Cruising on I94 heading south again into Chicago is once I realized how a lot I’ve taken BMW’s just like the X3 as a right. They’re, by design, not probably the most thrilling car within the vary. However day after day, journey after journey, they ship. Regardless of your ask or what the climate delivers, they appear to excel. And none have completed it higher than the brand new 2025 BMW M3 M50i we just lately had for per week. However there’s an enormous asterisk there for these within the know.
First let’s pour one out for the high-strung X3 M. An M3 wagon on stilts, it was sports activities sedan trapped in a crossover physique and we liked it for that. But when we’re being sincere, this barely softer, extra calm new M Efficiency M50i is healthier suited to what most individuals want.
I spent per week with it doing precisely what its goal patrons will do: weekday commutes, hauling youngsters to sports activities, taking the canine to the park, and working errands. Then, over the weekend, I pointed it north to Wisconsin’s Kettle Moraine for some mountaineering and dirt-road exploring. By Sunday night time, it was clear: that is BMW’s most full each day driver within the U.S. market.
Powertrain: Clean Muscle with Brains
Underneath the hood is BMW’s B58 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six, now paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. It delivers 393 hp and 428 lb-ft of torque, with a 0–60 mph time round 4.4 seconds. On paper, that’s firmly in sports activities sedan territory, however in follow it’s the immediacy and linearity that impress.
The mild-hybrid system’s e-boost fills within the gaps when the turbo is spooling or the gearbox is swapping cogs. In Consolation mode, this implies visitors maneuvers are drama-free—faucet the pedal and also you’re already shifting earlier than the gearbox has absolutely dedicated to a decrease gear. In Sport, the powertrain sharpens up, shifts include a tangible shove, and the exhaust provides a more durable edge with out going into manufactured pops and bangs.
Driving Modes & Character
Let’s take a second and discuss driving modes as a result of few BMW’s I’ve pushed are extra reliant on them than the X3 M50i
- Consolation Mode: The default for metropolis visitors. Steering is gentle however correct, throttle response is progressive, and the suspension filters out potholes with out float. The eight-speed shifts unobtrusively and the cabin stays impressively quiet.
- Sport Mode: Weight builds within the steering, throttle mapping will get extra aggressive, and the transmission hangs onto gears longer. Adaptive M dampers stiffen sufficient to chop roll, however not a lot that you just dread growth joints.
- Sport Plus: Right here, the M50i feels closest to the outgoing X3 M in urgency. The gearbox is sort of telepathic on downshifts, steering is at its most direct, and the chassis stays flat even in tighter corners. Nonetheless, the experience by no means crosses into harshness—the advantage of tuning for the true world quite than Nürburgring lap occasions.
X3’s have had drive modes earlier than. However right here BMW has each turned down and turned up the wick. Consolation is sort of eerily serene whereas Sport Plus is keen with a snarling perspective. The results of this variability is a car that feels much more like a Swiss-army knife than ever earlier than.
Chassis & Dealing with
BMW has completed an distinctive job with the M50i’s steadiness. I’ll allow you to in on a secret – the earlier X3 was extremely properly balanced – much more so than the vaunted 3 Sequence. This new model in M50i loses a few of that with a 52% entrance / 48% rear weight distribution. However BMW engineers have labored their magic as normal. The adaptive suspension retains physique movement in test, however avoids the brittle, overly inflexible really feel that plagued some previous M-tuned SUVs. Flip-in is crisp, aided by variable sport steering that doesn’t really feel artificially fast. Mid-corner composure is great for one thing with this experience peak and weight.
xDrive is calibrated for safety quite than tail-out antics, however in Sport modes it can let the rear take a significant share of the work. On unfastened gravel, the system’s fast torque shifts offer you confidence to speed up out of turns with no trace of scrabble from the entrance.
Braking efficiency is powerful and repeatable. The pedal has a pure development is simple to modulate and by no means feels grabby. And it’s no shock as they examine properly to the earlier technology X3M’s brakes.
However the second you actually hustle the X3 M50i is if you do not forget that this factor weighs 4,491 lb. Not an issue for many however what for those who may take that weight away, decrease the automobile for a greater middle of gravity after which promote it cheaper?
The Wagon That Outsmarts It
For the fanatic, the M50i’s largest weak spot isn’t an absence of a real M engine – it’s that weight. A equally geared up M340i Touring is roughly 490 kilos lighter and sits practically 10 inches decrease. That interprets right into a sharper, extra linked really feel — the sort of immediacy you discover the primary time you flip the wheel or change path at pace.
I had an opportunity to spend per week with the M340i Touring in German and Austria and was blown away with its mixture of porting credentials and flexibility. And within the Touring, the B58 felt extra keen as a result of it’s carrying much less mass. Steering suggestions was clearer, braking distances shorter, and transitions by corners really feel extra fluid. Cargo area and rear passenger room are nearly similar, and the wagon’s decrease load ground makes it simpler to get heavy gadgets in. The actual benefit the X3 affords is seating peak — the SUV “command view” some patrons gained’t surrender. For me, I may care much less. Particularly given how even BMW’s sedans have slowly gotten taller themselves.
BMW X3 M50i vs. M340i Touring
Whereas the X3 has the latest variant of the B58 with extra energy and torque, the acceleration distinction is negligible due to the load distinction. Additionally fascinating is how comparable these autos are in cargo capability. After which there’s that splendidly helpful break up tailgate the Touring has that the X3 doesn’t.
| Spec / Metric | X3 M50i (US-Spec) | M340i Touring (EU-Spec) | Distinction |
| Engine | 3.0L turbo I6 (B58) + 48V delicate hybrid | 3.0L turbo I6 (B58) + 48V delicate hybrid | — |
| Energy | 393 hp | 374 hp | +19 hp X3 |
| Torque | 428 lb-ft | 369 lb-ft | +59 lb-ft X3 |
| 0–60 mph | ~4.4 s | ~4.5 s | Just about even |
| High Pace | 155 mph (restricted) | 155 mph (restricted) | — |
| Curb Weight | ~4,475 lbs | ~3,985 lbs | +490 lbs X3 |
| Top | ~66.7 in | ~57.0 in | +9.7 in X3 |
| Cargo Quantity (Seats Up) | 28.7 cu ft | ~27.5 cu ft | +1.2 cu ft X3 |
| Gas Economic system (Est.) | 25 / 30 mpg (metropolis/hwy) | ~27 / 34 mpg (est.) | Touring +2–4 mpg |
| Drive Structure | AWD (xDrive) | AWD (xDrive) | — |
If BMW offered the Touring within the U.S., it might be the smarter purchase for anybody who values dynamics over experience peak. However they don’t, and that’s why the M50i finally ends up being the most effective all-rounder most Individuals can truly put of their driveway.
Weekday Utility
That is the a part of the check most automobiles on this phase fail: being genuinely nice to make use of within the grind of each day life. The M50i clears that bar with room to spare. Visibility is sweet, the seating place is spot-on, and the cabin is quiet at freeway speeds. The rear seats fold simply to broaden cargo area, and the sq. tailgate opening means awkward gadgets aren’t a wrestling match.
Weekend Versatility
On the open highway, the M50i’s mix of torque and composure makes lengthy stints easy. Our automobile got here with BMW’s Driving Help Plus for $1,700. Whereas that’s a whole lot of money for principally software program, it’s a vastly welcome addition for those who’re going to be commuting of road-tripping on highways.
I did some gentle off-roading within the type of flip roads and trails and even on summer time tires the X3 had zero points given it’s quick appearing xDrive system. The adaptive suspension saved the physique calm and the steering exact sufficient to choose a clear line round ruts.
The place BMW Missed
The brand new iDrive interface remains to be a usability misstep. An excessive amount of is buried within the touchscreen, and there’s an pointless layer of visible noise within the graphics. The inside styling has gone the identical method—daring shapes, layered supplies, and lighting results that really feel like they had been signed off by advertising quite than engineering. It’s useful sufficient, but it surely’s misplaced the clear, driver-focused look BMW as soon as did higher than anybody. The following iteration of BMW’s inside design language can not come quickly sufficient.
U.S. X3 Lineup — Pricing and Specs
Our check automobile got here to an eye fixed watering $76,675 incoming vacation spot cost. That’s some huge cash however then once more this can be a lot of automobile.
| Variant | Engine / Drivetrain | Energy / Torque | 0–60 mph | Beginning MSRP | Est. MPG (metropolis/hwy) |
| X3 30 xDrive | 2.0-L turbo I4, AWD | 255 hp / 295 lb-ft | ~6.0 s | $50,900 | ~27 / 33 |
| X3 M50 xDrive | 3.0-L turbo I6, AWD (B58 + e-boost) | 393 hp / 428 lb-ft | ~4.4 s | $65,900 | ~25 / 30 |
Ultimate Verdict
The 2025 BMW X3 M50i is correct on the right track for what the U.S. market needs: an SUV with severe efficiency, year-round usability, and sufficient area to deal with the realities of household life. It’s quick with out being frenetic, agile with out being punishing, and versatile sufficient to deal with all the pieces from rush hour to filth roads.
However for many who care about really feel, precision, and connection, the M340i Touring exhibits what’s potential if you take away the load and decrease the middle of gravity. That automobile is the true all-rounder—simply not one BMW will promote you right here.
For everybody else, the M50i is as near an ideal each day driver as the present BMW lineup will get.
