 BMW should really be embarrassed about the long term reliability these little guys have.  Someone said it right, they are BMWs (Big Maintenance Waste).  At 90,000 miles, the X drive system with the incredibly cheaply made plastic gear (transfer case actuator - google it) went out, both vanos units went out, shifts hard and lunges on inclines, there was about $4,000 of other stuff that I can't even remember the details of and the thing requires 93 octane.  Pros:  It does stop great for an SUV.  It is heavy and feels substantial.  I think it would be good in a wreck.  My suggestion: buy most any American made small SUV.  While not as nice and lacking the two bar emblem, they are more reliable and present less worries about what problems are going to surface when I crank up today.   Any Japanese small SUV is more reliable and better made.  These American and Japanese models also use the cheapest rot gut gas you can find and you simply hammer down to get from point a to b.  BMWs must be babied and the initial cost is truly only the beginning of the heavy cost you will get to experience with an X3.