Drives Better Than It Looks

“Imagine how desirable this would be if it didn’t look like that,” were the only words going through my head the first time I drove the current-generation BMW M4. Granted, the 2025 BMW X3 doesn’t take this theme to quite as far an extreme as that car, but it is very much a similar story.

There are some talented engineers in Bavaria—the new X3 in M50 guise remains shockingly competent at the sporty stuff while being softer and more comfortable than before, and it’s just a luxuriously decent, decently luxurious runabout family car. But, as a piece of art and design… well, let’s just say its engineering is doing a lot of work.

The Basics

Look, design is subjective. And, for what it’s worth, the new X3 is far from the most offensive-looking thing BMW has put out in recent years. But is it a good-looking car? I’ll let you judge for yourselves, but my first impression of it particularly with the fully-painted fenders and this nude shade of Dune Grey Metallic was that it looks naked and not in a good way. Size-wise, the X3 has grown laterally but sits lower for a sportier stance: it’s 1.3 inches longer, 1.1 inches wider, but an inch lower than before.

Inside, BMW has cleaned the X3 up by removing a lot of the buttons that populated the cabin of the last-gen car. Again, it’s immediately far from the most attractive luxury car cabin out there to me, but maybe you like it. The multi-color light bars really are that big, but the soft brown theme that was default in the flesh isn’t nearly as obnoxious as the gaudy red and blue setup shown off in these press pics which looks like it belongs in a police vehicle.

One firm lowlight, however, has gotta be the new interior door handles. Not only are these emblazoned with a big, bright “X3” logo that feels incredibly tacky for some reason, but the handle you pull on is made of cheap-feeling black plastic and a far cry from the nice metallic ones that come in other BMWs—or, y’know, the old X3.

Door handles might feel like a small, petty thing to gripe about but it’s something you interact with literally every single time you drive. If a luxury experience is what you’re looking for (and, if you’re shopping for BMWs, you presumably are), the new X3’s economy car door handles are borderline jarring to use.

The rest of the X3 is typical new BMW stuff. I like the big storage space in the middle with dedicated real estate for phones while iDrive 9 is projected on a huge curved screen that’s sharp, bright, and boasts rich colors. Software here can take a while to get to grips with if you’re a Bimmer newbie and climate controls are now all in the touchscreen. But I’m sure owners will eventually get used to it, at which point it will be Fine.

Driving Experience

As standard, the base X3 30 xDrive is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 255 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. But the M50 model driven for this review uses BMW’s ubiquitous B58 straight-six now making 393 hp and 428 lb-ft of torque thanks to a 48-volt mild hybrid system.

Able to hit 60 mph in 4.4 seconds (the same time as a manual 2016 M2) and 155 mph with performance tires on, the M Performance X3 is undoubtedly a quick SUV when you want it to be. The rest of the time, though, it feels quite relaxed. Compared to the outgoing X3 M40i, this new version is softer in the ride and softer in the steering. If cars drove with a “texture,” this X3 would be rounder and fuzzier than the old car—not a bad thing since that M40i did err a bit too spiky for what is ultimately a family crossover meant to be used every day. Naturally, the new X3 is smooth and stable at high speeds and easy to snake around parking lots. A perfectly fine, luxurious daily driver.

When push comes to shove, though, don’t mistake the M50’s slightly toned-down demeanor to mean it’s any less capable than before. Flung around a short autocross course, the M-lite X3 was scarily adept. Nimble body movements and what I suspect are some torque-vectoring trickery let it get around low-speed hairpins in a way that would make bona fide hot hatches blush. A lighter, more rigid body-in-white along with a wider rear track and tweaked suspension settings have seemingly allowed for a softer setup without sacrificing hoonability.

Steering isn’t especially feelsome but it’s well-weighted in all applications while being quick and fun enough to use on a backroad.

This engine is as smooth and powerful as ever. Following with the toned-down, grownup theme, it’s pretty quiet in this application, although you can opt to have more noise amplified artificially. The eight-speed automatic transmission, though, is a highlight in that at-speed manual shifts via paddles are shockingly quick—like near-instant, video-game, Porsche-level shifts. In fact, I can’t remember any SUV of this ilk that swaps cogs this snappily. M Sport brakes (four-piston front, single-piston rear) are appropriately strong without feeling jerky.

BMW X3 Features, Options, and Competition

The 2025 BMW X3 starts at $50,675 but a six-cylinder M50 like the one you see here starts at $65,275.

Standard equipment on the base 30 includes 19-inch wheels, power adjust and heated front seats, parking assist, and nav. A $1,400 Convenience package bundles remote start, a pano roof, a heated steering wheel, and a bracket behind each front seat to hang stuff off of. The $3,400 Premium pack, meanwhile, includes all the Convenience stuff but adds a head-up display, interior camera, Parking Assist Plus, and BMW’s semi-assisted driving functionality that can negotiate stop-and-go traffic. The M50 gets a lot of those things standard but the head-up display, interior camera, Park Assist Plus, assisted driving, and Harman Kardon audio are locked behind a $2,700 Premium package.

X3 has numerous, numerous rivals including the Mercedes GLC, Audi Q5, Porsche Macan, Lexus NX, Acura RDX, Genesis GV70, and Volvo XC60 just to name the main ones. The Q5 is comparatively ancient (perhaps not the worst thing in terms of usability), the Macan is notably more expensive, but the GLC has also been recently redesigned and is likely the X3’s closest competitor.

Fuel Economy

Where the BMW reigns supreme among its peers is fuel economy. I don’t know what Bavarian wizardry they’re putting in these engines but the X3 in either engine configuration handily trumps the other German compact crossovers when it comes to official EPA efficiency figures. Logging 27 combined mpg with the six-cylinder and 29 mpg with the four-pot, here’s how the X3 M50 and X3 30 compare to the respective counterparts from Mercedes, Audi, and Porsche.

The Early Verdict

On the whole, the 2025 BMW X3 M50 is a smooth and comfy soft-roader that happens to be really quite quick and really quite athletic when you ask it to be. It’s a nicer daily driver than the vehicle it replaces and, somewhat overly touch-dependent UX aside, a pleasant thing to putz around in.

As a piece of design, I can’t say I consider this to be an upgrade from the more dignified-looking, outgoing X3—those interior door handles definitely aren’t—but I’m sure we’ll all get used to it soon enough in about a year when these things are absolutely everywhere. If you’re shopping for a compact, luxurious SUV and can get along with this new design, the BMW X3 still has more than enough chops under the skin to be worthy of a test drive.

Got a tip or question for the author about the X3? You can reach him here: chris.tsui@thedrive.com