As you might expect from BMW this car is a joy to drive. It's smooth and torquey even though the 2.0D engine is a little small for such a large vehicle. The ride is a bit on the firm side but not uncomfortable, and the taut suspension does make for surprisingly good open-road handling. Off road the car has rather limited abilities though, and especially with normal road tyres fitted you shouldn't be expecting to drive anywhere particularly challenging. Inside, the finish is nice if a bit plasticcy, with comfortable seating, good radio/CD, cruise control, parking sensors and climate control all of which work very well. For me the biggest shock was the running costs - not MPG, because it's not bad in that respect, 40+ round town and over 50 on a run. Services and parts though are extortionate and it's best not to scrimp on that as the car is rather fussy on things being done right. It insists for example that you don't do lots of short runs, or it'll coke up its inlet manifold. If you don't use BMW-approved tyres in matched sets it'll start making nasty noises from the transfer box. Turbos have a reputed life of around 150,000 miles. So, a nice car to drive but not a cheap one to own. Depreciation will be heavy in the early years and expect to spend a bit to keep it in good condition in later years.

After a long time searching, I settled on the BMW X3 and I'm glad I did. As a private owner, buying for cash, I needed a car which was comfortable, reliable and economical to own. I have all three, plus it's a BMW! Where other dealers were casual about their approach to my queries, Sycamore, the BMW main dealer in Peterborough has been excellent, both before and after the sale. I got an excellent trade-in on my 2004 Mondeo ST estate (significantly better than Boston Ford, the supplying dealer, would offer against a new Mondeo) plus Sycamore gave me an additional discount for the cash deal. When I needed help with the Garmin satnav they'd supplied (at the same price as Halfords) nothing was too much trouble. Sycamore make you feel you are a valued customer.

My X3 is the new 'Efficient Dynamics' model with the automatic box, full leather electric seats and Bi-xenon headlights. Fuel consumption at just under 40mpg overall is great, acceleration more than adequate for me (and I do drive quite quickly, particularly where I have to overtake slow moving streams of tractors, lorries and assorted Kias.) Kick-down on the auto box brings an immediate surge of power and is great for overtaking. I tend to use the cruise control most of the time too - very useful in avoiding penalty points in a land infested by speed cameras. Load space is very flexible - I recently carried a full 2000 watt PA system including subs. The car's handling is very sure-footed - not a true off-roader, of course, but very safe on wet roads and in last winter's snow.

Space inside is fine for 4, though three adults on the back seat is a bit tight. Parking visibility is easy - the parking sensors can be annoying, giving continuous bleeping front and rear when the vehicle is a foot away from an obstruction! I turn them off. In my view, if you can't get to within three inches without having parking sensors, you shouldn't be driving! As a driver with 40 years' experience and a completely clean licence, I consider I have the moral high ground!

I shall be keeping this car for at least five years and consider it a very good investment.

The new 2007 September models are updated inside and out,a great mid range 4x4 with great grip in all conditions, if you're looking for a top safety vehicle with 100% reliability and great looks, go for a test drive you will be pleased. I tried 4 other vehicles in this size and price and the X3 come out in my view on top. The review is based on my new X3 with my own opinions and experiences.