This is the BMW X3 and we just did a comprehensive dive into the more sporty brother x3 m40i, but for the sake of this video we’re going to zoom out and focus on the highs and lows of this car as a complete platform and compact SUV
It’s very very good, but nothings perfect so let’s hit the best and the rest…starting with the rest
Worst of the BMW X3:
1 – Small(ish) rear seats
Starting the back seat we’re going to talk about space
There are 2 other main competitors to this thing, the Mercedes GLC and Audi Q5…both of which have larger and more spacious feeling rear seats
But let’s expand the list – Genesis GV70, Acura RDX, and Lexus NX…and we’ll throw the Porcshe Macan in there as well
Of all these competitors I’ve only had less room in the back seat in the Macan and MAYBE the NX
Let me be clear, it’s not unbearable and I’m not uncomfortable back here, but you will find more rear legroom almost everywhere else
2 – No hybrid or PHEV in USA
This one is a bit strange to me because I know BMW has hybrids and PHEVs in their lineup in other models and in other markets
And as the years tick on it does surprise me more and more that there isn’t more interest in dedicated hybrids or Plug-ins here in the states from the Germans
Although, that said, we’ve been seeing mild hybrids in the German trio for years now and as of this last facelift we do have a mild hybrid in the B58 equipped M40i…but we’ll talk more about engines later…
3 – stiff(ish) ride
This won’t come as a huge surprise seeing as, of all the competitors we listed before, the only one that truly goes toe to toe with this BMW X3 from a sporting and dynamics perspective is the Porsche Macan
But when you bake in sporty and dynamic pretentious into your compact SUV with its raised ride height, the dampers have to be stiffer to keep the chassis composed during lateral loads
Stiffer dampers means a slightly stiffer ride than you;d get from the Audi or Mercedes or…really any of th others
But again, like the rear seat, it’s in no way unbearable or unrefined
It still feels like a comfortable and luxurious driving experience
4 – Price
This one is interesting and we’re talking base powertrains here
Contrary to popular belief this BMW X3 actually starts at more money than the Audi Q5 AND the Mercedes GLC
Of course from there you start equipping options and things get muddy, but base for base the BMW is the priciest of the trio
And then we jump to the mid-rangers and the X3 M40 is more than the SQ5 and GLC43 as well
And then the halo versions and the X3M stands alone because it looks like Mercedes doesn’t ofer a GLC63 for the 2023 model year…and Audi has never given us a RSQ5
So then we start looking at Porsche Macan GTS and an X3M is going to be a bit cheaper than that…and then there’s the Stelvio QV but that’s another story entirely..that’s macan GTS money or more
Best of the BMW X3:
1 – Engine options
We just touched on this with the price thing, but there are three different engines you can get your X3 in for 3 different flavors
The base engine is a 2.0T 4 cylinder making 248hp and 258 lbft
0-60 in 6.2 seconds
This is not performance to sniff at this is a really punchy and balanced powertrain with good fuel economy to boot
Then there’s what I think is the Goldilocks zone and it’s the B58 engine which is quickly becoming legendary
It’s a 3.0TT I6 now WITH a 48V mild hybrid system
According to BMW it’s making 382 hp 369 lbft..but it’s really more than that
And the 48V system add an extra 11 hp that’s not accounted for in the claimed figures
0-60 is close to 4 seconds here and it STILL gets close to 30 mpg highway
Then finally the halo X3M and X3M Comp with the M-division specific S58
On paper it sounds a lot like its smaller B58 brother but there are actually a lot of differences
The S58 in the X3M Comp makes 503 hp…30 more than non-comps
And 479 lbft…22 more torques
What they won’t tell you is that you can match the X3M power output from the X3 M40 engine without sweating your reliability or your wallet too much
2 – Dynamics
This is where the X3 stands head and shoulders apart from its Audi and Mercedes rivals
The Mercedes has a raspy and wheezy 4 cylinder and less sophisticated and less refined suspension
And then there’s the Audi which feels bigger and heavier and less interested in being driven hard
The X3 is a clinic on compact SUV driving dynamics
It’s got great damper tuning, it’s got confident and decisive steering, and the car just responds to what you ask it to do without complaining at all
Of course you start going up the range and you can get adaptive shocks
You can get a limited slip diffreential
And you can get a sophisticated ride
And no matter what engine you spec you’ll get the brilliant ZF 8 speed transmission that’s buttery smooth when you need it to be and Dr Jones whip sharp when you want it to be
3 – Looks
I’m not going to spend a lot of time on looks just because we talked about it so recently AND because they’re subjective, but I think the BMW X3 looks very handsome
I did prefer the look of the pre-facelift, but that’s just me
Well first of all, we’ve got it dripped in crisp Alpine White paint
And the LCI has addressed a bunch of items on the face
For one, the grille shape is a bit different
The headlights are a more minimal and jagged design
The lower fascia and intakes are a bit more dramatic
And of course all these accents are blacked out with the shadowline package
And then around the side we’re sitting on specific 19 inch wheels
From there we have the typical front fender gill for style accenting
And then simply from profile it’s a nice conventional SUV shape
And then as we get to the rear there another big update
You’ve got the Halo energy sword taillights
This is what i preferred about the pre-facelift
You’ve got a more aggressive rear bumper
And of course you’ve got the black finished m-sport dual exhaust
Totally a handsome SUV
4 – Interior design and build
This is where you’re expecting me to say the Mercedes is more flashy with less substance
And yes, that’s true
And you’re expecting me to say the Audi is more subdued but the build is better…and while it’s more subdued, I wouldn’t say the Audi is built BETTER
To me they’re on the same plane, but the X3 uses a lot less gloss black which makes me happy
I like the design of the cabin here on the X3
The facelift gave it an updated screen
And while it’s still not running iDrive 8 unlike it’s sedan cousin – iDrive 7 is still fantastic
5 – Tech features
And then speaking of iDrive 7 we’re going to talk tech in the BMW X3
Pretty much everything you could want you get here
Wireless car play
OTA updates
Awesome 360 cameras
Reverse assist breadcrumbs
HUD
Digital cluster
There’s nothing that I feel I’m missing here that I would expect
6 – Luxury features
Of course as a BM, despite its sportiness it needs to be nice and luxurious as well..and it is
It’s got a great solid feel all over the cabin
The materials are all top-notch and better than anything Mercedes is putting in a GLC
The tech is great
You get comforts like heated steering wheel
Heated and cooled seats
Heated and cooled cupholders are available*
And heated rear seats*
And a panoramic roof
PLus the driver assist suite is really helpful…and that’s luxury
7 – Trunk space
This one surprised me, but when I actually looked up the dimensions, the trunk capacity on this X3 actually outpaces the Merc and the Audi
And then there’s the Macan which has a teeny tiny back seat and it’s largely the same story for the trunk
So Germany’s largest trunk on a compact SUV goes to….well the Tiguan, but THEN the X3
Conclusion
So that’s the best and the rest of the BMW X3. It’s a brilliant compact SUV and if it were me i’d have an X3 M40 and never be sad again…but what would you have?