMW via long option list. A huge diff is the price structure. At 1st glance the Q5 is lower base price but if you learn the ways to get the BMW price down it is a cheaper car after that happens & even better, with far more features. Not cheap, but very nice!
Anyone buying a BMW feel free to PM me as I've done the homework in buying a new BMW car & as you know it can be tedious out there "on the lot", the web & the phone! also recently did the same in shopping for an adult son w/busy job on 4Runner-he owes me big time!

[BenDiem]

^^^OP, I own a '13 X3 35iMSport. I had the car serviced last week, and I was provided a '12 X3 28i as a loaner.

I was very impressed with the performance of the 28i. I did not expect the 28i to perform the way it did, but boy was I impressed. The 28i has considerably more torque than the old six cylinder 28i of yore. Don't let the four cylinder fool you...

I even provided my impressions of the 28i on the X3 Forums...

Long & short, the 28i revs a bit higher and stays in gear a bit longer than my 35i, but the performance was there...

Of interest, I found the 28i to be a bit un-economical. It might be b/c I did not drive it leisurely.

GL/Cheers,

BB

[kantuckid]

Try this for economy: 70/55 in AR/Oct. on 4 lane = $170 + $20 for no points charged +$3 to get proof of not having 2 tics in 2 yrs. Fast= poor!