The performance SUV – it’s a segment which began in my mind back in 2002 when Porsche began manufacturing the Cayenne (which subsequently went on sale in North America in 2003). I can remember seeing the Porsche Cayenne for the first time when I was 33 years old – I thought it was the dumbest thing ever conceived. At the time I hated SUVs. Mostly because I couldn’t see around them in traffic. BMW also got in the SUV market in 2003 with the X3. Interestingly enough, that first generation X3 was manufactured for BMW under contract by Austrian manufacturer Magna Steyr. It was considered the first mid-size, premium SUV on the market – but not a performance SUV. It wasn’t until 2019 that BMW finally created a performance oriented version of the X3 – the X3 M. The X3 M, like most BMW M models is available in the Competition package with offers a modest increase in horsepower, blacked out shadow line trim, and a few other additions. With age, SUVs have become more appealing to me as a daily driver. Apparently I’m not the only one either as the X3 is now BMW’s top-selling model. We’ve had three SUVs in the household now in the last six or so years. The approach that I have taken in the past was to have a BMW sport sedan, and a lesser SUV for winter driving and cargo hauling. That approach worked reasonably well, but did have clear downsides. Of course the most obvious is the expense of maintaining and insuring two different vehicles. The other was never being truly content in either vehicle. My 2019 Jeep Cherokee was a surprisingly good SUV, but it just did not offer the performance driving experience that my 2013 BMW 335i M Sport offered. But when I drove the BMW, I missed the ease of entry and exit of my Jeep (I was diagnosed with arthritis in my back at age 48) as well as the generally more comfortable ride, and greater visibility. I leased my 2019 Jeep Cherokee for 3 years as an experiment – would I actually prefer driving an SUV on the daily? As it turned out, the answer was “yes.” My BMW turned into a summer toy that I drove to the office on Fridays to enjoy the spirited driving experience. But more often than not, I found myself gravitating toward the Jeep. When it came time to turn the Jeep back in, I decided that a performance SUV really would be the way to go for me. As a competitive shooter, the trunk space provided by the typical sports sedan just doesn’t cut it. It also doesn’t work for transporting Rottweilers, which we own. The utility provided by an SUV really is a necessity for me.
So all of that well explains Why I decided to buy an X3 SUV after driving three different 3-Series BMWs over the last 16 years. But it doesn’t begin to explain why I decided to get the M variant of the X3. Clearly I’m a BMW guy and it’s hard to not have an appreciation of, if not a longing for a car designed by BMWs M Division. But both geography and affordability were barriers for me. Living in Southwest Ohio, you have to contend with a not insignificant winter season. In my mind, that made driving an M3 year-round unpalatable. And the only way I was going to afford an M3 was to have it as my only vehicles. Hence, for 16 years I was satisfied driving a non-M BMW sedan. Though my last one – a 2013 335i M Sport in Estoril blue was pretty special. But the desire for an M3 was always there. The X3 M represented my opportunity to have an M3 that I can drive year-round, and had the utility my lifestyle requires. So I custom ordered a 2022 – elated with the prospect of having the option of ordering my car in Marina Bay Blue with the Life Cycle Impulse ?that happened with the 2022 models. You can read about my custom ordering my 2022 X3 M here on ThruMyLens, as well as the production of my X3 M. I did a BMW Performance Center Delivery (highly recommended) on my X3 M which I documented on the ThruMyLens YouTube channel.
At this point I’ve had a vehicle for over a month. I’ve gotten past initial 1200 miles in the required service before you can truly begin to drive the vehicle as it was intended. So this review will be far more thorough than the average car reviewer who draws conclusions based on a brief test drive. So let’s jump right in to what everyone really wants to know about with this vehicle – the performance.
PERFORMANCE
With the launch of the F97 BMW X3 in 2019, BMW finally added an M variant to the X3. And the 2019 X3 M saw BMW’s first utilization of their almost completely new S58 engine. The S58 is a twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder which makes 473HP, and 457 pound-feet of torque. It’s worth noting that the S58 engine is a true twin-turbo, which is to say one turbo services cylinders 1-3, and the other turbo services cylinders 4-6. In past BMW power plants, like on my previous 335i M Sport was a single turbo, twin-scroll which BMW confusingly called “twin power.” BMW actually starting aggressively integrating turbos in their power plants across their entire model line up back around 2007. I know this because I purchased a 2006 E90 330i, and the very next year that same model became the 335i, and came standard with a twin-turbo engine (yes, I was bitter…). Almost overnight BMW became masters of turbo technology, and had every car manufacturer under the sun chasing them. For the 2022 LCI BMW X3, BMW did make some Internal S58 engine enhancements to the inline 6-cylinder engine include the same forged lightweight crankshaft of the BMW M3 and M4 models – It’s the most power six cylinder engine BMW has ever put into a production vehicle…and it’s in a crossover.
Every X3 M comes with an eight-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic and an all-wheel-drive system that can send 100 percent of the engine’s torque to the back wheels when needed. In addition to fully automatic gear changes, it also includes manual shifting using either the center console-mounted gear selector or the steering-wheel mounted shift paddles. Using the gear selector has taken some getting used to. To go into reverse, you step on the brake and move the gear selector to left and up. I suppose BMW is trying to simulate the procedure as well as actually the feel of using a manual transmission – perhaps in an effort to appeal to the purist enthusiast. To start going into forward gears, again depress the brake pedal and move the gear selector back toward you and bump it to the right. If you’ve done this correctly, you’ll see a a “D” on the dash which indicates you’re in full automatic mode – the vehicle will shift for you. Occasionally following this same procedure will result in your being in “manu-matic” mode – instead of seeing a D on the screen, you’ll see a “1” indicating you’re in first gear. Bumping the gear selector left (which puts it in “neutral”) then right again usually puts it back in fully automatic mode. I’m not quite sure what I’m doing incorrectly when this happens but I’ve learned to visually verify the “D” on the dashboard gear indicator before taking off.
The performance of the 2022 BMW X3 M is positively mind blowing. This is a vehicle that will do 0-60 sub four seconds. My 2013 335i M Sport had a 0-60 of 4.6 seconds. That was EXTREMELY impressive at the time, and quite frankly still is. Arguable, BMW’s sportiest vehicle currently is the M2 Competition – and it has a 0-60 of 4.0 seconds. Think about that for a moment. My SUV has a 0-60 time that’s faster than the little M2 Competition. Mind. blown.
SOUND
While we’re talking about the engine and performance, no review of this vehicle would be complete without a discussion of the sound that comes out of the exhaust of the X3 M. The sound this engine produces is positively intoxicating. One of the most fun things for me to do when I’m talking to someone about the vehicle when it’s parked is the reach in my pocket and activate the remote start – eyes open wide when the car comes alive. “That sure doesn’t sound like an SUV” is the most common comment. While driving in Sport mode, let of the throttle and you’ll hear engine “burbles” – the sound of the rapidly condensing exhaust gasses cooling in the exhaust line. It makes you think you’re driving an exotic Italian super car. Since acquiring the car I’ve hardly listened to any recorded music or radio stations – I just live listening to the sounds coming from the engine and exhaust. It’s an entirely new dimension in the vehicle ownership experience I’ve not previously experienced. I dig it.
COMFORT
In terms of ride quality, many will find the suspension to be stiffer than they like, even in comfort mode. This is partially a function of how the suspension is set up, but it’s also attributable to the stock Summer tires – more on this below. My 2013 335i M Sport had a stiff M suspension, and I never really had a problem with it under any driving conditions, so perhaps I’m a bit desensitized with regard to ride quality. If you live in a state with roads that are not well maintained, you’ll definitely feel it more in the X3 M – even in comfort mode. If cloud like ride quality if something that’s important to you, consider a different vehicle. On the highway, even in sport mode, I find the ride to be fantastic. I have no complaints whatsoever with this vehicle as my daily driver – but clearly I priorities performance over ride quality.
WHEELS, TIRES, AND BRAKES
I ordered my 2022 X3 M with the “base” wheel configuration -20″ double-spoke bi-color orbit grey wheels with performance non run-flat. I did this for a couple of reasons: Firstly, aesthetically I prefer a simple five spoke wheel – and that’s essentially what I ordered. The other options were both too aesthetically “busy” to my eye, and looked a heckuva lot harder keep clean. The other wheel options were also a bit larger at 21″ in diameter – which in theory would detract from both ride comfort and gas mileage. So the base option was all the way around my preference.
In terms of brakes, the 2022 X3 M comes standard with the M compound brake system. With four-piston fixed calipers at the front and single-piston floating calipers at the rear, it guarantees excellent stopping power in all conditions. Aesthetically, the front brakes look fantastic, but the rear looks wimpy by comparison:
I have no complaints whatsoever with the breaking performance I have observed both in daily driving my X3 M, or the one BMW let me borrow for my track day at the BMW Performance Center when I took delivery. But visually, I’d prefer a larger blue brake caliper on the rear. The drilled and internally vented discs have a diameter of 395 millimeters at the front wheels and 370 millimeters at the rear wheels. In the compound design adapted from motorsports, the grey cast iron brake discs are connected to aluminum hubs. This design helps the brake system achieve lower weight and increased thermal stability.
The X3 M can only be ordered from the factory with Summer tires from I believe three different manufacturers – Continental, Michelin, and Pirelli. I understand why BMW has done this – if it’s an “M” car, then it should have high-performance Summer tires. But since most people buy an all-wheel drive SUV because they live in parts of the world where it doesn’t stay Summer year round, you have to be buy other tires. Many choose to buy a 2nd set of wheels for the 2nd set of tires, and swap them twice a year. However, I’m just planning on buying some Michelin all-weather Pilot S SUV tires to use year-round. In terms of the factory Summer tires, I’ve never liked any Continental tire I’ve tried and feedback from the X3 M community is that the Continental Summer tires are the least desirable. Historically I’ve really like Pirelli tires going back to my 1987 Porsche 944 I had in college. While most in the community prefer the Michelin summer tire BMW chose, my car came with Pirelli P Zero Summer tires and I was elated. I should be getting the Michelin Pilot Sports on in the next week or too, and am expecting to see an improvement in ride quality based on feedback from the community.
STEERING & HANDLING
I can still remember my very first drive in a BMW – my father and I test drove a 3 series BMW ~1985. That car had zero power assisted steering. None. Nada. Zip. They simply didn’t offer it at the time. Once BMW implemented a rack-and-pinion hydraulic steering system, their cars really started selling MUCH better in the US. Fast forward to ~the early 2000s and BMW introduced their electronic EPS Steering (on the Z4 I believe) and the system soon spread to the rest of BMW’s model offerings. Enthusiasts prefer the older hydraulic systems for the more connected perceived feel they delivers. However luxury buyers want less vibration transmitted to the steering wheel. He he makes the gold, makes the rules – BMW listened to the luxury buyers on this one. And steering feel is one area that the hard core sports cars enthusiasts have been lamenting about BMWs for the past several years. But BMWs are about daily usability. Track? Check. Daily commute? Check. If I wanted the pure sports car experience I’d have gone with a Porche or Corvette. I want my cake, and I want to be able to eat it too. The steering wheel itself is almost identical to the M steering wheel I enjoyed in my 2013 335i M Sport – it’s thick and feels fantastic in all conditions. I find that the steering wheel transmits a respectable amount of feedback and though it’s entirely “drive by wire” it never stops me from enjoying the lower limits of the X3 M’s impressive capabilities.
In terms of handling, the easiest way to describe the handling characteristics of the X3 M is to say that it’s essentially a lifted M3. The handling characteristics are simply not at all what you’d expect from an SUV. Again, through my experience driving the BMW X3 M Competition on the track, and my experience driving my own X3 M the next day on the Tail of the Dragon, I’ve gotten a much better than average feel for the handling characteristics of this vehicle. This is truly an “M” car – it has the same surefooted, curve-carving characteristics that you would expect of a car wearing the BMW M badge, and has near 50-50 weight distribution. Does the vehicle feel heavy? Yes – but not so much that you can’t drive it hard and enjoy the ride. BMW had to have appealed to the dark arts to achieve such minimal body roll in such a relatively tall vehicle. Physics? What physics?
STYLING
If there’s something that impresses me the most about the X3 M is just how gorgeous of a vehicle it is. Perhaps more than any other vehicle I’ve ever owned, this things just looks fantastic from every angle. Sure – it’s an SUV. Some people just aren’t going to give it a 2nd look as either on object of beauty or performance as such. But that’s part of the appeal – it’s understated in this regard – a sleeper that’s easily underestimated by the uninitiated.
It’s difficult to talk about the styling of any modern vehicle without talking about the ever expanding dimensions of grills. Across all manufacturers, grills seem to be getting larger… It’s a trend. Yes, the grill on the LCI 2022 X3M is larger than the 2020 and 2021 models. But to my eye, the new X3M grill is far more aesthetically pleasing than the grill BMW has graced (cursed?) the latest generation 3 and 4 series models with. It’s a more aggressive look, and definitely fits with this vehicle. I like it.
Previous iterations of the X3 exhibited very pleasing, very traditional SUV styling. The lifecycle Impulse (LCI) 2022 incorporates some interesting aesthetic changes and some genuine risks to make the X3M not only stand out in the X3 line, but also among its many competitors in the the performance SUV segment. The front end is more angular with the LCI updates – more angry looking. The rear tail lights though are an even greater departure from what came before, and somewhat polarizing. My own personal opinion is that I like the tail lights very much. Anyone who has ever played the Xbox video game “Halo” may see a striking similarity between the tail light design and a certain sword in the game.
For me, the most exciting change that came with the 2022 LCI was the availability of Marina Bay Blue Metallic (MBB) as a color for the X3 M. Prior to the availability of MBB as a color, the only real choices I liked were Alpine White, or one of the seemingly multiple shades of black BMW currently offers. I’ll confess that having just spent 8 years with a blue BMW, I would have liked to have gone red with my X3 M. The only possible choice in the non-individual (and quite pricey) colors was Toronto Red which looks quite orange in many lighting conditions…no thanks. If BMW’s Imola Red would have been available, I would have gotten that in a heart beat. MBB is a fantastic color that’s second only in preference to Estoril Blue (the color of my previous 335i M Sport) for me. MBB is just a bit darker than Estoril, and given that it’s a metallic color, it has more shimmer and sparkle than Estoril Blue. The only negative is that it can color shift toward purple in some light which I’m not crazy about if I had to nit pick.
INTERIOR
The 2022 X3 M shares its updated interior design with the regular X3, which was also lightly restyled inside and out for 2022. The full-blown M version enjoys more standard luxury features and an assortment of exclusive details. The latter mainly consists of “M” badging, red drive-mode buttons on the steering wheel, and aggressively bolstered front seats. Note that by ordering the front ventilated seats, you do lose a measure of bolstering. Throughout the cabin, attractive materials show off BMW’s adherence to upscale aesthetics. Along with this crossover’s standard leather upholstery and selectable interior accents, BMW has provided a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, 14-way power front seats, customizable ambient interior lighting, and heated front-seat cushions. The Control Center display also has a 12.3 inch display size, which is I believe up by a couple of inches from last year.
My past BMW’s have all had fairly austere interiors – very conservative and very function over form. That philosophy hasn’t changed – it’s still very driver centric and purposeful. But BMW has added some really fantastic touches which makes the cabin of the vehicle an awesome place to be in. When I ordered my vehicle, I sprang for real leather seating – I was nervous about the choice because I’ve not at all been displeased by the “faux leather” I’ve had in previous BMWs that was far more durable than real leather I’ve had previously. I was also nervous about the pillow cushion pattern in the seating – aesthetically it seems more appropriate for a luxury cruiser than a sporty performance oriented SUV. But the leather is gorgeous and the pillow cushion pattern is comfortable. I’m super happy I got the ventilated seat option as this feature works much better than other similar seat cooling systems provided by other manufacturers.
I ordered my X3 M with the optional carbon fiber trim and it’s better than I could have imagined. It looks fantastic and is much more damage resistant than other options. I had an aluminum trim in my previous BMW that ended up showing quite a few scratches. I would have like to have seen the carbon fiber trim used in the center console area as opposed to the piano black components, but that’s a minor criticism. The trim combined with the gorgeous and completely configurable interior lighting makes the cabin of the X3 M both modern and luxurious in ways my previous BMW cars just didn’t achieve. This is the best BMW interior I’ve ever experienced. The icing on the cake is the M badging which is throughout the cabin – I particularly like the illuminated M badges in the seat head rests.
One of the few LCI changes from the previous X3 M I don’t like is the gauge cluster. Previously you had two round indicators – a tachometer and a speedometer. They were digital, but made to look and function very much like traditional analog gauges. In 2022 they’ve brought over the digital graphic indicators from the M8. It’s modern looking and certainly imparts the information you’re looking for, but the traditionalist in me yearns for the analog style gauges of the previous 3 model years. Initially I was rather overwhelmed with the information the digital cluster imparts, but of course you do get used to it. The most excellent heads up display goes a long way to make up for the sins in the digital cluster. Truth be told, I rarely look Knight Rider like digital cluster as the heads up display tells me most of what I want to know the majority of the time, while keeping my eyes on the road.
One interior feature that I didn’t receive thanks to pandemic related supply chain issues was wireless charging pad normally found in the center console area – I simply got additional storage space in this area since the wireless changing components weren’t available. I consider this a blessing as the wireless charging pad was widely reported to not work well in other BMW models – in many cases it causes the phone to overheat, and stops charging. Win-win.
In terms of size, this vehicle is nearly perfect for my needs. It’s two inches longer than the original X5, which was a great size. Historically I never even looked at the X3 because the X5 seemed like about as small as I’d want to go and still have a usable, practical SUV. Which is to say of course that everything is getting bigger. Cargo space is listed at 28.7 cubit feet with the back seats up, and 62.7 with the rear seat backs down. As a competitive shooter, I have a lot of gear that I bring with me to matches, as well as Rottweilers I occasionally need to transport. Again the practical size in space considerations that this vehicle brings to the table are fantastic.
INFOTAINMENT
The new BMW X3 M is equipped with BMW Live Cockpit Professional as well as BMW iDrive 7 as standard equipment. Every X3 M also comes with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system (the screen is now 2 in. larger than last year’s model) which offers myriad of control methods. In addition to the touch capability of the screen, BMW provides a physical volume knob on the center stack and controls on the steering wheel. There’s also a rotary controller on the center console surrounded by shortcut buttons. Popular standard features include a 16-speaker Harman/Kardon stereo, built-in navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and charging ports throughout the cabin. Those who want even more bells and whistles can add gesture controls and wireless charging via the comprehensive Executive package, which I did order. But as previously mentioned, my vehicle did not come equipped with wireless charging due to pandemic related supply chain issues. The system is fair more sophisticated and intuitive than on my previous vehicles and a step above the competition in this regard as well.
In terms of the stereo system performance, yes, I would have loved to have seen the Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround System in my X3 M that BMW equips in there top-tier vehicles that are typically north of $100 K. Many BMW owners have complained about the HK sound system being lackluster, but typically a better sound stage can be achieved by changing the default equalizer settings. I find the system to be adequate when properly adjusted – the sound quality is exceptionally clean. But don’t expect to be overwhelmed by low-end punch by the HK system either.
I didn’t opt for the Tesla-like automatic driving package that’s available on the X3 M. The implementation seems gimmicky and impractical at this stage of development. When I can set the destination, then crawl in the back and go to sleep, let me know – I’ll be interested. Otherwise, I’ll be happy to do the driving. My X3 M does have some auto-parking features which I’ve yet to actually use. The auto parking feature seems to most useful for parallel parking – and I just don’t do much of that here in Dayton, Ohio.
BMW was one of the very first auto manufacturers to offer support for CarPlay. As an Apple Absolutist, CarPlay is a BIG deal to me. When it works properly, it elevates the driving experience tremendously. Apple products tend to work best when Apple makes not only the software, but also the hardware running the software. Since Apple doesn’t make any cars (yet) CarPlay is always integrated into another manufacturers hardware…which is also expected to run Android Auto, as well as handle similar functionality unique to the auto manufacturer. My first CarPlay experience was in a vehicle that I installed a Pioneer A/V unit which supported wired CarPlay. The biggest issue was “disconnects” – the system would abruptly and mysteriously disconnect from your phone as though you had unplugged it even though the phone was still plugged in via USB. The 2nd CarPlay go-round for me was on my 2019 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk Elite. Again, it was a wired implementation. Again, I experienced frequent and unpredictable disconnects. At times, the system would be very reliable and go weeks without issues. At other times it had the reliability of Christmas tree lights. When I brought the unit in for service, Jeep blamed Apple. When I called Apple, they blamed the manufacturer…I was the monkey in the middle. Ultimately I believe the problem was that the manufacturer rarely did software updates for their A/V system – they supported over the air updates in the system on that car, and there were but 3 in the 39 months I drove it. Apple on the other hand does several updates to iOS every year. The discontinuity between these update cycles is I believe the primary problem. As much as I sympathize with manufacturers in this predicament, my conclusion is the same: If you’re going to advertise that your vehicles support Apple CarPlay, then by golly you’re going to have to mirror the Apple update schedule with your in-vehicle A/V systems. My BMW X3 M is my first experience with a wireless CarPlay implementation. On one hand, wireless makes a lot of sense – plugs wear out quickly in a daily driver. On the other hand, wireless just seems inherently less stable than a wired solution would be – that’s my gut anyway. In my roughly 45 days of ownership I’ve been utterly shocked at how well the wireless CarPlay system works. I’ve not had once single problem so far. It’s certainly nifty that I jump in the car and CarPlay quickly and effortlessly starts working. But nine times out of ten when I jump in the car I’m going to plug in my phone to the charger anyway, so I sort of feel like wireless car play is wasted on me from that perspective.
DO I REGRET NOT GETTING THE COMPETITION VERSION?
For an additional $7,000.00, I could have gotten the Competition package. I believe that most people that get the X3 M do in fact get the Competition package. Do I regret not doing so? Not at all. I was looking for an experience not bragging rights. And having driven both, the driving experience is not all that different. Not to mention that the competition package also means you have to have the shadow line trim which is undesirable to me. I’m old school, and I actually like the look chrome trim. I also like like silver/grey looking wheels much more than blacked out wheels, which is part of the competition package. If I were getting a black vehicle, then yes I likely would have ordered the competition package. A consistent black look would have been nice – or even with Alpine White. But I just don’t like that blacked out, shadow line trim on Marina Bay Blue Metallic. Call me old fashioned.
CONCLUSIONS
Thus far, I’ve been happier with my 2022 BMW X3 M than I have with any other vehicle I’ve previously owned – and I should be for the roughly $77,000.00 price of admission. But when you look around at what the competition has to offer, it becomes clear that the BMW X3 M is a shocking great value. The Porsche Macan is debatable the nearest competitor to the X3 M in the performance SUV market. You’ll spend a LOT more for a comparably equipped Macan, which is shares a platform with the Audi Q5. I would argue that the BMW X3 M is the more attractive of the two, and doesn’t rely on platforms or components from other brands.
I absolutely LOVE this freakin’ car. It is literally impossible to get it, drive it, and NOT have an absolutely ridiculous grin on your face. I ask you – how much is that worth? Sure there are some pain points to M car ownership. Having to get brand new (all-weather) tires right off the back didn’t thrill me. And a vehicle that’s been getting maybe 20MPG and requires Premium Unleaded fuel during a time when the current administration has driven up prices at the pump to around $4.00 a gallon also hurts. Thanks Joe. But it’s worth it to me. Really. This could well be my last vehicle with a gasoline powered engine. In 5 years will the majority of cars sold in the US be electric? Quite possibly. As a BMW fan, and a lifelong automobile enthusiast, I think I’d really regret transitioning to electric vehicles and not ever having experienced a BMW M car. A true super car. With everything that goes with that, both good and bad.
Incidentally, I did produce a couple of related videos on the ThruMyLens YouTube Channel:
Here’s my video review of the 2022 BMW X3M:
Here’s a video I did on the Performance Center Delivery on my 2022 BMW X3M:
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