X: Fit for more than a generation

As a young professional, choosing the right car is more than just about having four wheels that get you around. No, the car should reflect your personality and character. Besides bringing functionality into your world, it should also enhance your ability to fully enjoy your lifestyle. Our two colleagues make their pick from BMW's X family.

Desmond: "Outgoing, youthful and a tad wild, the BMW X2 is the perfect car for me to live out loud!"

Life is too short to do boring things. While I still have my youth about me, I want to fully embrace it, living life as best I can. After all, who knows what's going to happen when I hit the big three-0!

The BMW X2 fits perfectly into an active lifestyle - compact in size yet dynamically capable, the X2 is the perfect car to take me around town, whether it's spending time with the girlfriend or seeking out new adventures.

With its compact size and small footprint, the X2 is the perfect car to spend time pampering the girlfriend. Stylish, manoeuvrable and a sure head-turner, I'm pretty sure that whichever new hip (and sometimes rather farflung) place she wants to go, the car is definitely up for it. And hey, if it turns out that she's not the one, I'm pretty sure that with a stylish and exciting car like the X2, finding a new girlfriend won't be too difficult (I'm just kidding darling!).

Resting on weekends? Nah, rest is for the weak. The weekend is the best time to head out and spend time with your friends.

Whether it's spending an afternoon sipping coffee or catching up over dinner and an ice cold beer, the X2 is perfect for quick jaunts about town. Our friends will also gladly hop in the back seat for a ride home.

You might think that the X2 is a car that belongs solely in the city, but you would be mistaken.

With its ample 470-litre boot, it'll easily swallow up a weekend's worth of luggage - perfect for when we need to head up to Genting for the Good Vibes music festival.

And, with its agile handling, pliant ride and gutsy powertrain, I know that the X2 is more than capable across all types of roads, no matter if it's trundling along on the North-South Highway or attacking the hairpins heading up Genting.

Whether it's for a quick dinner at the nearby Kopitiam or a weekend heading up North, the BMW X2 is fit for all journeys. But perhaps more importantly, it's fit for all of my journeys, taking me wherever I want, whenever I want. It's a car that fully embraces youth, celebrates individuality and demands boldness. In other words, it's the perfect car for me. 

Johnson: "The BMW X3 doesn't give you the best of both worlds, it gives you the best of everything"

There is no doubt about it. Versatility is at the heart of the BMW X3.

Just as well, because as a family man and as someone who enjoys keeping fit, I need a car that can accommodate my appropriate needs and desired wants.

However, finding a suitable car that can fight these two fronts isn't a walk in the park, but somehow BMW may have gotten a hold on me with its X3.

To satisfy the practicality needs of the market, the dimensions of the mid-sized SUV are larger than before, and so is its wheelbase length. Thus, for starters, there's space. Lots of it. On this note, you could say the BMW X3 is a class challenger that builds on its predecessor in every area with surpassing levels of remarkability, but it's space that comes out tops.

The 550-litre of boot space may not be class-leading, but it is more than enough for me to store my foldable bike, baby stroller, running gear and some bags. I can even load in the grocery bags without any fuss from Giant supermarket - and that can be done without having the need to knock the rear seats down.

Needless to say, my mind can just be as fuss-free knowing that rear head, leg and shoulder room have improved significantly, which means there's absolutely nothing to worry about my family having to squeeze at the back.

This is key, mind you, especially when the missus has to be at the back seat to keep an eye on our four-month old kiddo. From being able to sit cross-legged comfortably to enjoying the cool air from the air-conditioning system, she has to feel calm in the car at all times. And believe me, the BMW X3 excels in that department.

Where it also excels is its ability to bring us, as a family, to places where we can keep our bodies fit and minds worry-free. With its comfortable and spacious cabin, the X3 comes across as the perfect and natural ride to beaches and parks. You could argue that a Japanese SUV of a similar size could well do the same thing and at a cheaper price, but that would be beside the point.

That the X3 can bring you and your family places in style, luxury and comfort, all without compromising on its dynamic demeanour and outdoor-ish disposition, simply goes to show that there are certain things in life that are priceless, especially when it comes to your family.

In this case, my priceless time - which I love using to annoy my baby girl - is spent going for regular jogs with my wife. We can just take a slow drive to the park, change into our running gear from the boot and get on with our regime.

So, knowing that this BMW SUV fits my lifestyle puts my mind at ease. Like I said, versatility is at the heart of the BMW X3.