Decided to make a post now that I've settled in with my 2026 X3 M50 in Alpine White - similar to my post in 2023 when I got my M40i. I’ll try to keep this somewhat objective and not belabor the points people online have been making (cheap interior build quality, questionable exterior styling) for almost 2 years now.

4 months with my 2023 X3 M40i in Brooklyn Gray
What did you cross-shop your X3 M50 with?

TLDR: No regrets considering what I cross-shopped but it’s been a mixed bag compared to the love I had for my M40i.

Build Timeline (quick turnaround)

Region: Northeast
Plant: Spartanburg
Ordered: 8/22
Delivered: 9/15

Order Received: 8/22
Scheduled For Production: 8/22
Production Begins: 8/25
Entering Assembly Line: 9/8
Assembly In Progress: 9/8
Awaiting Carrier Assignment: 9/9
Dispatched From Factory: 9/9
At The Dealership: 9/11

The Good

• The B58 continues to shine in the X3 form factor and it’s why I keep coming back. Smooth, powerful, fairly fuel efficient and reliable as ever.
• The M50 is significantly more refined and feels more composed on the road. Less raw than the M40i, which I sometimes miss
• Panoramic glass roof really brings in so much light. No creaking either like my M40i (or leaks as some have had)
• The M50 ride on 21” wheels is amazing with PS AS4s. It’s probably the same if not more comfortable than the 20” wheels I had on my M40i which were also on PS AS4s
• While I don’t fully agree with BMW adding quad exhaust on an M performance model, the exhaust and rear diffuser look great, especially with the alpine white contrast
• The pulsing turn signals / hazards look awesome
• While I prefer the physical HVAC controls in my M40i, the digital execution is solid
• While the HK sound system is weaker on paper, I personally don’t notice a difference from my 23 M40i
• The flat bottom steering wheel looks and feels great
• BMW finally added easy entry on the X3! (seat pulls forward when putting on seatbelt and back after turning car off). You used to have to code this on the X1/X3
• Shifter is easy to use and feels nice to the touch, good execution on the smaller form factor
• Espresso fake leather seats look and feel great. I’m a synthetic leather enthusiast after my M40i and now M50. I do miss my Tecora Red though
• The fabric dashboard is sweet and I get tons of compliments. Easy to clean and holding up well

The Bad

• The M50 drivers bigger. No surprise because it is bigger. The handling is more composed but that can’t overcome physics
• I find Sport mode is closer to Sport Plus in the M40i. The revs hold higher for way too long and I haven’t found any pedal maneuver yet that will get it to upshift like I perfected in the M40i (let off the accelerator and then tap it lightly)
• The cabin is loud at times (e.g. a hot summer day). Wireless charger fan, seat cooling fan, air con fans, road noise.
• The glove boxes on these cars continue to get smaller and cheaper feeling. Surprised by the size given the huge passenger side dashboard hump
• They got rid of G01 coin holder. It was a nice to have
• One piece of selectable trim is a miss. Your trim selection should match most of the center console
• The cold start sounds like a lawnmower (G01 Pre LCI < G01 LCI … < G45). As I’ve seen others discuss, it gets louder after repeat starts (i.e. you’re out running errands)
• In personal mode, the time left in song / podcast is red and hard to read. Whose idea was that?
• G45s come with 1 key and it’s massive (like other newer lines). Bring back the digital key card, the service card is not the same and I don’t want to rely on my iPhone
• Maybe it’s my phone case but the wireless charging pad kind of stinks. My phone battery often depleted faster than it charged. The blue cabin lights indicating when charging began was also bizarre, I ended up turning off the pad altogether
• I had a persistent rattle that made a velcro peeling-like sound on the driver door trim, inches from my ear. It finally went away around the holidays
• It feels like my DAPP has a bias for the right side of the lane. I also find it doesn’t follow closely enough for NYC highway traffic, even on the closest proximity setting. You just get cut off and then the system hard brakes
• No light in the center console is annoying
• Removing the rear ambient lighting is disappointing
• I’m 30 and pretty tech-savy but this car makes me feel older. So many options are buried in menus. ID9 has a steep learning curve
• I’ve found ID9 to be full of glitches (e.g. I couldn’t agree to the Sirius disclaimer for weeks, clicking Accept on the pop up didn’t work. It eventually resolved itself)
• For months I had an issue where ID9 would get stuck in a voice control loop. I’d have to turn off the car or reset ID to fix it
• They took away the traffic camera information app (ID7 had it). Why?
• Personal mode? Just call it Comfort, you can barely even personalize things in this mode
• Removing the stitched horn / steering airbag stitching is unfortunate
• Shadowline package should come with black badges, especially when they sell OEM black badges…
• Steering wheel adjustments should be electric and pair with the driver seat memory at this price point in my opinion but I understand that’s a 5/X5+ feature

The Ugly

• My car came with a cracked (hairline) taillight from the factory, I didn’t notice until I got home (hard to see but it was present in photos my sales associate sent me when my car came off the truck). Dealership took care of it for me but they were 150 miles away from me. Pretty annoying to deal with
• Removing comfort access from the rear doors is a WAR CRIME. I run into this issue multiple times a week. My brain just got so used to it.
• Drive mode selection is awful, bring back the dedicated buttons (versus the My Modes button). Sure, saying “BMW Sport/Eco” works but half the time, the mode selection pop up gets stuck on the screen and I have to click out to return to CarPlay / Navigation
• The headlights are disgraceful. Dim on a clear night, borderline dangerous in heavy rain or snow. Recently learned about the low IIHS ratings. Makes sense.
• I hate the door handles, please go back to normal pull handles
• I hate the interior door grabs. They are not intuitive or ergonomic 
• Switching between AM, FM, CarPlay and SiriusXM in the HUD is a disaster. Especially browsing your favorites on SiriusXM. This worked flawlessly in ID7, how is it so bad on ID9?
• Story as old as time here but it’s still such a bummer that All Season tires are not offered from the factory in all wheel styles. Like with my M40i, I had to spend ~$1,600 + installation costs Day 1 on new tires

"Mods"

• Ceramic Coating (not from dealership)
• Swapped chrome badges for black
• Michelin PS AS4s (F 255/40R21 102Y R 295/35ZR21 107Y XL (10mm wider in rear)
• Hardwire front/rear dash cam
• RaceChip S piggyback tune (+44 HP1 +39 lb-ft) – haven’t installed yet

I do like my 26 M50 but it made me realize just how much I loved my 23 M40i. The M50 is quicker, more composed and looks more modern inside and out. That being said, there is a lot more that doesn’t sit right with me and I’m excited to see the rumored 2028 ICE Macan GTS.

Goal here was to document my impressions for myself and provide food for thought to prospective buyers on here while they cross shop. 

I still think the X3 paired with the B58 is pound for pound and dollar for dollar the best “sport” SUV on the market.

Nice write up! Thanks so much!

I have a '25 M50 CPO that I picked up about 4w ago.

I've owned 2 G01 M40is (and a X3 M).

A few comments:

1. My M50 came with 2 physical keys (which are massive). I also have digital keys on my iPhone and Apple Watch.
2. I think the HK sounds much better in the M50 than in my G01 vehicles. I think I read that a subwoofer was added in the rear . . . .
3. I totally agree re: switching audio sources and Sirius XM stations with ID9. So annoying!
4. I have the staggered '21 Pirelli P Zeros, which the previous owner replaced just before trading the car in. I'm thinking about eventually replacing them with AS tires. Tire Rack shows one option: Goodyear Eagle F1 AS. Did you consider those? I typically think of Goodyears as second-tier tires compared to Michelins and Pirellis.
5. The door handles are a PITA.
6. The downgraded ambient lighting is an embarrassment for a $76k vehicle.
7. The B58 is so delightful to drive! And the ZF transmission never disappoints. I'm getting 30 mph on the highway.
8. This is my first vehicle with a flat-bottomed steering wheel. I love it!
9. I think the quad exhaust looks great!
10. Overall, I love the M50! I was a bit hesitant at first because many of the YouTube reviewers were negative. But once I saw the M50 and drove it, I fell in love!

That was a nice comprehensive review. My quick $.02

• I like the quad exhaust
• I wish there were two keys, even if one was a card
• Front visibility: "drives big", cameras help
• voice assist is very good I use alot
• always surprised how it handles & composed it drives

Yes, I agree getting rid of rear comfort access was a war crime. I’ll frequently put stuff in my rear seat. But my brain has been trained to touch the front door handle first, and then reach for the rear door handle. And upon exiting, I have to hit the unlock button before exiting.

carlsturm wrote

That was a nice comprehensive review. My quick $.02

• I like the quad exhaust
• I wish there were two keys, even if one was a card
• Front visibility: "drives big", cameras help
• voice assist is very good I use alot
• always surprised how it handles & composed it drives

Ditto on the quad exhaust and the two key fobs. I purchased a 2nd one, not cheap.

carlsturm wrote

That was a nice comprehensive review. My quick $.02

• I like the quad exhaust
• I wish there were two keys, even if one was a card
• Front visibility: "drives big", cameras help
• voice assist is very good I use alot
• always surprised how it handles & composed it drives

I had no idea you only get one key, wtf is that and why?

Artdnj wrote

carlsturm wrote

That was a nice comprehensive review. My quick $.02

• I like the quad exhaust
• I wish there were two keys, even if one was a card
• Front visibility: "drives big", cameras help
• voice assist is very good I use alot
• always surprised how it handles & composed it drives

I had no idea you only get one key, wtf is that and why?

For your reading pleasure. I was surprised and PO'd. Best to try to negotiate the 2nd fob at gratis into the deal at purchase.

https://g45.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread/2228748/single-keyfob-experience/page/3

JoeyO wrote

Yes, I agree getting rid of rear access was a war crime. I’ll frequently put stuff in my rear seat. .

YET ANOTHER COST CUTTING MEASURE BY BMW & ITS A SHAME. REMOVING THE CONVENIENCE TO OPEN JUST THE REAR DOOR YOU WANT WITHOUT ALL THE OTHERS OPENING IS A FEATURE A “LUXURY” VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE.

For safety reasons I’ve always had the drivers front set to just open that door & set the front passenger door to open all doors. On previous vehicles over past 20 years, all of them allowed me to open just a rear door without 1st opening a front door & pushing another button.

IMO- BMW’s recent decisions to remove popular features available on many other brands make me think “LUXURY” is no longer part of their DNA. Sporty ride, good handling YES but it’s hard to say they remain a “LUXURY” brand.

No haters. Everyone is entitled to an opinionn & I shared mine.

Our 25 m50 came with 2 key fobs. So they went to only one key fob in 2026? Weird.

This is pretty much exactly how I feel after 14 months with mine compared to my 23 X3 M40i. I think the good outweighs the bad, but it's still frustrating because this car COULD be great (if you can get past the new BMW design features) if they would just tweak a handful of things. Most of them are software related too which is even more annoying because of how simple it is to fix. Cost-cutting measures are the bulk of the other issues, and those just are what they are.

Despite how much I still enjoy the car, I find myself thinking about what the next car will be, which is honestly something I didn't do with the M40i. For now though, I'm telling my brain to shut up any time I start thinking about "the next car", guess we'll see how long I can make that last

EricVR4 wrote

This is pretty much exactly how I feel after 14 months with mine compared to my 23 X3 M40i. I think the good outweighs the bad, but it's still frustrating because this car COULD be great (if you can get past the new BMW design features) if they would just tweak a handful of things. Most of them are software related too which is even more annoying because of how simple it is to fix. Cost-cutting measures are the bulk of the other issues, and those just are what they are.

Despite how much I still enjoy the car, I find myself thinking about what the next car will be, which is honestly something I didn't do with the M40i. For now though, I'm telling my brain to shut up any time I start thinking about "the next car", guess we'll see how long I can make that last

LOL - once that little voice starts, it's over. What else are you considering at the moment?

When we got our 26 X3 M50 6 months ago, we had test driven 2 different 25 X3 M50s. I was amazed at the size of the display screen for navigation. When we test drove them, that B58 was a real stand-out. When we bought the X3 it was the only one that came with merino and just the smell of the leather overcame any plastics feel.

It’s been 6 months and I still love it.
Using recorded paths is somewhat of a crap shoot with our garage.
The AI Voice Assistant can be mysterious.
We got the fully loaded M50 off the lot. In my humble opinion the advantages far outweigh the distraction of learning a new operating system.

EricVR4 wrote

This is pretty much exactly how I feel after 14 months with mine compared to my 23 X3 M40i. I think the good outweighs the bad, but it's still frustrating because this car COULD be great (if you can get past the new BMW design features) if they would just tweak a handful of things. Most of them are software related too which is even more annoying because of how simple it is to fix. Cost-cutting measures are the bulk of the other issues, and those just are what they are.

Despite how much I still enjoy the car, I find myself thinking about what the next car will be, which is honestly something I didn't do with the M40i. For now though, I'm telling my brain to shut up any time I start thinking about "the next car", guess we'll see how long I can make that last

Totally agree - so close to greatness. Hopefully they learn a few things before releasing the LCI model.

I too can't shake "the next car" thoughts. I'm excited to see the revived ICE Macan. When I was cross shopping the outgoing 26 ICE Macan GTS, it felt like a robbery. ~50% more than the M50 for what felt like a decade old platform and tech.

irishbrahmin wrote

Nice write up! Thanks so much!

I have a '25 M50 CPO that I picked up about 4w ago.

I've owned 2 G01 M40is (and a X3 M).

A few comments:

1. My M50 came with 2 physical keys (which are massive). I also have digital keys on my iPhone and Apple Watch.
2. I think the HK sounds much better in the M50 than in my G01 vehicles. I think I read that a subwoofer was added in the rear . . . .
3. I totally agree re: switching audio sources and Sirius XM stations with ID9. So annoying!
4. I have the staggered '21 Pirelli P Zeros, which the previous owner replaced just before trading the car in. I'm thinking about eventually replacing them with AS tires. Tire Rack shows one option: Goodyear Eagle F1 AS. Did you consider those? I typically think of Goodyears as second-tier tires compared to Michelins and Pirellis.
5. The door handles are a PITA.
6. The downgraded ambient lighting is an embarrassment for a $76k vehicle.
7. The B58 is so delightful to drive! And the ZF transmission never disappoints. I'm getting 30 mph on the highway.
8. This is my first vehicle with a flat-bottomed steering wheel. I love it!
9. I think the quad exhaust looks great!
10. Overall, I love the M50! I was a bit hesitant at first because many of the YouTube reviewers were negative. But once I saw the M50 and drove it, I fell in love!

Agreed on all fronts. Gorgeous color, enjoy!

I agree with most of your assessment. I’ve had the car for 2 months. Came from 2021 x3m40. Have had x3M and x4m in the past so I have a good idea of the x3 driving characteristics across the board.

The m50 feels more like the x3m than the m40i. I would say it definitely earns its M badge. The fact bmw didn’t create an internal combustion x3M (which I think was a good move after owning one) made it so they had to make the m50 as capable as possible.

In comparison, the m40i handling was not as tight, engaging, or capable as the m50. This is despite adding the x3m bracing to my m40i. I’m sure the eLSD does contribute to this in a significant way.

The adaptive dampers also make a huge difference in day to day driving. Comfortable when you want it and a monster when you put it in sport mode.

The drivetrain also feels more brutal in stock form. I needed to use a RaceChip in my m40i to give me the same immediacy that the m50 has from the factory. This version of the b58 zf8 combo is perfected in my opinion.

I do miss the more aggressive exhaust of the m40i but nothing a new downpipe can’t fix on the m50.

For me, driving experience is the most important thing and I find the m50 an upgrade in this department. Arguments can be made regarding other aspects of the car.

Overall, I’m very happy with the car after a couple months and view it as an upgrade over the m40i.

docmaf23 wrote

I agree with most of your assessment. I’ve had the car for 2 months. Came from 2021 x3m40. Have had x3M and x4m in the past so I have a good idea of the x3 driving characteristics across the board.

The m50 feels more like the x3m than the m40i. I would say it definitely earns its M badge. The fact bmw didn’t create an internal combustion x3M (which I think was a good move after owning one) made it so they had to make the m50 as capable as possible.

In comparison, the m40i handling was not as tight, engaging, or capable as the m50. This is despite adding the x3m bracing to my m40i. I’m sure the eLSD does contribute to this in a significant way.

The adaptive dampers also make a huge difference in day to day driving. Comfortable when you want it and a monster when you put it in sport mode.

The drivetrain also feels more brutal in stock form. I needed to use a RaceChip in my m40i to give me the same immediacy that the m50 has from the factory. This version of the b58 zf8 combo is perfected in my opinion.

I do miss the more aggressive exhaust of the m40i but nothing a new downpipe can’t fix on the m50.

For me, driving experience is the most important thing and I find the m50 an upgrade in this department. Arguments can be made regarding other aspects of the car.

Overall, I’m very happy with the car after a couple months and view it as an upgrade over the m40i.

have you replaced the dp? Which dp? I am thinking either dp or valved axle back.