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      07-05-2019, 07:26 PM   #45
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When I was looking to replace my 135is, I really liked the X4 M40i, but was wanting a little more oomph and everything else. If the X4M had been out sooner, it would have made choosing the Macan Turbo more difficult. I love what they did with the X4, great review/overview.
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      07-13-2019, 12:08 PM   #46
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What a good and detailed review. I can't wait until my new X3M arrives!
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      07-18-2019, 10:51 PM   #47
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Quote:
Originally Posted by clee1982 View Post
Where are you traveling in US to be able to drive 90 to 120mph for any period of time...
You drive it in Mexico
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      07-19-2019, 12:49 AM   #48
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Where are you traveling in US to be able to drive 90 to 120mph for any period of time...
Area 51!
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      01-15-2020, 02:06 PM   #49
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Thumbs up Ordered an X3M Competition

Very nice review, thank you!
Here are some observations:
I drove a dealer's X3M Competition on two different days over some fairly rough paved roads. The ride, while firm, was acceptable and not "flinty" like some tightly sprung cars. For example I had a 2016 X1 which I mistakenly ordered with the sport suspension. Even with standard 18" wheels, it was BRUTAL when driving in San Francisco's potholed streets. The X3MC, even with its 21" wheels, was much, much better as it ran over the rough pavement and felt extremely solid. I liked it so much, I ordered one to be built for me with all the options except M-drivers package (it's coming in Feb 2020). What amazed me was the X3MC cornering was flatter than my 435xi with M-sport and all the options! It was just plain fun to drive. And wow, was it powerful. Reminded me of my old '70 vette (with a custom 461 c.i.d. engine modified for high torque) for its effortless power.
The other thing to note is the "hump" in the back cargo area. It is awful. This is created by the automatically included spare tire that comes with the X3M. But you lose almost 3 inches of cargo height, and you also lose the space under the floor to store the rollout cargo cover. All the X3MC's at the local dealers had the hump and no one could explain it. But I knew it was somehow possible to eliminate it because I saw online photos and videos of X3MC's with NO hump. It took a lot of calls to find the solution. Even BMW NA's "genius" was completely clueless about it.

The solution is to order the "$0" Mobility Kit. No spare, no hump.

Note that when you look at BMW's website build-your-own options, the mobility package does not show that it actually removes the hump, but recent changes now say it removes the spare. When you look at the spare tire option for the normal X3, you see a photo that I think is deliberately made so dark you cannot see the hump created in the rear cargo floor.

On another note, your review mentioned no sunroof. If you order the Executive Package with the X3MC, you get the sunroof.

So yes, I can and will live with the stiff suspension. It's OK for me.
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      01-15-2020, 02:37 PM   #50
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Great to know about the hump... also great info about the ride quality. Any chance your car will be delivered with idrive7?
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      01-15-2020, 03:50 PM   #51
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Bimmer View Post
The other thing to note is the "hump" in the back cargo area. It is awful. This is created by the automatically included spare tire that comes with the X3M. But you lose almost 3 inches of cargo height, and you also lose the space under the floor to store the rollout cargo cover. All the X3MC's at the local dealers had the hump and no one could explain it. But I knew it was somehow possible to eliminate it because I saw online photos and videos of X3MC's with NO hump. It took a lot of calls to find the solution. Even BMW NA's "genius" was completely clueless about it.

The solution is to order the "$0" Mobility Kit. No spare, no hump.

Note that when you look at BMW's website build-your-own options, the mobility package does not show that it actually removes the hump, but recent changes now say it removes the spare. When you look at the spare tire option for the normal X3, you see a photo that I think is deliberately made so dark you cannot see the hump created in the rear cargo floor.

On another note, your review mentioned no sunroof. If you order the Executive Package with the X3MC, you get the sunroof.

So yes, I can and will live with the stiff suspension. It's OK for me.
Ordered mine 3 weeks ago! With mobility kit, of course!

* Also note, to request 4GQ when ordering to spec, the M seatbelts, as the vehicle might not come with them otherwise!!
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Last edited by SWOT1; 01-15-2020 at 04:08 PM..
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      02-07-2020, 12:54 PM   #52
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M Seat Belts on X3M Competition

You said: "* Also note, to request 4GQ when ordering to spec, the M seatbelts, as the vehicle might not come with them otherwise!!"
OH Darn! I missed that. It was at the bottom of the "Options" list and I wish I had seen it. It is listed on the dealer's Ordering Guide as 4GQ M Seat Belts. Oh well. Please post a photo of what yours looks like so I can whine about not having them.
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      02-07-2020, 01:18 PM   #53
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Bimmer View Post
You said: "* Also note, to request 4GQ when ordering to spec, the M seatbelts, as the vehicle might not come with them otherwise!!"
OH Darn! I missed that. It was at the bottom of the "Options" list and I wish I had seen it. It is listed on the dealer's Ordering Guide as 4GQ M Seat Belts. Oh well. Please post a photo of what yours looks like so I can whine about not having them.
Man, I’m sorry you missed out with the M belts... love them!
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      02-09-2020, 04:38 PM   #54
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Max Well, thank you very much for the review! My wife has an M550 and would like a fun SUV/crossover for utility purposes the M550 can’t do. We have an opportunity to trade our/her M550 lease in for a X3M comp for little out of pocket and close to the same payment. We to saw a lot of the horrible ride reviews and were curious if they were really that bad. She is used to many of my lowered M3/4s ride and doesn’t mind my ZL1 1LEs ride so we are thinking it can’t be that bad. Gonna go check one out tomorrow night and see what we think. Thanks again for the very detailed/balanced review!
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      02-10-2020, 06:17 AM   #55
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Originally Posted by arube1 View Post
Great to know about the hump... also great info about the ride quality. Any chance your car will be delivered with idrive7?
Before you give up the hump, realize the Mobility Kit will leave you stranded with tire damage anything more than a nail.

I was stranded with a bent rim and split sidewall for 5 hrs in my e46 M3 due to no spare so I will not drive a car without one.

I agree BMW designed the spare tire area to look like an after thought though.
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      02-10-2020, 08:02 AM   #56
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Quote:
Originally Posted by minn19 View Post
Max Well, thank you very much for the review! My wife has an M550 and would like a fun SUV/crossover for utility purposes the M550 can’t do. We have an opportunity to trade our/her M550 lease in for a X3M comp for little out of pocket and close to the same payment. We to saw a lot of the horrible ride reviews and were curious if they were really that bad. She is used to many of my lowered M3/4s ride and doesn’t mind my ZL1 1LEs ride so we are thinking it can’t be that bad. Gonna go check one out tomorrow night and see what we think. Thanks again for the very detailed/balanced review!
Thanks for the kind comments, minn19. I've given up trying to explain the wide divergence of opinions on the X3MC's ride as they're across the board for sure. The negative reviews remain surprising to me as I don't even have previous M experience, and I think it is perfect (across all types of roads). Definitely the only way for one to know is to test drive it yourself as you mention. Let us know your thoughts after your drive if you get a chance.
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      02-10-2020, 10:17 AM   #57
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Max Well View Post
Thanks for the kind comments, minn19. I've given up trying to explain the wide divergence of opinions on the X3MC's ride as they're across the board for sure. The negative reviews remain surprising to me as I don't even have previous M experience, and I think it is perfect (across all types of roads). Definitely the only way for one to know is to test drive it yourself as you mention. Let us know your thoughts after your drive if you get a chance.
No prob! Ride quality is such a personal thing to each individual, it is one of the hardest things to review. When I was researching the M550 a lot of people were talking about how harsh the ride of that car is/was. To me it rides like a pillow and is way to soft for anything wearing an ///M badge (even if it is fake ////Marketing).

I actually like that you don't have previous M experience, that tells me that my wife and I will find the ride perfectly fine. The only M cars ride I didn't like was my 15 M3s static suspension. That had truly bad dampening and crashed over every bump it could find. Even that being said, I DDd that for a decent amount of time with no real issues except for being annoyed with every now and then.

I'm not sure when we'll be able to test drive one. We just got a decent amount of snow here and the low temps dropped, so I'm guessing they won't let us out in one until the weather improves. But, when we do get a chance I'll definitely report back with my thoughts. There are some really crappy roads by my dealer that I'll be sure to take on.
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      02-11-2020, 10:35 AM   #58
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Max Well, we did get a chance to drive it last night. And as I thought, we had zero problem with it even on four frozen hockey pucks for tires plus bad roads. It's a true M car and when they don't ride/feel like that anymore I most likely won't be interested in them. It was taut, but I don't get the reviews of it crashing over stuff or being overly stiff. it definitely didn't feel as bad as the 15 M3 static suspension example I brought up.

What s car/SUV/SAV though! I hate them to be honest and this will be wife's car, but if you have to have one, this is it IMO. I had to keep reminding myself I was in a 4500 pound behemoth, crazy what they can do/are doing with vehicles today. I actually enjoyed driving it, which my wife can't stop giving me shit for admitting now.
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      02-11-2020, 11:38 AM   #59
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Quote:
Originally Posted by minn19 View Post
Max Well, we did get a chance to drive it last night. And as I thought, we had zero problem with it even on four frozen hockey pucks for tires plus bad roads. It's a true M car and when they don't ride/feel like that anymore I most likely won't be interested in them. It was taut, but I don't get the reviews of it crashing over stuff or being overly stiff. it definitely didn't feel as bad as the 15 M3 static suspension example I brought up.

What s car/SUV/SAV though! I hate them to be honest and this will be wife's car, but if you have to have one, this is it IMO. I had to keep reminding myself I was in a 4500 pound behemoth, crazy what they can do/are doing with vehicles today. I actually enjoyed driving it, which my wife can't stop giving me shit for admitting now.
Maybe we'll make a convert out of you yet! Seriously, though, glad you both enjoyed it, and hope to see you posting here in the future.
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      02-11-2020, 11:49 AM   #60
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Quote:
Originally Posted by minn19 View Post
Max Well, we did get a chance to drive it last night. And as I thought, we had zero problem with it even on four frozen hockey pucks for tires plus bad roads. It's a true M car and when they don't ride/feel like that anymore I most likely won't be interested in them. It was taut, but I don't get the reviews of it crashing over stuff or being overly stiff. it definitely didn't feel as bad as the 15 M3 static suspension example I brought up.

What s car/SUV/SAV though! I hate them to be honest and this will be wife's car, but if you have to have one, this is it IMO. I had to keep reminding myself I was in a 4500 pound behemoth, crazy what they can do/are doing with vehicles today. I actually enjoyed driving it, which my wife can't stop giving me shit for admitting now.
One trick is they make the gas mileage abysmal! Best I’ve done is 12 MPG with a feather foot.

I found there is a real time mileage gauge in the cluster and it plummets to zero upon any touch of the gas. On the bright side, it pins to a max 60 MPG at idle

Gas mileage aside, this is the best vehicle I have ever owned
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      02-11-2020, 01:56 PM   #61
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I actually enjoyed driving it, which my wife can't stop giving me shit for admitting now.
well, well, well ...

exactly what happened with me - I brought the M4C in for maintenance, and only even went over the SUVs because I'd already spent an hour trying out every other car 5 times, and the next thing you know I'm driving it thinking DAMN this big bitch ain't half bad!

Then it started getting in my head - way more practical, great for road trips, easier to haul my hiking gear, etc. Granted my M4 'verts have been heavier than your cars, but let's not dismiss this thing a pig ... I'm preferring to call her sexy thicc!

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      02-11-2020, 03:53 PM   #62
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One thing I noticed on my test drives of the X3MC - when you take your foot off the gas, it feels like the brakes were applied - didn't seem to want to coast at all. Unfortunately, I wasn't really paying attention to how my shift points were set. Does this non-coasting thing happen in all three shift point settings or will the car coast if you put it in "1"?
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      02-11-2020, 04:36 PM   #63
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One thing I noticed on my test drives of the X3MC - when you take your foot off the gas, it feels like the brakes were applied - didn't seem to want to coast at all. Unfortunately, I wasn't really paying attention to how my shift points were set. Does this non-coasting thing happen in all three shift point settings or will the car coast if you put it in "1"?
Sounds like you were in Sport+/D3, or Sport/D2 at a minimum. Put it in 1/1 and you'll coast well. That is one of the problems I think with test drives, when the background knowledge isn't there it creates Driver experiences which do not reflect the varied capabilities this vehicle can provide.
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      02-11-2020, 04:42 PM   #64
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Quote:
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Sounds like you were in Sport+/D3, or Sport/D2 at a minimum. Put it in 1/1 and you'll coast well. That is one of the problems I think with test drives, when the background knowledge isn't there it creates Driver experiences which do not reflect the varied capabilities this vehicle can provide.
That is good to hear. Thank you.
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      02-11-2020, 04:51 PM   #65
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Max Well View Post
Sounds like you were in Sport+/D3, or Sport/D2 at a minimum. Put it in 1/1 and you'll coast well. That is one of the problems I think with test drives, when the background knowledge isn't there it creates Driver experiences which do not reflect the varied capabilities this vehicle can provide.
One of the automotive journals, don't remember which exact one, has criticized this car for not having pre-set M1 and M2 drive modes.
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      02-11-2020, 09:46 PM   #66
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Originally Posted by GrussGott View Post
well, well, well ...

exactly what happened with me - I brought the M4C in for maintenance, and only even went over the SUVs because I'd already spent an hour trying out every other car 5 times, and the next thing you know I'm driving it thinking DAMN this big bitch ain't half bad!

Then it started getting in my head - way more practical, great for road trips, easier to haul my hiking gear, etc. Granted my M4 'verts have been heavier than your cars, but let's not dismiss this thing a pig ... I'm preferring to call her sexy thicc!

You always liked the curvy ones.

Pick it up this Friday or Saturday depending on winter tire set arrival and time to get to the dealer etc. Phytonic Blue with Black interior.
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