Comparison Review

Drivetrain
The BMW X3's engine isn't much more sizeable than the Volvo XC60's. Torque is roughly equivalent to acceleration, and in this respect, the Volvo is considerably more powerful than the BMW. Torque equals pickup, and the Volvo XC60 will have picked up and gone by the time the BMW X3 finally gets moving.

Utility
The BMW X3 and the Volvo can accommodate the same number of passengers. The Volvo XC60 is a better choice than the BMW X3 in terms of transporting cargo, especially if you often need to carry a lot of loot or sizeable animals.

Convenience
You'll quite certainly take the Volvo XC60 for a fill-up roughly as often as the BMW X3.

Comfort
While the front cabin in the Volvo offers a bit more head room than the X3, there really isn't much of a difference. The ampler interior dimensions of the Volvo make it significantly more spacious for your passengers than the BMW X3.

Dimensions
The BMW X3's tank is about the same size as the XC60's, though the XC60's is slightly bigger. The X3 and the XC60 compete for the same parking spaces.

Cost
The destination charge is a standard charge for transporting the vehicle from its point of origin to the dealer. It costs roughly the same to get the Volvo to the dealership as the BMW X3. With respect to gas mileage, the BMW X3 is a little better than the Volvo, but not by much. Producing an exact fuel economy evaluation is so hard that some think not even the federal government can do it, but it looks as though both the X3 and the X3 perform roughly similarly with respect to gas mileage. With respect to MSRP, the X3 costs roughly as much as the Volvo XC60 (though the Volvo XC60 is somewhat cheaper).

Warranty
The Volvo and the BMW X3 have the same basic after-sale protection.