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One good reason to hate the legacy motoring press is that for years they pushed stupid stuff like low profile tyres and sports suspension, which most people I know absolutely hate.

Hello JayEmm, this particular example (#734) you drove has the artificial Nevada Oyster leather. Lavalina was available for the F25 but only a handful of them have been equipped with it - No. #697 is one of them.

M539 restorations recently visited the alpina facility and it's just incredible the effort they put in and their attention to detail. it's also commendable on how much they care about their legacy models and discontinued BMW generations

For me at least, worth the extra £10k 7 days a week and twice on a Sunday. 4 star car all day long, power, rare and a little bit special. Fantastic review as always James 👏🏻

Just done the deal on my 3rd Alpina. It’s one of those cars that you don’t ‘get’ until you test drive

There was an Alpina D3s estate in my local Aldi carpark yesterday 😮. It's probably one of the best looking modern car I have ever seen 😀

Car Magazine which I love had an annoying habit of proclaiming that a particular car was best in class, perfect in every way. However when a face-lift or new model was introduced, they would list a litany of improvements over said prefect car. This was particularly the case with BMW 3 series, VW Golf and Porsche 911 reviews.

Had an Alpina D3 for about 4 years (2014 model) - so I expect very similar to the car reviewed. Excellent performance and handling, cheap to run (40mpg average) and felt that bit special. Downsides - i felt the suspension was too firm for the shocking roads where I live and the road noise was surprisingly loud. I didn't like the power delivery but i think that's performance diesels and turbos rather than an Alpina issue. I'm firmly in the 'no replacement for displacement' camp. Congrats on the 300k achievement.

I had 56 reg, D3 Saloon from Sytner Solihull, walked into the showroom saw it in black, not my favourite colour but it looked great. Just 200 bhp, but loved this car great fuel economy, decent for power for 2006 , coupled with great handling, very fond memories, drove D3 S recently, another great car Alpina make great cars 👍

Regarding the hate for SUVs, I drove the family from the UK to Italy and back, with a fully loaded boot and roof box, in a TS Hybrid Cayenne. The youngest one being 3 years old. Driving up to 9 hours a day, for several days, with children was a breeze. The car was equally amazing to drive across twisting alpine roads and tunnels as it was off-road once in the hills in Tuscany. It was the perfect format for a car for the trip. For me, the holiday was about experiencing the car excelling across the varying conditions between the destinations. Steaks in Italy were good, too 🥩

Heated steering wheel switch is right hand side of the steering column, completely easy to miss as just not visible in normal driving

Man, I love a big diesel (can one still say that these days?)

My 1975 3.0s was sent to Alpina by BMW themselves (it's a ex BMW UK directors car) , but although it's stated on the paperwork , there is nothing inside or outside the car to suggest it's pedigree unless you notice the front air dam or the positively tiny boot spoiler......damned thing goes like a train though and makes boy racers cry ......the brushed aluminium panel that the rear plate sits on is immune to speed camera flashes too....which is handy 😅

Love Alpina cars. Those big diesels are great. I have a 2015 335 Touring and love it.

I've had my f25 2.0d m sport for nigh on 10 years, i know ita not rhe Alpina but it has been a fantastic family runaround. 2 kids and a dog, whack the roof box on. Love it.

Fantastic car, I would love one, but I’m going to have to put up with my normal X3 3.5d which is superb, just right for my needs. Keep up the great work James, very very entertaining

Never been a HUGE fan of BMWs but really quite like the Alpinas. There’s a 3 series wagon we can get in the States now that’s pretty classy looking.

I'd be interested in you doing a talky video on the BMW diesel engines. Reason being, I have a 2.0TDi Tiguan that at best does 45mpg. When someone crashed into it in a car park, the insurance company gave me a rental BMW M440d. Coupe is not my thing but irrelevant to my point. I did 880 miles in it before handing it back. The first 4 days, I did 588 miles and it managed 56.2mpg. I have a picture of the trip computer. What astonished me was how much power the engine had when you planted your right foot, but it could still do well over 50mpg. I need to drive my Tiguan like Grandma to get 45mpg. I am certainly not a BMW fan, but they need a round of applause for that engine. And am I looking at the classifieds? 540d touring, oh yes please.

I appreciate the research into this one.

James, you should not be surprised with that result. It's AutoExpress. They still somehow allow Mike Rutherford to write vile columns there I just couldn't believe what I read.

I waited for ages a review of a modern Alpina by Jay.

Not come across this before but really like it! As you say, it's handsome.

300K YAY! Congratulations Cheers from Florida

I don't get the hate for diesels. You can get insane power without smoke. Gale Banks proved that.

A car I hate to like... As someone who lives and works in a French ski resort in the winter this would make a lot of sense - assuming the 4WD system is any good in the snow - correct tyres can make all the difference. Also Alpina wheels 😍😍😍

My current daily driver is a 2012 BMW X5 35d. I love the engine and it is a beast for hauling. (Edit: I use mine to go out to land drilling rigs for oil and gas work. Never has an issue getting in or out. Not quite 'off-road' but certainly not fully paved either.) I had a friend who had a remapped 335d and that thing was fantastic.

I would absolutely love your take on the E65 Alpina B7! Probably my favorite BMW, behind the F90 M5 Comp!

This was the first car I misfueled back in the day with unleaded, the early ones had no protection nozzle adapter 🤣

Congratulations on 300k!!!

I know it might seem mundane, but a review of that diesel E60 5er would be great, now that they're very affordable now! 'Sexy' was never a descriptor I thought of the 535d, I'd love to see the rest of what you think of it.

Oh my Old boss bought one of these (a white one with the gold pinstripes) about a year before he died... his elderly wife now pootles around in it... I had a 330d touring at the time and wanted the 335d so this was another level of lust! Not in white though 😂

And the great news for people who like cars that are both sporty, and still have some utility to them...... is that Alpina also make the D5 Touring.

I have driven many cars, Alpine D3 was one of the best. Just munches-up the miles without fuss, was a nicer ride than M3 and similar.

If your ever up in north scorland again, moray specifically, ive just picked up a jag xk 5.0 convertivle to replace my e46 clubsport i think you'd like.

I have a 2015 X3 XDrive MSport 20d with the additional MPerformance package. Running 160 Kw instead of the factory 140 Kw. Still gets 7L/100KM, and has not given me 1 problem. 110% reliable. Have not even once considered replacing it.

I dont mind a practical SUV, like a Disco or a Defender; but even they've become quite soft and urban in recent years. Old defender, and the Toyota Land Cruiser are still the best looking 4*4s i can think of. Rugged and sturdy looking things. Original Disco/2 gets a shout out as well.

Great video. Lovely car, 👍

Hi Jay, I’ve got a D5 you can test drive if you want? It has the same power plant as the D3 and XD3 that you’ve already driven. So I’m not sure if you would be that interested as I think you wouldn’t have much to say about it that you haven’t already said about the D3 and XD3. It’s my daily driver and I love it. However, I think you should get your hands on the petrol Alpinas as the only on diesel Alpinas left to test is the D5 and D4 and the older D3’s which use the 2.0 litre BMW engines.

Amazing how normal this looks compared to the latest monstrosities

Comapring cars can sometimes be usefull but it's not always so. Some cars just don't comapre well to another but has other metrics that can't be easily quantified by a number like looks, quality and sound. 911 is a really good car but if you don't like the looks or the badge then it doesn't matter hwo good it is, you might like an F-Type more because it looks better to you and sounds nicer and has a different engine.

I do love an Alpina

Great video thanks 😊 👍

The problem is automotive journalists are significantly influenced by the amount various car brands are paying for advertising and their opinions are often swayed by the lavish trips brands pay for.

The current Alpina B3 is just a better M3. It has slightly 🤏 less power but is just so much better looking and riding. Truly special.

FWIW I prefer the BMW badge. It's simple and minimalistic. I love it. I am not sure that you are legally required to pay ULEZ fees, AFAIK. Also, many journalists these days are often called urinalists, for obvious reasons.

I believe the Lavolina leather would be on the steering wheel

It needs to be good, they were £70k cars when optioned up from new

I dropped you a line about my E90 Alpina D3! Would love to see it on the channel and would be interesting to see your opinions on it :)

You should compare this to the W205 Mercedes C-Class: I've never been a fan of Mercedes, but when I happened to buy a C350e T some years back, which happened to have the optional air suspension (standard on the PHEV model) and the rare option of additional acoustic and thermal insulation (including double-pane windows) I was astounded. It was supremely comfortable and quiet, and you have to go to seriously more expensive cars to get anything close to it! And it was finally a Mercedes that was very nice to drive too, as the gearbox and steering as well as chassis were finally done properly. Every car should be benchmarked against the W205 C-Class with air suspension and acoustic package. I bet you that SUV is massively less comfortable and much more noisy, and isn't any more fun to drive either (but the engine is somewhat more pleasant).

Alpina are always great nice

Interesting, good review. It's a dinosaur, but a cool one none the less.

It definitely would not keep up with a vantage in a straight line - unless this has been tuned past those standard figures

Does it have a Crapovic exhaust, or does it have an Akrapovic exhaust?

I think an interesting comparison would be between this and an Alpina wagon. Can you actually compare an Alpina to something else not quite. Maybe some high end tuner but still it doesn't feel appropriate. It's a great point as well , motoring journalist quite a lot of the time jump on thier high horse and sing the aficionados tune . But most people just want something nice and aren't quite atuned to the nuances of driving. They may think they are, but the sales figures proves another wise. Maybe we needed two conclusions one for the every men and women and one for the petrol heads.

Those H-K stereos have a problem, they just go pop. By brothers did, turns out it is common....

I don’t think the car had Lavalina leather. I know the spec list now and then mentions it but it’ out of the box mostly the steering wheel and other smaller parts. The leather you show here seems regular dakota. If you take Lavalina, the bottom side of the seats should be in leather too.

TY 🙏🙏

Just thought I'd comment on the certificate of conformity that you mentioned. My buddy has a 1999 Ford Mondeo ST24 which actually is efficient enough to be ULEZ compliant but he has been talking to other owners and apparently it has taken months and multiple attempts for TFL to accept the certificate and make the changes. Perhaps a video on how ULEZ is more of a poor tax than an environmental initiative and how they have been behaving towards Londoners might be worth covering

Excellent review. I have this engine in a similar coloured X5 35D albeit mine is not remapped (as yet) and I can only imagine what this one goes like. Sadly, mine is not ULEZ compliant either and I’m just 1 mile outside the new extension, so my wings have been clipped a little, for now, at least. I tested hydrogen “injection” on my old E39, perhaps that needs a revisit..

The print car journos all say the same thing as they are reading of a list of things the manufacturers tell them to say. It's quite telling that literally all of them hate/love the exact same things.

Most journalists just hate the suv revolution. They just want to review high end sports cars they can’t own themselves. They also want to jump into any vehicle and immediately know all its operational aspects. I remember all the fuss they made about the BMW Idrive system.

Roll on half a milly subs

In the ever decreasing list of available trademark acronyms, I wonder who will be the first to bring out a "Sport-omatic gearbox?? Or maybe a "Sp-automatic"???

Well what do you expect from Auto Express?

Never knew this Alpina even existed.... Shame that even second hand they are in their own price bubble. As it is gives low value for money for the average working person.

Unfairly judged?? I didn’t even know this car(?) existed! 😂

Alpinas are wonderful things, I have a Roadster S, it such a better car than the Z4M

Hoorah for meaty tires...

Why has it a BMW bonnet and boot badge? Should it not have a Alpina badges?

X3's are that big they are hard to distinguish from X5s.

Alpina doesn't even mention this car on their site, nor is it in the wikipedia page for this generation of x3. How bizarre.

Your right Jay, I don't like it because it's an SUV. I'm 'one of us types' it seems. Here in Au they are the mainstay of bland boring breeder types that you don't want to be sat next to at dinner parties with their boring baby stories and bathroom renovation aspirations. SUV's are useful appliances just like dishwashers and microwaves and about as exciting.

I expected to see Alpina badge on the bonnet, but it's still saying BMW...

Guys hate suvs as not any better than a sporty sedan until they find themselves with a few kids and the the needs for luggage, camping gear, or bulky garden stuff.

Who else loves the theme tune?❤

X6 m50d 2017 literally drives like a golf gti

Hello James, one thing which never fails to surprise me, is the incredibly cheap price's of cars in Great Britain. I am in Australia, and every car and price you mention is at least triple what you approximate. A fair to good Audi 5 series, GB 13~15k pounds, is in Australia, for the same year, but far higher mileage, up around the $200,000 range or higher. Now how am I to equate an Audi which you test drove and made sound so wonderful I wanted one immediately, to having to find a quarter of a million dollars for the privilege of driving it? A pound is usually around 2.4 times an Australian dollar, which is fair enough. However, when I guesstimate a vehicle from your review at say, 45 to 50K, leaving lots of room to spare, but still missing by $200,000 it is very disheartening I assure you. Mercedes service are so dreadfully poor here, that they aren't on the list ever, unless you lease. Generally anything fully enfolded in the Volkswagen group equally are so poorly supported that I would not wish that suffering on an enemy. Pretty much leaving the BMW brand to reign supreme in every way. We in Australia are more akin to the Euro drivers in expectations, (I recall you saying the US Camaro was a remarkably un US drive. We built them in Australia under the GMH name and shipped them to the states. We did the same with our Commodores, under a different name, and for the US driver cognoscenti, it was a must-have driver's car.) Similarly, in the USA the prices for cars, second hand in particular were ludicrous by my estimation and familiarity. For instance an 82 V6 Camaro for $2500, whereas the identical vehicle converted to R/H drive in 1992 would comfortably achieve a sales price of $12,500 (I was assured by a fellow who imported yank cars into OZ)which I consider ridiculous. A mass-produced Lego kit car, assembled by drunken monkeys, with an interior which was so plasticky it would fall apart before my eyes. The benefit to me was pointed out by several people in the know, as a car I would find half way exceptable to drive compared to most American cars, (which turned out to be so true when I latter rented some brand-new cars. I do understand about the economies of scale, yet even so, this seems far too extreme.

First you say you consider yourself an automotive journalist, then you say you can't find how to turn off the steering wheel heater...so apparently reading the user manual is too much of a hurdle for you?? 🤦‍♂🤣 Nowadays they have user manuals in app-form too, and I suspect that F25's user manual is available in app form so you don't even have to know how to use a index or glossary, all you have to do is use the search function of the app to find where the button for the steering wheel heating is. The user manual is probably also included in that car's iDrive system so you can find it there too, or even just by asking for it in with the voice command. The third option, which took me about 5 seconds, is to do a simple internet search and look at the image results. It's probably on the steering column, on the left side on LHD cars, as in so many other BMW models.

Perfect whip for the moderately successful drug dealer.

Alpinas are for bmw drivers who want to drive a Mercedes

Outstanding video 2/10

What a rancid looking car.

that engine noise is annoying . you do it in every video

First 👍

Hey mate, i have got a 1999 Nissan Elgrand E50 3.3i with sub 40K miles, it is absolutely immaculate fresh import, Would you be interested in having a go some time?

Alpina is to me equivalent to Brabus, I do not know why BMW bought it when they have M division.

Get a grip, its a bloody rip off