Compare the2024 BMW X3VS 2024 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.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the BMW X3 is much safer than the Corsair:

	X3	Corsair
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	45	391
Head Peak Forces	no contact	93 G’s
Neck Tension	178 lbs.	379 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	.59 in	1.1 in
Shoulder Force	201 lbs.	223 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.98 in	1.77 in
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	8 MPH
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	1049 lbs.	1160 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	156	168
Neck Tension	67 lbs.	201 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.16 in	1.54 in
Shoulder Force	112 lbs.	379 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.67 in	1.5 in
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	513 lbs.	1093 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

The BMW X3 has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Corsair is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

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, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Lincoln only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Corsair.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the X3’s reliability 28 points higher than the Corsair.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that BMW vehicles are better in initial quality than Lincoln vehicles. With 16 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks BMW higher than Lincoln.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks BMW 14 places higher in reliability than Lincoln.

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

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 Premiere’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 Premiere. 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

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’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (49% to 51%) than the Corsair’s (56% to 44%). This gives the X3 more stable handling and braking.

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 Premiere AWD (25.9 seconds @ .72 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .67 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The X3 has 1.2 inches more front headroom and .5 inches more front shoulder room 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.

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 almost three to one during 2023.

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