• Decent, if not great economy
• Well equipped, but you’ll want options
• Plug-in hybrid electric range disappointing

Unless you want a refrigerator white base model, you’re going to be spending over £50,000 on your X3. We’d advise adding the Comfort and Comfort Plus packs, along with a heated steering wheel for those cold winter mornings.

As M Sport is basically just cosmetic changes and firmer suspension, we’d probably stick to xLine unless you’re tempted by the rapid M50 which is now almost £70k. That does get you a bit more kit, although you’ll still be paying extra for things like adjustable lumbar support.

Petrol and diesel models sit in the top two BIK tax brackets, with the plug-in hybrid dropping to 8%. That’s still not as good as the Mercedes GLC 300e or cheaper Volkswagen Tiguan eHybrid on account of their electric ranges that exceed 70 miles, at least according to official figures. The X3 30e manages 53-55 miles on the same WLTP cycle. We’ll let you know real world figures once we’ve driven it.

33

Our time with the 20 petrol netted an average economy figure of 32mpg. This was on a mix of roads including a fair bit of stop start urban driving, so more is certainly possible in freer flowing traffic. Our shorter experience with the M50 abroad suggests it shouldn’t be a great deal less efficient if you can resist the urge to put your foot down.

Servicing and warranty

There’s good news and bad news with BMW’s warranty. The bad is that it’s only three years in length, the good is that it’s for an unlimited mileage period. The plug-in hybrid’s big battery is covered separately for eight years or 100,000 miles. Extended warranty packages are available for a fee.

Servicing costs are unlikely to be bargain basement, and neither will consumables like tyres. Plans are available that allow you to fix your servicing costs and pay up front or monthly.

Reliability

• Based on the old X3
• But with newer mild hybrid engines
• BMW is one of the more reliable premium brands

BMW generally comes out on top of both Audi and Mercedes when it comes to reliability surveys, although there is plenty of tech new to the X3 here. Besides, if you want ultimate reliability, you really need a Lexus NX.