Rav4 Vs X3

April 21, 2014

I test drove a 2008 X3 (diesel) the other day and I have to say, it didn't compare that well to my 2008 petrol Rav. I'm not a BMW hater or toyota fanboy (far from it after the experience with toyotas warranty!) but I was expecting the X3 to feel like a class above, as it cost about £10k more than my car when new.

Things I didn't like:

- Very heavy steering at low speeds

- The diesel engine felt quite sluggish off the mark - much pokier than my petrol once up to 55-60mph though

- Very firm seats, and who specs leather seats in the UK with heating?!

- The engine made quite a loud ticking (on top of the the normal diesel chatter) at idle, which worried me, even though it only had 50k on the clock.

Things I did like

- Space saver underneath the car! Hurray!

- Excellent boot size and shape.

- Very stable at motorway speed

I think overall the X3 felt more 'heavy' and my Rav felt more lively. Maybe the rav4 is more like a conventional car, and the x3 behaves more like what people expect from a 4x4 but I do know I wasn't really overwhelmed by the experience!

April 21, 2014

The X3 underwhelms in several areas - biggest complaint is the firm ride. On the M Sport, it's so firm that it's often said there's a risk of loosening your fillings!

April 22, 2014

As a big BMW fan, it pains me somewhat to say that the first gen X3 (up to 2010) was a massive disappointment. Even as a soft-roader it was hopeless - you may recall that Jeremy Clarkson tested one on TG a few years back and it became comprehensively stuck on what appeared to be a pretty easy off-road trail. It disappointed in many areas such as ride (as gjn says above), interior space and, most of all, value for money. Admittedly BMW's aren't cheap but their residuals tend to be rock solid but the first gen X3 does not uphold that trend.

On the other hand, BMW took note of the first model's failings and the current X3 is probably the best mid-sized SUV on the market; At launch a six month waiting list quickly developed and I believe there is still some delay for specific specs even after 4 years. If I was in the market for a new SUV today, it would definitely be at or near the top of the list.

I've always found BMWs to be very driver focused and as a result they are brilliant cars to drive but the price is a consideration. RAV 4s have always been great value cars given their reliability and reasonable running costs and in fairness, their off-road performance has always been better than most given their cost and the fact that they were never designed as a rufty-tufty off-roader.