I Own A 2024 BMW X5 And Was Given A 2025 X3 As A Loaner, Cheap Plastic Buttons, Nasty Rubber Air Vents, And Electronic Gimmicks Make This $50K Luxury SUV Feel Like A Budget Car

It’s funny what we do in the name of progress. Sometimes we chase the new and the now like a greyhound after a lure, fast, blind, and full of hope. In our quest for the latest and greatest, we often forget that progress, especially in the automotive world, isn’t always linear. Sometimes it stumbles. And occasionally, it drops its wallet in the process. Such was the case when a self-proclaimed BMW enthusiast, proud owner of a 2024 X5 50e, was handed the keys to a 2025 BMW X3 as a loaner and was confronted with a reality that many luxury shoppers are just now waking up to: not every new car feels like a step forward.

“I recently got one as a loaner, and my God, what even is this? Is the Audi Q3 and the GLC the same? It drives poorly, and the quality is just straight-up bad, and no amount of interior lights can convince me otherwise.

Also, this was a brand-new car that still had the new car smell. 2025 X3 with like 600 miles on the dash.

Exterior

Real quick, let's talk about the exterior. I know looks are subjective, but yeah, it doesn't look good from the good or the back. The side profile isn't bad, tho. The last generation looked a lot better, but that's typically the case for all BMWs. (I miss the Halo swords taillights) Als,o why is the button to open the trunk all the way at the bottom? I know this is a small nitpick but if you are even a little taller than average it just feels annoying to open the trunk.

Interior

Moving on to the interior and oh boy this feels cheap with nice lights stuck on random places. Let's talk about the positives first. The infotainment system is nice. It's fast and works great. If you don't like tech, you might get a little overwhelmed, but overall, it works great. And same with the gauge cluster, it's fine, nothing crazy, but it shows me all the info I need to see. There is good storage as well, the center console is nice, and the cup holder area is nice and open. And honestly, that's about it. The door handle to open the door feels like this cheap plastic, the buttons everywhere feel so cheap to touch. To move the air vents, they have these tiny little rubber nubs, and it's so hard to explain, but they just feel nasty to touch. The ones on the door have this electronic soft-touch button to open and close the vent, which is so stupid.

The center console has these lame buttons that I think are haptic feedback touch buttons, I can't tell, but they definitely don't feel normal. At least it has a volume roller that feels good to use, but it's in this awkward spot near the passenger. Also, the seats feel mediocre at best it's not leather, but it's also not cloth.

Overall, this is a failure of an interior. But thank god they added the additional drive modes from the 7 series like calm and digital art so they can put on a little light show and open the sunroof for you/s

Driving

The last thing I wanted to hate was the driving. Again, this is not a performance car; it's just a luxury SUV, so it should drive like one. Nope, this drives poorly, it is so jerky from a stop and it's not the start/stop engine, it's something else. The assisted driving features are just fine nothing great. The handling is also fine. But the overall comfort of the suspension and insulation could be better.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, this is a luxury SUV that is like 50k. But it has almost no luxury and the quality is definitely poor. People that are buying these have to be trolling themselves or just love sucking on that BMW badge.

Lastly, I am not a car reviewer, and I have not tried out every car in this segment. Just an everyday Joe that thinks the X3 is overall a bad car.

And before I get called out as a BMW hater, I actually own a 2024 X5 50e, great car btw if you are looking for a good-looking plugin hybrid with a good amount of range (50ish miles) that actually feels nice to sit in. Def feel worried about the potential refresh of this car going forward”

He’s not alone in his frustration. Commenter digistil echoed a rising sentiment: “The current generation X3... is generally considered to be subpar. They clearly cut corners to save costs.” That’s not just opinion; that’s industry reality. In recent years, Mercedes, Audi, and BMW have all made moves to streamline production, which is corporate-speak for cutting costs without hoping you notice. Spicywolff chimed in, lamenting that “even the new S-Class has creeks and rattles.” That’s right. The flagship. The gold standard. If the Big Three of Germany are letting their bread-and-butter sedans and crossovers fall to the accountant’s knife, then this isn’t just a BMW problem, it’s a trend.

2025 BMW X3 Upgraded Looks

• The new look features narrower headlights and a minimalist front that many find visually unbalanced or less handsome than its predecessor
• The curved digital display and touch-based climate interface lack physical buttons, leading to driver distraction and difficulty controlling airflow on the move
• Some reviewers note that cabin materials feel less premium than expected at this price point, and overly complex menu systems can impede usability
• Enthusiasts point to the X3’s departure from traditional BMW styling, calling it more “Chinese EV‑inspired” and a broader move away from the brand’s signature design DNA

Historically, BMW’s X3 was the sweet spot: an SUV that didn’t feel like a penalty box. Previous generations managed to toe the line between utility and luxury with quiet confidence. 

You got sharp handling, a well-built cabin, and that signature Bavarian tautness. But this new one? It reads more like a tech startup’s beta product: slick on the surface, but lacking core functionality. eZreazy put it bluntly: “The previous X3 was a much better car.” That line hits like a gut punch because it suggests not just a misstep, but a regression.

BMW has always played a tiered game. The 3 Series got you in the door, the 5 made you feel at home, and the 7 came with cigars and rear executive seating. SUVs followed that formula. But where the old X3 felt like a scaled-down X5, this one feels like a dressed-up iPad on wheels. Touch controls everywhere, gimmicky vent buttons, haptic feedback with the tactile precision of a cafeteria tray. It looks high-tech but feels hollow, like luxury cosplay.

Is Cheaper Always Better?

And that, perhaps, is the crux. As k_dubious aptly put it: “Hasn’t that always been the case with German brands? The midsize models and above feel like luxury cars; the cheaper ones are just normal cars with nicer drivetrains.” Fair. But the problem now is that the price gap has shrunk, while the quality gap has widened. At $50,000, the X3 doesn’t feel premium anymore. It feels padded. And buyers are noticing.

But this isn’t a hit job on BMW, nor is it a love letter to nostalgia. It’s a reality check. Technology is not a substitute for craftsmanship. LED ambient lighting won’t fix a poorly tuned suspension or rubbery HVAC nubs. And a badge, no matter how storied, cannot carry the weight of expectations alone. If the new X3 had been branded a $35K generic crossover from a lesser nameplate, perhaps expectations would’ve been reset. But that’s not the game BMW plays. 

2025 BMW X5 Cost and Dimensions 

• The 2025 X5 starts at about $67,500 for the sDrive40i ($69,800 for xDrive40i) and climbs to ~$92,000 for fully loaded trims; the plug-in hybrid xDrive50e is around $75,200
• The 40i offers ~375 hp, 0–60 mph in ~5.2 s; the xDrive50e PHEV splits 483 hp between its V6 and electric motors for a 4.6 s run; M60i and M Competition versions hit 4.2 s and 3.7 s respectively
• It measures ~194″ long, 69.5″ tall, and 117.1″ wheelbase with 33.9 cu ft of cargo behind rear seats and up to 72.3 cu ft with them folded
• Praised for intuitive curved screens, high-quality interiors, advanced driver assists (like hands‑free highway lane changes), and a generous 4-year/50,000-mile warranty

In fairness, BMW still gets it right elsewhere. The same Redditor lauded their X5 50e as “a great car... that actually feels nice to sit in.” It’s not about being anti-progress or anti-tech. It’s about execution. About feeling like you got what you paid for. So while the 2025 X3 might technically check all the boxes, screens, features, and driver aids, it misses something harder to quantify: the sense of occasion. The emotional payoff. The moment when you shut the door, start the engine, and feel like you’re driving something worth your money.

Maybe the lesson here isn’t just about the X3. Maybe it’s about us, too, what we expect from our machines, what we accept, and how easily we let go of what once made these cars great. Sometimes, the future shows up wearing all the right clothes, but none of the right soul.

Image Sources: BMW Media Center

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.