Vehicles - 2004 BMW X3 E83

Last crawled date: 1 year, 10 months ago

The BMW X3 is a compact crossover SUV marketed by the German automaker BMW, based on the BMW 3-Series E46 automobile platform, and now in its first generation. BMW designed the X3 in conjunction with Magna Steyr of Graz, Austria — who manufactures all X3's under contract to BMW. Following the X5, the X3 was the second vehicle marketed by BMW as a Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV). he BMW X3 was initially criticized for its harsh ride, an austere, minimalist interior that relied heavily on obviously plastic components, and limited off-road usage, through its heavily road-biased chassis set-up. Critics also felt the car was overpriced; a basic 2.5i, which lacked cruise control or automatic headlights and had vinyl upholstery, exceeded $30,000 in the U.S. (Vinyl has never been offered in other markets). BMW sought to rectify these complaints in 2005, with various upgrades (see below). The X3 also disappointed some BMW purists by not being assembled at a BMW factory; instead, the car's production was outsourced to Magna Steyr, based in Graz, Austria. However, Magna Steyr has won numerous awards for quality and has been the highest rated car assembly factory in Europe. It has also manufactured - amongst others - European market Chrysler/Jeep products, the 4-Matic Mercedes E Class derivatives, and even Saab 9-3 convertibles.