2004 BMW X3

I love driving. More importantly, I love driving along those windy mountain roads at a high rate of speed; you know, like you see in the commercials. I also like to four wheel drive and want to be comfortable doing it.

I bought my BMW X3 3.0 in July of 2004 model year 2004. At the time, I lived in New Mexico and when I asked the salesman if you could four wheel in it, he took me for a test drive in the desert. Not only can this puppy four wheel, but it does so while making you feel like you're on a cloud of air wrapped in sheer luxury. It easily took on the desert where my salesman took me for a test drive and also areas where I chose to test drive. While I don't know the specific angles of arrival and departure for the car, what I do know is that it did not bottom out or get scraped at anytime and never has since I've owned it. It easily climbed over small rocks (about 18-24 inches) and never got stuck in the mud.

Shortly after buying it, I moved to The Big Island of Hawaii and got to drive those windy, mountain roads I saw on TV. Well, it was everything I dreamed. This car can handle and stick to the road at great speeds and do it safely. While it is an SUV, it drives and feels like a sports car. There was none of the "oops it almost tipped over" feel that you get from other SUVs probably due to its low center of gravity. At no time have I ever had to ease up on the gas in a curve unless it's been a VERY sharp curve (and quite frankly, all cars have to slow down on those curves unless you want to experience a 1000 foot fall). You need four wheel drive to get to some of the best beaches on the island and this car gets me there. When I get to those beaches, I wind up parking next to other trucks and SUVs that have had lift kits installed and their owners are amazed my BMW got me there with no damage to the car. It really does four wheel as well or better than a Jeep; this is no sissy SUV.

Aside from the luxuriously appointed interior (leather seats, wood trim, leather arm rest, climate control ac, enormous sun roof, tinted windows, leather wrapped steering wheel, BMW Assist), it has an amazing stereo system (I love to rock out), blue tooth technology, fantastic leg room for passengers sitting in the back, is completely ergonomic (no having to reach for anything here), has tremendous pick up, and can handle the steep grades and rough terrain of Big Island with no problem (a very big deal on this island). Mine has a standard 6 speed transmission (excluding reverse) which helps with the terrain. There's even a setting for extremely steep grades that keeps the car from going over 5 mph (necessary for those trips to Waipio Valley where the road has a VERY steep grade). It is truly an amazing vehicle and one I don't plan on selling or trading soon. It even gets great gas mileage for an SUV; 20 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway without hauling any cargo. When I do haul heavy cargo, it gets 18 mpg city and 24 mpg highway. And talk about cargo space! With the seats down (which fold easily and go back up just as quickly), I can fit a St Bernard, Kuvasz, and Komondor all at once and quite comfortably! No small feat for such huge dogs! Aside from routine maintenance, it has never needed any major work (and I now have over 90,000 miles on it).

My one complaint? It doesn't have a coin/change holder. Oh well, you can't have everything;-)

I love driving. More importantly, I love driving along those windy mountain roads at a high rate of speed; you know, like you see in the commercials. I also like to four wheel drive and want to be comfortable doing it.

I bought my BMW X3 3.0 in July of 2004 model year 2004. At the time, I lived in New Mexico and when I asked the salesman if you could four wheel in it, he took me for a test drive in the desert. Not only can this puppy four wheel, but it does so while making you feel like you're on a cloud of air wrapped in sheer luxury. It easily took on the desert where my salesman took me for a test drive and also areas where I chose to test drive. While I don't know the specific angles of arrival and departure for the car, what I do know is that it did not bottom out or get scraped at anytime and never has since I've owned it. It easily climbed over small rocks (about 18-24 inches) and never got stuck in the mud.

Shortly after buying it, I moved to The Big Island of Hawaii and got to drive those windy, mountain roads I saw on TV. Well, it was everything I dreamed. This car can handle and stick to the road at great speeds and do it safely. While it is an SUV, it drives and feels like a sports car. There was none of the "oops it almost tipped over" feel that you get from other SUVs probably due to its low center of gravity. At no time have I ever had to ease up on the gas in a curve unless it's been a VERY sharp curve (and quite frankly, all cars have to slow down on those curves unless you want to experience a 1000 foot fall). You need four wheel drive to get to some of the best beaches on the island and this car gets me there. When I get to those beaches, I wind up parking next to other trucks and SUVs that have had lift kits installed and their owners are amazed my BMW got me there with no damage to the car. It really does four wheel as well or better than a Jeep; this is no sissy SUV.

Aside from the luxuriously appointed interior (leather seats, wood trim, leather arm rest, climate control ac, enormous sun roof, tinted windows, leather wrapped steering wheel, BMW Assist), it has an amazing stereo system (I love to rock out), blue tooth technology, fantastic leg room for passengers sitting in the back, is completely ergonomic (no having to reach for anything here), has tremendous pick up, and can handle the steep grades and rough terrain of Big Island with no problem (a very big deal on this island). Mine has a standard 6 speed transmission (excluding reverse) which helps with the terrain. There's even a setting for extremely steep grades that keeps the car from going over 5 mph (necessary for those trips to Waipio Valley where the road has a VERY steep grade). It is truly an amazing vehicle and one I don't plan on selling or trading soon. It even gets great gas mileage for an SUV; 20 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway without hauling any cargo. When I do haul heavy cargo, it gets 18 mpg city and 24 mpg highway. And talk about cargo space! With the seats down (which fold easily and go back up just as quickly), I can fit a St Bernard, Kuvasz, and Komondor all at once and quite comfortably! No small feat for such huge dogs! Aside from routine maintenance, it has never needed any major work (and I now have over 90,000 miles on it).

My one complaint? It doesn't have a coin/change holder. Oh well, you can't have everything;-)