We really, really, like the 2025 BMW X3, from most perspectives. It’s our first impression of how the fourth generation of BMW’s now best-selling nameplate will shape up, and there’s plenty to love about it. But there are a handful of things we think could’ve been thought through a bit better. And it’s a solid possibility that they’re thoughts fellow enthusiasts might have had, too. As small as they might be, there are several things we wish BMW had implemented a little bit better in the newest X3s.
Design is Only Okay
We spent a week with the 2025 BMW X3 30 xDrive, but it certainly wasn’t love at first sight. Over time, we grew slightly more neutral to the car’s styling, but that’s about the closest to true love we’ll get with the new design. Some of it also comes down to the fact that the outgoing generation was so good looking; we had almost no complaints about any of the G01 X3’s iterations.
We wish the G45 X3 had exhaust tips on all models, not just on the X3 M50, and we’re still not completely sold on the new headlight design. The Dune Grey metallic paint may also have hurt more than it helped. We think a more extroverted — or at least decisive — color choice might have complemented the busy grille design a bit better. But thankfully, you are not limited to just Dune Grey, so plenty to pick from. No notes on the 20-inch Style 906 wheels; they look good, especially for a non-M Sport offering.
Kind of Silly Climate Controls, Overall
Like all new BMWs, the G45 X3 has made climate controls a strictly screen-based affair. Not ideal, but to complicate matters, now the stratification controls have moved to the door handles and are controlled via a “slider” with no feedback. It’s unnecessary, but there was nowhere else to fit it. Coupled with the levers that are now tasked with vent positioning, you end up having to look around the cabin in a few different places before getting the settings exactly where you want. Potentially a journalist problem — and admittedly, we got used to it — but it feels far removed from how straightforward climate control worked in the last X3 we drove.
Steering Numbness
While the 2025 BMW X3 offers a stellar powertrain, steering is sadly still fairly removed from the road. Weight is good; and precision isn’t a problem. You simply don’t have a great understanding of what’s going on under the tires, which is a complaint applicable to, well, almost every new vehicle you can buy today. Even in the Sport+ traction setting, which tightens up the handling considerably, road feel is average at best. A bit disappointing from the Ultimate Driving Machine, but it’s the same story with most automakers today.
New Drive Modes Are Good – But We Miss Some Buttons
The “My Modes” haptic button replaces the old Sport and Comfort buttons that used to occupy the center console. And, in and of itself, it isn’t a bad concept or system. In fact, the additional configurability is quite welcome — particularly, the aforementioned Sport+ traction control setting. However, it was a lot easier to simply press a button to disable traction control or pop the car into sport mode. Here, there’s no way to make it a one-press affair; you’re either playing with the screen and a haptic button or just the screen, but either way, it’s more work and less accessible while driving.
Haptic Controls Don’t Feel Great
You don’t have to look far to find critiques on BMW’s interior quality. Largely, they’re inaccurate at best, but we do have one pretty significant complaint: the haptic buttons are strictly a downgrade from the previous generation X3. The 2025 BMW X3’s haptic buttons aren’t satisfying to use. Worse, pressing one flexes the entire button “panel,” which isn’t the quality we expect from BMW. While responsiveness isn’t really a problem, thankfully, we still can’t fairly call these new buttons a welcome change.
Ok, there are a couple more, maybe: the lack of the ambient light for the rear doors and the overall feel that most of the plastics in the car feel cheap. But we have a feeling that BMW has seen those complaints and will adjust accordingly in the future.
The sticking points we have with the 2025 BMW X3 mostly circulate around design choices. Which, it should be noted, are extremely subjective in the first place. Overall, we think the X3’s dynamics more than make up for the few shortcomings it may have, and we’ll cover it all more in-depth in the full review.
