My personal expectations for new BMW sedans are not very high. BMW’s chase of luxury comes with fresh designs and the latest technology, but also with increasing isolation from the driving experience. Each updated Bimmer seems to take a step away from the driving involvement I love. My ideal rides are full of feel, spunky, and fun. Unfortunately, the new cars from BMW coddle but are often too soft to be sporty.
For new BMW SUVs, I can accept the cush nature of the brand. In my book, spirited driving is not part of an SUV’s mission, and a “Buickified” experience works for me. I prefer the last generation Audi Q5 over its contemporary X3 rival; its soft suspension and hushed cabin make highway loafing a pleasure. The X3’s choppy ride down the 405 always seemed unnecessary. In contrast, my wife prefers the X3. The Q5’s steering is so light and lifeless that she accused it of being broken. She also appreciates that the X3 has enough handling to satisfy her lane-cutting needs while her M3 is in the shop.
And so, it is with curiosity and modest expectations that I approach the newest BMW X3 (G01). Perhaps the X3’s ride and NVH now rivals the Q5’s? Perhaps the refresh will now align my compact SUV preferences to my wife’s?
As I climb on board the X3, build quality is on my mind. My newest long-term car is a 2014 Cadillac CTS-V, and in it every single interior surface creaks and pops. In the BMW, I find the fine finish that German luxury cars deliver. I feel my way around the cabin and only find solidity; nothing gives or groans as my hands prod and pull. The switchgear and aluminum brightwork are well-crafted and stout. The seats are handsome and comfortable, if sadly shod in BMW’s low-rent leather. (I know BMW has finer hides, they use them in M cars!) The dash design is interesting and modern: It’s moved away from the prior X3’s simple horizontal and vertical lines and onto the honeycomb shapes of comic-book spaceships. (The same hexagonal honeycomb can be found in the headlight accents too.)
Speaking of comic books, the most questionable design element in the new X3 is the bold Xs embossed in the aluminum door trim. Passengers will be left to ponder the connection between the compact SUV and the X-Men mutants. Thankfully the Xs up front are hidden when the front doors are closed, and the children who occupy the rear bench are more likely to be comic book readers themselves.
There is another curiosity in the rear cabin; the legroom is tighter than expected. The gap between the edge of the rear bench and the backs of the front seats is only a few inches. Wasn’t the prior X3 more spacious in the back? Has the foot room gone into a deeper bench? I do find enough space to sit comfortably behind my driving position but not enough space for me to explore various cross-legged seating positions on a long trip.
Each new generation of a vehicle gives BMW a chance to roll out new goodies. The front passengers will be happy with the updated offerings. HiFi nav screens and digital gauge clusters, a color head-up display, surround-view parking cameras, lane-keeping assist and adaptive cruise control, wireless cellphone charging, and more are all available at their fingertips. The driver will also enjoy the buttery-smooth M wheel, well-bolstered seat, and good outward visibility.
The M steering wheel is a reminder that I am in an up-market X3. The X3 M40i name contains a ray of hope—a capital M in this case—for an enthusiast driver. The M Sport versions of the 3- and 5-series sedans found the fine balance between everyday luxury car and sports sedan that is quintessentially BMW. Can the M Sport X3 deliver the same precise driving control and pulse-raising performance?
BMW has certainly thrown the proverbial performance kitchen sink at the X3 in its attempt to emphasize the sport in Sport Utility Vehicle. Fitted here is the larger 3.0L turbocharged I6 engine, which produces 355 hp. Sticky Pirelli P Zero tires—245/40R21 front and 275/35R21 rear—are controlled by an M Sport adaptive suspension and slowed by large M Sport brakes. An 8-speed automatic gearbox promises prompt shifts via flappy paddles.
Amazingly, BMW’s promises are kept. Over bumpy city roads, the X3 M40i delivers a comparable ride to a 328i M Sport. Well damped if slightly firm, the X3 M40i isn’t the least bit jarring or harsh when it goes down the road. An experimental side-to-side juke proves that the laws of physics haven’t been cheated—the SUV’s high center-of-gravity prevents it from controlling body roll as well as a sedan—but the X3 can keep from listing too far from side-to-side in the turns.
Approaching a red stoplight, I appreciate the upgraded M Sport brakes. They are firm and very bitey, in the way that good new brakes can be when fresh off the showroom floor. I’d wager that they’d lose that sharpness after their first significant workout. (At least that’s what happened with my Focus RS after a track day.)
Staring down the mile-long straight, my self-restraint disappears when the signal goes green. I floor the throttle, and the engine roars. The acceleration is surprising and thoroughly impressive: This SUV scoots! I’ve ragged on BMW for its “imaginative” engine nomenclature—model numbers that corresponded to engine displacement were discarded for numbers that loosely describe vehicle performance—but in the X3 M40i’s case, I think the nomenclature is spot-on. From a dig at the stoplight, the X3 feels just as fast as my 4.0L naturally aspirated M3. There’s more than enough grunt in the M40i to keep you chuckling throughout the years.
The transmission is willing to play drag racer, too, delivering quick upshifts that keep the turbo spooled. Upshifts come with a chuckle-worthy blurp. Hop off the throttle at the end of a 0-60 mph pass (4.6s according to BMW), and the wisecracking exhaust dishes out a few fart jokes to make your inner ten-year-old laugh out loud.
The exhaust crackles are proof that BMW has appropriated some of Mercedes-AMG’s humor. Actually, it goes further than that: The X3 M40i’s performance, handling, and aggressive design amount to a clenched fist aimed squarely at the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43’s jaw. I’d love to drive the X3 M40i and GLC 43 back-to-back, as these two are close enough in performance, luxury, and practicality that a real comparison test is a must to spot the winner.
(I expect the AMG delivers better aural fun from its V6, especially when equipped with the optional sports exhaust; the BMW’s engine note is identifiably I6, but it is somehow coarser sounding than applications of the turbo 3.0L. From a design standpoint, the BMW looks like it is two years ahead of the Mercedes because it is. The X3 has newly enlarged and freshly angularized kidney grills that give the SUV an infusion of the macho truck spirit found in American pickups. The GLC 43 is mean looking too, but its plump shape blunts its aggression. I prefer the futurist space-robot jive I get from the X3’s big flared nostrils and honeycomb eyes! For the interior design, I favor the X3. The GLC’s ski jump center stack cramps the driver’s seat, and its tapered roofline saps the luggage capacity.)
Sweeping up Guadalupe Canyon, I find the X3 M40i fun and willing to play. The SUV is a little tippy—but also quite grippy—as it climbs the esses at highway speeds. The base Porsche Cayenne had more ultimate composure, but the X3 M40i is more entertaining on account of its better engine and smaller footprint. I’d rather have the X3 on my favorite jumpy, twisty canyon road.
The X3’s steering is pleasurably quick and accurate, with heavy resistance when the vehicle is in sports mode. There’s very little road feel in the wheel, but that is in keeping with current EPAS systems and forgivable from an SUV. (I had thought I was getting some road vibrations through the BMW’s wheel, but it was just the lane-keeping assistant warning that I’d wandered to the edge of the lane. Use this right, and you can pretend to clip rumble strips at every apex!)
I complete my test loop, I take stock of what I’ve learned. In no way has BMW softened the X3 M40i and made it as coddlingly comfortable as the Audi Q5. Instead, BMW has elevated my expectations for SUVs and made a Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 rival. By appealing to my inner enthusiast, they’ve aligned my preferences with my wife’s. The X3 M40i surprises and delights and moves with a joie de vivre that makes it irresistible to drive. Bravo BMW!
Mike's Steering Column 