[docal]

Thought I would put a post up of some impressions after having my new X.3 M4.0. Welcome additional comments. Well, this vehicle has exceeded my expectations. I only have a little over 2000 miles on it, mainly because we were traveling and then Covid-19 hit (got infected, but that's a whole different story), but have driven enough to give first impressions. Performance Options include, Adaptive, 20" wheels, Alenza rtfs, and Premium package with leather (Cognac on aluminum) in addition to post market Ceramic Coating. Loved the heated steering wheel in Winter. Used it constantly with heated seats. Must have in Chicago.

This vehicle in Comfort mode mainly gets 23.4 MPG in mixed driving and is very civilized around town. Dr Jekyll. Put in Adaptive and Sport mode creates a Beast, a Mr. Hyde that roars into action and begs to be driven hard. 388 HP certified by manufacturer. Corners like on rails. At 110 mph, this vehicle is steady and is completely drivable. I would not even attempt this in my 4-Runner. In the winter on Continental Contact7's with winter rims, it floated a bit on dry pavement and would not risk going at high speeds above 85, but was solid on snow and ice. Ceramic Coating GTechniq, has made cleaning a breeze, wash, rinse and Microfiber dry in 1/2 hour with a sheen I could never get with just a waxed finish.

Seats are firm and comfy, looking forward to road trip to see how my back holds up on a long ride. Instrumentation is pretty user friendly, but had a hard time setting up ApplePlay and it's not easy to transition out as I lose all my contacts in BMW mode, so I keep it in A-play which forces me to use touch screen more than I would like. No issues so far. It has been a refuge during this lockdown physically when I am on the go to Moms or office, and emotionally just looking at something that can ground me in pleasure with a crazy outside world we are living in now. All in all, 5 stars.

[lochview]

Originally Posted by docal

Thought I would put a post up of some impressions after having my new X.3 M4.0. Welcome additional comments. Well, this vehicle has exceeded my expectations. I only have a little over 2000 miles on it, mainly because we were traveling and then Covid-19 hit (got infected, but that's a whole different story), but have driven enough to give first impressions. Performance Options include, Adaptive, 20" wheels, Alenza rtfs, and Premium package with leather (Cognac on aluminum) in addition to post market Ceramic Coating. Loved the heated steering wheel in Winter. Used it constantly with heated seats. Must have in Chicago.

This vehicle in Comfort mode mainly gets 23.4 MPG in mixed driving and is very civilized around town. Dr Jekyll. Put in Adaptive and Sport mode creates a Beast, a Mr. Hyde that roars into action and begs to be driven hard. 388 HP certified by manufacturer. Corners like on rails. At 110 mph, this vehicle is steady and is completely drivable. I would not even attempt this in my 4-Runner. In the winter on Continental Contact7's with winter rims, it floated a bit on dry pavement and would not risk going at high speeds above 85, but was solid on snow and ice. Ceramic Coating GTechniq, has made cleaning a breeze, wash, rinse and Microfiber dry in 1/2 hour with a sheen I could never get with just a waxed finish.

Seats are firm and comfy, looking forward to road trip to see how my back holds up on a long ride. Instrumentation is pretty user friendly, but had a hard time setting up ApplePlay and it's not easy to transition out as I lose all my contacts in BMW mode, so I keep it in A-play which forces me to use touch screen more than I would like. No issues so far. It has been a refuge during this lockdown physically when I am on the go to Moms or office, and emotionally just looking at something that can ground me in pleasure with a crazy outside world we are living in now. All in all, 5 stars.

Second that, I got my UK spec M40i in October last year and have approx. 3100 miles on mine. Loving the car. Totally different to my previous 435d M Sport but much more practical and has a fantastic exhaust note to match (even with the Euro spec filter in the way).

[suby01]

Cool post. Thanks for sharing. Its the very first BMW in the entire family and its definitely not disappointing.

[alexdm]

I’m quite looking forward to reminding myself what mine is like - delivered early March, has 700 miles on it... and has sat completely unused since the start of lockdown 8 weeks ago!

[freshxdough]

Originally Posted by alexdm

I’m quite looking forward to reminding myself what mine is like - delivered early March, has 700 miles on it... and has sat completely unused since the start of lockdown 8 weeks ago!

Don't forget to charge your battery every once in awhile!

[alexdm]

Originally Posted by freshxdough

Don't forget to charge your battery every once in awhile!

Yep I popped it on charge last week - didn’t complain about a low battery mind you!

[Tubes23]

Have to agree. Fantastic 'all rounder'. Lovely blend of tech, style and performance. In terms of handling its somewhat underwhelming compared to my Macan GTS but perhaps that's just sublime.

[Vallsurf]

Originally Posted by Tubes23

Have to agree. Fantastic 'all rounder'. Lovely blend of tech, style and performance. In terms of handling its somewhat underwhelming compared to my Macan GTS but perhaps that's just sublime.

I refused to test drive any Macan because I knew it would ruin the x3 experience for me, especially given a GTS runs basically in an entire higher category, budget-wise at least.

[corn18]

I just built a Macan GTS and had it over $100k without adding a lot. But everyone says it holds its value, so there's that. Why does anyone even compare the Macan and X3? The price difference alone puts them in different categories. A base Macan is the same price as a loaded X3M40i. Who buys a base Macan? Probably the same people that buy a base X3.

[clivem2]

I had test drives overnight with the Macan. Turn-in is a little better, suspension a little better controlled with PASM. The 14 or 18 way seats are good. The badge is great. The X3 scores in every other area highly. The M40i engine is so much better.... rear seats and boot space are in a different class. The lack of discounts keep Macan residuals up but watch the Porsche servicing bills. The Macan has an appeal but I’m pleased I went with the X3.

[docal]

Originally Posted by clivem2

I had test drives overnight with the Macan. Turn-in is a little better, suspension a little better controlled with PASM. The 14 or 18 way seats are good. The badge is great. The X3 scores in every other area highly. The M40i engine is so much better.... rear seats and boot space are in a different class. The lack of discounts keep Macan residuals up but watch the Porsche servicing bills. The Macan has an appeal but I'm pleased I went with the X3.

IMO, the Macon is a sport sedan disguising itself like a dressed up SUV. The X3 M 4.0 much more of a real SUV with an amazing performance set up. Total utility can't even be compared, nor can price. Yes, on the track, the upgraded 100k Macon is going to win hands down, but in every other category , gimme the X3.

[Yobyot]

Originally Posted by docal

Thought I would put a post up of some impressions after having my new X.3 M4.0. Welcome additional comments. Well, this vehicle has exceeded my expectations. I only have a little over 2000 miles on it, mainly because we were traveling and then Covid-19 hit (got infected, but that's a whole different story), but have driven enough to give first impressions. Performance Options include, Adaptive, 20" wheels, Alenza rtfs, and Premium package with leather (Cognac on aluminum) in addition to post market Ceramic Coating. Loved the heated steering wheel in Winter. Used it constantly with heated seats. Must have in Chicago.

This vehicle in Comfort mode mainly gets 23.4 MPG in mixed driving and is very civilized around town. Dr Jekyll. Put in Adaptive and Sport mode creates a Beast, a Mr. Hyde that roars into action and begs to be driven hard. 388 HP certified by manufacturer. Corners like on rails. At 110 mph, this vehicle is steady and is completely drivable. I would not even attempt this in my 4-Runner. In the winter on Continental Contact7's with winter rims, it floated a bit on dry pavement and would not risk going at high speeds above 85, but was solid on snow and ice. Ceramic Coating GTechniq, has made cleaning a breeze, wash, rinse and Microfiber dry in 1/2 hour with a sheen I could never get with just a waxed finish.

Seats are firm and comfy, looking forward to road trip to see how my back holds up on a long ride. Instrumentation is pretty user friendly, but had a hard time setting up ApplePlay and it's not easy to transition out as I lose all my contacts in BMW mode, so I keep it in A-play which forces me to use touch screen more than I would like. No issues so far. It has been a refuge during this lockdown physically when I am on the go to Moms or office, and emotionally just looking at something that can ground me in pleasure with a crazy outside world we are living in now. All in all, 5 stars.

What is an "X.3 M4.0"? Must be a XMW.

[Yellowmattei]

Originally Posted by clivem2

I had test drives overnight with the Macan. Turn-in is a little better, suspension a little better controlled with PASM. The 14 or 18 way seats are good. The badge is great. The X3 scores in every other area highly. The M40i engine is so much better.... rear seats and boot space are in a different class. The lack of discounts keep Macan residuals up but watch the Porsche servicing bills. The Macan has an appeal but I’m pleased I went with the X3.

I had virtually the same impression, clivem2. I loved the badge more than anything else. Perhaps the Macan wins in the handling dept, but it's a close race. For me, with a family of 5, the Macan definitely came up well short in interior volume. Glad I bought the X3!

[Tubes23]

Originally Posted by corn18

I just built a Macan GTS and had it over $100k without adding a lot. But everyone says it holds its value, so there's that. Why does anyone even compare the Macan and X3? The price difference alone puts them in different categories. A base Macan is the same price as a loaded X3M40i. Who buys a base Macan? Probably the same people that buy a base X3.

What price is a X3M40 out of interest? In the UK you could get a base spec GTS for about £5k more than a well spec’ed X3 (list for list, forgetting discounts).

Though that said the only comparison being drawn was in reference to the superb handling by the OP when in my experience and in comparison to a car that’s similar weight, size and power but irrelevant of price point, it isn’t as good as suggested.

But that’s been my experience of ‘M-lite’ cars throughout and there’s a notable gap between M Sport to M Performance but a sizeable gap to M Power (at least how they are badged in the UK)

[Yellowmattei]

Not sure of your pricing in the UK, but the difference between a base spec Macan S and a pretty loaded M40i is about $2000 with the Bimmer being a little more expensive at full retail. That's before you negotiate though. I was able to get my car leaving off just the upgraded stereo and the upgraded driver safety suite for less than a base spec Macan S, even after taxes. Price the specs comparatively, and the Macan is about $20,000 more.

Really, to get the engine that best matches the M40i, you'd have to go with the GTS trim level, which starts at about $72,000 here in America. For that money, you could buy a completely loaded M40i with every option available, and still have a couple thousand dollars left over to buy gas.

In the end, there's thousands and thousands of X3's on the road, and not nearly as many Macan's. If that exclusiveness is important to you, and you've got the cash to spend on the Porsche, go for it. You should buy the car that you think is going to make you the most happy. When it comes to driving dynamics, these two cars are very very close.

[clivem2]

I was looking at the Macan S with a mid to highish spec vs an almost fully loaded M40i. The Macan S after discounts (£500!) came out at £8k more. Whereas the M40i I got a touch under 20% discount. The GTS wasn't available when I was cross-shopping - the "Plus" spec for the GTS looks like the one to have but this is a £73 car....so a good £20k more than a loaded M40i.

[Hydro_flow@hotmail.com]

Have to agree it is an amazing all rounder. Has anyone noticed a very subtle bubbling sound related to your AC button? I have a new x3 m40i and just noticed it the other day while in comfort mode in my garage...