February 22, 2005
I read Vincent Gilbey's review of the new BMW X3 turbodiesel (Star Motoring,
February 17) with interest as I'd read a review of the same vehicle on the same
Sani Pass launch in a different publication a couple of days earlier.
The other review - by Rob Handfield-Jones - raised a number of serious points
about the BMW's unsuitability as an offroad vehicle.
These included a high first gear which necessitates high revs and strain on the
clutch, and three burst tyres on the launch vehicles.
As Handfield-Jones points out, when your spare tyre is a space-saver, nobody in
their right mind would attempt Sani Pass in such a vehicle
"The BMW X3 is by no means a real offroad vehicle"
.
His review also points out that BMW's claimed fuel consumption is "a bit
fanciful" by comparison with what he actually achieved.
Gilbey's review glossed over every one of these very important points.
He mentions in passing that "when we had a flat it was almost undetectable";
doesn't appear to have a problem with keeping the revs high while climbing Sani
Pass; and quotes BMW's fuel consumption figures without questioning them.
And to compound the problem, the story's headline reads "BMW X3 sets new offroad
standards".
Don't get me wrong. I've nothing against BMW's. I've owned four and think they
are great cars, but the X3 is not by any stretch of the imagination a genuine
offroad vehicle.
It does not have a low-range gearbox or proper offroad tyres (hence the
blowouts), nor does it have a particularly high ground clearance.
Unfortunately, Gilbey's article could very well lull potential buyers into
believing they are getting a proper offroad vehicle and then getting into
serious trouble out in the middle of nowhere.
The review also raises questions as to whether Gilbey knows anything about 4x4's
- and whether his review is entirely objective.
For the record, in the three years I owned a Land Rover Discovery, I never once
had a flat tyre - and that included the worst tracks the Wild Coast can lay
claim to, driving up the Sani Pass in the wet - and, of course, every pavement
in Sandton.