Second-generation BMW X3 grows up, slims down

Perhaps it’s BMW’s fault for cramming so many similarly sized vehicles, between-size variants, and remixed configurations into its lineup, but I had the hardest time deciding if the 2013 BMW X3 xDrive28i is too big or too small.

The second-generation vehicle’s aesthetic is more wagonlike and it seems to press down into the ground when viewed in the round, which makes it look smaller — both in photographs and in person — than the pre-2010 model, which has a more angular, upright design. However, put the models side by side and it becomes apparent that the new model has actually grown by a few inches in every direction.

Adding to the spatial confusion, front and back seat passengers remarked that the 2013 X3’s cabin didn’t feel as spacious as they thought a small SUV should, even while I was raving about enjoying about the crossover’s tall driver’s seat position, which gives a good view of the road ahead and the area around the vehicle when maneuvering into tight parking spaces.

For the entire week, I went back and forth on the X3’s scale, but ultimately decided that I liked it — perhaps the X3 is just right. It looks and feels smaller than it is, which is a good thing for drivers who want a vehicle with more space for people and the flexibility of the crossover’s hatchback, but don’t want to feel like they’re behind the wheel of a Hummer.

Fortunately, it’s not my job to decide whether the X3 is rightly sized — that’s a subjective decisio… [Read more]