x3 3.0 weighs 4000 pounds.....

[lemming]

how on earth?

any thoughts as to why this vehicle would have to weigh that much? all around, another underwhelming mini-van. don't even care to sit in it or drive it anymore. this is just silly.

[TD]

That IS just absurdly heavy

But I never had any intention of driving one.

[GSR13]

Is that Curb Weight or Gross Vehicle Weight?

Also, for comparison, how much does a 330xiT weigh?

[dan]

it's about 500 pounds heavier than a 330iT

[lemming]

usually the argument is that BMWs tend be heavier because of a stronger safety cage.....but the X3 is a tiny vehicle. it's about 500 pounds heavier than a ford escape, 750 pounds heavier than a forester turbo, 400 pounds heavier than a landrover freelander.....by now you get the point.

most other manufacturers manage AWD mechanicals plus v6 motors and still are significantly below 4000 pounds.

curious.

i never understood why the X5 is so heavy, also.

[Masskrug]

i never understood why the X5 is so heavy, also.


Well, to start, try closing the doors. Their weight alone should give you an idea why the whole vehicle is as heavy (and solid) as it is.

[lemming]

i never understood why the X5 is so heavy, also.


Well, to start, try closing the doors. Their weight alone should give you an idea why the whole vehicle is as heavy (and solid) as it is.

i guess i do not understand completely how a 540iT weighs about 4000 pounds, but the X5 weighs 4600 pounds. the xi mechanicals cannot explain the entire difference as the difference between xi and non-xi models is only about 250 pounds?

it isn't as though the X5 is body on frame, it's unibody, so again, i'm left wondering why these vehicles weigh so much. your door comment makes no sense to me as all doors on all BMWs thunk similarly but not all of them are that far off in their class with respective to median and/or mean curb weights. is there something else that i'm just plain missing that could account for the extra weight, and this question applies both to the x3 and to the x5.

[Nick M3]

It's only 300-400lbs. heavier than my car. :p

[clyde]

It's only 300-400lbs. heavier than my car. :p

Mine too.

From the photos that I've seen, it doesn't take much effort for me to see that much more weight. In fact, I would be surprised if it was much less than 4000 lbs.

[bren]

.....but the X3 is a tiny vehicle.
:scratch: The dimensions that I have seen for the X3 are hardly what I would call "tiny." It is within a couple of inches of the X5 in every dimension.

[dan]

It's only 300-400lbs. heavier than my car. :p

wonder which one would be a better auto-X vehicle :oops:

[lemming]

.....but the X3 is a tiny vehicle.
:scratch: The dimensions that I have seen for the X3 are hardly what I would call "tiny." It is within a couple of inches of the X5 in every dimension.

the x5 isn't so large, is it?

if you really want to waste time, compare the cubic space of the X3 versus the other "suv" mini class vehicles. the escape, cr-v, freelander, rav4, vue....again, the question is: why so porky?

:?:

edit: my jeep cherokee weighed 3185lbs.

[bren]

the x5 isn't so large, is it?

if you really want to waste time, compare the cubic space of the X3 versus the other "suv" mini class vehicles. the escape, cr-v, freelander, rav4, vue....again, the question is: why so porky?

:?:

edit: my jeep cherokee weighed 3185lbs.
"if you really want to waste time..."

What's that all about? Sorry, but our idea of tiny is obviously quite different.

FWIW, My Grand Cherokee weighs over 4200 lbs

[lemming]

the x5 isn't so large, is it?

if you really want to waste time, compare the cubic space of the X3 versus the other "suv" mini class vehicles. the escape, cr-v, freelander, rav4, vue....again, the question is: why so porky?

:?:

edit: my jeep cherokee weighed 3185lbs.
"if you really want to waste time..."

What's that all about? Sorry, but our idea of tiny is obviously quite different.

FWIW, My Grand Cherokee weighs over 4200 lbs

if you really wanted to waste your time, you could be neurotic and look it all up (like me).

there just isn't tone in electronic media, is there?

:-)

yeah, to be honest with you, i never understood why the g.cherokee is so heavy, but at least you know it has three differentials plus the driveshaft...so, it's a little bit more explicable. there are no locking differentials on the x3, as far as i can tell.

no v8, either, which is sort of another redeeming feature of the g.cherokee. i guess you guys and gals already accept this as acceptable weight for what it is. but i'm still puzzled by it all. it's based on the 3 series but it has weights SURPASSING the e39 vehicles or MB E series vehicles.

and no v8, to boot. but i already mentioned that. :mad:

[Masskrug]

i guess i do not understand completely how a 540iT weighs about 4000 pounds, but the X5 weighs 4600 pounds. the xi mechanicals cannot explain the entire difference as the difference between xi and non-xi models is only about 250 pounds?

it isn't as though the X5 is body on frame, it's unibody, so again, i'm left wondering why these vehicles weigh so much. your door comment makes no sense to me as all doors on all BMWs thunk similarly but not all of them are that far off in their class with respective to median and/or mean curb weights. is there something else that i'm just plain missing that could account for the extra weight, and this question applies both to the x3 and to the x5.

And that unibody shell is MUCH larger and beefier than that of an e39. The door comment is where you need to start to understand where that mass comes from. My good buddy has a 528iT, and he is always surprised by the mass of the E53 doors. So, to refute your comment that all BMW doors thunk similarly, they don't. Go and see for yourself. Between the larger and sturdier shell, extra 4WD mechanicals, beefier suspension bits, bigger brakes, dual exhaust system, it isn't hard to see where the weight goes.

[lemming]

i guess i do not understand completely how a 540iT weighs about 4000 pounds, but the X5 weighs 4600 pounds. the xi mechanicals cannot explain the entire difference as the difference between xi and non-xi models is only about 250 pounds?

it isn't as though the X5 is body on frame, it's unibody, so again, i'm left wondering why these vehicles weigh so much. your door comment makes no sense to me as all doors on all BMWs thunk similarly but not all of them are that far off in their class with respective to median and/or mean curb weights. is there something else that i'm just plain missing that could account for the extra weight, and this question applies both to the x3 and to the x5.

And that unibody shell is MUCH larger and beefier than that of an e39. The door comment is where you need to start to understand where that mass comes from. My good buddy has a 528iT, and he is always surprised by the mass of the E53 doors. So, to refute your comment that all BMW doors thunk similarly, they don't. Go and see for yourself. Between the larger and sturdier shell, extra 4WD mechanicals, beefier suspension bits, bigger brakes, dual exhaust system, it isn't hard to see where the weight goes.

i guess my question is, for a vehicle that will never see off road and is designed dynamicaly for the street and not the trail, "why"? in terms of the all of the reinforcing and added weight? and to extend that thought, why is weight reduction deprioritized so much in the x5 and x3 relative to the e60?

[bren]

i guess my question is, for a vehicle that will never see off road and is designed dynamicaly for the street and not the trail, "why"? in terms of the all of the reinforcing and added weight? and to extend that thought, why is weight reduction deprioritized so much in the x5 and x3 relative to the e60?
I think many of the buyers in the segment they are after with the X3 will never look at weight as a bad thing, going on the logic that bigger is better (safer.)

BMW got a lot of good press/creditibility for the X5 after its crash results were released. If I remember correctly NHTSA said it was the best vehicle they ever tested in terms of crash worthiness. I think BMW is after the same results with the X3 and they weren't taking any chances.

[lemming]

i guess my question is, for a vehicle that will never see off road and is designed dynamicaly for the street and not the trail, "why"? in terms of the all of the reinforcing and added weight? and to extend that thought, why is weight reduction deprioritized so much in the x5 and x3 relative to the e60?
I think many of the buyers in the segment they are after with the X3 will never look at weight as a bad thing, going on the logic that bigger is better (safer.)

BMW got a lot of good press/creditibility for the X5 after its crash results were released. If I remember correctly NHTSA said it was the best vehicle they ever tested in terms of crash worthiness. I think BMW is after the same results with the X3 and they weren't taking any chances.

there is no question that you are right. BMWs are the safest vehicles around, they just play up other aspects of their vehicles.

i have no idea then, who buys the x3 versus the x5; the x5 has better performance with the v8 and if they're almost the same size....i mean, i really don't think the price differential will turn out to be so large after an x3 3.0 is configured versus an x5 3.0 or an x5 4.4 (guessing on monthly payments....).

just another niche, i suppose?

[Roadstergal]

I think many of the buyers in the segment they are after with the X3 will never look at weight as a bad thing, going on the logic that bigger is better (safer.)

If that SUV mentality is taking over the mentality of the sporty-but-utilitarian tourings, I'm pissed.

[Masskrug]

i guess my question is, for a vehicle that will never see off road and is designed dynamicaly for the street and not the trail, "why"?


:?

I take it offroad.

[lemming]

i guess my question is, for a vehicle that will never see off road and is designed dynamicaly for the street and not the trail, "why"?


:?

I take it offroad.

i KNOW you do. but as far as the entire demographic of people considered buyers as well as people who own it....it's very unlikely people take it off road. look at the OEM tires they put on the thing. no knobbies. :-)

no locking differentials. now, that does not mean the AWD does not work, but it means it's not overengineered for the off road --you'll cook your brakes.

[Masskrug]

i KNOW you do. but as far as the entire demographic of people considered buyers as well as people who own it....it's very unlikely people take it off road. look at the OEM tires they put on the thing. no knobbies. :-)

no locking differentials. now, that does not mean the AWD does not work, but it means it's not overengineered for the off road --you'll cook your brakes.

HDC is not a great substitute for low gearing and locking diffs, but it sure is handy.

I also know the "real" offroaders will look down on what we do with our X5. But I do stuff that would get RWD plenty stuck, so it is useful for me.

The X5 is engineered to take punishment, stuff that would crack 3'ers and 5'ers. Just because rough stuff isn't meted out by the majority doesn't mean it shouldn't have been built to withstand it.

Heck, how often do 3er's operate at 10/10ths of what they're engineered to be capable of?

[bren]

look at the OEM tires they put on the thing. no knobbies. :-)
The tires that come with the sport package aren't even all seasons...

[Masskrug]

The tires that come with the sport package aren't even all seasons...

:?