Test drive: 2005 BMW X3 2.5i

On road or off, it's a Bimmer through-and-through

Not quite a wagon, not quite an SUV, the 2005 BMW X3 2,5i is one of the few "crossovers" that embodies the best aspects of both. They say that no one car can do it all, but the BMW X3 comes pretty darn close. It's once vice? The price. $30,995 for starters, $40,470 as tested, 4 year/50,000 mile warranty with free routine maintenance.

SUV/wagon crossovers combine the economy and agility of a car with the space and brawny image of an SUV. Most crossovers lack the off-road performance of a true SUV, since few SUV owners ever tackle anything more challenging than a rutted dirt road. But not all crossovers are simply wagons in muscle shirts: Subaru's Outback is a serious off-roader, as is the Volvo XC70 and Audi allroad quattro -- and the all-wheel-drive BMW X3. What sets the X3 apart is size: It's smaller than the Outback, XC70 and allroad, and the added maneuverability is great for city-dwellers like me.

Styling is one of the X3's strong points. It features the smooth, svelte lines that we've come to expect from BMW. It also features the luxury we've come to expect... as well as the price.

The $31,000 base model comes with power windows and locks, keyless entry, A/C, a CD player and little else. BMW even charges $475 extra for metallic paint (for the X3, that's any color other than black or white). Fortunately, safety features like antilock brakes, electronic stability control, and front-seat side airbags are standard. Fully loaded, the X3 lists for over $47,000, with another $10,000 worth of accessories just a-waitin' for you at the dealership.

The Germans aren't known for their warm-and-fuzzy interiors, but the X3's cabin is surprisingly hospitable. They've even supplied a proper cupholder for the passenger, remarkable considering the Teutonic "drive in the car, drink in the bar" mentality. Granted, it’s a little too small, but... baby steps.

From the inside, the X3 feels like a regular compact station wagon, but its tall SUV-like stance means the view out takes some getting used to. To me, it seemed like the entire outside world was about 18 inches lower than it ought to be. Visibility is excellent and the front seats are comfy as can be.

We had an eventful week that involved carting around friends of all shapes and sizes. Our portlier acquaintances found that when getting into the front passenger seat, the rubber weather stripping caught their clothes. But for the back seats, it was praise all 'round; Erica, who stands 6'1" (or, as she puts it, 5'13"), said she had plenty of space, and she liked the huge moonroof that extended all the way back to the second row.

Wagon-wise, cargo space was just adequate. Robin's massage table fit -- barely. For a family of four, packing the X3 for a vacation would be tight. Five? Um... how do you say "Fuggedaboudit" in German?

The X3 is right at home in the curves, just what you'd expect from a BMW. And it's no shrinking violet off-road, either. I had the opportunity to drive an X3 off road at a track event last fall. I remember coming to some steep berms and thinking, "No way is this going to work." But it was BMW's car, they said it was OK, so I figured they wouldn't be too mad if I got the car stuck. Much to my utter surprise, the X3 easily tiptoed over every obstacle.

The X3 even has a hill descent mode like the one used in Land Rover's all-conquering 4x4s. It uses the antilock brakes and traction control to creep down steep, slippery inclines at a controlled rate without the fear of wheel lock-up (which could cause the car to turn sideways and roll over).

My tester had the smaller (2.5 liter) of the X3's two inline six-cylinder engines. The 2.5's 184 horsepower and 175 ft-lbs of torque were fine around town, but keeping pace with LA's insanely fast freeway traffic required a lot of foot-to-the-floor acceleration. (I could almost hear Scotty shouting "I canna give you more power, Cap'n, tha's all she's got!") The 2.5 would be well suited to a manual transmission; my automatic test car would have been better off with the 225-hp 3.0-liter engine.

There's only one thing not to like about the X3, and that's the price. $40,000 is a lot of bread, especially when you consider that the Subaru Forester pretty much does everything the X3 can and costs thousands less. Granted, BMW is a premium luxury brand and Subaru isn't. Me, I'm more into utility than image, and don't care about having a fancy brand name slapped onto my car's tailgate. The Subaru is comfy enough, and like the X3 it's quite talented both on-road and off.

For some people, though, only a BMW will suffice, and for them I wholeheartedly recommend the X3. It's a practical alternative to the SUV that's fun to drive on any surface and as safe as a bank vault. Families of more than four might find the X3 a tight squeeze, but there's an easy solution for that: Just open your wallet wider and buy the X3's big brother, the BMW X5.