02-06-2025
BMW X3 Cargo Test: How Big Is the Trunk?
I'm eventually going to talk about the BMW X3 and how much stuff fits in its 31.5-cubic-foot cargo area. But first, I must discuss spare tires. Remember how they used to be in everything? And then remember how a little thing called run-flat tires were invented and automakers started using these supposed modern marvels while removing spares in the name of weight, packaging and, possibly, cost? BMW was an early and extreme adopter of run-flats, much to the chagrin of ride quality enthusiasts and the wallets of owners who needed to replace them.
Why am I talking about this? Well, a few years ago, it seems like BMW decided that spare tires were OK after all and started putting them back into its cars, at least as an option. The last-generation X1 and X2 were the earliest two examples I can remember. You could either have a spare tire or a big spare-tire-sized underfloor storage area. (That's the case with the current generations, too.) I'm guessing this move was popular because the X3 eventually got a spare tire option. Unfortunately, the previous-generation X3 was not originally engineered to have one, so to make a spare fit, engineers awkwardly raised the floor, creating a stage-like space. See below.
