BMW X3 F25: second-generation X3 history, engines and buying guide

The BMW X3 F25 is the second-generation BMW X3, the mid-size SUV that BMW built at Spartanburg in South Carolina from 1 September 2010 and sold in the UK from 18 November 2010 until the G01 replaced it in 2017. "F25" is BMW's development code for the car. It was 83mm longer and 28mm wider than its predecessor, the first X3 (the E83), every UK car had a diesel engine, from the 143hp sDrive18d to the 313hp xDrive35d, and BMW delivered 870,842 X3s worldwide in the six years from 2011 to 2016 when it was the only X3 on sale. Most used F25s are 2.0-litre xDrive20d models: 86 of the 106 adverts sampled on PistonHeads on 28 October 2026.

History of the BMW X3 F25

BMW gave the first details of the new X3 in July 2010, and BMW UK's media information of 15 July 2010 promised the lowest CO2 emissions of any four-wheel-drive car in its class, the first pairing of Auto Start-Stop with an eight-speed automatic in a BMW sold in the UK, and Variable Damper Control for the first time on an X3. The UK range would open with one engine, the xDrive20d, which BMW expected to take about 80 per cent of UK X3 sales once the others arrived.

Production moves to Spartanburg

The first X3 had been built under contract by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria. Its last car, a Vermilion red xDrive35d, came off the line on 31 August 2010, after 605,498 had been built in Graz and 614,824 in all with the kits assembled in Russia, Egypt and Thailand, according to the BMW Group's release of 1 September 2010. F25 production began the next day at BMW's own plant in Spartanburg, which already built the X5 and X6. BMW spent about $750 million there on a new assembly hall and a larger paint shop, which raised the plant's capacity to about 200,000 cars a year, and BMW Manufacturing's announcement of the same day put the addition at 1.5 million square feet.

UK launch and the engines that followed

The car went on sale in Germany on 20 November 2010 and in the UK two days earlier, on 18 November, at £30,490 on the road for the xDrive20d SE. BMW UK's launch press kit noted that this was £115 less than the outgoing E83 xDrive20d SE, which had cost £30,605, and that Nevada leather, two-zone air conditioning and the iDrive controller were standard. BMW UK expected to sell about 4,800 X3s in the first full year.

In the United States the X3 reached dealers at the end of 2010 with petrol engines only: the 240hp xDrive28i at $37,625 and the 300hp xDrive35i at $41,925, both with the eight-speed automatic, said BMW of North America on 13 October 2010. The UK range grew by one diesel at a time. BMW UK's April 2011 price list added the six-cylinder xDrive30d from £37,250, and the September 2011 list added the twin-turbo xDrive35d at £40,205 as an SE and £42,225 as an M Sport.

BMW UK announced the first rear-wheel-drive X3, the sDrive18d, on 20 August 2012 at £28,580, which was £2,890 less than the xDrive20d. BMW UK's announcement gave it 143hp, 55.4mpg and 135g/km, which put it in VED band E, and said the X3 had sold more than 74,000 cars worldwide in the first half of 2012, 38.4 per cent more than a year earlier.

What changed with the 2014 facelift (LCI)?

BMW showed the facelifted F25, its "Life Cycle Impulse" or LCI, at the Geneva motor show in March 2014, and production started that April. BMW's Geneva press kit lists new twin round headlights with optional LEDs, a more prominent kidney grille, new bumpers front and rear, indicators moved into the door mirrors, a gloss-black centre console with a sliding cover over the cupholders, and a new xLine trim. The bigger change was under the bonnet. The xDrive20d and sDrive18d got a new-generation 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel, with 190hp and 150hp, and every engine in the range met the Euro 6 emissions standard. The kit says the X3 had passed one million sales since 2003.

How to tell a facelifted F25 from an early car

Look at the door mirrors first: only facelifted cars have indicators built into the mirror housings. The facelifted headlights meet the frame of the kidney grille, and the lower front bumper was restyled. Inside, a sliding cover over the cupholders marks a 2014-on car, and xLine trim was new with the facelift.

Replaced by the G01 in 2017

BMW presented the third-generation X3, the G01, on 26 June 2017, and its launch press kit said BMW had recorded more than 1.5 million X3 registrations across the first two generations. Five of the DVSA recalls that cover the F25 give 22 August 2017 as the last build date they include.

Design and engineering of the BMW X3 F25

The F25 was a new design, with new suspension at both ends, BMW's first electric power steering in an X3 and a larger cabin and boot than the E83's. A 2010 SkiddMark report from the UK launch in Austria recorded that the new car was 25kg lighter than the old one despite its size, the first time an X model had lost weight from one generation to the next.

Dimensions and boot space

BMW's November 2010 specification sheet gives the early car as 4,648mm long, 1,881mm wide and 1,661mm high on a 2,810mm wheelbase, with a 67-litre fuel tank, an 11.9m turning circle, 212mm of ground clearance and a 500mm wading depth. The three rear seats have more leg and elbow room for passengers than the E83's, BMW UK said. The boot holds 550 litres, rising to 1,600 with the rear seats folded, and the 60:40 rear backrest could be ordered as a three-piece 40:20:40 split. The facelifted car is 4,657mm long. An xDrive20d weighs 1,790kg on the EU measure, which includes a 75kg driver, and can tow 2,000kg braked as a manual or 2,400kg as an automatic.

Chassis, xDrive and steering

BMW UK said in 2010 that the first X3 had "set the bar" for driving dynamics in its class, and the F25 got new suspension to build on it. At the front is a double-joint spring-strut axle and at the back a five-link axle. Every car at launch had xDrive, BMW's electronically controlled four-wheel drive, which varies drive between the axles and is linked to the stability control. Options new to the X3 included Variable Damper Control, adjustable through Normal, Sport and Sport+ modes; Variable Sport Steering, which needs less steering-wheel movement for the same lock; and Performance Control, which uses individual wheel braking to share drive between the rear wheels, acting like an electronic differential. In the UK, Variable Damper Control cost £930 and Performance Control £125 in April 2011.

Interior, iDrive and equipment

Every F25 has iDrive, with a 6.5-inch screen as standard; the Professional navigation system brought an 8.8-inch screen, the largest in the class according to BMW UK. Options at launch included a head-up display, a panoramic sunroof, a reversing camera with a 360-degree Top View, a hard-disk music store, and internet access through BMW ConnectedDrive. After the 2014 facelift, UK cars had heated front seats, Business navigation, DAB radio, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, Bluetooth and USB and an automatic tailgate as standard, according to BMW UK's July 2014 X3 and X4 product presentation.

How safe is the BMW X3 F25?

For safety, the F25 has a five-star Euro NCAP rating from 2011. Euro NCAP's results page scored a left-hand-drive 2.0-litre diesel at 88 per cent for adult occupants, 83 per cent for children, 53 per cent for pedestrians and 71 per cent for safety assist, and the rating was carried over to the facelifted car after a review in April 2014. It noted that the rear seats had no seatbelt reminders. Front, side and curtain airbags, Isofix mountings in the rear and stability control were standard, according to BMW's release on the result of 25 August 2011. In the United States, NHTSA's ratings for the 2015 X3 xDrive28i are five stars overall, five for frontal crashes (four for the front passenger), five for side impacts and four for rollover resistance.

BMW X3 F25 engines, performance and specifications

UK F25s have four-cylinder or six-cylinder diesel engines, all turbocharged; petrol X3s were sold in other markets, including the United States. Before the 2014 facelift the diesels met the Euro 5 emissions standard, and afterwards all engines met Euro 6, according to BMW's specification sheets.

Diesel engines

Sources: BMW UK media information (July and November 2010, August 2012, July 2014), BMW UK price lists (April and September 2011) and BMW's specifications of the new BMW X3, 04/2014; the N47 engine code is from auto motor und sport. The six-cylinder diesels were automatic only. The top speeds were 130mph for the early xDrive20d and 121mph for the early sDrive18d.

Petrol engines

The petrol X3s were the 306hp xDrive35i, a 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder with 400Nm and a 0–62mph time of 5.7 seconds in BMW's 2010 figures, and, in the United States at first, the 240hp xDrive28i. By the facelift the xDrive28i had a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder of 245hp and 350Nm, and BMW's April 2014 specification sheets also list a 184hp 2.0-litre xDrive20i and sDrive20i. BMW UK sold the F25 only with diesel engines, as Parkers notes.

Gearbox and transmission

The four-cylinder diesels came with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard and the eight-speed automatic transmission as a £1,525 option in 2011; the six-cylinder cars had the automatic as standard, and a sport automatic transmission with steering wheel paddles was a £135 extra on the xDrive35d SE and standard on the xDrive35d M Sport.

Trim levels and special versions of the BMW X3 F25

UK F25s came as SE or M Sport, and after the 2014 facelift also as xLine, which sat between them: in July 2014 xLine cost £1,500 more than SE and M Sport £3,000 more. BMW UK's 2012 description of M Sport lists 18-inch wheels, M aerodynamic bodywork, sports seats and sports suspension; in April 2011 an xDrive20d M Sport cost £2,695 more than an SE.

Alpina XD3 BiTurbo

Alpina, the Buchloe firm that builds its own versions of BMWs, showed the XD3 BiTurbo, its first SUV, at the Geneva motor show in March 2013. BimmerToday's report from the show gave it a 350hp twin-turbo six-cylinder diesel with 700Nm, a weight of 1,910kg, 0–100km/h in 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 253km/h.

BMW X4 (F26): the coupé-styled sibling

The X4 of 2014 (BMW's code F26) was a coupé-styled version of the X3 with a sloping roof. BMW UK's July 2014 presentation gave it as 36mm lower and 16mm longer than the X3, with 44mm less rear headroom and a 500–1,400-litre boot, and priced each X4 £3,600 above the X3 with the same engine.

What the reviews said about the BMW X3 F25

A 2010 SkiddMark report, from a 200km drive between Innsbruck and Sölden in cars on 17-inch winter run-flat tyres, found the new X3 quieter and "supremely balanced" on the Tyrolean hairpins, and better value than the E83, which it described as having felt "cheap and plasticky for a BMW". It preferred the six-speed manual to the automatic on twisting roads, and could not feel the £120 Performance Control at work.

Tim Pollard's review of the xDrive20d SE for CAR magazine gave it four stars out of five and opened by saying the X3 had "long been the runt of the Munich litter". His testers found the manual's lever "neither a quick nor a slick change" and the engine "a tad loud", and recommended the automatic; the review found "decent practicality", with plenty of room front and rear, though one tester thought the 3 Series-style dashboard "a bit too cheap". The verdict was "a very practical, well equipped and comfortable mid-sized SUV". Readers of Germany's Off Road magazine voted the X3 their "Off-Roader of the Year" in the SUV category in February 2011, BMW announced.

Parkers' 2024 review calls the F25 "a huge improvement over the Mk1 model": BMW has a reputation for cars that are engaging to drive, it says, and the first X3 was the exception. Looking back in 2023, auto motor und sport's used-car guide wrote that the F25 cabin's materials were seldom truly luxurious but were rattle-free and hard-wearing, and that the car "ist lange haltbar" (lasts a long time).

How many BMW X3 F25s were made?

BMW's annual reports give X3 sales by year, not F25 production, and the F25 was the only X3 on sale from 2011 to 2016, when BMW delivered 870,842. The 2010 and 2017 figures include first- and third-generation cars respectively.

BMW UK's July 2014 presentation said the X3 had outsold the Audi Q5 in 2013 and had a six-month lead time for new orders.

What is a BMW X3 F25 worth today?

Most used F25s in the UK are advertised at between £5,000 and £12,000. On 28 October 2026 we collected 106 adverts for 2011–2016 X3s on PistonHeads, the first pages of results for each registration year; prices ran from £2,699 to £15,999 with a median of £8,423.

The 2015 and 2016 cars, all facelifted and with Euro 6 engines, had the highest medians. Parkers puts a tired car at under £5,000 and a lower-mileage, well-serviced one at £8,000 to £10,000, and suggests the X3 to buyers on a budget who need a family SUV. Of the 102 adverts whose title named the engine, 86 were xDrive20d, 12 xDrive30d, two xDrive35d, one sDrive18d and one xDrive35i petrol. The median asking price was £7,845 for an xDrive20d and £9,995 for an xDrive30d.

Buying a BMW X3 F25: faults, recalls and running costs

A properly serviced F25 has "no reason" to break, says Parkers; the faults to know about are timing chains on early four-cylinder engines, worn suspension joints and the diesels' exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) coolers, which are covered by recalls.

Is the BMW X3 F25 reliable?

Parkers' used-car review of the F25, written by Luke Wilkinson in September 2024, says the problems start with owners who skimp on maintenance and tells buyers to watch out for skipped oil changes; it lists the issues to check as timing chains, worn suspension bushes, ball joints and top mounts, a clicking steering rack, blocked sunroof drains that let water into the footwells, brakes worn as early as 15,000 miles, turbochargers, a juddering automatic or worn transfer case, air conditioning, the EGR cooler and battery drain. auto motor und sport adds track-rod ends, which wide tyres wear, and in rare cases the electric power steering.

Timing chains on the N47 diesel

Every F25 engine has a timing chain, and the one to watch is the N47 four-cylinder diesel in the pre-facelift xDrive20d and sDrive18d. auto motor und sport says the early N47 diesels and N20 petrols have undersized chains and advises buying a six-cylinder or a facelifted car; Parkers says the chain guides can break, letting the chain jump its sprockets and, at worst, the valves hit the pistons. A rattle from the engine, a rough idle or a loss of power are the signs to listen for.

UK recalls

DVSA's recalls file, downloaded on 28 October 2026, lists 16 recalls for X3s built in the F25's years: 15 whose build dates fall in that period and one from December 2013 that gives no build dates. Six cover the diesels' EGR coolers or modules, which can leak coolant that, mixed with soot and oil, forms deposits that can catch fire; four cover airbags. Before buying, ask a BMW dealer to check the car's VIN for outstanding recall work.

Source: DVSA vehicle recalls file. Build dates are those DVSA gives for the X3; some ranges begin before September 2010 or end after August 2017 because they also cover E83 or G01 cars, and several recalls also cover other BMW models.

Did the BMW X3 fail an emissions test?

On 24 September 2015, during the Volkswagen diesel scandal, the German magazine Auto Bild reported that an X3 xDrive20d had emitted up to 11 times the legal limit for nitrogen oxides in a road test by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). BMW said it did not manipulate emissions tests and that its cars treated exhaust gas the same way on the rollers and on the road, according to the full statement printed by BimmerToday. Auto Bild then published a clarification that it had "no evidence of emission manipulation by BMW" and that the figures came from a single hour-long road test, as Paul Tan reported on 28 September 2015; BMW's shares had fallen by as much as 9.7 per cent on the first report.

What does a BMW X3 F25 cost to tax, and is it ULEZ compliant?

An F25 registered before 1 April 2017 is taxed on its CO2 figure, which is on the V5C. At GOV.UK's rates checked on 27 October 2026, a 12-month payment is £200 in band E (131–140g/km, which includes the manual sDrive18d and the facelifted xDrive20d automatic), £225 in band F (141–150g/km, the early xDrive20d) and £275 in band G (151–165g/km, the six-cylinder cars). A car first registered from 1 April 2017 now pays the standard rate of £200.

London's Ultra Low Emission Zone requires a diesel car to meet Euro 6, says Transport for London. BMW's 2010 specification sheet rates the xDrive20d Euro 5, and its April 2014 sheets rate every facelifted engine Euro 6, so check the individual car on TfL's checker before buying.

Which BMW X3 F25 should you buy?

For most buyers the best F25 is a facelifted xDrive20d: its new-generation diesel avoids the early N47's timing-chain problem, it meets Euro 6, and in the PistonHeads sample it was by far the most common X3 for sale. An xDrive30d gives the six-cylinder engine that auto motor und sport rates as long-lived, for a median of £9,995 against £7,845 for an xDrive20d in the PistonHeads sample, and the sDrive18d suits drivers who do not need four-wheel drive. Whatever the engine, check that the EGR recalls have been done and that the transfer case and automatic gearbox oil have been changed.

BMW X3 F25 rivals

At launch the F25's main rivals were the Audi Q5, the Land Rover Freelander 2, the Volvo XC60 and the Mercedes-Benz GLK; auto motor und sport notes that the Q5 and GLK had both been on sale since 2008 and were not replaced until 2016 and 2015. BMW UK's November 2010 press kit compared the xDrive20d with the Audi Q5 and the Land Rover Freelander 2.

Cost per mile is the KWIKCarCost figure quoted by BMW UK. On the same basis a Volvo XC60 D5 AWD SE, at £32,145, cost 73.14p a mile and the outgoing E83 xDrive20d SE 70p. The SkiddMark report from the launch called the Freelander the segment's leader in the UK and put Land Rover's sales there at more than three times the 5,000 X3s a year BMW was aiming for.

Questions

What does F25 mean on a BMW X3?

F25 is BMW's development code for the second-generation X3, built from September 2010 to 2017. The first X3 is the E83, the third the G01, and the X4 coupé-styled sibling of the F25 is the F26.

What years is the BMW X3 F25?

Production started at Spartanburg on 1 September 2010 and UK sales on 18 November 2010. The facelifted car followed in April 2014, and BMW presented the G01 that replaced it on 26 June 2017.

Is the BMW X3 F25 four-wheel drive?

Most are. Every F25 has xDrive four-wheel drive except the rear-wheel-drive sDrive models: the sDrive18d diesel, sold in the UK from August 2012, and the sDrive20i petrol sold elsewhere.

How big is the boot of a BMW X3 F25?

BMW quotes 550 litres with the rear seats up and 1,600 litres with them folded. A 40:20:40 split rear backrest was an option.

How fast is a BMW X3 xDrive35d?

The 313hp xDrive35d reaches 62mph in 5.8 seconds in early form and 5.3 seconds after the 2014 facelift, according to BMW UK, and BMW gives its top speed as 245km/h (152mph).

Where was the BMW X3 F25 built?

UK cars came from BMW's plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, which also built the X5 and X6. BMW's 2016 annual report also lists the X3 at its own assembly plants in Araquari (Brazil), Chennai (India) and Rayong (Thailand), and at partner plants in Jakarta, Cairo, Kaliningrad and Kulim (Malaysia); the 2014 report says Araquari was to add the X3 in 2015. The first X3 had been built by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria.

How much can a BMW X3 F25 tow?

BMW's figures give 2,000kg braked for a manual xDrive20d and 2,400kg for the automatic xDrive20d and the six-cylinder diesels.

What engine is in the BMW X3 F25 xDrive20d?

A 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel: the N47 with 184hp until the 2014 facelift, then a new-generation 2.0-litre diesel with 190hp.

Sources

• BMW UK, "The new BMW X3", media information, 15 July 2010: first details, xDrive20d figures, options, packages.
• BMW Group, "The new BMW X3: New generation replaces the previous", 1 September 2010: production move, E83 totals, Spartanburg investment and capacity.
• BMW Manufacturing Co., "BMW Manufacturing announces production of the new BMW X3", 1 September 2010: Spartanburg start and expansion.
• BMW of North America, "Pricing announced for all-new BMW X3 SAV", 13 October 2010: US engines and prices.
• BMW Group, "Specifications BMW X3, 11/2010": dimensions, weights, xDrive20d and xDrive35i data, emission class.
• BMW UK, "The new BMW X3", media information, 22–26 November 2010: UK on-sale date, prices, rival comparison, cost per mile, sales forecast.
• BMW Group, "Off-Roader of the Year" release, 10 February 2011: Off Road magazine reader award.
• BMW UK, BMW X3 price list, April 2011 and BMW X3 price list, September 2011: xDrive30d and xDrive35d prices, options.
• BMW Group, "The new BMW X3 earns 5 stars in the Euro NCAP crash test", 25 August 2011: safety equipment.
• NHTSA, 5-Star Safety Ratings, 2015 BMW X3 xDrive28i, fetched 28 October 2026: US crash-test ratings.
• Euro NCAP, BMW X3 2011 results (archived copy): star rating and percentages.
• BMW UK, "The new BMW X3 sDrive18d", 20 August 2012: sDrive18d figures, price, first-half 2012 sales.
• BMW Group, Geneva International Motor Show 2014 press kit: facelift changes, new diesel engines, sales total.
• BMW Group, "Specifications of the new BMW X3, 04/2014": facelifted engines, dimensions, weights, Euro 6 rating.
• BMW UK, "The new BMW X3 and BMW X4" product overview, July 2014: UK facelift figures, trims, prices, X4 comparison, 2013 sales.
• BMW Group, "The new BMW X3", press kit, 26 June 2017: G01 launch, X3 registrations.
• BMW Group annual reports 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017: X3 sales by year; the 2016 report's plant list for where the X3 was built.
• CAR magazine, Tim Pollard, BMW X3 xDrive20d SE (2011) review: road test and verdict.
• auto motor und sport, "Gebraucht-Tipp: BMW X3 F25 (2010–2017)", 25 January 2023: durability, timing chains, rivals.
• Parkers, BMW X3 Estate (2011–2017) review by Luke Wilkinson, 21 September 2024: known faults.
• BimmerToday, "Genf 2013: Live-Bilder und Infos zum BMW Alpina XD3", 5 March 2013: Alpina XD3 figures.
• BimmerToday, "Diesel-Skandal: BMW nimmt Stellung zu Auto Bild-Vorwürfen", 24 September 2015: BMW's statement in full.
• Paul Tan, "BMW X3 diesel report: Auto Bild clarifies matters", 28 September 2015: Auto Bild's clarification, share price.
• DVSA, vehicle recalls file, downloaded 28 October 2026: UK recalls.
• GOV.UK, vehicle tax rates for cars registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 and for cars registered from 1 April 2017, checked 27 October 2026.
• Transport for London, ULEZ standards for cars: Euro 6 for diesels.
• PistonHeads, BMW X3 adverts, 106 adverts for 2011–2016 cars collected 28 October 2026: asking prices and engines.
• SkiddMark, "Driven: BMW's 2011 X3 xDrive20d SE", December 2010: UK launch drive in Austria, weight, test-car options, segment sales.