At the suggestion of another member, here's my early ownership notes. Hope this helps some of you guys wondering about the car or waiting for yours to arrive.
I’m quite happy with my new daily-driver/do it all X3M Competition.
Pricing
If anything, pricing is slightly better than expected. Let’s face it, nothing is getting cheaper…. The sticker on my 2017 F80 M3 with Metallic paint, Extended Leather, Competition Package, Executive Package, Driver’s Assistance, DCT, and WiFi & Enhanced Bluetooth with wireless charging was just a hair under $80k. So, a sticker just under $83k for a loaded (less Driver’s Assistant Pro+) X3M Competition was a pleasant surprise.
What you actually pay, your payment, whether the price will get better/worse over time – I don’t really care. I hope all buyers get a deal they feel good about and one they can afford without adding stress their family life. It’s just a rapidly depreciating asset,
I mean - a great car!
Exterior
At first, I was a little disappointed with the looks, or maybe “underwhelmed” is a better word. It doesn’t look that much different than the X3 M40i. I loved the aggressive look of the M3. The slotted Carbon Roof, power bump in the hood, and the wide shoulders and hips of the F80 M3 made it look immediately superior to any regular F30 sedan. The X3M is more conservative (stealthy) at first glance. After a while, you notice the front & rear spoilers are much more aggressive and protrude a little. The rear window spoiler is bigger, and I’m not 100% sure, but I think the side skirts are wider too. For people switching from an M coupe or sedan, the side skirts are attached to the doors, so you don’t have to step over them getting in/out any or worry about getting the back of your pant leg dirty.
I’m a big fan of Donington Grey. If you haven’t seen it in person, it’s much better than the pictures suggest. My 2nd choice would have been an individual British Racing Green (if they would have approved it). I think BMW could have done a little better with the list of color options, but what do I know….
Interior
It’s not current gen X5 or F85 X5M nice inside, but it’s definitely a big step up from the F80 or the regular X3.
I like this generation of iDrive and this gauge cluster better than the newest stuff. It’s a big screen, adds touch, has voice & Siri, and it’s still quick and intuitive coming from any other BMW. The digital dials are nice, very easy to read, rev in the right direction, and is a cool start up graphic (if you care). When driving, I mostly look at the HUD, and it’s bigger and better than what I had in the F80, which was already very good.
The sport seats look amazing, are very supportive while still being comfortable, and they’re very adjustable. The headrest is even electrically adjustable! The seat ventilation is a great feature in hot climates. If you are a bigger person, you may find the seats narrow. I’m 5’8” and 155lbs with a little stocky build (not narrow) and the seats fit me well. Seat back bolsters fully open is a little loose.
The Leather/Alcantara mix is nice, and feels luxurious. The black & beige is pretty stunning (to me). I thought I’d do Tartufo, but once I saw this color in person, I was sold. In addition to the Alcantara pieces on the sides of the seats and seat back, the knee pads on the console are also Alcantara. The center console feels very solid, and the cupholders are far enough out on the dash that you get a full-size insulated cup in/out without any funny tilting business.
I like buttons and nobs better than touchscreens, so happy to have an overlap of both. Touchscreens pull your focus off the drive, so I prefer to use buttons, voice, and/or the HUD to tune & change on the drive. Gesture control is neat. I don’t use it much (yet?), but I programed the custom gesture to “mute”, and that is quicker than pushing the volume nob from my driving position.
Also, the climate controls have the “sync” button which I always missed on the F80. They also have a feature where you can set the heated and ventilated seats to automatically come on (independently) at your desired level when the outside temperature is above or below what you set.
The rear seat is comfy, it has a good amount of (manual) angle adjustment and has plenty of legroom & headroom for anybody under 6’ 5” (I’d guess). The rear climate controls are all you need to stay comfy, and BMW provides a small double USB charging plug to go in the “lighter socket.”
The interior lighting is nice, not as customizable as Audi, but a big step up from orange or white!
The panoramic sunroof will be nice when it’s not so hot. It’s huge and really opens up the cabin. If you are worried about the 200lbs, you probably aren’t ready for the fast SUV segment yet. Wait for the next M3 to get your AWD enhancement.
On the downside, the piano black shifter, buttons & surround suck. Piano black is just a dumb idea anywhere in a car. Another downside is that the door pockets don’t have any carpet or padding on the inside edge like every other BMW I’ve had (E70, E92, F10, & F80). The pockets and bottle cut outs are huge, but the lack of and lining allows a bottle to rattle a bit. Also, maybe the speakers need to break-in, but I’m not very impressed with the H-K system so far. It’s just OK, not bad, not good.
Ride
Mine came with the Continental Tires vs PS4s. At first, I was disappointed b/c the PS4s are an amazing tire. That said, on the X3M these Sport Contact 6 tires have a good amount of sidewall, are quiet, compliant and sticky.
Makes me wonder if BMW intentionally switched to the Conti’s to soften out the ride? I have no info to base that on, but I can’t understand all the “harsh ride” reviews, especially Top Gear’s nasty review about how unbearable the ride is.
It’s a huge step up from M3 comfort and quiet, yet not “sloppy,” at all. To me it’s just the right amount of firm yet compliant around town (in Comfort). I don’t really feel the bumps, broken pavement, or indented drain covers. Sometimes I can hear them, but they aren’t jarring. The ride reminds me of my dad’s GLS 63 or my brother-in-law’s A6 with 20” wheels. Years ago, I had the F10 535i M-Sport with Adaptive Suspension. (I dumped the RFTs and put Pilot Sports on, but) That was plush to the point of being a little sloppy. This isn’t that, but if you don’t like it, you probably are past the level of sportiness the car is intended to deliver.
Performance
I’m only at 488 miles, and trying to stick to the break-in, which for me is keep it <100 MPH and <5,500 RPM. Even so, it’s obvious this car will get up and go effortlessly. The sensation of speed is different than in the M3, for example. It’s quieter, and smoother, but when I look at the speed, I can tell I’m similarly quick, just with a less drama. The 8 spd is smoother than the DCT, and still very quick on manual shifts.
The car steers flat on quick lane changes, and long 30-50 mph curves (taken at 60-80 mph). I need to get used to how much speed to carry entering and when and how heavy to get on the gas on 90 degree turns, but the grip is there.
The brakes are phenomenal, typical BMW. Not grabby at the start, very progressive, and give a lot of feel. I bed in brakes too, so haven’t jammed them, but based on the size of the front calipers and rotors, I’m sure it stops in a gut busting hurry.
This is not “performance” and highly subjective, but the exhaust note is good. I liked the F80 too, but this seems a little deeper. The startup sound is nice and then quiets to a low deep grumble.
Somebody else will probably beat me there, but I'll have a much better idea on the real performance potential after the 1,200 service and the ECU is fully opened up.
Mods & Accessories
I doubt I’ll do any mods to this one, but who knows. I said the same thing about the F80, and added a bunch of carbon bits in & out.
I have swapped out the OEM floormats for WeatherTech Floor liners and a Cargo Mat with the bumper protector. I do this on all my cars, immediately. The Cargo Mat works fine, even with the raised floor for the spare vs. the standard X3 flat cargo area.
I also added WeatherTech Full Car SunShades. These are amazing. If you live somewhere hot (or cold) and park outside in the sun, these are a great way to keep your interior much cooler (silver side), or warmer (black side).
WeatherTech needs to pay me for free advertising!
Ok, I'm done.
Cheers,
John
