My parents want to trade their STS for something that sits a little higher. Any first hand experiences with the X3?

 

nothing special. my sister leased one. gave it back in about a year. interior wasn't remarkable. the ride was pretty tippy and not very comfortable in the back. plenty of other options out there with better value.

 

Bleh. The X3 is so boring...

It tells the world, "I'd like to own a BMW SUV, but this is all I can afford."

Tell your parents to get a Lexus RX.

 

Thanks for the input.

My parents are fairly old. They could care less about style or who makes it as long as it's not Ford, Mopar, or Subbie. It does need to be fairly comfortable and easy to park and not hard for my Mom to get into the back seat when I drive them. Whatever they end up with probably won't be driven more then 3000 or 4000 miles a year and half of that by me.

I like the RX but found it hard to get into the back seat. My Mom can't twist her ankles due to an injury so she has to have a little extra room to get her feet in.

What else is fairly small, sits high, and is comfortable.

 

Buick Rendevous...do they still make that thing??

What about a CR-V...or the Acura RDX?

They may even find the ELEMENT to be a great choice. I had an '05 and really loved it!!

 

The X3 with a manual transmission is the only SUV that I would ever buy.

It's light for an SUV and handles well.

But for your parents it might be sprung a little too stiff...

Maybe a Lexus would have a smoother ride.

 

Just thought of another great choice for your parents...the new Inifiniti EX. I think it's rather hideous...and over priced...but they are killing to sell 'em. So it may be the right price for your parents, offer some good value and be the right size all around.

http://www.infiniti.com/ex/index.html

 

Some good suggestions in here, thanks. Thought about the CR-V, Rav 4, Element's out because of back doors. drove the Mazda CX-7 or whatever it's called. Hate the steering in the Vue and it's clones. Want to check out a lightly used Buick Rendevous. The new EX is a very interesting suggestion and will be looked at.

 

what about a nissan rouge? similar to the ex but cheaper

 

I'd aim for a pavement crawler, it doesn't sound like your parents are interested in any off-roading capabilties so why to the hit in gas mileage, price, and most importantly ride quality?

That gives 'em about half a billion cross-over/"SUVs" to choose from. What do they need and want? Seating capacity, mileage, price, image. Things like the CRV are great if they just want a raised car that's easier to get in and out of for someone with knee problems. On the other hand, it offers little more than a Civic in the way of amenities or utility. On the other end you have things like the Lexus LX570.

Not knowing what they need or want I'd say Nissan Murano/Rogue, Infiniti EX/FX, or if they want full sized a Yukon.