Finally had a chance to test drive the X35i today in Westmont (Chicago suburb). They just received an X35i and X28i for test drives only.
I owned an '05 X3 and replaced with an '08 X3 and was ready to take the next step to the X5 a few months ago until word started to spread of the promised improvements of the 2nd gen X3. Living d-town Chicago, I really don't need the X5 size but was basically getting bored with the X3 (mostly its interior and ride).
So today I got to fall back in love with the X3. The X35i I drove was Black Sapphire Metallic with black leather and had the Premium and Sports Activity Packages. Interesting note, the sticker did not include the Dynamic Handling Package but was equiped with the dynamic control buttons next to the shifter. I assume they threw it in for the test drive vehicle but you need to order the DH Package to purchase. Having the SA check on this for me. Let me know if anyone has heard differently (like possibly included with Sport Pack??).
So having driven both versions of the 1st gen for the past 6 years, here are what I would consider the most notable differences in the F25:
1) Size - I'm adding a few phone pics that include some comparisons to my '08 X3. Doesn't come across as well in the pics but in person you can easily note the size difference - especially note the difference in length in the front end pic (both were backed up completely to the curb). Being 6'4'' with 1-year-old twins, I REALLY appreciate the added size. Excellent interior room but still not too big for the city. Interior quality is largely upgraded as well but to be honest, it should have been years ago so I'm not going to give it high praise for simply catching up to the market.
2) Suspension - Even though improvements were made in the mid-cycle rehab, my '08 doesn't come close to the smoothness of this ride! Even in the Sport+ setting, there was nothing jarring about the ride. Stiff, but precise and absolutely no prolonged dampening effect. Very car-like IMO.
3) Performance - The N55 speaks for itself. I've driven this engine in loaner 335i's but not with an 8-speed trans. With less than 100 miles on this vehicle, I knew it's performance would be somewhat stifled but managed to take it from 0 to 85mph on a fairly short on-ramp without pushing past the first accelerator stop. Nice. And as for the 8-speed, I hardly noticed the shifts in automatic mode (huge plus!) but did notice how quickly the paddles engage up- and down-shifts - noticeably quicker than my '08 steptronic. This was my biggest concern with the new X3 as I worry we'll all be driving 15-speeds in 10 years at this rate, but I was very impressed with the subtlety of this very busy tran. One more performance note - switching from 'Normal' to 'Sport' or 'Sport +' changes everything! The accelerator becomes instantly more responsive and suspension goes from highway-cruiser to test-every-corner-in-sight. For those in the U.S. that haven't ordered yet, I think you'll regret not spending the $1,400 for the Dynamic Handling Package if you pass it up. Just sayin'.
One tech question I still have: Will the "read emails on the screen and/or outloud" Mobile Office feature work immediately with the iPhone 4 or is this only a Blackberry feat currently? Last I heard, Apple is working on an upgrade to allow this but haven't seen any software update come my way. Anyone have an update on this?
