2025 BMW X3 Review and Test Drive

For a fun family hauler, the 2025 X3 is tough to beat.

Christian Wardlaw | 

May 5, 2025 | 6 min read

Christian Wardlaw

People who love the journey as much as the destination might appreciate the redesigned 2025 BMW X3. This compact luxury SUV doesn't amend any of the foundational rules of a segment that the original X3 arguably wrote two decades ago. Instead, the 2025 X3 hones them while remaining true to BMW's design and engineering heritage.

Highlights of the fourth-generation X3 include bold design, enhanced dynamics, and the latest BMW tech. The lineup includes the X3 30 xDrive and the X3 M50 xDrive, and base prices range from about $51,000 to almost $66,000, including the destination charge to ship the SUV to your dealership from the Spartanburg, South Carolina, assembly plant.

My test vehicle arrived with the M Sport package, Arctic Race Blue paint, and gorgeous 21-inch BMW Individual wheels. It also had ventilated front seats and the Premium, Parking Assistance, and Driving Assistance Professional option packages. The manufacturer's suggested retail price was $60,875, including the $1,175 destination charge. BMW provided the vehicle for this 2025 X3 review.

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Is the 2025 BMW X3 a Good SUV?

Yes, the new BMW X3 is a good SUV as long as your SUV-ing doesn't involve traveling too far off the pavement. It's perfect for people who like to drive but need more cargo room than a sedan can offer. If you're not a fan of the X3's styling or interior, consider alternatives such as the Genesis GV70, Mercedes-Benz GLC, or Porsche Macan.

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Bold but Cold, the BMW X3 Favors Tech Instead of Luxury

Longer and wider than the previous-generation model but an inch shorter from the rubber to the roof, the redesigned 2025 BMW X3 looks athletic. The long and tall hood, blunt nose, and front wheels pushed out to the corners pair with a low and sleek roof, making it appear crouched and ready to pounce.

Inside, cold, technical, and angular themes define a cabin lacking traditional luxury cues. Fortunately, the test vehicle's Calm Beige upholstery added warmth, and the softly glowing illuminated trim looked terrific at night. Some of the plastic used in the BMW X3 is of questionable quality, but otherwise, the interior withstands criticism.

Minimal physical controls force reliance on the BMW Curved Display screens and touch-sensing panels. Fortunately, the X3 retains quick access to commonly used features, such as window defogging, stereo volume, and driving-position adjustments. Unfortunately, I experienced intermittent trouble with an unresponsive touchscreen, which rendered it useless.

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BMW's Veganza artificial leather does a great job of mimicking the real thing. Thanks to its perforated surfaces, heated and ventilated cushions, and manually extending thigh bolsters, the test model's power-adjustable front seats proved comfortable. Quickly accessible storage space is limited primarily to the wireless smartphone charger; recalcitrant cupholders; and door panel pockets made of hard, scratchy, unlined plastic.

I thought the second-row seating position was too low and reclined too much. Also, my shins painfully crunched into the plastic at the lower edge of the front seatbacks. Cargo space measures 31.5 cubic-feet. Remove the lightweight cargo cover, and you can carry three or four full-size suitcases on their sides. Or, fold the 40/20/40 split rear seat to expand the cargo capacity to 67.1 cu-ft.

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With the 2025 X3, BMW Hits a Few Technological Bumps

BMW has come a long way since introducing its iDrive infotainment system nearly 25 years ago. In my experience, its latest tech is among the best. However, I didn't have a good experience with the X3's BMW Operating System 9. With that said, owners who correctly set up a BMW ID through the MyBMW App and activate the BMW Digital Premium services are likely to avoid the issues I had.

Each time I started the test vehicle, a prompt on the 14.9-inch center touchscreen asked me to choose one of four profiles. Only the one labeled Guest worked for me. It was the one that saved my preferences, although it sometimes failed to load my last-used features to the screen. In addition, on a few occasions, the screen would either not load data or freeze after loading, making it unresponsive to input via touch, the iDrive controls on the center console, or voice commands.

Because I couldn't access the BMW Digital Premium services, I couldn't experience the enhanced digital assistant or satellite-view imagery for the navigation system. However, the augmented reality video overlay worked well after I manually entered a destination . Fortunately, the wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity performed flawlessly, so I mostly relied on that during my week driving the X3.

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Every 2025 BMW X3 has essential safety features related to collision warning and avoidance. In addition, my test vehicle had the Driving Assistance Professional package. It installs semi-autonomous driving technologies, including Steering Assistant, which turned every drive into a wrestling match and proved so aggravating that I had to pull over and switch it off the first day of driving the X3.

Traffic Jam Assistant is also a part of that package. It works at speeds under 40 mph and takes control of the X3's steering, braking, and acceleration when driving in traffic. Inexplicably, the in-vehicle tech refers to it as Assisted Driving Plus. Green indicator lights on the steering wheel confirm it is active.

During a rush-hour commute through west Los Angeles on the notorious 405 freeway, it worked properly. However, it frequently frustrated drivers behind me due to the lengthy gap in following distance it maintained ahead of the X3, as well as occasional unnecessary braking.

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The 2025 BMW X3 Is a Daily Driver for Driving Enthusiasts

A turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine powers the X3 30 xDrive. It makes 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission routes power to all four wheels through BMW's xDrive all-wheel-drive system, and 48-volt mild-hybrid technology comes standard.

Official fuel-economy estimates rate the X3 30 xDrive at 29 mpg in combined driving. On my mountainous Southern California evaluation loop, the test vehicle averaged 24.2 mpg, which is reflective of the fun I had driving the SUV, not an inherent flaw. Still, 29 mpg seems optimistic.

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If you choose the M Sport package with its sport-suspension tuning and upgrade to the optional 21-inch wheels, you'll enjoy extraordinary grip and thrilling handling limits. However, you'll also feel every bump, crack, and ripple in the road.

Despite a firm ride and occasionally sticky brakes, I enjoyed the X3, particularly when driving it with enthusiasm on Mulholland Highway near Malibu. It might not be particularly powerful, but as equipped, the X3 30 xDrive could conserve so much speed in curves and corners that its modest engine output was no impediment to a good time.

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As a parent and driving enthusiast, I found the 2025 BMW X3 pushed all of my buttons. From running kids to school and picking up groceries to tackling a favorite mountain road or heading to Mammoth for a snowy weekend, the X3 does everything I need a vehicle to do.

All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication), and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.

Christian Wardlaw

Chris says his first word was "car." For as long as he can remember, he's been obsessed with them. The design. The engineering. The performance. And the purpose. He is a car enthusiast who loves to drive, but is most passionate about the cars, trucks, and SUVs that people actually buy. He began his career as the editor-in-chief of Edmunds.com in the 1990s, and for more than 30 years has created automotive content for CarGurus, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, the New York Daily News, and others. Chris owns Speedy Daddy Media, has been contributing to Capital One Auto Navigator since 2019, and lives in California with his wife, kids, dog, and 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata.