BMWs belong on twisty back roads, blowing down them like fierce little storms.

I once tried to keep a blue M3 coupe in sight as it dissected the dark, mossy woods of south Arkansas in power slides that rustled the leaves on tall trees.

Puffs of tire smoke punctuated every curve, but the M never even wiggled its taut rump.

It kind of made me want to enroll in old Bob Bondurant’s driving school and charge about a thousand dinners to The Daily Planet to cover the cost. (Just kidding, Col. Belo. You know what a peach of a plebe I am.)

But how do we view the 2011 BMW X3, a station wagon/trucklet/crossover with sporting blood in its veins that seems most at home on a Whole Foods parking lot?

Isn’t the X3 sort of the official vehicle for the young khakis in affluent areas?

Maybe. But as with everything BMW, appearances can be deceiving.

You might recall the first X3 from a few years ago, which looked a bit ungainly and rode so stiffly that you wondered if BMW had mistakenly installed really large X6 springs in it or something.

Like those first X3s, the thoroughly revised, second-generation X3 I had was based on the 3-series car platform — architecture that may be as good as you can get in a midsized sedan.

The bottom line: The harshness got hammered out in 2011.

Moreover, the new X3 is actually a little larger than its predecessor but looks more athletic — albeit still familiar.

Although its wheelbase remains about the same, it is slightly wider and lower. In addition, the vehicle’s overall length grew by three inches, providing more legroom in back.

My dark blue X3 had the distinctive upright kidney-shaped Bimmer grilles up front flanked by fairly intense headlamps with a German glare.

A deep, sloping character line that runs through the door handles gives the X3 a tautness missing in the old trucklet.

The muscular fenders on mine were draped over smallish five-spoke 17-inch wheels shod with beefy 245/55 tires.

Inside, you’ll find a fair amount of black plastic for a vehicle that costs $43,875. But, hey, it’s pretty good plastic.

The black dashboard, for example, was flat on top but had enough curves around it to look sleekly contemporary. A slash of light-brown wood above the glove compartment eased some of the darkness.

Its off-white leatherette seats were flat-toned and a bit rough in feel but provided fine support and seemed fitting in a vehicle that can be taken off-road.

Matching white inserts and a padded armrest lightened the black-plastic door panels, and the trucklet had nearly 28 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats — not to mention a 3,000-pound towing capacity.

While I give BMW high marks for retaining its traditional round black-faced gauges, I intensely dislike the automaker’s dense, unnatural computer controls for the stereo.

C’mon BMW. Even 21st century life shouldn’t be this complicated.

But you’ll mostly forgive their infamous electronic excesses after your first trip around the block in the nicely refined X3.

As you would expect in a 4,200-pound all-wheel-drive crossover, the X3 rides firmly, maintaining tight control over body motions.

And it hits hard over potholes and other myriad imperfections in Dallas’ bad old streets. But at cruising speed, the X3 feels confident and athletic.

Unlike the superb-handling 3-series sedan, the 65-inch-tall X3 leans a little in hard corners, and the steering is slightly thicker than the sedan’s — which might be the best available on a mainstream sedan.

But the X3 feels like it got at least 80 percent of the sedan’s capabilities and isn’t the least bit fazed by high-speed curves and shenanigans.

Grip and balance are as good as I’ve experienced in a crossover, and the X can even be tossed through tight curves.

As you probably know, BMW plans to replace its base straight-six engine in some vehicles with a slightly more economical turbo four. (Thanks, Bush. Thanks, Obama. Thanks, bozos in Congress.)

But for now, the entry-level engine remains a three-liter six with 240 horsepower coupled to an eight-speed automatic. This combo generates really solid performance, running to 60 mph in an impressive 6.7 seconds, according to BMW.

It also returns 19 miles per gallon in the city and 25 on the highway — and ought to achieve it. I saw 23.6 mpg on the computer while I had the X3, and I might have shoved it around some.

The long-legged engine is a polished performer, leaping away from red lights and revving effortlessly to 6,500 rpm. I wonder how good the optional turbo-six with 300 horsepower might feel?

For my money, crossovers are like those border collies trained to carry "cowboy" monkeys on their back. They’re kind of interesting and unusual, but I don’t really want one hanging out in my garage.

Still, the demand for crossovers continues to grow. And if you can afford the price of entry, the X3 is one of the best at blending sports-sedan virtues with a little utility.

So let’s throw a picnic basket and $300 plaid blanket in this bad boy and find us a back road.

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2011 BMW X3:

—Type of vehicle: Five-door, five-passenger, all-wheel-drive crossover

—Base price: $36,850 (excluding destination charge)

—Price as tested: $43,875

—Fuel economy: 19 miles per gallon city, 25 highway

—Weight: About 4,200 pounds

—Engine: In-line six-cylinder with 240 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque

—Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

—Performance: 0 to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds

—Safety rating: Unrated

SOURCES: BMW of North America; Car and Driver