Road Test: BMW X3 3.0d Sport 5dr

The X3 is more high-rise Touring than compact SUV, ideal for all those estate owners who've tired of driving at hip height and fancy staring down at people for a while.

But the boot is also 10 litres bigger than an X5's, so it's every inch as practical for about five grand less.

And now that it's available with BMW's refined and responsive three-litre diesel engine, which offsets a fairly modest 218bhp with no less than 369lb ft of torque, who'd have the Touring or the X5?

Couple all this grunt to a six-speed manual 'box and reasonably positive steering, and you've got an off-roader that is more involving to drive than any other in its class.

OK, so you suffer a bit on poor roads because of the tighter suspension, but that's more than outweighed by the lack of roll in the corners and the fact that, even at pace, the X3 doesn't try to understeer you into the nearest field.

The bane of low-spec X3s is that no one finishes painting them and you're left with a Plimsoll line of black plastic. But opt for this Sport model (£33,260) and BMW throws in the Aero kit free of charge and paints it the same colour as the car.

You also get a chunky multifunction steering wheel and super-cool 18-inch alloys.

So if you fancy a bit more visibility while upsetting the X5 set by getting more bubbly in the boot, this is the car for you. And at less than a grand on top of the Touring, it's almost value for money. Almost.