BMW X3 2011

When the first X3 hit the market we were all glad to see the luxury brands entering the small SUV segment.  The problem was that all the luxury brands were entering the segment with thin skinned, dumbed down designs.  The original X3 was a little to small and lacked in design appeal.  The 2011 X3 has made up for all that was lacking with the previous model.  The 2011 X3 grew to a more appealing size and incorporated a lot of the beef that the X5's design featured (The X5 received a 10 from Car Grade when it came out).  The head lights of the vehicle are kind of a let down because they do not look like the rest of the fleet.  They are simple and rectangular instead of the classy curves of other BMW models.  The front of the X3 has all the other bold features that we love about BMW.  The grill is classic BMW yet fits into the design nicely.  The raised fog lights give off a very gruff look without sending the design to far to the off road side.   

The rear of the X3 is where most of the improvement took place.  The previous X3 had very quirky tail lights that where far to small for the design, making an already weak design look weaker.  The new X3 has BMW's double lit tail light system which is really cool but classy at the same time.  The new tail lights slant somewhat downward as they wrap around the back of the vehicle.  The white stripe carries from the inside edge to the outside edge without breaking which helps keep the tail light system combined as it crosses over the from the frame to the rear gate.  The stripe is thinner on one side than the other adding to the appeal.  The rest of the rear is clean and neat.  We like when car companies don't throw a lot of words and crap on the rear of the their cars.  The X3 just has BMW's trade mark logo and "X3".  The rear reflectors are built right into the design giving off a well thought out look.

  .The profile of the X3 is enhanced by a deep character line starting from the rear of the front wheel well, trailing back until it hits the tail light and then is carried by the tail light design, attention to detail, we like that!!  This gives the X3 an aggressive feel for such a small SUV.  The part we don't like is the angular rear window.  The window takes a bunch of small angles as it rounds the back of the truck.  This is similar to the previous model but is something that should have been left behind. 

It is very difficult to give small vehicles good lines because of the fact that there is not much room to pull it off, but the X3 adds small touches to give it the advantage in its segment.  This is definitely a step forward in the compact SUV segment.

2011 BMW X3

Grade: 9