The 2016 BMW X3 earned the highest five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The 2016 X3 received five stars in the front and side crash tests and four stars in the rollover crash test. IIHS also rated the X3 “good” in all crash tests. The BMW X3 was redesigned for the 2011 model year. Beginning with 2011 models built after March 2011, the computer algorithm that calculates when to deploy the side airbags was optimized to improve occupant protection in side impact crashes.

Every 2016 BMW X3 comes standard with antilock brakes, stability and traction control, automatic brake drying, front-seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags and active front seat head restraints.

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Other safety features include a rollover sensor designed to deploy the side curtain airbags in the event of an impending rollover, driver knee airbag – a separate airbag in the lower instrument panel designed to minimize knee injuries in frontal crashes, front and rear parking sensors, an active blind-spot monitor, a forward-collision mitigation system with automatic braking, rearview and surround-view parking cameras and a lane-departure warning system.

In the U.S., BMW sells four variants of the X3 – the rear-wheel drive sDrive28i, xDrive28i, xDrive28d and xDrive35i. The entry-level model starts at $38,950 while the high-end xDrive35i sells for $46,800.

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