PRO Quick, powerful • Drif ts like an M car • Power-folding second row
CON Stiff, jittery ride • No of f-road modes • Jaguar’s take is betterPRO It’s how quick? • Third-row amenities • Rich interior
CON Slow-folding second row • Lots of body roll • Oh, that grilleBMW X3 M
Vehicle Layout Front-engine, AWD, 6-pass, 4-door SUV Engine/Transmission xDrive40i 3.0L turbo DOHC 24-valve I-6/8-speed automatic xDrive50i
4.4L turbo DOHC 32-valve V-8/8-speed automatic Curb Weight (F/R Dist) xDrive40i 5,466 lb (47/53%) xDrive50i 5,694 lb (49/51%) Wheelbase 122.2 in
Length x Width x Height 203.3 x 78.7 x 71.1 in Energy Consumption, City/Hwy xDrive40i 169/135 kW-hr/100 miles xDrive50i 225/160 kW-hr/100 miles
CO2 Emissions, Comb xDrive40i 0.88 lb/mile xDrive50i 1.13 lb/mileW
ant a proper third row
in your BMW SUV?
Time to celebrate. The
most capacious BMW ever has
arrived. And this 203.3-inch-long
family hauler makes a ridiculous
entrance by wearing one of the
most obnoxious, lip-plumping-
gone-wrong grilles we’ve seen.
Maybe that’s why the X7 is so
quick—to outrun criticism of its
imposing front end. Even with its
335-hp base engine, the six- to
seven-seat BMW feels swift.
Some credit goes to a responsiveeight-speed auto, but the sensa-
tion of speed also originates from
its ponderous body roll.
Consumers might expect a
bulky driving experience from
three-row crossovers, but drivers
of the Mercedes GLS will appre-
ciate how their errand run feels
less tiring than it would in the X7.
Not that second- and
third-row passengers will have
much to complain about. Kids in
the third row of loaded X7s get
heated seats, wood trim, sunroof
and sunroof cover controls, ventswith a separate climate control
zone, and power-operated
backrest controls.
The lighter X7 xDrive40i is
probably the model we’d pick.
Although it never drives as small
as a 5 Series, the fuel economy
and range are better than the
Merc’s, and you’ll have more
money for options, including
a 1,500-watt Bowers & Wilkinssound system complete with
tweeters with accent lighting.
All that is great, but this X7 is
let down by its polarizing design,
excessive body roll, and a glacial
power-folding second row.
But as Loh said, “If you want to
take the extended family on a
tour, the X7 is your ride.” Rechtin
concurred: “The new executive
shuttle has arrived.” Zach GaleSPECS 2019 BMW X7 xDrive40i 2019 BMW X7 xDrive50i
Base Price/As Tested $74,895/$92,895 $93,595/$112, 245
Power (SAE net) 335 hp @ 5,500 rpm 456 hp @ 5,250 rpm
Torque (SAE net) 330 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm 479 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm
Accel, 0-60 mph 5.7 sec 4.7 sec
Quarter Mile 14.2 sec @ 97.8 mph 13.2 sec @ 107.3 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph 140 ft 136 ft
Lateral Acceleration 0.78 g (avg) 0.79 g (avg)
MT Figure Eight 27.6 sec @ 0.66 g (avg) 27.0 sec @ 0.69 g (avg)
EPA City/Hwy/Comb 20/25/22 mpg 15/21/17 mpgBMW X
Vehicle Layout Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV Engine/Transmission 3.0L turbo DOHC 24-valve I-6/8-speed automatic Curb Weight
(F/R Dist) 4,547 lb (51/49%) Wheelbase 112.8 in Length x Width x Height 186.2 x 74.7 x 65.7 in Energy Consumption, City/Hwy 241/177 kW-hr/100 miles
CO2 Emissions, Comb 1.22 lb/mileSPECS 2020 BMW X3M Competition
Base Price/As Tested $77,895/$83,
Power (SAE net) 503 hp @ 5,950 rpm
Torque (SAE net) 442 lb-ft @ 2,600 rpm
Accel, 0-60 mph 4.0 sec
Quarter Mile 12.3 sec @ 117.3 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph 104 ft
Lateral Acceleration 0.95 g (avg)
MT Figure Eight 24.2 sec @ 0.86 g (avg)
EPA City/Hwy/Comb 14/19/16 mpglaggy,” Seabaugh said. “And its
ride is on the rough side.”
The X3M’s suspension “really
hates sharp jolts,” Rechtin said,
and Evans said it has “a lot more
vertical motion than I expected; it
definitely went for the kidneys.”
The X3M had no trouble when
we took it away from pavement,
managing our frame-twisting
articulation test just fine and
faring well in the sand—even
sliding around playfully.
Inside, Rechtin lauded the
comfortable and supportive frontT
he M division’s take on the
standard X3 stuffs a new
S58 503-hp twin-turbo
inline-six into the engine bay,
and adds a performance-
oriented version of BMW’s xDrive
all-wheel-drive system.
The result is a driving expe-
rience that Reynolds called
“amazingly fast.” Seabaugh and
Evans both praised the X3M’s
willingness and capability for
power oversteer and tail-out
antics. Loh said it “drifts like a
Formula D racer.” Priddle lovedthe popping, snorting exhaust
note played by the forced-
induction inline-six.
Multiple editors are already
pegging the X3M as a compel-
ling favorite for next year’s
super-SUV comparison—the
winner of which gets to compete
in Best Driver’s Car.
It didn’t fare quite as well
between the fun sections of
road. “The transmission is
jerky, and throttle response—
depending on the mode—is
either too aggressive or tooseats. Priddle pointed out the
high-quality stitching and swaths
of red and black leather broken
up by splashes of wood and
carbon fiber, but she criticized
the integration of the dash-
mounted infotainment screen.
Priddle also mentioned “ample
cargo space and thoughtful
hooks in the back to keep bags
from rolling around.”
So the X3M is not without its
flaws, but if this is where BMW’s M
division is headed, we have a lot
to look forward to. Duncan BradyxDrive40iJANUARY 2020 MOTORTREND.COM 17