2023 BMW X3 M

The 2023 BMW X3 M feels and drives more like a sports car than an SUV. A twin-turbo inline-six-cylinder engine makes an impressive 473 horsepower and 457 pound-feet of torque in the standard model, but in the X3 M Competition those numbers get bumped up to 503 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. The quad exhaust sings a thunderous tune when you mash the accelerator and send power spinning into all four wheels. Drivers looking for thrills will find that here, not only in the X3 M’s performance but also in its racy exterior styling. Seating room is ample, and there’s a generously sized cargo bay, both carried over from the more pragmatic standard X3. A luxury experience isn’t exactly on the menu here, as the X3 M is notable for its overly firm ride. If you’re seeking a performance SUV with more comfort, we’d suggest taking a peek at rivals such as the Porsche Macan and the Mercedes-AMG GLC-class.

Engine Performance

This crossover's twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder is as smooth as it is powerful. The BMW mill has been massaged by the M performance division to make between 473 and 503 horsepower and between 457 and 479 pound-feet of torque. The extra power is reserved for the Competition model, which also adds a standard sport exhaust system and 21-inch wheels. Every X3 M comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel-drive system that can send 100 percent of the engine's torque to the back wheels when needed. The 2022 X3 M Competition we tested was absurdly quick and shockingly agile for what it is. It ripped to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds, closed the gap between 50 and 70 mph in 3.1 ticks, and completed the quarter-mile in 11.6 seconds at 119 mph. For context, the BMW M3 sports sedan is slightly slower than the SUV to 60 mph, hitting that mark in 3.5 seconds.

Fuel

The X3 M with or without the Competition package is expected to earn 14 mpg in the city and 19 mpg on the highway. Those figures fall significantly short of rivals such as the 505-hp Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio (with 17 and 23 mpg, respectively) and the 469-hp Mercedes-AMG GLC63 SUV (16 and 22 mpg). However, the Bimmer performed better in the real world. On our 75-mph highway fuel-economy route, which is part of our extensive testing regimen, the X3 M exceeded the government's highway rating by 7 mpg (26 mpg total). For comparison, we observed 20 mpg in the GLC63 SUV and 21 in the Stelvio QF, both of which missed their highway ratings by 2 mpg.