2023 BMW X3 M Competition Review: Maximum Germanic Hustle

We ask a lot of the humble SUV. Not that it's wrong to have high expectations from the segment which dominates new vehicle sales in the U.S. Nor that, frankly, the 2023 BMW X3 M Competition is anything close to being humble. Though it may be the smallest SUV in the M division's stable, a sticker price north of $81K and 503 horsepower to play with are far from mainstream.

It's part of what luxury automakers like to refer to as the liberation of choice, and it effectively boils down to the idea that yes, one vehicle can do everything — or make a good attempt at it. Once upon a time, that vehicle would most likely have been a fearsome German sedan; as content hauling the kids as it was hauling ass on the Autobahn. These days, families hanker for a different silhouette.

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The result is a compact crossover that also thinks it's a rocket ship. Straight line speed is not in question: 0-60 mph arrives in 3.7 seconds with the optional Competition Package, and that number feels conservative.

To achieve that, the M division looks to the 3.0-liter BMW M TwinPower Turbo, an inline 6-cylinder engine paired with an 8-speed M Sport automatic transmission. Adaptive M Suspension, an M Differential, and M xDrive with adjustable driving modes are all standard, too. These modes are focused on taking as much of that power as possible, and pushing it productively to the asphalt (or gravel, or even snow if you were moderately sensible, and swapped out the standard performance non-run-flat tires for some winter-friendly rubber).

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As standard, that engine delivers 442 pound-feet of torque and 473 horsepower, plus a 3.9 second 0-60 time — before the Competition Package nudges the harnessed horses further skyward. Either way, that's more than a Porsche Macan GTS offers, which outputs 434 horsepower at a 4.3 second 0-60 time. Although, BMW's pumped-up SUV is not quite enough to unseat the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio and its borderline-hypnotic 505 horsepower.

Entry in the 2023 X3 M club starts at $74,400 (plus $995 destination), though as is always the case with BMW's configurator, that's absolutely the beginning of your journey and not your destination. The glorious Marina Bay Blue metallic paint you see here is a $650 option, and the Tartufo Extended Merino leather inside is $1,000. The standard wheels are 20-inch double-spoke bi-color grey alloys, but 21-inch wheels are also available.

Those options, along with the leather, come standard as part of the Competition Package; a $7,000 add-on which fettles both the aesthetics and the performance of the X3 M. In addition to 30 horsepower more over the standard X3 M, there are 21-inch double-spoke, bi-color Jet Black wheels, an M Sport exhaust system with black-chrome dual tailpipes, and high-gloss black exterior trim on the kidney grille frame, side gills, and rear components.

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It also adds the M Sport Seats, M Seat Belts — which have the M stripe woven into them — and an extra smattering of M logos around the cabin as well.

Even then, that's still just from the perspective of customization. The $1,700 Driving Assistance Professional Package adds Extended Traffic Jam Assistant — handling steering and speed at up to 40 mph on highways in congested conditions, as well as city evasive and cross-traffic aids. The $3,650 Executive Package throws in the panoramic moonroof, head-up display, heated seats front and rear, a heated steering wheel, rear window shades, and Parking Assistant Plus, along with Gesture Control for the infotainment system.

You can also dig into the weeds and pick out specific features you want, like front ventilated seats ($500, though not available with the M Sport Seats), wireless phone charging ($500), and the M Driver's Package ($2,500) that raises the electronic speed limiter from 155 mph to 177 mph — as well as nabs you an invite to a BMW track day with professional tuition.

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The fulsomely-equipped 2023 X3 M Competition you see here, then, is a long way from its base price compatriots. In fact, you're looking at around $91K plus destination to have it on your driveway as configured. That is, frankly, a whole lot of money.

To help you feel like it's justified, BMW throws even more configuration potential at you. Sure, you just got done piecing together the X3 M of your dreams and handing over your credit card to the dealer, but the dashboard holds a wealth of options for finessing how the plucky SUV delivers its power.

There are the expected drive modes, spanning "comfort" through to "track." However, you can also independently adjust how aggressively the transmission shifts (assuming you're not clacking the X3 M's standard-fit paddles yourself) with a button on the gear selector. 

Dip into the menus, and you can individually set engine, chassis, steering, and xDrive all-wheel drive settings for the various modes, too. There's also a button to let the performance exhaust reach its full, angsty wail, too, or mute it a little more so as not to antagonize your (jealous) neighbors.

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Wisely, BMW adds two gleaming red shortcuts to the steering wheel — hovering just above the spokes, like anodized metal antennae — that can each summon a clutch of preconfigured settings. One stab, therefore, is all it takes to unlock Maximum Germanic Hustle should the road ahead become suddenly interesting.

Make no mistake, Maximum Germanic Hustle here is some serious hustle, indeed. The X3 M Competition may — by M standards — be fairly attainable, but its ability to rapidly attain license-shredding speeds is not in question. Even in its tamest mode, a reasonably heavy right foot is more than enough to get the SUV's butt hunkering down and the horizon fast approaching.

Adjust to your preferred amalgam of speed settings, meanwhile, and things get positively raucous. It's not just about acceleration, which arrives with a splendid growl from engine and exhausts, but how crisp and rewarding the steering feels once you hit the next corner. No, the X3 M Competition isn't quite as flat in the bends as an M-blessed sedan might be, but body roll is barely noticeable, and the thick-rimmed steering wheel is perfectly weighted and communicative.

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There is undoubtedly a whole lot going on in the background to make all this happen so seamlessly, and suddenly the wide array of driver-customizable settings begin to make more sense. Want your X3 M to focus on its tail? The M AWD system can push all of the power to the rear wheels, if you'd prefer it. Want to dial back the suspension firmness without losing the instant throttle reaction? That's possible, too. BMW's vision of just what "sport" means comes in many different shades.

When you're not going full throttle (or assuming your passengers have sturdy stomachs, even when you are) there's the X3's usual practicality. Decent space for adults front and rear, along with 28.7 cubic-feet of cargo space with the rear seats up, and 62.7 cubic-feet with them folded down. A standard power tailgate also makes loading easy.

Fuel economy does take a hit, you'll likely be unsurprised to hear. The official EPA figures are 15 mpg in the city, 20 mpg the highway, and 17 mpg combined; reality will see that dip a little more, assuming you're driving it like the X3 M Competition wants you to. That's a fair degree less frugal than the standard X3 with its two fewer cylinders, but then again, it also has half the horsepower.

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A regular X3 is definitely softer and more compliant, too. Even with the M division's adaptive suspension, there's a level of stiffness that the X3 M simply can't dial away. It's enough to telegraph poor-quality roads and highway expansion joints into the cabin. While the SUV doesn't feel unsettled, it's a reminder that best-of-all-worlds is an aspiration, rather than a reachable destination.

There is something undoubtedly ridiculous about the X3 M Competition, much in the same way that there is something ridiculous about any performance SUV. Practicality and crossover aesthetics are, by their nature, antithetical to the aerodynamic slipperiness that truly fast cars need to pay attention to. The answer here, as elsewhere in BMW's lineup and further afield, is brute force.

What the X3 M Competition lacks in sports car elegance, though, it makes up for it in fun. Being able to take kids to school, do a quick Costco or Home Depot run, and still embarrass people at stop lights all in the same vehicle, has a lot of charm. After all, that's the same recipe Porsche's Macan GTS has followed so effectively.

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In contrast, the 2023 BMW X3 M Competition leans more on the sporting side. A Macan, though similarly priced, feels more compliant when dialed back. The BMW feels like it can never quite relax to the same extent. Therein lie the joys of that liberation of choice, and for those unwilling to compromise simply because they also require practicality, this Competition is also a clear winner.