What should I know as a new 2006 X3 owner?

tennisboy

Just got a killer deal on a 2006 X3 w/ 43k mi on it. What should I know as a new owner? I am a little unclear about what the 4 year/50,000 mile warranty will cover. Also, how the heck do I unlock all of the doors at once without using the key!? Any other tips would be most appreciated...

Thanks!

jrynn

Let me preface this by saying that I am a very happy 2006 X3 owner. I don't mind the "firm" ride. I have no idea what other posters are talking about when they complain about acceleration "lag." And I have -- knock on wood -- only had to stop by the dealership once, other than for my annual visits.

The only small SUV I'd rather have is a 2008 X3 -- better ride, better interior, better engine, better gas mileage.

The last is one of the few things that's surprised me -- negatively -- about the X3. In suburban driving, I've gotten just 17.05 mpg over the life of the car. I expected it to be lower than the sport sedan I traded; but not THAT much lower. 4/50 has covered every maintenance item I've had as an '06 owner (except the cost of gas for the service loaners).

btw - you unlock all the doors without the key by pressing a button in the center of the dash, by the hazard lights. Also, not sure what brand of car you're coming from, but my X3 almost always "locks" the ignition so you can't turn the key unless you first turn the steering wheel. That wasn't true with my non-BMW's.

cotmc

I may be wrong, but I believe acceleration "lag" was never really an issue for the 2004 thru 2006 models. I believe this became a discussion topic after the update for MY2007, when the drivetrain changed to the 6spd auto.

We have a 2004 X3 3.0, which we bought as a CPO vehicle last summer. It has been trouble-free except for a very slight noise with the driver window (or door). We had a TSB performed for this problem last fall, which seemed to resolve the matter, but now the noise is returning. (I've been told BMW warranties their work for two years, and so I'm not too concerned.) I'm going to first try applying rubber/vinyl protectant on the seals to see if that makes any impact.

One other thing: Less than a month prior to our X3's 4th birthday, I noticed the CD player had a slight problem with one of my CDs, but only when I hit the Fast Forward or Rewind button near the end of that CD. I tried other CDs, but I could detect the problem only with this one CD, and only near the end of it. Because the full factory warranty was almost expired, and I was nervous this might turn into more of a "real" problem several months down the road, I decided to take the X3 to the shop to see if they would replace that head unit for me. I figured it was only a long shot, at best. Most any other dealer would say, "No Problem Found", and that would be that. Surprisingly, my BMW service advisor called me 2 hours later and said they were replacing my head unit under warranty. For that alone, I must give BMW a lot of credit!

Otherwise, our X3 has been great! It is a near-perfect family car for the three of us. We live in a suburb community with some highway driving, and our X3 seems to average 21 to 22 mpg -- not bad for an AWD utility, err..., activity vehicle!

califjohn1

I have a '06 with 32K trouble free miles. The car has been very good on smooth pavement, but is a beast on any kind of rough, potholed, raised expansion jointed streets. The ride is way too harsh IHMO. That said, on smooth roads it is a wonderful cruiser with about 22-24 mpg easily obtainable. The transmission problems referred to are in the '07 6 speed versions not the earlier 5 speeds which have been pretty much trouble free. One other little "hidden" switch is the clown nose on the mirror. It turns to dim the rear view mirror if you don't have the self dimming kind. Also the passenger side mirror tilts down when the car is in reverse IF you put the side mirror selector switch to the left (?). Never could figure out why that is. Enjoy your new X3 as far as I can tell they are really no different than the brand new ones (I have driven several) , even though many will disagree with that.