Hey everyone! New to this forum. I'm going to be in the market for a new car this Fall (to lease) and considering either the BMW X3 or 3-series. I live in Minneapolis (cold winters + snow) and currently drive a 2016 Honda Accord. I think I prefer sedans > SUVs, the drive is better and less "clunky" drive to me. However, winters can sometimes be rough in a sedan with the snow. I'm considering the 3-series versus the X3, mostly the latter to have a SUV that would fare better in the winter months. To me, there are pluses and minuses to both, and I wanted to gauge people's opinions on which would better fit my situation. I've never personally owned a BMW before, though have had family members who purchased a M5.

3-series
+ Sedan (preferred)
+ Remote start (vital for cold MN winters)
+ AWD (versus my current FWD sedan)
- Not sure how this will handle practically in the winter, especially as the 3-series seems pretty low to the ground. I've never driven a AWD sedan before though, so wondering if this might solve the problem.

X3
+ Nice styling, larger size
+ Handles way better in the MN winter
- No remote start

Any thoughts? I'm mostly interested in comments on how a 3-series AWD handles in the snow.