Compare the2023 BMW X3VS 2023 Lincoln Corsair

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The X3’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Corsair doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The X3 has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Corsair doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the X3’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Corsair doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the X3 and the Corsair have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the BMW X3 is safer than the Lincoln Corsair:

	X3	Corsair
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	102	143
Neck Injury Risk	21%	22.5%
Leg Forces (l/r)	116/280 lbs.	188/315 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Stress	139 lbs.	181 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	183/114 lbs.	220/169 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the BMW X3 is safer than the Lincoln Corsair:

	X3	Corsair
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	64	197
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	153 lbs.	191 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	794 lbs.	816 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	281	344

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the X3 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Corsair is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

Warranty

The X3’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Corsair’s (12 vs. 5 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the X3 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. BMW will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Lincoln only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Corsair.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the X3 first among compact premium suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Corsair isn’t in the top three.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that BMW vehicles are better in initial quality than Lincoln vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW above average in initial quality. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lincoln is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks BMW third in overall reliability. Lincoln is ranked 10th.

Engine

The X3 M40i’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 116 more horsepower (382 vs. 266) than the Corsair Grand Touring’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the X3 s/xDrive30i 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Lincoln Corsair turbo 4 cyl.:

	X3	Corsair
Zero to 60 MPH	6.7 sec	7.3 sec
Quarter Mile	15.1 sec	15.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.5 MPH	88.4 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the X3 sDrive30i gets better fuel mileage than the Corsair 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder FWD running its gasoline engine (23 city/29 hwy vs. 22 city/29 hwy).

Regardless of its engine, regenerative brakes improve the X3’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. Lincoln only offers a regenerative brake system on the Corsair Grand Touring.

The X3 has 6.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Corsair Grand Touring’s standard fuel tank (17.2 vs. 11.1 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The X3 has a gallon more fuel capacity than the Corsair’s standard fuel tank (17.2 vs. 16.2 gallons).

The X3 has a standard locking fuel door with a power remote release convenient to the driver The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Corsair. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Transmission

The X3 M40i’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Corsair doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the X3’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Corsair:

	X3	X3 M40i	Corsair
Front Rotors	13 inches	13.7 inches	12.1 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	13.5 inches	11.9 inches

The X3’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Corsair are solid, not vented.

The X3 stops much shorter than the Corsair:

	X3	Corsair
70 to 0 MPH	158 feet	179 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	112 feet	126 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	138 feet	139 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the X3 has larger standard tires than the Corsair (245/50R19 vs. 225/60R18).

The X3’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Corsair Standard’s standard 60 series tires. The X3’s optional 245/40R21 front and 275/35R21 rear tires have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile than the Corsair’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the X3 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Corsair Standard. The X3’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the Corsair.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the X3 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Corsair doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

The X3 has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Corsair Grand Touring suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the X3’s wheelbase is 6.1 inches longer than on the Corsair (112.8 inches vs. 106.7 inches).

The X3 M40i xDrive handles at .88 G’s, while the Corsair Reserve AWD pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The X3 M40i xDrive executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.8 seconds quicker than the Corsair Standard AWD (25.9 seconds @ .72 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .67 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The X3 has 1.6 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front shoulder room and .4 inches more rear headroom than the Corsair.

Cargo Capacity

The X3 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Corsair with its rear seat up (28.7 vs. 27.6 cubic feet). The X3 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Corsair with its rear seat folded (62.7 vs. 57.6 cubic feet).

Towing

The X3’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Corsair’s (4400 vs. 2000 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The engine in the X3 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Corsair. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that BMW service is better than Lincoln. J.D. Power ranks BMW 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 12% lower rating, Lincoln is ranked 12th.

Ergonomics

The X3’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Corsair’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The X3’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Corsair’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the X3 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Corsair doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the X3 is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Corsair’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the X3 owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the X3 with a number “5” insurance rate while the Corsair is rated higher at a number “8” rate.

The X3 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the X3 will retain 49.78% to 50.55% of its original price after five years, while the Corsair only retains 47.08% to 47.36%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the X3 is less expensive to operate than the Corsair because typical repairs cost less on the X3 than the Corsair, including $4 less for front brake pads.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the BMW X3 and the Lincoln Corsair, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The BMW X3 outsold the Lincoln Corsair by over two to one during 2022.

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