[Yobyot]

Well, we have about 400 miles on our 30i and, frankly, who wouldn't like a car like this? We're still definitely on the honeymoon.

But I think it might be a long-term love affair. I've been babying a 2012 335i (only 36K miles) because, until now, I'd never owned anything so sophisticated.

Until now.

The X3 just bristles with tech. It's as if all the ideas in my 335i were like a manifesto of what a modern car could do but the X3 is the full realization of all those ideas.

iDrive is fast and (mostly) easy to use. BMW Connected works great. Remote 3D View is astonishing. At first, I thought Lane Control was ping-pongy but my last few uses changed my mind. Sheesh, the think parks itself.

The interior is nicely put together -- almost invisible panel gaps. I've always appreciated BMW climate control systems with their extensive settings and this car doesn't disappoint (though I am sorry to see the center vent temperature control disappear into iDrive).

Consider ASS: love it or hate it, BMW's system was always light years ahead of other manufacturers'. Turn the wheel greater than about 120 degrees, and it doesn't shut down. At about 20K miles, it became really smooth in my 335i. But the X3 adds smarts to ASS: if the car in front pulls away when the engine is stopped, it starts up automatically. So impressive.

I could go on and on...but the thing that makes me think the honeymoon will last is the way it drives.

This is my third BMW and the first with a four-cylinder. The car is nicely balanced for such a tall vehicle and the smaller engine's lower weight permits a little less weight in front than the M40i. The ride is firm (on 19" RFTs!) but somehow the terrible roads here in MA don't make the suspension crash. And for an electric steering system, there's a surprising amount of road feel.

It really is a masterfully engineered, if expensive, car.