A BMW is supposed to be “The Ultimate Driving Machine,” but the 2025 X3 is also a parking machine. The all-new compact SUV is available with a long list of electronic aids that can take full control in certain situations.

Among them is a Parking Assistant Professional option that can spot an empty parallel or perpendicular space it thinks the X3 will fit in as you drive by, then steer the vehicle into it while controlling the brakes, accelerator and transmission by itself.

This sort of tech has been available in vehicles for 15 years now, and its real world utility is arguable, but it never ceases to entertain when it works well. And the X3’s works very well.

The feature has another capability that allows you to record a path to a parking spot that’s up to 650 feet long with 10 maneuvers, which it can retrace on its own, even in reverse, making it easy to back down a narrow lane, for instance.

Using a smartphone app, you can also have the X3 pull itself out of or into a tight parking space while standing outside the vehicle. This is particularly handy if you return to your X3 in a parking lot and someone has parked too close to it to open the door.

The X3 starts at $50,675 for the 30 xDrive trim, which comes with standard all-wheel-drive and a hybrid powertrain based around a turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It works with an eight-speed automatic transmission and is rated at 255 hp and 33 mpg on the highway.

That is solid efficiency for a vehicle this size with that level of power. The new X3 is slightly longer than the outgoing edition and on the large side for the compact SUV class.

The styling is much different from before. It trades the previous X3’s sculpted body for a slab-sided look with flush features that gives it a very modern identity. BMW’s signature twin-kidney grille is just a panel covering sensors and decorated with two sets of stripes set at a 45-degree angle to each other.

The interior has been even more dramatically overhauled. The grille design is echoed in the cabin details while two large illuminated chevrons adorn the doors. The vibe is more cold and cutting-edge than elegant, but the front seats are comfortable and supportive, and six-foot-tall passengers fit nicely in the second row.

There is a widescreen rectangular display encompassing the instrument cluster and touchscreen interface. The latter is used to control practically everything, as the dashboard is free of buttons and knobs, but can be remotely operated through a dial on the center console next to the toggle-style gear selector. You can also use voice commands to operate several features by saying “BMW” to wake it and then asking it to perform tasks. BMW can update its abilities over time, but, for now, I was able to get it to do a few things like adjust the climate control and open the rear windows. Ask it to open the shade on the panoramic sunroof, however, and the response is, “I can’t control that part of your vehicle yet, but I’m working hard on learning it.”

The ride quality is typical BMW SUV. It is perfect mix between smoothness and handling. I put well over 500 miles on the vehicle, which included an eight-hour stretch in one day, and was getting 33 mpg the whole way.

The powertrain is what’s known as a mild-hybrid, which means it won’t operate in all-electric mode. Rather, the small electric motor is primarily for stopping and restarting the engine whenever the vehicle starts and stops, but it also provides a little extra boost of power as the four-cylinder spools up. It’s very lively and the vehicle feels light on its feet.

Its virtual feet and hands also work on the road if you opt for the Active Driving Assistant Pro, which is a lane-centering adaptive cruise control. At high speeds, you have to keep a hand on the wheel for it to work, but you can take it off in low-speed stop-and-go traffic as the vehicle takes over. As with many of these systems, there’s a camera to make sure you’re awake and have your eyes on the road in case you need to take over in an emergency.

My biggest issue with the X3, is that you can’t dare say “BMW” in it, or else the voice assistant chimes in looking for something to do. I think the car already does enough, sometimes it’s better to just stop talking and drive.