May 21, 2012:
X3 delivery!
I ordered my new BMW X3 the evening of May 2nd, so the computer entry did not occur till the May 3rd – and now, less than 19 days later, the car is mine!
(and here, last shot of the Audi, with the X3)
A nice interior, with loads of gadgetry to learn, just how I wanted it …
A nice change from the all black Q5:
Many thanks to BMW of Peabody for getting the car delivered today, even with excessive delays from Geico! Special thanks to Bill Cotton …
May 19, 2012:
X3 / Q5 comparison
I got my first chance to see my new X3 this morning – it arrived at the dealership last night (less than 16 days since I placed the order!)
Even filthy dirty as she is (apparently transported uncovered and in reverse from Spartanburg!), it’s clear there’s more styling to the X3 than the Q5 – compare the hoods:
It’ll be at least Monday before I get to drive her and learn all the other differences …
(more comparison pics in the Gallery)
May 16, 2012:
I’ve seen my X3!
Admittedly not in person, but during production at the BMW Spartanburg factory – a production video is offered with each X3, that includes clips from a few production stages; I’ve edited these clips out for your “entertainment” …
May 13, 2012:
X3 built!
It took more than a week (seems to take longer to make an X3 than a MINI – I suppose it is bigger!) …
May 6, 2012:
A new build, a new GBMINI
Now that I don’t own a MINI after selling GP0203, and having owned my Q5 for over three years, it’s time for a new vehicle.
My primary desire these days is for interior comfort and a high level of technology – but after driving MINIs for nearly ten years, it’s nice to have a car with great steering and a responsive engine, too. I much prefer five door / hatchback designs over sedans and coupes too, so that limits my choice … And this is the bit where many GBMINI.net readers might close the browser – my shortlist consisted of vehicles similar to the Q5, that is “crossover” or small SUV styles!
I did lots of research, and had a burst of test drives recently. First up was the new Land Rover Evoque at MINI of Peabody sister dealership Land Rover Peabody – well, that didn’t go so well. The interior is nice, but feels a little cramped due to the low roofline – rear visibility is worse than a convertible MINI, but good rearview cameras help with that issue. The big negative of this car was what I hope is a fault on the particular vehicle I drove – when pulling on to highways, the car would reach about 30mph and then go no faster even while the revs slowly climbed. I’d have to release and re-apply the accelerator to get any more speed! Since this was the only tester, I couldn’t investigate if it was a fault (and I’ve heard nothing since from the dealership).
Next up was the Lexus RX350 (or it’s hybrid sister the RX450h); I was reluctant to return to the IRA dealership group where my Audi came from – but in truth they were Ok to deal with on this day.
The car was nicely equipped and comfortable, but I still wanted to test one more vehicle …
And so, on to another MINI Peabody sister, right next door – BMW of Peabody. Once again they had only 3 series BMWs in the showroom, and we had a long wait before we could see the X3 28i I wanted to test. Eventually we were able to drive it, and it was good – though perhaps not as good as the Lexus, and with a very noisy cabin interior at highways speeds (a combination of wind and road noise I think).
The salesman suggested we try the more powerful X3 35i; I couldn’t see why it would be any quieter inside, but agreed to try it – and WOW! It was so much more fun to drive. The bigger engine made a huge difference to it’s responsiveness, and made it a completely different vehicle. Oh, and the interior noise was much reduced, mysteriously but happily.
The newest BMWs now have some pretty sophistic interior technology these days (something that previously has put me off them), and so I was able to spec and order a car that I think can offer most of the luxury of my Q5, a lot of the fun of my MINIs, and the technology that I desire day to day … and it’s being built right now:
I realize this is nothing like the type of car most MINI owners want – it’s certainly not going to take corners as well as a MINI, and it’s loaded with pricey comfort and technology much of which isn’t available at any price on a MINI, but I believe it’s exactly the right car for me.
So for the immediate future, GBMINI.net will be BMW themed …
