I’ve enjoyed reading reviews by Journalists and Forum Members, but it’s difficult to translate subjective claims like ‘seats aren’t comfortable’ or the ‘suspension is too firm’ or ‘acceleration isn’t what I was hoping for’ into one’s own personal preferences considering the varied vehicle backgrounds, performance interests and driving experiences we all have. When formal testing reviews are released, we’ll have a better objective idea how the X3M’s and X4M’s handling and performance compare with the competition, but until then nothing tops being able to drive and experience them for ourselves.
The M Town Tour provides this brief chance to decide what does and doesn’t work on an individual level. I recently had the opportunity to drive the X3M Competition, M2 Competition, M850i, and the M5 Competition in this event. Much appreciation to BMW for offering this marketing program and to all of the local Dealers who pay to host these events. Each vehicle in this line-up offers something to the niche for which they were designed, so it seems unfair for me to personally comment on negatives or positives for those classes in which I have no interest. Having owned five previous X3 models (three F25 X3 35i and two G01 X3 M40i), the X3MC was the main reason for attending this event, and I can say it exceeded all of my expectations.
The X3M Competition builds upon the familiarity we have with our X3 M40i models and refines it in every aspect. And not just in a brute force way. The M seats gave excellent comfort and support at all points without being overly plush, and I suspect they’ll be great for long trips. The dash and center console provide for excellent cockpit management, and the ability to make so many different adjustments to the suspension, transmission, and steering improves the individual driving experience. I found the cornering and handling to be noticeably superior to our M40i models – sounds like an obvious comment I know, but with my lack of M experience I didn’t have a prior reference point from which to compare. The settings which worked best for me were similar to what some of the earlier Reviewers indicated - Sport for transmission, Comfort for suspension, and Comfort for steering. But that’s the beauty of it - one can easily progress through choices for each modality to find the right fit for each individual’s taste (which you can also change on the fly depending on conditions and needs). And the performance - well, it is unquestionably a different animal from our M40i and inspires confidence throughout the power curve.
I took images of items I’ve had questions about even after reading earlier reviews. Such as the appearance of the clean roof lines absent the heavy moon roof and how this allowed even more headroom in the already spacious inner cabin. And how the carbon fiber interior trim and overall cabin fit and finish were another step up from our M40i models. Also, some fore and aft undercarriage views in comparison to our G01 showing the significant work they did on the aero in those regions. And the absence of front ‘air curtains’ – this caught me by surprise as I don’t recall reading anything about that previously, so I’m attaching a comparison image from our G01. And global views from the front and side of the engine bay – even though I’ve seen a lot of engine pictures, seeing it in person certainly makes an impression. And the requisite cargo area images showing the hump still present for the spare tire, which made me wonder if BMW is having to include that substantial weight into our US curb weight if the majority of customers are going to opt for that? We are opting for the Mobility Kit to avoid that hump and weight but maybe most will get the spare, I don’t know.
So it really looks like BMW hit a homerun with this X3M Competition, at least from my perspective as an X3 M40i Driver who requires a vehicle of this size and cargo capacity which still allows one to experience M Division’s engineering and design. As soon as we’re assured of a post-1Aug new model year SOP production slot with ability to delete the moon roof with the M Driver’s package, our X3 M Competition order goes in.