2023 BMW X4M Competition - Ultra Exotic Midsize SUV!
- last year
Highs Stomach-flattening acceleration, superhero cornering capability, boisterous exhaust note.
Lows Ride quality borders on punishing, brash looks are polarizing, X3 M offers more cargo space.
Verdict The X4 M lives up to its coupe-like styling with performance and handling that rival an M3 sedan’s.
Overview
Does the 2023 BMW X4 M strike you as an SUV or a sports sedan? Its styling is certainly sporty, what with its fastback roofline bulging fenders, but its tall seating position ultimately gives it away as an SUV—it’s based on the squarer and more conventional-looking X3 SUV, after all. The X4 M’s performance is all sports car, though. You can expect explosive performance from the fab turbocharged inline-six, which makes up to 503 horsepower in Competition guise. In our testing, it rocketed the X4 M to 60 mph in a scant 3.2 seconds. To match its brutal acceleration, the X4 M is fitted with a stiffly sprung suspension that’s been tuned to maximize cornering grip, albeit to the detriment of ride comfort. Besides its unforgiving ride, the rest of the X4 M is premium and befitting of its premium price tag. But if you’re looking to haul people and cargo with similar speediness, you may find the X3 M the more practical package.
The Competition model's higher-output engine is attractive but its unforgiving suspension setup is too stiff for daily driving. Instead, we'd save the money and go with the more compliant and still plenty powerful standard X4 M. We'd also splurge on both the Driving Assistance Plus package, which adds adaptive cruise control and more advanced driver-assistance features; the Executive package is also an intriguing add as it includes an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot, a head-up display, heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel, a wireless smartphone charging pad, and a self-parking feature.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
Both models come with a turbocharged inline-six, standard all-wheel drive, and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The X4 M's engine produces 473 horsepower, but the Competition model gets dialed up to 503. When we tested the Competition at our test track, it delivered brutal acceleration, jumping to 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds. That beats the X4's main rival, the Mercedes-AMG GLC63, which blasted from zero to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. In fact, the X4 M Competition even out-accelerated BMW's famed M3 sports sedan in part due to the added traction that comes from its standard all-wheel-drive system. (The M3 in question was the rear drive version; all-wheel drive was added as an option in 2022).-The standard X4's driving character is already sharp, and the M division's retuning of the suspension has provided an even firmer ride and dialed in even more impressive cornering grip.
Lows Ride quality borders on punishing, brash looks are polarizing, X3 M offers more cargo space.
Verdict The X4 M lives up to its coupe-like styling with performance and handling that rival an M3 sedan’s.
Overview
Does the 2023 BMW X4 M strike you as an SUV or a sports sedan? Its styling is certainly sporty, what with its fastback roofline bulging fenders, but its tall seating position ultimately gives it away as an SUV—it’s based on the squarer and more conventional-looking X3 SUV, after all. The X4 M’s performance is all sports car, though. You can expect explosive performance from the fab turbocharged inline-six, which makes up to 503 horsepower in Competition guise. In our testing, it rocketed the X4 M to 60 mph in a scant 3.2 seconds. To match its brutal acceleration, the X4 M is fitted with a stiffly sprung suspension that’s been tuned to maximize cornering grip, albeit to the detriment of ride comfort. Besides its unforgiving ride, the rest of the X4 M is premium and befitting of its premium price tag. But if you’re looking to haul people and cargo with similar speediness, you may find the X3 M the more practical package.
The Competition model's higher-output engine is attractive but its unforgiving suspension setup is too stiff for daily driving. Instead, we'd save the money and go with the more compliant and still plenty powerful standard X4 M. We'd also splurge on both the Driving Assistance Plus package, which adds adaptive cruise control and more advanced driver-assistance features; the Executive package is also an intriguing add as it includes an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot, a head-up display, heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel, a wireless smartphone charging pad, and a self-parking feature.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
Both models come with a turbocharged inline-six, standard all-wheel drive, and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The X4 M's engine produces 473 horsepower, but the Competition model gets dialed up to 503. When we tested the Competition at our test track, it delivered brutal acceleration, jumping to 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds. That beats the X4's main rival, the Mercedes-AMG GLC63, which blasted from zero to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. In fact, the X4 M Competition even out-accelerated BMW's famed M3 sports sedan in part due to the added traction that comes from its standard all-wheel-drive system. (The M3 in question was the rear drive version; all-wheel drive was added as an option in 2022).-The standard X4's driving character is already sharp, and the M division's retuning of the suspension has provided an even firmer ride and dialed in even more impressive cornering grip.