Built as a performance car, the X3 M Competition doesn’t have a plush interior, but it’s comfortable and well put together. The Competition Package adds front sport seats that are heavily bolstered but still comfortable, and while the backseat doesn’t get sport seats, it does have space and comfort to spare — along with climate controls, charging ports and available heated outboard seats. It’s roomy enough to have earned a respectable grade in our Car Seat Check, and interior touches like carbon-fiber trim and seat belts with M-inspired color stitching add to the sportiness.
Technology is also a strong suit, with standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity. (Wireless device charging is a stand-alone option that my test vehicle did not include.) The large 12.3-inch touchscreen is clear and easy to use in spite of a deep menu structure. The standard digital instrument panel also measures 12.3 inches and includes an M-specific mode that heightens the SUV’s sense of aggression by streamlining the information on display and adding red accents. Some of that information also carries over to the optional head-up display.
Even better is the fact that despite the SUV’s tech-heavy interior, there are still ample physical climate and audio controls that are easy to use. These controls are especially welcome because the touchscreen can be hard to reach from the driver’s seat, and BMW’s optional gesture controls don’t always work (and trying to make them work while driving is distracting).
The interior layout will be familiar to BMW enthusiasts, but that familiarity is beginning to edge toward datedness. The X3 M Competition’s biggest interior weakness is that it doesn’t have the materials quality to match its price — $87,345 as tested (including destination). A comparable 2023 model will likely be over $90,000. To be blunt, it doesn’t feel like the M Competition interior is all that different from a pedestrian X3, which starts around $47,000 for 2023. Plastic abounds, mostly in the lower reaches of the interior. There’s an embossed “X” logo on the front doors that feels like an Easter egg, and I’m a sucker for those, but it also looks like it would be more at home on a Subaru than a BMW.
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Is the X3 M Competition Right for You?
The appeal of a performance vehicle is not just what you actually do with it, but what it can do. The X3 M Competition gives owners those bragging rights while providing a comfortable ride, lovely sounding exhaust and utility you can’t find in a coupe with similar performance stats.
While this vehicle makes sense in those terms, buyers looking for a true performance vehicle, or even a true performance SUV, might want to look elsewhere — especially if track driving is on the menu.
BMW doesn’t let the X3 M Competition go for cheap. As mentioned, our test vehicle’s as-tested price was $87,345, but its starting price was just under $71,000. Options included the Competition Package ($7,000), Executive Package ($2,450), M Driver’s Package ($2,500) and $4,500 for matte-finish Frozen Marina Bay Blue Metallic paint. Prices have gone up since then, with the 2023 X3 M starting at over $75,000 before options.
Some of the features in that optional Executive Package (heated steering wheel, heated outboard rear seats, head-up display) are standard on other luxury vehicles in this price range, and our pricey test vehicle didn’t have the optional Driving Assistance Professional Package ($1,700 on a 2023 model), which adds BMW’s low-speed Extended Traffic Jam Assistant and additional safety tech.
The Competition Package turns up the heat on the X3 M, but at $7,000, it might be pricier than what it delivers: additional horsepower and torque, unique wheels, sport exhaust and sport seats. The M Driver’s Package unlocks a higher top speed — 177 mph instead of 155 mph — and a day of track instruction. Those are the main selling points of these two packages, but buyers won’t have an autobahn where they can safely access all that power and speed — and even if they did, this SUV isn’t the best choice for a track day.
All of those options on our test car added more than $15,000 to its sticker price, and they aren’t all necessary if you’re happy with the level of enjoyment you can get out of the base X3 M — or an even cheaper X3 M40i. With the X3 M Competition, what you’re mostly paying for is bragging rights. If that’s what you want, so be it.
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