It can be difficult to find a car which is just as suitable for work as it is for the family but the BMW X3 may just do the job.
When you’re arriving at a meeting, it’s vital that you look the part, and the car you turn up in probably says as much about you as the clothes on your back.
The look
Autocar suggests that the latest iteration of the BMW has “the macho styling and commanding driving experience that SUVs are expected to deliver”.
There is undoubtedly something impressive and imposing about the scale of an SUV, yet with the X3 this is combined with better fuel efficiency, which is ideal for a family car.
Autocar states that “BMW has made significant improvements [to the X3] by beefing up the nose and removing those awkward bits of plastic around the bumpers”.
It also seems to have the seal of approval from the family community. Mumsnet reviewed the car recently and suggested that is has a “luxuriously appointed cabin,” which it states is “classier” than you might find in the Range Rover Evoque, for example.
Space inside
If you’re using a car for work you may well be required to drive a client or colleague to a meeting and you want to ensure you can give them a comfortable ride.
The makers have increased the amount of room inside the BMW X3 and Autocar states that “the combination of occupant and luggage space will do most people just fine”.
This car is perfect for a family of four (or four adults) and if you had a fifth family member they could sit over the transmission tunnel.
The drive
Although it is an SUV, Autocar suggests that “it drives like a normal car … with the comfort and refinement [that] are as good as in a BMW 3-series,” so it’s ideal for ferrying colleagues and clients around in style.
Mumsnet describes it as “superb to drive,” thanks in part to the fact that it is lighter than your average SUV and “extremely comfortable”.
It suggests the 181bhp 2.0-litre model has enough oomph to statisfy most drivers and states for comfort and drivability, buyers who have the cash should splash out on the model with the eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Economical
If you’re concerned about the cost of running an SUV, it seems that the BMW X3 has all the bases covered as although it is a 4×4, Autocar suggests that it’s got the “fuel consumption and emissions … more akin to a hatchback”.
The people at Mumsnet seem to agree, it states that the 2.0-litre diesel engine “makes it one of the most economical 4x4s to run”. If you do decide to sell it off in years to come resale values are also good.
You could look at BMW contract and hire leasing as an option if you want to try the X3 without the initial outlay.
What comes as standard?
If you’re searching for a car that works just as well when driving the motorways for work as it does transporting the kids around, then you’ll be pleased to hear that the X3 has parking senors, cruise control and leather seats as standard.
Safety
A car that’s going to be used at work and for the kids must be safe and the BMW X3 doesn’t disappoint in this department either. It has airbags at the front, sides and curtains. Isofix child seat mounts and stability control come as standard too.
