[*bimmervibe]

I know that it's a little bit like comparing apple to oranges but I have this dilemma for replacing my wife's 328 GT lease.

We are looking for a compact SUV with good driving dynamics, we don't need a big cargo space but a car that can be comfortable for 3 adults during occasionale 5hrs road trips.

My wife likes the ride comfort and practicality of our current 3GT but she would like a more engaging drive(she loves to drive my 228). She also a little bit annoyed by how long the 3GT is for parking an maneuvering.

Last year I had a X3 30i as a loaner and enjoy it, I actually found it more comfortable than the 3GT, still fun to drive, but I'm now wandering if it felt too "soft".

Recently We test drove a x2 m35i and actually really like it, the ride is a little stiff but not uncomfortable. The only concern is how it would feel for an adult seating in the back seats for a long trip. I read on this forum a lot of bad things about this car, especially the fwd platform and transverse mounted 4pot engine. For my little test drive I felt it still drove like a BMW, not quite as my 228, but the power output made it a fun drive.

We also test drove an X3 m40i, the driving dynamics are great but, might sound crazy, we both didn't like the sound at all. The pops in sport mode feels like popcorn popping without the nice overall deep sound that you would expect from a 6 cylinder engine. It might also have to much power for what we really need. The other issue is that, without adaptive suspensions, the ride is even stiffer than the x2, and no local dealers have one with adaptive to try or buy. The option of ordering a custom one it is just more money than what I'm willing to pay. Bottom line, it's a nice car but probably out of my reach.

So I'm left with the dilemma of choosing between:

- nicely loaded X3 30i with MSport looks
- fully loaded X2 M35i

Not sure if anyone else cross shopped these models or which one would you get just based on handling?