DRIVEN: Is The 2011 BMW X3 The NEW King Of The Castle?

It was only this year that BMW finally introduced an all-new X3 sport-utility vehicle. And thank God. The first-generation vehicle wasn't all that great; however, plenty of people bought them. The car sold like mad!

Having had one myself I know all about the incredibly stiff suspension, underpowered motor and horrid interior. But it was one of the most car-like driving SUVs on the globe. Additionally, it did manage to make me smile when I heard that six-cylinder power rev up.

Now the 2011 BMW X3 didn't exactly have big shoes to fill since the first-gen had some pitfalls, but considering its competition -- namely the Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class and Audi Q5 -- has heated up, BMW couldn't rest on its laurels. Or could they?

**See what AutoWeek has to say about the 2011 BMW X3 by clicking "Read Article"


...EXECUTIVE EDITOR--AUTOWEEK.COM BOB GRITZINGER: This 2011 BMW X3 xDrive 35i reminds me of all the things I used to love about the X5--back when the X5 seemed smarter and sportier than any SUV on the planet. Now the X3 is channeling the big brother, feeling highly maneuverable and providing great handling and power for this class of vehicles...

...ASSOCIATE EDITOR JONATHAN WONG: I haven't been a big fan of the first-generation X3 in recent years. Maybe it was because it was showing its age and had an interior that wasn't put together with the greatest of materials, but it handled respectably well (like all BMWs do) and was a sales hit for the company...