F80 vs. X3 M40i loaner

[JoeFromPA]

Hi all,

I have a loaner x3 m40i and wanted to write a review/comparison just for fun. I've put about 200 miles on the loaner since yesterday morning and I'll probably return it with about 300-400 miles on it.

First off, this isn't a head to head comparison or anything. This is just commentary from the owner of one who is enjoying driving a loaner.

Overall impression: BMW somehow took a 4400 pound SUV that can comfortably fit 5, drive in mild off-road conditions, and has 8" of ground clearance and made it into a fun to drive vehicle.

Exterior: Visually this car appears much smaller in person than the last x3. Mine is in a dark graphite color. It's very attractive for a mid-sized SUV/crossover. BMW just did it right to somehow make it sporty, visually small, yet still in this class. You compare it to say the last Q5 or alot of other vehicles that were small BECAUSE it was compromised inside, and this car just pulls off the design far better.

Interior: Wow, now this is what a $60k vehicle should feel like inside. Kudos to BMW for finally getting the x3 interior right. Excellent brown leather with contrasting purple stitching. Great accent lighting. High quality materials. Even the "cost-cut" materials are quite nice. Excellent fit and finish.

Sound system: Argh, makes my stock base m3 system sound like crap. It's not an audiophile system, but it's very good and clean for a stock sound system.

Engine: Sounds good, accelerate very well, bit laggy. Surprisingly laggy really which could be gear change/tuning related as well but feels like lag. This trans is excellent, so why would it be the trans. That all being said, the mid-range is fantastic. I would put it on par with the m3. 60% throttle input in comfort mode/sport trans mode, on-ramp merge, you are shooting 30-80mph with authority.

Transmission: BMW has made this trans damn near perfect since ~2012 and it continues it here. It holds gears, shifts damn fast, and has almost no hesitation while being velvety smooth when you want it.

Suspension: Good, not great. It's stiffly sprung but beautifully damped which means you feel a good bit of vertical movement but nothing abrupt. It handles well and gives you confidence.

Steering: Again,good, not great. Compared to an audi S5, this is some great steering. Not as good as the m3, but think about that comparison. It's probably among the best in this class.

Braking: BMW has been nailing braking the past fewyears and this is no exception. Phenomenal and confidence inspiring.

Gimmicks: It's got them. Couldn't even figure out how to turn off HUD (sure it's something simple). Gesture control remains the answer to the question few people asked. iDrive is super responsive, but the menu is less intuitive than the f8x/2015 version.

..........

Wife test: My wife absolutely loved it. Loved the interior, the feeling of luxury and yet combo with sport.

After 3 days in the vehicle and 400+ miles, it's honestly on my list as a viable DD at some point.

[CachacoF80]

Originally Posted by JoeFromPA

Hi all,

I have a loaner x3 m40i and wanted to write a review/comparison just for fun. I've put about 200 miles on the loaner since yesterday morning and I'll probably return it with about 300-400 miles on it.

First off, this isn't a head to head comparison or anything. This is just commentary from the owner of one who is enjoying driving a loaner.

Overall impression: BMW somehow took a 4400 pound SUV that can comfortably fit 5, drive in mild off-road conditions, and has 8" of ground clearance and made it into a fun to drive vehicle.

Exterior: Visually this car appears much smaller in person than the last x3. Mine is in a dark graphite color. It's very attractive for a mid-sized SUV/crossover. BMW just did it right to somehow make it sporty, visually small, yet still in this class. You compare it to say the last Q5 or alot of other vehicles that were small BECAUSE it was compromised inside, and this car just pulls off the design far better.

Interior: Wow, now this is what a $60k vehicle should feel like inside. Kudos to BMW for finally getting the x3 interior right. Excellent brown leather with contrasting purple stitching. Great accent lighting. High quality materials. Even the "cost-cut" materials are quite nice. Excellent fit and finish.

Sound system: Argh, makes my stock base m3 system sound like crap. It's not an audiophile system, but it's very good and clean for a stock sound system.

Engine: Sounds good, accelerate very well, bit laggy. Surprisingly laggy really which could be gear change/tuning related as well but feels like lag. This trans is excellent, so why would it be the trans. That all being said, the mid-range is fantastic. I would put it on par with the m3. 60% throttle input in comfort mode/sport trans mode, on-ramp merge, you are shooting 30-80mph with authority.

Transmission: BMW has made this trans damn near perfect since ~2012 and it continues it here. It holds gears, shifts damn fast, and has almost no hesitation while being velvety smooth when you want it.

Suspension: Good, not great. It's stiffly sprung but beautifully damped which means you feel a good bit of vertical movement but nothing abrupt. It handles well and gives you confidence.

Steering: Again,good, not great. Compared to an audi S5, this is some great steering. Not as good as the m3, but think about that comparison. It's probably among the best in this class.

Braking: BMW has been nailing braking the past fewyears and this is no exception. Phenomenal and confidence inspiring.

Gimmicks: It's got them. Couldn't even figure out how to turn off HUD (sure it's something simple). Gesture control remains the answer to the question few people asked. iDrive is super responsive, but the menu is less intuitive than the f8x/2015 version.

..........

Wife test: My wife absolutely loved it. Loved the interior, the feeling of luxury and yet combo with sport.

After 3 days in the vehicle and 400+ miles, it's honestly on my list as a viable DD at some point.

Thanks for posting. My wife has one. I would respectfully disagree with:

-Steering: horribly light in my opinion, they should improve it for LCI models.

-Stereo : F80 is a lot better! Maybe its because I have the HK in the F80 and the standard one in the G01

-Looks: agree except for front end...

-Laggy : I find it quite responsive. I also think it will beat my 6MT F80 up until 30-40mph.

Great car overall.

[nicknaz]

Should be interesting to see what happens when its X3M with an "s" engine in it

[Aaaaaaaaa]

Also have both but the X3 only for about 2 months. The steering is overly light at low speeds. The interior and tech makes the M3 feel a bit dated. The throttle is a bit dead on initial tip in especially in Comfort mode but in Sport and Sport+ and manual shifting it rockets off the line and the shifts are so fast and smooth who needs DCT really. I can see why everyone's going with the 8spd ZF now. Suspension is a bit too firm even with the 19"s and Adaptive Suspension. I'm getting better fuel economy in the M3 lol.

[JibSTir13]

Originally Posted by pheerIx

I'm getting better fuel economy in the M3 lol.

LOL.

[RobbyMack]

Nice thanks for the review OP. Been trying to pin the wife down on whether she wants another full size suv (currently an MDX) or if she wants to downsize a bit. We really don't need a full size suv but I get the feeling she thinks the size is somehow safer. Ideally I'd love her to want to pick from a x3 or glc. But I'm going to guess she's going to want to pick from an x5 or q7, which will have me walking her back to the Acura dealer espousing the greatness of the MDX (I do really like it) in hopes I can save myself $20k.

[nicknaz]

Originally Posted by RobbyMack

Nice thanks for the review OP. Been trying to pin the wife down on whether she wants another full size suv (currently an MDX) or if she wants to downsize a bit. We really don't need a full size suv but I get the feeling she thinks the size is somehow safer. Ideally I'd love her to want to pick from a x3 or glc. But I'm going to guess she's going to want to pick from an x5 or q7, which will have me walking her back to the Acura dealer espousing the greatness of the MDX (I do really like it) in hopes I can save myself $20k.

Why not go with an American brand (e.g. Grand Cherokee)?

Q7 is $50k.. not that different in cost from mdx?

[Arcades]

Originally Posted by JoeFromPA

Hi all,

I have a loaner x3 m40i and wanted to write a review/comparison just for fun. I've put about 200 miles on the loaner since yesterday morning and I'll probably return it with about 300-400 miles on it.

First off, this isn't a head to head comparison or anything. This is just commentary from the owner of one who is enjoying driving a loaner.

Overall impression: BMW somehow took a 4400 pound SUV that can comfortably fit 5, drive in mild off-road conditions, and has 8" of ground clearance and made it into a fun to drive vehicle.

Exterior: Visually this car appears much smaller in person than the last x3. Mine is in a dark graphite color. It's very attractive for a mid-sized SUV/crossover. BMW just did it right to somehow make it sporty, visually small, yet still in this class. You compare it to say the last Q5 or alot of other vehicles that were small BECAUSE it was compromised inside, and this car just pulls off the design far better.

Interior: Wow, now this is what a $60k vehicle should feel like inside. Kudos to BMW for finally getting the x3 interior right. Excellent brown leather with contrasting purple stitching. Great accent lighting. High quality materials. Even the "cost-cut" materials are quite nice. Excellent fit and finish.

Sound system: Argh, makes my stock base m3 system sound like crap. It's not an audiophile system, but it's very good and clean for a stock sound system.

Engine: Sounds good, accelerate very well, bit laggy. Surprisingly laggy really which could be gear change/tuning related as well but feels like lag. This trans is excellent, so why would it be the trans. That all being said, the mid-range is fantastic. I would put it on par with the m3. 60% throttle input in comfort mode/sport trans mode, on-ramp merge, you are shooting 30-80mph with authority.

Transmission: BMW has made this trans damn near perfect since ~2012 and it continues it here. It holds gears, shifts damn fast, and has almost no hesitation while being velvety smooth when you want it.

Suspension: Good, not great. It's stiffly sprung but beautifully damped which means you feel a good bit of vertical movement but nothing abrupt. It handles well and gives you confidence.

Steering: Again,good, not great. Compared to an audi S5, this is some great steering. Not as good as the m3, but think about that comparison. It's probably among the best in this class.

Braking: BMW has been nailing braking the past fewyears and this is no exception. Phenomenal and confidence inspiring.

Gimmicks: It's got them. Couldn't even figure out how to turn off HUD (sure it's something simple). Gesture control remains the answer to the question few people asked. iDrive is super responsive, but the menu is less intuitive than the f8x/2015 version.

..........

Wife test: My wife absolutely loved it. Loved the interior, the feeling of luxury and yet combo with sport.

After 3 days in the vehicle and 400+ miles, it's honestly on my list as a viable DD at some point.

Be aware there is ASD in the X3 M40i, so the good sounding part could be the ASD effecting things. Not that the B58 isn't better sounding in general but ASD plays a good part in how the car sounds interior wise if BMW secretly made it slightly better. If ASD is done correctly, you would never notice until you code things.

Aside from that, yes the X3 M40i is a good car, more so than the F26 X4 M40i. BMW interiors are almost always going to be similar, there isn't going to be anything drastic honestly. It seems just BMW grabbed the G30 5er ones and started spreading them all across to other cars.

[Kief]

Originally Posted by JoeFromPA

Hi all,

I have a loaner x3 m40i and wanted to write a review/comparison just for fun. I've put about 200 miles on the loaner since yesterday morning and I'll probably return it with about 300-400 miles on it.

First off, this isn't a head to head comparison or anything. This is just commentary from the owner of one who is enjoying driving a loaner.

Overall impression: BMW somehow took a 4400 pound SUV that can comfortably fit 5, drive in mild off-road conditions, and has 8" of ground clearance and made it into a fun to drive vehicle.

Exterior: Visually this car appears much smaller in person than the last x3. Mine is in a dark graphite color. It's very attractive for a mid-sized SUV/crossover. BMW just did it right to somehow make it sporty, visually small, yet still in this class. You compare it to say the last Q5 or alot of other vehicles that were small BECAUSE it was compromised inside, and this car just pulls off the design far better.

Interior: Wow, now this is what a $60k vehicle should feel like inside. Kudos to BMW for finally getting the x3 interior right. Excellent brown leather with contrasting purple stitching. Great accent lighting. High quality materials. Even the "cost-cut" materials are quite nice. Excellent fit and finish.

Sound system: Argh, makes my stock base m3 system sound like crap. It's not an audiophile system, but it's very good and clean for a stock sound system.

Engine: Sounds good, accelerate very well, bit laggy. Surprisingly laggy really which could be gear change/tuning related as well but feels like lag. This trans is excellent, so why would it be the trans. That all being said, the mid-range is fantastic. I would put it on par with the m3. 60% throttle input in comfort mode/sport trans mode, on-ramp merge, you are shooting 30-80mph with authority.

Transmission: BMW has made this trans damn near perfect since ~2012 and it continues it here. It holds gears, shifts damn fast, and has almost no hesitation while being velvety smooth when you want it.

Suspension: Good, not great. It's stiffly sprung but beautifully damped which means you feel a good bit of vertical movement but nothing abrupt. It handles well and gives you confidence.

Steering: Again,good, not great. Compared to an audi S5, this is some great steering. Not as good as the m3, but think about that comparison. It's probably among the best in this class.

Braking: BMW has been nailing braking the past fewyears and this is no exception. Phenomenal and confidence inspiring.

Gimmicks: It's got them. Couldn't even figure out how to turn off HUD (sure it's something simple). Gesture control remains the answer to the question few people asked. iDrive is super responsive, but the menu is less intuitive than the f8x/2015 version.

..........

Wife test: My wife absolutely loved it. Loved the interior, the feeling of luxury and yet combo with sport.

After 3 days in the vehicle and 400+ miles, it's honestly on my list as a viable DD at some point.

Joe, You should of told me that the X3 M40i is on your list, as I just unloaded mine earlier this week and picked up an X5M.
PM me if you want details on where it's at/options

[RobbyMack]

Originally Posted by nicknaz

Why not go with an American brand (e.g. Grand Cherokee)?

Q7 is $50k.. not that different in cost from mdx?

Used to have a GC so I doubt she'd go back to that although that's still one of my favorite cars. Had a 98 I believe with the 5.8L v8. Terrible on mileage, but gave me a smile every time I fired it up. I remember telling her when I bought it I was going to also buy a boat. Then two kids arrived quickly and I never got around to that boat.

You can get a q7 for $50k sure but the wife would option it to at least $70-75k. It's hard to option a mdx much above $60k and probably more realistic $55k or less. Her current was $47k I believe.

[KevinM]

Thanks for the write up. Sounds pretty good. I need to replace our SUV soon, and this seems tempting. However, our SUV has to sit outside and is primarily a vehicle to haul our dogs, so I'm not sure I would be happy letting that happen to a $60K X3 M40i...

[Aapparition90]

Try a glc63s if budget allows.

[damnitBobby]

Nice. I have the competitor '18 Audi SQ5. Love the car. It's fantastic and does everything so well while giving a nice cushy ride.

Have to admit though after about 1 year of ownership I am getting an itch to get back into a sedan.

[CanAutM3]

Originally Posted by Aapparition90

Try a glc63s if budget allows.

That would be the upcoming X3M competitor. In a different league.

[nicknaz]

Anyone have experience towing with this x340?

I can't easily find if it has the hitching assist and tow mode for the dsc

If x3m has those features and towing ability, it's just become my favorite m car

[paliknight]

Originally Posted by Kief

Joe, You should of told me that the X3 M40i is on your list, as I just unloaded mine earlier this week and picked up an X5M.
PM me if you want details on where it's at/options

More interior pics available? I'm not a fan of the Silverstone interior in mine

[Kief]

Originally Posted by paliknight

More interior pics available? I'm not a fan of the Silverstone interior in mine

No love for Silverstone? I have full Silverstone in my M3ZCP and love it! But the wifey's full Aragon Brown in our X5M is stunning!!

[Kief]

Originally Posted by paliknight

More interior pics available? I'm not a fan of the Silverstone interior in mine

No love for Silverstone? I have full Silverstone in my M3ZCP and love it! But the wifey's full Aragon Brown in our X5M is stunning!!

[paliknight]

Originally Posted by Kief

No love for Silverstone? I have full Silverstone in my M3ZCP and love it! But the wifey's full Aragon Brown in our X5M is stunning!!

Haha I like silverstone in general but I prefer more contrast and more unique colors. Silverstone interior looks similar white/beige as opposed to that Aragon brown or SO interior in my F80! I guess it just looks much nice IMO.

That interior looks phenomenal!!! I bought mine used and got a killer deal so I couldn't say no lol.

[Kief]

Originally Posted by paliknight

Haha I like silverstone in general but I prefer more contrast and more unique colors. Silverstone interior looks similar white/beige as opposed to that Aragon brown or SO interior in my F80! I guess it just looks much nice IMO.

That interior looks phenomenal!!! I bought mine used and got a killer deal so I couldn't say no lol.

Thanks man! The X5M is a beast, and I'm so happy I didn't compromise on the color combination (came close several times). I got a killer deal too!!
BTW, the F85 subforum is really quiet. Complete opposite from over here! lol

[fusionchicken]

IIRC the B58 engine responds real well to JB4 as well

Coupled with the awesome ZF trans the B58 even in stock form got no complaints from me, incredibly peppy, can't imagine it with a JB4 with some E85 for occasional weekend shenanigans