Quote:
Originally Posted by slicer
I think I know who the real customer is for this thing. It's the guy who already has a legitimate M-car (or 911, or whatever else is more sports-car), lives in the snow belt where said "real M-car" isn't at all usable in the winter, and/or needs another car that can haul people or goods. The X3M is all of those things to me. I moved back to the midwest and it's an attempt to somewhat enjoy driving something in the winter, BUT it is not a replacement for my M3.
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Overall I'm not a fan of crossovers and SUVs, but I really like the X3M. The X5 used to be a visceral and engaging SUV to drive, but since the F15 it has completely changed its philosophy as a vehicle. A good SUV yes, but a fun SUV it is far from now. That's where the X3M comes in...priced about the same as a loaded X5 30i and infinitely more fun. My point being that the X3M is a great alternative to the usual ho-hum luxury SUVs in every suburban garage.
Now the Porsche Macan really takes the cake for fun to drive CUVs, but an X3M can be had loaded for roughly the same MSRP as a Macan S and a likely much lower lease payment. The Macan S is plenty power (350 hp) but the X3M, with it's 500 hp, is a far better value. Sure 500 hp is overkill for what these crossovers are primarily used for (Costco, mall runs) but for the same price as an X5, GLE, etc. why the hell not?
The X3M has its flaws but I really think it's one of the best vehicles in BMW's portfolio at the moment.