Real world opinions? 2014 bmw x3?

[RAVL]

Lots of good advice here. Also if you are looking at a 10 year old car of any make, spend a few hundred dollars having a pre purchase inspection done by a shop that specializes in that brand. Generally speaking, at the 10 year mark what is the most relevant thing is the care and documented maintenance from the prior owner because even a reliable make and model will have issues if not properly maintained for a decade. The model specific pointers are relevant after you make sure the candidate vehicle passes basic diligence. BMWs in particular are good cars generally but costly to set right if they have deferred maintenance. Also, get one with a documented service history. That is also a pretty big factor or you are buying a lottery ticket as much as a used car. For example I would rather buy a “less reliable” brand (as long as not a complete POS reliability wise) at the 10 year mark with records than a “reliable” car with no history.


Good luck. HTH.

 

[Marcozi]

Definitely have the car undergo a pre-purchase inspection performed by a n indie shop that specializes in bimmers. Ty www.bimrs.org to find a shop near you. No nearby shop listed? Google "BMW CCA in zip code #####," where "#####" is your zip code. That'll tell you the name of the local chapter of the BMW Car Club of America. Go to the website and get the names and emails of the officers. Ask them for shop recommendations.

 

[meep]

How is it optioned?

Convenience package, Premium package - are the big two families. Carmax lists stuff like cruise (non adaptive), CarPlay, heated seats…. I think it has HUD. Tow hitch! 41k miles, and it’s through Carmax which I’ve had good experience, and warranty support, with.

Currently looking at ISTA and BimmerCode and trying to set up an old laptop for them.

If we get it, I’ll likely ditch the RFT’s and go to an 18” wheel for a little more sidewall. Probably getting ahead of myself, but I’ve been looking around for a while. CC2, G015, or the pirelli AS3 all season UHPs can be had in the size I’m considering.

@MCompact, there is one glaring idiosyncrasy with this vehicle that I’m going to have to get over. You are precise enough in your understanding of these vehicles to catch this. The steering column on the X3 is canted 2 degrees inboard, such as from the drivers seat, the column and wheel are angled slightly to the right. I noticed it the moment I sat in one months ago and at the time said a hard “no.” I would expect bmw, of all the manufacturers, to get it right. Optically, you can’t see it, because the angle the dash the same 2 degrees to match. But I notice it with hands at 9-3 because my right hand hits the wheel first. There is little about this online, except a guy who found the same while fitting his for recaro aftermarket seats and posted dimensions up somewhere online.

 

[RAVL]

Sounds like a nice car! Good luck with it.

 

[Marcozi]

I suggest you get bimmercode and bimmerlink apps. I have them and make it easy to code stuff and to check for faults.

 

[John105]

We've had a '14 since new. It is the In Laws (when they are up North) and Daughter's car in the off season. It has been fine save for a few service bulletins and some expensive rodent damage which obviously isn't the vehicles fault. Considering its used by my Mother in Law and newly licensed Daughter, neither of whom I would refer to as being especially mechanically astute, it has served us remarkably well.

Agree on the tires. We just had the Conti RFT's mounted which I prefer to the Pirellis.

Good to hear, I think if you can keep something going, buying new is justified. To be problem free is icing on the cake. New has the best chance of that (I just feel that people don't treat things as their own when they are certain they are not keeping it, and I did buy a 10 y.o. car used and it's also pretty good).

 

[meep]

OP here, we bought the X3e today (2021). Thank you for the advice here, which was formative and helpful in pointing us in the right direction. Going from a work-spec F150 to the feature rich machine has been a little mind boggling, but it is a wonderful vehicle. I’ll post a new, title-appropriate thread after we’ve got a few miles on it.

 

[Jetronic]

"N" engines were designed with Renault (I think). Basically, Renault wanted to steal BMW engine technology.

designed with PSA (now stellantis). N13, N14 and N18 only

 

[wavinwayne]

OP here, we bought the X3e today (2021). Thank you for the advice here, which was formative and helpful in pointing us in the right direction. Going from a work-spec F150 to the feature rich machine has been a little mind boggling, but it is a wonderful vehicle. I’ll post a new, title-appropriate thread after we’ve got a few miles on it.

Congrats! My wife loves her 2020 X3. It has been a good one.

 

[The Critic]

I suggest you get bimmercode and bimmerlink apps. I have them and make it easy to code stuff and to check for faults.

No, he should go for a real ICOM. They are incredibly affordable for a real OE tool.

https://www.getbmwparts.com/oem-parts/bmw-icom-next-a-816010-81315b519a5

 

[RAVL]

Congrats and use it in good health!

 

[MCompact]

The X3 was still one of my favorite SUVs- until the new generation, which received a heaping helping of ugliness along with the Radio Shack surplus widescreen display.

 

[jeepman3071]

The X3 was still one of my favorite SUVs- until the new generation, which received a heaping helping of ugliness along with the Radio Shack surplus widescreen display.

If I didn't need to tow a significant amount occasionally, a used X3 was going to be my next vehicle. The new ones are strange looking, and the larger BMWs with better tow ratings didn't interest me.

 

[meep]

The X3 was still one of my favorite SUVs- until the new generation, which received a heaping helping of ugliness along with the Radio Shack surplus widescreen display.

I disabled the HUD, turned off all the moving maps and “data” on the main panel, and found the quick way to black out the center LCD which is too much at night. My first 3 days with this car haven’t been easy in that it’s so complex - I just want to drive. After turning a bunch of stuff off, it’s growing on me. The engine note and transmission tuning is superb. Hybrid in/out is on par with the rav4, which is pretty darn good. I agree - there’s a lot of body language on it which doesn’t need to be there, but that just kind of blends in nowadays.

It instills a little range anxiety in that once the hybrid battery is drained, you’re driving around with 2 fuel gauges, one which is always on E. The gas tank dropped quickly on my first tank, which also was not a positive experience, but the second tank seems to be lasting longer.

It’s a heavier beastie than the ones I remember which bodes well on the highway but doesn’t inspire “nimble,” even though it has planted power and authority at the helm. It’s surprising hefty. It is wonderfully quiet for its size on the interstate, and hides its speed. There is a lot of suspension compliance. It is more luxury car than it is canyon carver, though if you care to manage the mass I’m sure it will carve just fine.

In hybrid form, I feel completely detached from the road. Every single control surface is drive by wire. Brakes, accelerator and even steering (in so much as the computer dictates weighting), are software inputs. They did a nice job - the software is well-sorted and the experience exudes warm butter, making it a nice “just get me there” car, but a civic is far more connected to the road.

We own both this and a RAV4. I will counter all the other reviews which say the X3 is a better driver’s car. I hate to say it, but the RAV is more “on the road” with an eager, scrappy and feeling of control-direct advantage. The X3 is more comfortable (for me at least) in almost every NVH, ergonomic and acoustic metric. The hybrid form probably adds 400 lbs to this model.