Committing fratricide with the 2022 BMW X3 M Competition

What makes an M car “real”? Is it the lack of numbers after a badge, like the X3 M50? Or perhaps it’s that precise feel you get when driving one – you know, the ride and handling balance that’s such a hallmark of the brand. Hard to pin down, but you kind of know it when you see it.

I don’t see it with this X3 M Competition.

The 2022 BMW X3 M Competition overview

It’s hard to believe that in the year 2000, BMW offered just two cars with an M badge – the E46 M3, and E39 M5. They were rare, exclusive, and fast.

Because of this, the M badge soon became valuable to BMW. It meant something. Everybody wanted one. But maybe not everyone could afford an M5.

So the M badge began to multiply like a lab full of bunnies. The 335 became the M340i. The X5 became the X5 M Competition. And the X3, probably BMW’s most important car, received its blessing in this: The X3 M.

Looking for a wagon M3? So sorry, you won’t get one here, and that makes this X3 the only way to live out your M fantasies with a hatchback under $100k.

Too bad they just killed this car. Still, there are plenty available on the used market – is this the kind of fantasy you want to live with every day?

Performance Score: 9. S58 officially GOAT’d

Engine

I get the sense that BMW’s S engines are mimicking the badge itself – shifting towards the mainstream. You can get an S68 V-8 in a Defender right now, which is crazy to me.

But the S58 remains M only, and is pumps out 472 horsepower and 457 lb-ft of torque, about the same as a manual G80 M3. Opt for the Competition badge you see here though, and you get 503 horses and 479 lb-ft of torque. Clearly this is the way since there’s no stick option to consider.

The power is simply explosive and matches what cars like the M2 and M4 produce. There isn’t a hole in traffic you need fear as too far away, or some red light wannabe to cower from. If you want to be picky, there’s always been some slight turbo lag, but with the automatic it’s pretty difficult to notice.

As for the sound, it’s good – typical inline-six stuff. Needs an exhaust, bla bla. The issue here is something like the Jaguar F-PACE SVR existing. Dare I say that’s a more fun engine, and absolutely much better-sounding. 

Transmission

The only option you have for the X3 M is BMW’s typical ZF eight-speed unit, and it’s one of BMW’s best. Though cars like the X2 M235i have a DCT unit, this one feels much more responsive and eager to kick down (or hang onto a gear, if you’re in Sport Plus mode). 

Attached to a seamless M xDrive all-wheel system, launches are simple and grip is prodigious. You’ll never confuse this unit.

Chassis and Steering

Uh-oh. So far it’s been all huzzahs, but the X3 M’s chassis is the fly in the ointment.

The ride. OUCH. That’s in Comfort mode. Go ahead and put it in Sport Plus, and you’ll wish you had the Terminator’s metal ribs as your skeleton. There’s simply no way to enjoy the car like this on public roads, and it makes the X3 M40i that much more appealing.

Of course the X3 M stays flat through turns and changes direction with ease, but it’ll never be as good as an M3 in that regard, so what’s the point? Were you planning on tracking this thing?

All of it is made worse by a steering rack filled with Novacane – there’s simply no feedback in turns. Is the X3 straining, about to loose grip, or is it in a parking lot turning into Walmart? 

Brakes

Taken from other M cars are standard cross-drilled and vented brakes that work well enough, though I question just how well they will hold up over more aggressive driving. There is an adjustable brake pedal setting like in the M3, but it’s superfluous because you don’t want to feel like you’re stepping on wet spaghetti when your life is in your foot’s hands.

That made sense in my head.

Lifestyle Score: 7. Tall wagon

We can look at this in two ways; either no M3 wagon (sad face), or tall M3 wagon that’s easier to get into and load up.

Let’s be glass half full people.

In the front row are seats taken from the M3 because we’ve opted for the Competition package. Skip that trim, and you get regular thrones from a regular X3, and that’s ludicrous in a car such as this. It alone makes the Comp pack worth it. They are some of my favorite M seats too – not overkill like full carbon buckets.

The back seat is sort of flat – there’s no indication it’s meant to hold you for sustained G work, so maybe avoid that big sweeping turn on the way to school. But it’s plenty roomy and is just a bit tighter than BMW’s newest X3. It’s far more useful than a Macan.

Fuel Economy: 5. Adding weight isn’t great

With a curb weight of 4,610 pounds and mandatory all-wheel drive, the X3 M Competition will achieve a combined 17 miler per gallon.

That’s fine – the SVR gets 18.

Wait – the SVR, with a supercharged V-8 and the same transmission, gets one mile more? 

The reality is that they produce similar levels of power, but both are bested by sedans, so if you don’t need the room (or the height), you know where I’d point you.

Features and Comfort: 7. Where’s the rest?

BMW’s current single-screen design madness might make this car seem a bit dated, but I still enjoy the way it’s all laid out. 

It’s the rest of it that’s a bit weird.

X-exy insides

Is it more upscale in here? Sure – check out the leather dashboard vs Sensatec, or those M3 seats. Smells like many moo cows died to give you this kind of love.

But in other regards, I’m not sure. Many X3s get a gigantic sunroof, M Sport steering wheel, Harmon Kardon stereo, and iDrive 8. All your M Drive setting are by the shifter, along with the iDrive knob, so the look is familiar and easy to adjust to at least. Check out those M stripes on the seat belts too, a Competition exclusive.

Hey, fan boys notice, and I’m one of them.

But yea – the seats just say “M”, not the model name. Pretty much like every other X3 in here, and when you option yours up to triple digits, you’re gonna notice.

Going green

With the X3 LCI, BMW finally opened the Individual books to its X customers, so this example is painted special British Racing Green. The standard color palette is fine, but with these Tartufo seats, the combination is just *chef’s kiss*.

Adding that Competition badge gets you bigger 21-inch wheels all around (good luck cleaning them), along with blacked out trims for the grilles, mirrors, and side gills. Makes it look meaner, but chrome also never really bothered me. Regardless, you’re stuck with it on this trim level.

Overall, I’d call this car’s M transformation subtle. The M40i gets a very similar bumper, and even an M badge on the grille, so it’s not easy to tell them apart. Makes it harder to justify the extra $10-$20k cost.

Others to consider

• 2022 BMW X3 M vs the 2022 BMW X3 M40i
• 2022 BMW X3 M40i
• 2022 BMW M3 Competition
• 2024 Mercedes AMG GLC43
• 2025 BMW X3 M50
• 2021 Audi SQ5
• 2021 Jaguar F-PACE SVR

The 2022 BMW X3 M Competition was too hardcore for the mainstream

Out on the road, the X3 M drives exactly as advertised: a tall M3. But that harsh ride, the seating position – the sensation of sitting on the car versus inside of it it is one that never goes away.

I’ve driven F-generations of the X5 M and X6 M on track, and it’s a disconcerting experience. Too much body roll and lean in the corners, and a lot of dive and squat under braking and accelerating. It was harder to drive those cars fast. This new X3 M is much better, and just as fast as those V-8 monsters. If you’re looking for an SUV that defies the laws of physics, any current X/M combination will impress you, but the smaller dimensions of the X3 make it more enjoyable than an X5.

Still, therein lies the problem. At 4,600 pounds sans driver, there’s a lot of physics to overcome. No X3 belongs on the track. But point the nose at the road and you might find that this X doesn’t really belong on the road either. There’s no home for it. So sad. Is it any wonder why BMW decided to kill the car?

There are rumors that a new X3 M is on the horizon, but it’ll be electric. That’s a shame – this car isn’t about speed (even if it wants to be), it’s about experience. Hop into a new X3 M50, with its 393 horsepower and 428 lb-ft of torque, and you’ll find an SUV with nearly as much speed and a lot more practicality for daily use.

Maybe 20 years from now, this car will be remembered like Z3 M Clown Shoe – a funky friend that was a different M take for the brand.

Can you wait that long?

Thanks to Phil of Detailer’s Domain for inviting me to shoot the X3 M!