I decided to test drive a 2021 BMW X3 at a nearby CarMax location a couple of weeks ago.
I scheduled the test drive online and was excited about the opportunity to drive something different. Besides the fact that test drives are fun, the lease on my current vehicle is expiring soon. I need some first hand experiences to select my next vehicle.
Unfortunately, when my family and I arrived at CarMax, we were greeted with an attitude. The salesperson insisted that my desire to test drive different cars to prepare for my lease end “made no sense” and repeated this several times. His rationale was that the specific car that I test drive on that day would likely not be available when my lease ends. I was like- so what? There’s “a million” X3’s out there. If I like this one- I’ll find another one later.
I was disgusted and asked if we could work with a different salesperson. He said “sure” and brought over a manager. I proceeded to tell the manager that the behavior of that salesperson was unacceptable. He totally ruined his opportunity for a future sale. I’ve purchased 3 cars from CarMax (2 BMW’s and an Audi)- so this dude missed out on a new customer.
Anyway, my family and I proceeded with the test drive- since the salesperson wouldn’t be accompanying us.
Overall, the vehicle was nice, but I was expecting a bit more luxury in the dash area for the sales price (roughly $53,000).
It handled well, and the 4 cylinder engine revved up in Sport mode. This particular model was a plug-in hybrid, so perhaps one could save a few bucks on gas with this version of a “compact SUV”. BMW also uses the term Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV)- to emphasize an active luxury lifestyle.
Anyways, I typically have really good experiences with CarMax. I like the huge inventory of vehicles they have and the no fuss/ no haggle pricing. But the sales dude we encountered at the Brandywine location “raised my hackles”! Lol!
But alls well that ends well. Perhaps I will test drive an X4 or an X5 soon!
Check out my X3 test drive video:
Andy Girl Is In Da Streets! 