Helping the X3 35i’s prodigious acceleration is the fact that its engine’s maximum torque is available from 1,300-5,000 rpm.

BMW X3 xDrive35i: Inline 6-cylinder engine with beefy power delivery, strong torque and superb refinement. Fans of large 6-cylinder engines have a treat in store too.

The X3 has long stood out as one of BMW’s rare critical misses. Failure is too strong a word to apply to a vehicle that manages to sell more than 30,000 units a year in the U.S. alone. But the sort of ...