2008 BMW X3 Safety Review [ 2007 ]
Based on analysis of 35 X3 reviews and test drives.
Safety - What the Auto Press Says
The federal government has not yet crash tested the 2008 BMW X3, but the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety names it a "Top Safety Pick." At the same time, the luxury SUV is "replete with safety features, both active and passive," according to Automotive.com.
All systems are tied into BMW's Intelligent Safety and Information System (ISIS), which places overlapping safety systems throughout the vehicle so that, even if some are damaged in a crash, the various technologies aboard will still work.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gives the 2008 X3 a top score of "good" in both frontal offset and side impact tests. This good performance along with standard electronic stability control earn the X3 a "Top Safety Pick" designation.
Accident Avoidance
To help avoid crashes, the 2008 BMW X3 comes standard with ABS to enable drivers to maintain steering control in an emergency braking situation. Also standard is Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), which Automotive.com says "works to rein in the car when it's over-extended in cornering or emergency maneuvers" and "electronic throttle control that reduces engine power when necessary to regain traction." Rear standard adaptive brake lights should help reduce rear-end impacts by illuminating a larger section of the brake lights during hard braking to warn following drivers, and front optional adaptive headlights can swivel during turns to illuminate oncoming twists and turns. Cars.com mentions that, at lower speeds, "additional parking lights illuminate nearby corners when the steering wheel is turned hard to the left or right."
Crash Protection
X3s include six standard air bags in front, and side-curtain air bags for both rows. Ultra-sensitive "satellite" side-impact sensors monitor pressure change within the door structure and signal for deployment early in a side impact, yet minimize the chance of an unwanted deployment.
Front safety belts include automatic tensioners and force limiters. All five seats have head restraints, although the reviewer for Cars.com complained that "the middle one in back doesn't extend; its fixed height is about 2 inches too low for my 5-foot-11-inch frame." Child safety provisions include LATCH child-seat anchors in the outboard rear seats and top-tether anchors for all three positions. Active head restraints are newly standard for 2008.
