[harperium]

I’m collecting my G80 M3cx in a day or two. Here are my thoughts on the pre-LCI 2021 X3 M Competition after almost 3 years and 37000 miles:

Spec: Donington Grey Metallic, black extended merino interior, carbon fiber trim. Driving Assistance Plus, Executive Package, ventilated seats.

Progression: 320 -> 340 -> X3 M40i -> X3MC -> G80 M3Cx

Likes

1. Great exhaust note. Drove in Sport+ nearly 100% of the time to hear it. Here's a video I made comparing the M40i exhaust with the X3MC.

2. Handles surprisingly well. Better than you would expect. I never found the limit.

3. The S58 is a monster. At highway speeds, it would push me back into the seat. The B58 doesn’t have this kind of grunt.

4. The convenience of the X3.

5. It’s beautiful to look at, isn’t it?

Dislikes

1. Bouncy suspension. It’s bouncy in a side-to-side way that gets annoying. I drove in Sport suspension most of the time, as this would mitigate the bounciness. “Comfort” suspension was slightly softer, but way bouncier. I had the non-adaptive M Sport suspension in the M40i, which was firmer, but not bouncy.

2. Not enough visual differentiation from the M40i. It sits slightly lower, with quad exhausts, a slightly larger rear spoiler, and slightly different front fascia. The X3M should be more aggressive looking.

3. Tires are not wide enough. The X5M has wider tires than the M5. The X3M has narrower tires than the M3. In fact the M40i can be spec’d with 275 section rear tires, wider than the X3M. I think the X3M should also have a slightly wider track.

4. 2nd gear, D1. If you need to move suddenly, prepare to be disappointed. I started paddle shifting almost exclusively to avoid the dead zone.

5. The least respected M vehicle. The fewest videos and reviews. Maybe because it’s the newest?

Parting Thoughts

I really enjoyed driving the X3M. After about a year, I realized that I enjoyed the M part more than the X3 part. Going around curves at speed, sitting high up, feeling the weight of the X3M… it just felt wrong to me. I wanted to be lower and lighter. I queued up for an M3.

Having the mini spare in the back is a mistake. It reduces cargo room and adds weight. In the event you get a flat, you are limited to 50 mph and a range of about 75 miles. The mini spare is not a durable tire; it's like a paper shoe. If you are on long road trips in remote areas, you are better off carrying a full size spare and proper tire-change gear. Fix-a-flat sometimes works (but goes bad, so keep fresh cans in the car).

My only "mod" to the car was having radar hard-wired to the fuse box. I never got pulled over. However I found the radar only pointed out about half the police I saw. Waze is only reliable in highly trafficked areas, and there were far too many times that I was the one reporting the police to Waze. I have both a Redline 360c and an R8. No real difference between them.

Would I buy another X3M? No. If I wanted another M SUV, I would get the X5M: it’s more aggressive looking, with more cargo and comfort for road trips. Though to be honest, with an M3 in the stable, my ideal road trip car would be the X5 40i.

My wife will miss the X3M more than I will, though I'm not looking forward to the constant complaints about the carbon bucket seats.

Stats just for fun

1. Average “road trip” gas mileage: 23.1 mpg, spanning 26500 miles.

2. Average city mileage: 16.0 mpg, spanning 10000 miles.

3. Total hours sitting at stop lights with auto-start-stop engaged: 42 hours, 48 minutes, 17 seconds. Assuming 0.33 gallons per hour burned idling, this is about 14 gallons of gas.

4. Number of flat tires: 2

5. Top speed attained: 132 mph

[95wildtt]

Originally Posted by harperium

I’m collecting my G80 M3cx in a day or two.

Come back and visit us from time to time, let us know how you are liking the M3Cx

[brocken]

I'm with you on the #1 Like. Coming from Audi S4's I didn't expect a relatively loud, throaty exhaust.
The best part is my wife and kids enjoy it too. Especially when I'm in 'loud' mode and give people a scare when we pass them. They laughed for 5 minutes after the first time we passed a bicyclist on a country highway.

Coming from the aforementioned S4 I was also really surprised by how much I like the ZF. The newer S4 models have the ZF and it's so LAME. BMW really did a great job of making a great automatic transmission feel sporty and aggressive when you want it to. And tame/lame when you don't. Definitely only use D1 if you're puttering around town or stuck in traffic. I've been caught in that lurch a couple of times when I got a sudden urge to give it the beans.

Thank you for sharing your experience and have a blast with your M3!

[Mnfamilyguy2020]

Originally Posted by harperium

I’m collecting my G80 M3cx in a day or two. Here are my thoughts on the pre-LCI 2021 X3 M Competition after almost 3 years and 37000 miles:

Spec: Donington Grey Metallic, black extended merino interior, carbon fiber trim. Driving Assistance Plus, Executive Package, ventilated seats.

Progression: 320 -> 340 -> X3 M40i -> X3MC -> G80 M3Cx

Likes

1. Great exhaust note. Drove in Sport+ nearly 100% of the time to hear it. Here's a video I made comparing the M40i exhaust with the X3MC.

2. Handles surprisingly well. Better than you would expect. I never found the limit.

3. The S58 is a monster. At highway speeds, it would push me back into the seat. The B58 doesn’t have this kind of grunt.

4. The convenience of the X3.

5. It’s beautiful to look at, isn’t it?

Dislikes

1. Bouncy suspension. It’s bouncy in a side-to-side way that gets annoying. I drove in Sport suspension most of the time, as this would mitigate the bounciness. “Comfort” suspension was slightly softer, but way bouncier. I had the non-adaptive M Sport suspension in the M40i, which was firmer, but not bouncy.

2. Not enough visual differentiation from the M40i. It sits slightly lower, with quad exhausts, a slightly larger rear spoiler, and slightly different front fascia. The X3M should be more aggressive looking.

3. Tires are not wide enough. The X5M has wider tires than the M5. The X3M has narrower tires than the M3. In fact the M40i can be spec’d with 275 section rear tires, wider than the X3M. I think the X3M should also have a slightly wider track.

4. 2nd gear, D1. If you need to move suddenly, prepare to be disappointed. I started paddle shifting almost exclusively to avoid the dead zone.

5. The least respected M vehicle. The fewest videos and reviews. Maybe because it’s the newest?

Parting Thoughts

I really enjoyed driving the X3M. After about a year, I realized that I enjoyed the M part more than the X3 part. Going around curves at speed, sitting high up, feeling the weight of the X3M… it just felt wrong to me. I wanted to be lower and lighter. I queued up for an M3.

Having the mini spare in the back is a mistake. It reduces cargo room and adds weight. In the event you get a flat, you are limited to 50 mph and a range of about 75 miles. The mini spare is not a durable tire; it's like a paper shoe. If you are on long road trips in remote areas, you are better off carrying a full size spare and proper tire-change gear. Fix-a-flat sometimes works (but goes bad, so keep fresh cans in the car).

My only "mod" to the car was having radar hard-wired to the fuse box. I never got pulled over. However I found the radar only pointed out about half the police I saw. Waze is only reliable in highly trafficked areas, and there were far too many times that I was the one reporting the police to Waze. I have both a Redline 360c and an R8. No real difference between them.

Would I buy another X3M? No. If I wanted another M SUV, I would get the X5M: it’s more aggressive looking, with more cargo and comfort for road trips. Though to be honest, with an M3 in the stable, my ideal road trip car would be the X5 40i.

My wife will miss the X3M more than I will, though I'm not looking forward to the constant complaints about the carbon bucket seats.

Stats just for fun

1. Average “road trip” gas mileage: 23.1 mpg, spanning 26500 miles.

2. Average city mileage: 16.0 mpg, spanning 10000 miles.

3. Total hours sitting at stop lights with auto-start-stop engaged: 42 hours, 48 minutes, 17 seconds. Assuming 0.33 gallons per hour burned idling, this is about 14 gallons of gas.

4. Number of flat tires: 2

5. Top speed attained: 132 mph

Absolutely loving the last pic with the temp spare on

[dunny]

Awesome feedback. Good luck with your new ride!

My #1 love of my X3M is the sleeper aspect. My setup specifically looks like a common X3 to most people, so it doesn’t draw much attention at all. An SUV shouldn’t be able to do the things this does which makes it a hoot when ignorant folks want to play with fire on the highway and get burned…..I guess the 16yr old in me can’t help himself to pull away from whoever wants to step up to the plate 😂

[Kevin_The_Clean1]

Definitely check back in with is once in a while. If I liked the front end more I would want a M3CS too. All your points are pretty valid & I fully agree about the spare tire being a complete bicycle tire. Once I lowered my X3 MC, put the X5 M front brakes on it & put wider PS4S rubber on, it took the performance level of this machine up 2 solid notches. It was fun while it lasted. And how did you calculate all those aspects over the long term ownership... ?

[PNW_F10]

Great write up! Enjoy your new G80. That pic with the spare is downright hilarious, looks like a 1930's Model T tire.

How in the world did you get such good mileage in the city? I'm like 12. :-( Must be my right foot.

[knali8]

Good write up and all the best on your new G80 journey! One thing I did notice is that the x3m rides and corners better once lowered. I feel like the car should have come with an option of 'standard springs' or 'lowered springs' as the car feel more agile atleast on Eibach springs.

[harperium]

I just posted my M3 review thread here

[95wildtt]

Originally Posted by harperium

I just posted my M3 review thread here

Beautiful build... Congrats!!
Thanks for sharing.

[apoops]

Originally Posted by harperium

I’m collecting my G80 M3cx in a day or two. Here are my thoughts on the pre-LCI 2021 X3 M Competition after almost 3 years and 37000 miles:

Spec: Donington Grey Metallic, black extended merino interior, carbon fiber trim. Driving Assistance Plus, Executive Package, ventilated seats.

Parting Thoughts

I really enjoyed driving the X3M. After about a year, I realized that I enjoyed the M part more than the X3 part. Going around curves at speed, sitting high up, feeling the weight of the X3M… it just felt wrong to me. I wanted to be lower and lighter. I queued up for an M3.

Having the mini spare in the back is a mistake. It reduces cargo room and adds weight. In the event you get a flat, you are limited to 50 mph and a range of about 75 miles. The mini spare is not a durable tire; it's like a paper shoe. If you are on long road trips in remote areas, you are better off carrying a full size spare and proper tire-change gear. Fix-a-flat sometimes works (but goes bad, so keep fresh cans in the car).

My only "mod" to the car was having radar hard-wired to the fuse box. I never got pulled over. However I found the radar only pointed out about half the police I saw. Waze is only reliable in highly trafficked areas, and there were far too many times that I was the one reporting the police to Waze. I have both a Redline 360c and an R8. No real difference between them.

Would I buy another X3M? No. If I wanted another M SUV, I would get the X5M: it’s more aggressive looking, with more cargo and comfort for road trips. Though to be honest, with an M3 in the stable, my ideal road trip car would be the X5 40i.

My wife will miss the X3M more than I will, though I'm not looking forward to the constant complaints about the carbon bucket seats.

Did you trade this in at Perillo?

[harperium]

Originally Posted by apoops

Did you trade this in at Perillo?

yeah