[14] Bmw X3 Reliability At This Week Gossip

I love German cars and have always wanted a BMW – but I’ve been driving Hondas and Toyotas. It’s looking like I can finally afford a 2012 or 2013 X3 ( I want to keep it under $35,000). But I keep hearing that they’re a pain to own. Is that true? Any better bets than an X3? Like Audi? And please don’t tell me to get a Tiguan. – Brian, Oshawa, Ont.

In the quest to be best, Teutonic titans like BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz don’t usually leave well enough alone.

“The German way of engineering is to push technology, always looking for new ways to make something drive better or be more efficient,” said Lou Trottier, owner of All About Imports in Mississauga, Ont. “The Japanese way of engineering is to examine all their competitors offerings and their own products and improve already existing items and procedures.”

All that pushing of automotive boundaries can pull money out of your wallet.

“Generally speaking, European repair invoices average about 30 per cent higher than that of our Hondas and Toyotas,” Trottier said.

The X3’s competitors include the Audi Q5, the Mercedes GLK (replaced by the GLC in 2016), Lincoln MKC, Acura RDX and the larger Lexus RX.

You could also slum it in a non-luxury, non-German compact crossover like the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 or Subaru Forester.

A new CR-V starts at $26,290, a BMW X3 xDrive 28i at $44,650, and a Q5 starts at $43,800.

For our comparison, we went with 2013 – the year both SUVs got new engines.

2013 BMW X3 x-drive 28i

BMW

Second generation: 2011-2017, refresh in 2015

Average price for base: $32,329 (Canadian Black Book)

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission/Drive: eight-speed automatic/all-wheel drive

Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 10.9 city; 8.3 highway; premium gas

For 2013, the base X3 lost two cylinders – and gained better fuel economy.

A four-banger “might be good enough for Hondas and Kias, but a performance-luxury brand needs something with more guts – that certainly would be the conventional wisdom, anyway,” Edmunds said. “But times, they are a-changing – however ludicrous it may sound, this BMW crossover SUV just got better.”

Edmunds liked the “potent and reasonably efficient engines, high-quality cabin, generous passenger and cargo room, crisp handling and comfortable rear seat” – basically, everything but the price, which is higher than most of the competition.

The inline-four offers 240 horsepower. For an average price of $35,472, you can get the 35i with a 300 horsepower, 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six.

Consumer Reports complained about frustrating controls, including a shifter “that requires the driver to press one button to shift into gear and another to park.”

The 2013 X3 has average predicted used car reliability, the magazine said. In 2014, it rose to good.

In Canada, there were four recalls for the 2013 X3, including an “inconsequential” error – the wheel size is missing – on the Motor Vehicle Safety Standards compliance label.

2013 Audi Q5 Quattro baseAudi

First generation: 2009-2017, refresh in 2013

Average price for base: $27,568 (Canadian Black Book)

Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission/Drive: eight-speed automatic/all-wheel drive

Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 11.9 city; 8.6 highway; premium gas

Audi says the Q5 is the world’s best-selling premium SUV – in 2015, it became Canada’s top-seller in the segment. There’s a reason for that.

“The Audi Q5 is a quick, sweet-handling, tightly built luxury SUV with a pretty and tastefully done interior,” Globe Drive said.

For 2013, the Q5 had three engines, the starter 225-horsepower four-cylinder, a 272 horsepower, 3.0-litre supercharged V-6 and a four-cylinder, 245-horsepower hybrid.

Edmunds liked “top-notch interior craftsmanship, class-leading fuel economy, the strong supercharged V-6, superb brake performance, the roomy backseat and sporty handling.”

But it said the Q5 had below-average cargo room and an unintuitive control layout when you skip the navigation. It didn’t like the new electric power steering, calling it “artificial.”

“Among the competition, the 2013 Volvo XC60 provides an even roomier interior and a few more family-friendly features – if performance is paramount, the 2013 BMW X3 largely matches the Q5 in terms of performance and handling,” Edmunds said. “But for an all-around small luxury crossover that does everything well, you’d be hard-pressed to do better than the 2013 Q5.”

Consumer Reports gives the Q5 average predicted used car reliability. It rose to good for 2014. There were no recalls for it.