2020 BMW X3 M SUV

The 2020 X3 is the first model year to have the M badge slapped on its back, and it is not just the badge. The additional goodies make the car worthy of the badge, which includes a powerful inline-six engine, aggressive design, stiffer suspension. All of these help this compact luxury SUV do a dash of 0-60 MPH in just 4 seconds flat. The 2020 BMW X3 M rivals the likes of the 2020 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63, 2020 Porsche Macan Turbo, and 2020 Jaguar F-Pace SVR.

The 2020 BMW X3 M comes in two trims, namely the standard X3 M and the X3 M Competition. With a base price of $69,900, the standard car is not only quite expensive but also comes well equipped. The Competition model comes for a price of $76,900, and you get a more powerful version of the inline-six engine that ups the power along with a few more added comfort features. The complete distribution of features across the two trims is given in the table below. 

Which Trim should you buy?

The choice remains simple between the two as the major difference between the two remains the power difference under the hood. The standard X3 M offers 473 horsepower, while the X3 M Competition offers 503 horsepower. For a slight bump in power and a more premium upholstery, you are required to invest 10 grand more. So we would recommend you to choose base X3 M as it offers more value for money. 

The 2020 BMW X3 M is now not only practical but is also quick, thanks to the modifications done by the M division. One of the best things that the new X3 M has is the engine, the new S58 3L Twin-Turbo inline-six engine is quite powerful. It makes 473 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. What this means in simple words is that if someone asks you how fast it is, the answer to that is it's 0-60 mph comes up in 4.1 seconds. If you own the X3 M competition, then 60 MPH comes up in 3.3 seconds flat, thanks to the slight bump in power to 503 horsepower. The torque figure remains the same in both configurations. 

The new engine is also paired with a new Steptronic Eight-speed automatic transmission designed by the M division, and alongside you get the intelligent xDrive system. The transmission features Drivelogic that allows you to choose between relaxed shifts or aggressive shifts depending on the kind of driving situation. You can change gears via the paddles present behind the steering or the gear lever. In its standard configuration, the SUV tops out at 155 MPH.

The supercharged Jaguar has the most amount of power on offer, but the fastest to 60MPH is the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63, covering it in 3.8 seconds. It manages to achieve this, thanks to its high amount of low-end torque. But once the Bimmer charges up, it lets itself loose on the quarter-mile and overtakes the GLC 63. Porsche comes with a smaller V6 engine and is underpowered, but given Porsche’s expertise in aerodynamic trickery and handling characteristics, it offers almost similar performance as that of the X3 M. 

How well does the 2020 BMW X3 M handle?

The 2020 BMW X3 M focuses more on being a hardcore track machine, which hardly a few X3 M owners will use it for. Others will mostly use it for regular drives, which means it will face rough roads, speed bumps, and potholes, and when it does that, you will find yourself bouncing around in the seat. To counteract the body roll on high-speed corners, BMW equipped the X3 M with a stiffer suspension setup. 

While there are numerous settings for the drivetrain, transmission, and suspension, all of them prove to make it more suited on the track where it performs excellently. It has its way of showing you that you’re testing the limits as it starts to twitch in corners. But once you get the hang of it, you can slide it through corners and keep it under control and use its potential to set the fastest lap times on your favorite circuits. While the X3 M excels on the track where it would be rarely used, but as a daily driver, you will find it tough to handle it.

Braking Performance

Brakes have also been tuned keeping in mind the changes made to the engine and suspension. To control a 5,000 pound SUV, BMW has equipped the 2020 X3 M with big 15.6-inch rotors up front and 14.6-inch rotors at the rear. While these 4-piston brakes act more like a piece of necessary equipment, they, however, are quite aggressive, and at slow speeds, they do tend to be more grabby which results in uncomfortable stops.

Jaguar is the lightest and has the biggest brakes, which means theoretically it should have the least stopping distance, but braking distance figures are not available any concrete outcome. BMW X3 M is the heaviest, but the added safety tech and brakes might do wonders for it. However, the AMG Performance brakes on the GLC 63 have our money as they are the best in business. 

Performance cars are not in any manner a byword for fuel-efficiency. The powerful inline-six engine makes the car quite thirsty. EPA estimates that the 2020 X3 M would return 14/19/16 MPG for city/highway/combined cycles, and the more powerful Competition model will also give you the same figures, which is a good thing as you get more power, but no dip in the economy figures. It has a 17.2-gallon fuel tank to back up the low figures, but in an SUV like the X3 M, it is quite hard to drive with a light foot. The MPG figures and fuel tank capacity combine to give the car an overall range of 275 miles in combined driving conditions. 

No single SUV in the segment offers high fuel economy, but to choose the best among these, Porsche is the one to go for as it has the most MPG on offer, with BMW being the most thirsty of them all. Jaguar offers a larger 21.7-gallon fuel tank, but thanks to a balanced approach to MPG and fuel capacity, the 2020 Macan Turbo offers the highest driving range in the lot. 

The interior of the 2020 BMW X3 received quite an update, and the M-specific feature additions just make it better. The overall cabin design is a bit more driver-centric as it seems tilted towards the driver. You also get carbon-fiber trims, special M badging on the inside, sports seats, and premium leather trim. The instrument cluster features a digital information display, and to control the infotainment function, you get a color touchscreen display. But unlike a lot of other SUVs in the segment, BMW uses more physical buttons rather than touch operation, which makes using functions of the car easy. 

The space inside the cabin is sufficient, however, only four regular-sized adults can sit here at most. The seat upfront is tighter than the ones found in the standard car, which means you won’t find the same comfort and leisure you would on the standard car. However, the seats do come with heating and ventilation function as standard along with power-adjustability. In the rear with a standard roofline, you get more headroom and legroom than you would in X4.

In terms of interior space, the Jaguar F-Pace SVR takes a clear win as it offers good space for the front as well as the rear passengers. This makes it a slightly better car to be in, and it also has the biggest trunk, making it the most practical car at the same time. The likes of Porsche Macan Turbo and AMG GLC 63 ride a little low, and that eats into interior headroom as well as cargo space. Standout interior features include:

• Dual-zone automatic climate control 
• Power adjustable front seats
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Ambient interior lighting
• Keyless access
• Carbon-fiber interior trim
• Optional Sports seats.

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The standard infotainment screen in the 2020 BMW X3 M is a 10.25-inch unit that is powered by the iDrive 6.0 infotainment suite. BMW says that it will offer wireless Android Auto compatibility for a few available Android phones. It also features a heads-up display, which is one of the best available in the class and shows color readouts of road speed, engine speed, and other necessary information for the driver. 

Apart from the major features, the SUV also has many tech features which are required on a daily basis. The standard system comes paired to a 16-speaker Harman Kardon surround-sound audio system with no optional upgrades. So no matter which model you choose, this is the only system available, and with a 600-watt amplifier, it is one of the best as well. Standout infotainment features include:

• 10.25-inch display
• SiriusXM Satellite radio
• 16-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system
• AppleCarplay and Android Auto
• Heads-up display

Just like every other BMW M vehicle, the 2020 X3 M also gets the traditional M additions on the exterior as well. These include standard 20-inch double-spoke wheels, whereas the M Competition gets 21-inch V-bi color jet black wheels which fill up the arches quite well but makes the ride even more stiff and uncomfortable. The already good-looking X3 gets an even aggressive look, thanks to the quad tailpipes, rear spoiler, M aerodynamic kit, and adaptive LED headlights. It is quite a looker, and the additional M upgrades add to its sporty appeal and road presence.

The 2020 BMW X3 M is the heaviest in the lot, although by a small margin only. While the SUVs in the competition are not exactly big, they have enough space and are easy to maneuver around town. The Jaguar F-Pace SVR with the highest ground clearance can do a bit of off-roading. It also sits a bit wider, which translates to a better interior room and cargo space. The Macan Turbo is the smallest car here, and the sloping roofline definitely eats into the rear row headroom as well as cargo capacity. Standout exterior features include:

• 20-inch alloy wheels
• LED headlights
• LED fog lights
• M aerodynamic body kit
• Rear spoiler
• M Quad tailpipes
• Shadowline exterior trim

The 2020 BMW X3 M has not been crash-tested as it is sold in limited numbers. But the standard 2020 X3 model has been, and it scored a full five-star crash test rating from NHTSA. In IIHS tests, it managed to score the top rating of ‘Good’ and was awarded the ‘Top Safety Pick+.’ BMW also equipped the car with numerous safety features and driver aids. To start with, the X3 M comes with six airbags, dynamic traction control, stability control, and dynamic brake control as standard. The optional safety features are vast and are mentioned below:

• Forward collision warning
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Pedestrian detection and braking
• City-collision mitigation braking
• Speed limit information
• Rear collision preparation
• Lane departure warning
• Rear parking sensors
• Rear-view camera
• Driver alert system
• Automatic seat belt pretensioners.

2020 BMW X3 M vs 2020 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63

Mercedes-Benz and BMW have been arch-rivals for a long time. While, on one hand, the GLC 63 is a luxurious and power-packed SUV, the X3 M is more of a powerful track machine. Both cars offer a lot for the price, and in terms of driving dynamics, Mercedes is a better choice as it offers a perfect balance between comfortable and sporty driving experience, something the BMW needs to look after.

2020 BMW X3 M vs 2020 Porsche Macan Turbo

The Porsche Macan Turbo is quite a good rival as it comes equipped with the most technologically advanced features. It offers luxury, comfort, and exciting driving dynamics, which makes it a better driving car than the Bimmer. However, 0-60 times and power on offer is better on the X3. For an engaging driving experience, we could put our money on the Porsche though.

2020 BMW X3 M SUV vs 2020 Jaguar F-Pace SVR

The Jaguar F-Pace SVR, on one hand, has the best sounding engine, but it is also the most unreliable one. While the infotainment system on the Jag has better graphics, it seems to lag and also has connectivity issues. When comparing the price tag, the BMW X3 M is close to $11,000 cheaper than the Jaguar. Add to that the high ownership cost and you can see BMW offers a better value for money. 

The 2020 BMW X3 M is an SUV that no one knew they wanted, with power figures reaching up to 500 horsepower and 0-60 times that might scare a few sports cars. With the added practicality, the X3 M is an exciting and good-looking car. It also has the most modern tech and comfort features, however, the stiff ride will irritate you while on a long journey. So if you are up for the compromise, you could buy one.