BMW X3 (2010-2018)

The BMW X3 is a family car that's designed around the driver: it's nimble, stable and quick, which makes it fun to drive, without compromising the comfort of passengers too much.

Despite being on sale since 2010, the current X3 is still competitive against much newer rivals. It is showing its age in some areas, though, which is why the car is in its last year of production. A new model has just been announced and will go on sale in November.

As a sport utility vehicle (SUV), the BMW has the tall and rugged shape of an off-road car, but has been engineered to perform best on the road. And, compared with most cars sold before 2015, it excels.

It steers sharply and grips so tightly in corners, that you could be behind the wheel of a small family hatchback. This doesn't come at the expense of comfort: the X3 absorbs enough of the impact of bumps and potholes to keep journeys jolt-free.

It may not feel as sporty as BMW's 3 Series saloon, but it's longer, wider and taller than that car, which means that you have more luggage space, plus extra room for passengers. Just remember that much if the extra space is down to the car's height, so if you want to use the 550-litre boot to its full capacity, you'll have to stack the luggage up. 

It's not quite as comfortable as the previous-generation Audi Q5, but it's bigger and feels more agile to drive. It's also more comfortable and sharper to steer than the last Volvo XC60.

Against more modern rivals, the X3 isn't quite so dominant. The Mercedes GLC is almost as enjoyable as the BMW to drive, but more comfortable, and with a more stylish and luxurious interior that looks a generation ahead of the X3's cluttered - but well-built - dashboard.

Comfort and interior quality is also substantially better in the new Volvo XC60 and Audi Q5, as well as the Land Rover Discovery Sport, which also offers seven seats. They can't match the BMW's driving experience but the Peugeot 3008 comes close. It's comfortable, hi-tech and much cheaper too, but doesn't have the premium badge.

Earlier in its life, the X3 was offered with petrol engines and two-wheel drive, but the range has slimmed down, so four-wheel drive (called xDrive) and diesel are your only options if you;re looking at a new car. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. The diesel engines are economical, powerful and smooth.

Standard equipment is strong across the range and the X3 has a pretty good reliability record, too. It also holds its value well, which is crucial, because it's expensive to buy, whether new or used. Its strong second-hand values help to reduce the cost of owning or financing a BMW X3

When crash tested in 2011, the BMW X3 earned a full five star rating from the independent Euro NCAP association. Since then, its tests have been made much tougher, so there's no certainty that it would still score quite as highly as newer models.

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