Used 2020 BMW X3 M

We like the BMW X3. It’s just the right size. It’s roomy enough for four adults without being large and cantankerous around town. Now, with the debut of the 2020 BMW X3 M (and its X3 M Competition sibling), this agile 2-row SUV has received a serious injection of power, courtesy of a twin-turbo inline-6 with 473 (standard X3 M) or 503 horsepower (X3 M Competition).

Better yet, the new X3 M puts all that power to good use. It’s sent to all four wheels via an 8-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission and a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system that gives this potent SUV a sporty rear-wheel-drive feel. The chassis also has adaptive suspension damping, which means the X3 M driver can choose soft and comfortable settings or sporty and firm.

BMW says the X3 M hits 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and has a top speed of 173 mph. The X3 M Competition is even quicker, able to hit 60 in 4.0 seconds and a top speed of 177 mph. Both of these BMW SUVs are extremely potent, which means they compete effectively with the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio and the Porsche Macan Turbo, two of the sportiest midsize 2-row SUVs on the market.

BMW knows how to build a sports sedan. Witness the M3. BMW also knows how to build a sporty SUV. Case in point: the new 2020 BMW X3 M, a 2-row 5-seat SUV that handles far better than any 4,600-pound vehicle has the right. Although it has all-wheel drive (which helps in the snow and mud), the rear-biased power delivery makes the X3 M feel like an M3 with some extra weight and ride height, plus powerful brakes that never get soft, even after a session of hot lapping on the track.

We love how smoothly the inline-6 revs, and the way it sounds. The X3 M Competition, in particular, has a raspy character, thanks to its freer-flowing M Sport exhaust. And should you so desire, a button on the center console frees up an even more aggressive exhaust note.

With its standard active suspension damping, the X3 M can have a plush or a firm ride, dependent on which mode the driver chooses (Comfort, Comfort + or Sport). While there isn’t a 2-wheel-drive mode as in the potent M5 sedan, the X3 M has an entertaining rear-drive feel when powering out of corners. Our one complaint: The X3 M likes to be driven hard, but it’s rated at only 14 mpg in the EPA city cycle. Evidently that’s the cost of making all that luscious power.

Like a standard X3, the 2020 BMW X3 M is extraordinarily roomy inside for its size, with plenty of room for front and rear passengers and a generous cargo area behind the 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat. It’s a luxurious environment with a familiar BMW design aesthetic, and the standard stereo is a good one: a 600-watt Harman Kardon with a surround-sound system and 16 speakers.

The X3 M instrument panel is a 12.3-inch digital screen that displays all the essential driving information, with a design that changes as you switch among the various drive modes. The navigation screen at the top of the center stack also is large, a 10.25-inch screen with excellent clarity. BMW’s iDrive controller remains on the center console, next to an electronic gearshift lever that looks like it has been pulled straight off an M5 sedan.

And speaking of the M5, the beautifully stitched and thick-rimmed steering wheel of the X3 M looks like it’s pulled straight from that potent sports sedan, replete with two red thumb buttons that allow the driver to quickly switch the vehicle into a preselected performance setting. The M-specific head-up display also works well, clearly conveying information such as speed, rpm, navigational instructions and current gear. There’s even a handy upshift light.

All told, the X3 M cabin exudes luxury and refinement, and the quilted 14-way-adjustable M Sport seats of the X3 M Competition model will garner lots of attention with their illuminated BMW M badges integrated into each headrest.

The 2020 BMW X3 M makes its presence known with its an M-specific rear spoiler and aero kit, along with 20-inch alloy wheels, Shadowline exterior trim, gloss-black roof rails and quad tailpipes. The X3 M Competition is distinguished by 21-inch alloy wheels. While both X3 M models are handsome in an aggressive sort of way, they benefit from being based on the standard BMW X3, a head-turner in its own right.

BMW’S INLINE-6 ENGINE
The X3 M is powered by a superb twin-turbo engine that’s incredibly smooth and makes gobs of power. It’s an aluminum-block inline-6 with a forged-steel crank, and each mono-scroll turbocharger supplies boost to a respective group of three cylinders. All the while, an electronically controlled wastegate practically eliminates turbo lag.

M DYNAMIC MODE
Like all X3s, the X3 M has electronic stability control. But the X3 M and X3 M Competition go one step further with M Dynamic mode, which allows the vehicle to slide a bit before the electronic nannies rein you in. In other words, M Dynamic mode lets you play while still providing you with a welcome safety net.

Standard features on the 2020 BMW X3 M include a twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-6 engine that sends 473 horsepower to all four wheels via an 8-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission and a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system with a limited-slip rear differential.

Active-damping suspension is standard, along with adaptive LED headlights, Sirius satellite radio, Apple CarPlay, BMW’s iDrive 6.0 multifunction controller, privacy glass, a power tailgate and Active Driving Assistant, which includes lane-departure warning, blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert. There’s also a standard navigation system with a 10.25-touch screen.

The X3 M Competition is much the same, but it has a 503-horsepower version of the inline-6, sportier seats, an M Sport exhaust and 21-inch alloy wheels.

The Executive Package ($3,900) is one of the popular options on the X3 M. In addition to a panoramic moonroof, heated front and rear seats, Parking Assistant Plus (a parallel-parking system) and a heated steering wheel, it includes wireless smartphone charging, Gesture Control, a head-up display and sunshades for the rear-side windows.

Driving Assistant Plus Package ($1,700) uses camera and radar to mitigate possible collisions with the vehicle in front. Visual alerts are followed by acute audible warning, which is then followed by full braking force and automatically cinched safety belts. This package also includes Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go, which maintains a preset distance to the car in front, using limited-force braking if necessary.

Stand-alone options on the X3 M include a panoramic sunroof for $1,350, M Sport seats for $950, a heated steering wheel for $190 and a $2,500 M Driver’s package, which raises the top speed of the X3 M and enrolls you in a one-day high-performance driving course at one of the BMW Performance Centers.

BMW employs a twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-6 under the hood of the X3 M. In the standard X3 M, this S58 engine, aided by a forged crankshaft, puts out 473 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 442 lb-ft of torque at 2,600 rpm. In the X3 M Competition, BMW bumps the output to 503 horsepower at 5,950 rpm, with unchanged torque.

Power is routed to the rear-biased all-wheel-drive system via an 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and a limited-slip rear differential. Premium fuel is required.

3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-6 (X3 M)
473 horsepower @ 5,600-7,300 rpm
442 lb-ft of torque @ 2,600-5,600 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 14/19 mpg

3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-6 (X3 M Competition)
503 horsepower @ 5,950-7,300 rpm
442 lb-ft of torque @ 2,600-5,950 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 14/19 mpg