Hello fellow car enthusiasts!
After driving the BMW X1 X Drive 20d M Sport, I decided it was time for an upgrade to a more performance-oriented SUV. In November 2023, I brought home the BMW X3 M40i, adding it to my garage alongside my BMW 530d M Sport G30 LCI. My search for a new SUV led me to consider the BMW X5 40i and even the Porsche Macan. While the X5 40i was a strong contender, and the Macan was appealing, the lack of a local Porsche dealer and the Macan’s high price (especially for the base four-cylinder model quoted at 1.1 CR by a Mumbai dealer) led me to focus on the BMW options.
Front view of the X3 M40i:
Alt text: Front view of the Brooklyn Grey BMW X3 M40i showcasing its aggressive kidney grille and sporty design.
Rear view of the X3 M40i:
Alt text: Rear profile of the BMW X3 M40i highlighting its sleek taillights, dual exhaust pipes, and M40i badging.
Side view of the BMW X3 M40i:
Alt text: Side view of the BMW X3 M40i displaying its balanced proportions, 20-inch alloy wheels, and athletic stance.
Under the hood – the powerful B58 engine:
Alt text: Engine bay of the BMW X3 M40i revealing the potent B58 inline-six turbocharged engine.
The BMW siblings: X3 M40i and 530d M Sport:
Alt text: Two BMW performance cars side-by-side, the X3 M40i SUV and the 530d M Sport sedan, both equipped with inline-six engines.
After test driving both the X5 40i and the X3 M40i, I was initially swayed by the Team-BHP poll suggesting the X5 for its superior build and ride comfort. However, the sportier driving dynamics of the X3 M40i, its more manageable size for parking, and the attractive discounts I received ultimately convinced me to choose the X3 M40i. I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who participated in the poll and offered their valuable insights.
Immediately after bringing the X3 M40i home, I had it treated with Kavaca PPF and ceramic coating to protect the paint. Following a past experience with rodent damage to my X1’s washer fluid tank, I also applied 3M rodent repellent spray in the engine bay and wheel arches. This has become a regular preventative measure for all my cars, learned from experience!
What Makes the BMW X3 M40i a Standout Performance SUV?
- Stunning Design: The X3 M40i boasts a beautiful, proportionate, and balanced design. The kidney grille is perfectly sized and styled, giving it an aggressive yet refined appearance.
- Enthusiast-Focused Performance: The heart of this SUV is the legendary B58 inline-6 cylinder engine. Producing 360hp and 500nm of torque, this engine delivers exhilarating performance and a truly captivating sound – even more so than the X5 40i. It’s a powertrain that any driving enthusiast will appreciate.
- Spacious and Practical Interior: The sporty all-black interior with carbon fiber trim creates a premium and driver-focused environment. It’s surprisingly spacious and practical, offering ample room for passengers and cargo.
- Loaded with Features: The X3 M40i is packed with desirable features including a 360-degree camera, parking and reversing assistants, and a 464W Harman Kardon sound system. While the sound system benefits from some equalizer adjustments, it provides excellent audio quality.
- Sedan-Like Handling Prowess: The handling of the X3 M40i is truly remarkable for an SUV. It exhibits exceptional body control around corners and maintains a decent ride quality. The M Sport differential and M Sport brakes further enhance composure and stopping power, contributing to its agile feel.
- Practical Ground Clearance: With good ground clearance and a 500mm water wading capability, the X3 M40i offers more versatility than your average sedan, making it suitable for varied road conditions.
- Adaptive Dampers for Ride Comfort: The adaptive dampers provide a comfortable ride in comfort mode while firming up for sportier driving, offering a versatile driving experience.
- Mild Hybrid Technology: While not explicitly advertised in brochures, the X3 M40i incorporates a mild hybrid system, contributing to efficiency and smoother operation.
- Exclusive M Sport Styling Cues: The M mirror caps and blacked-out twin exhaust tips add to the sporty and exclusive aesthetic of the M40i model.
- Exclusivity: Being available in limited numbers, the X3 M40i offers a degree of exclusivity for discerning buyers.
- No Annoying Speed Warning Chimes: As a Completely Built Unit (CBU), the X3 M40i thankfully omits the intrusive 80 km/h and 120 km/h speed warning chimes, enhancing the driving experience.
- User-Friendly Physical Controls: The presence of physical buttons for climate control and shortcut buttons is a welcome feature. I personally utilize the shortcut buttons as speed dial presets for convenience.
- Expansive Panoramic Sunroof: The massive panoramic roof creates an airy and open feel within the otherwise dark interior, while acoustic glazing on the windows effectively minimizes unwanted outside noise.
- Rear Window Sun Blinds: Manual sun blinds for the rear windows are a thoughtful addition, especially appreciated on sunny days, and surprisingly absent in models like the M340i.
Areas Where the BMW X3 M40i Could Improve
- Lack of Door Request Sensors: For a vehicle in this price range, the absence of request sensors on the doors for keyless entry is a notable omission.
- Older iDrive 7 System: While I personally prefer the iDrive 7 system for its intuitive interface and physical buttons, the X3 M40i misses out on the latest curved screen displays and iDrive 8 found in newer BMW models. For some, this might be seen as a technological step behind.
- Stiff Ride: While better than the M340i due to adaptive dampers, the ride can still be considered stiff, especially on less-than-perfect road surfaces.
- Reduced Boot Space: The inclusion of a stowed spare tire reduces the boot space from 550 liters to 480 liters, which could be a concern for some buyers needing maximum cargo capacity.
- Hard Plastics in Lower Door Sections: The use of cheaper hard plastics on the lower sections of the doors is a minor letdown in an otherwise premium interior.
- Price Point: As a CBU, the X3 M40i is undeniably expensive, placing it in a competitive market segment.
- Fuel Consumption: The B58 engine loves gasoline, particularly when driven enthusiastically. While expected for a performance SUV, the average fuel economy of 7-8 kmpl might be a consideration for some.
- Run-Flat Tires (RFTs): The X3 M40i comes with run-flat tires, which can sometimes compromise ride comfort compared to conventional tires.
- No BMW Digital Key or ADAS: The absence of BMW Digital Key and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) features is noticeable, especially considering the technology available in competing vehicles.
- Minor Rattles: A minor niggle I’ve encountered is a rattle in the left front door, indicating a potential build quality issue. More details on this below.
Interior Design and Features of the BMW X3 M40i
Despite its slightly older design compared to the latest BMW interiors, the X3 M40i’s cabin is exceptionally well-constructed. It feels robust and premium, and the iDrive 7 system with physical controls remains practical and user-friendly. While it may lack the visual drama of the newer curved screens, iDrive 8.5 can feel less intuitive with its numerous menus and submenus. The all-black interior, enhanced with carbon fiber trim, exudes a sporty and sophisticated ambiance. The sport seats are both supportive and comfortable, holding you securely in place during spirited driving while remaining comfortable for longer journeys. Rear legroom is surprisingly generous, almost comparable to the larger X5. The wireless charging pad is a convenient feature, although I personally don’t use it frequently. The X3 M40i in this specification comes exclusively with black Sensatec leatherette seats. While more color choices would have been appreciated, black is undoubtedly practical and easy to maintain. The black interior harmonizes beautifully with the Brooklyn Grey exterior paint.
The Driver-Focused Cockpit:
Alt text: The cockpit of the BMW X3 M40i showcasing the driver-centric layout, iDrive screen, and carbon fiber trim.
The M Sport Steering Wheel:
Alt text: Close-up of the M Sport steering wheel in the BMW X3 M40i, featuring paddle shifters and M badging.
Supportive Front Seats:
Alt text: Front sport seats of the BMW X3 M40i upholstered in black Sensatec leatherette, highlighting their sporty design and bolstering.
Spacious Rear Seats and Legroom:
Alt text: Rear seats of the BMW X3 M40i demonstrating the ample legroom and passenger space.
Striking Exterior Design of the X3 M40i
The exterior aesthetics of the X3 M40i are undeniably pleasing. The Brooklyn Grey metallic paint, combined with the black M grill, M style door mirrors in black, piano black bumper accents, and rear diffuser with shadow line lights, creates a fantastic visual package. The design is clean and cohesive, with an aggressive and sporty front and rear end. The X3’s overall design is proportional and well-balanced. The LED headlights with the shadow line package further enhance its sporty appeal. The 20-inch M light alloy wheels with red calipers complement the car’s performance-oriented character perfectly. One of the most appealing aspects is the X3’s smaller footprint compared to the X5, making it more convenient for daily driving and navigating tight parking spaces and narrow roads.
Aggressive Front Fascia:
Alt text: Aggressive front end of the BMW X3 M40i with its large kidney grilles, sharp headlights, and sporty bumper design.
LED Headlamps and M Wing Mirrors:
Alt text: Detailed view of the BMW X3 M40i’s LED headlamps and aerodynamic M wing mirrors in black.
Dynamic Rear 3/4 View:
Alt text: Rear three-quarter view of the BMW X3 M40i showcasing its sporty silhouette and rear design elements.
Distinctive M40i Badge:
Alt text: Close-up of the M40i badge on the BMW X3 M40i, signifying its performance variant status.
20-inch M Light Alloy Wheels:
Alt text: 20-inch M light alloy wheels of the BMW X3 M40i with red brake calipers, highlighting the sporty wheel design.
Shadow Line Tail Lights:
Alt text: Shadow line tail lights of the BMW X3 M40i, emphasizing the dark and sporty lighting signature.
Signature Tail Light Design:
Alt text: Close-up of the BMW X3 M40i’s tail light signature, showcasing the intricate LED design.
Driving Experience and Handling of the BMW X3 M40i
The primary motivation for upgrading from my X1 X line 20d was undoubtedly the B58 inline-6 engine. Knowing that these engines are becoming less common, I wanted to experience one firsthand. The M40i features a slightly detuned version of the B58, producing 360bhp compared to the 374hp in the M340i (the reason for this slight difference is unclear). However, this power difference is imperceptible in everyday driving. The claimed 0-100 km/h time is 4.9 seconds, although I haven’t tested this myself yet as the car is still within its run-in period.
In Comfort mode, the X3 M40i is remarkably smooth, with excellent NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) levels and impressive responsiveness. A gentle touch of the accelerator pedal results in effortless forward surge. Much like the M340i, the X3 M40i exhibits a dual personality. It’s calm and composed in Comfort mode but transforms into a thrilling performance machine in Sport mode. It’s a true “sleeper” vehicle, capable of surprising many with its rapid acceleration and exhilarating sound. In Sport mode, the exhaust and engine notes become more pronounced (possibly enhanced through the speakers). Throttle response sharpens, gear shifts become quicker, and the X3 M40i effortlessly enters triple-digit speeds. The suspension also firms up noticeably in Sport mode, making you feel every imperfection in the road surface. For a more balanced experience, Sport Individual mode allows you to customize settings, keeping the engine and gearbox in Sport while setting the suspension and steering to Comfort. Fuel economy will drop to 5-6 kmpl in Sport mode when driving aggressively. In mixed city and highway driving, I’m averaging 7-8 kmpl. The absence of irritating speed warning chimes further enhances the driving pleasure.
Interestingly, the staff at KUN BMW were unaware that the X3 M40i incorporates a mild hybrid system. However, evidence suggests it does, as indicated by a purple cable (typically associated with mild hybrid systems) behind the engine and the engine RPM dropping to zero during coasting. Turbo lag is also virtually nonexistent. (Please correct me if my understanding of the mild hybrid system is incorrect).
Handling is crisp and precise around corners, with minimal body roll. Overall, the X3 M40i offers a nimble, firm yet composed, and highly responsive driving experience that’s a joy on any road. My vehicle is equipped with Bridgestone run-flat tires. I would have preferred Michelin tires (like those on my 530d), which I believe offer superior performance. I plan to continue using the RFTs until they wear out before potentially switching to tubeless tires in the future.
Build Quality of the BMW X3 M40i
While the build quality is generally good, it doesn’t quite reach the same level as the X5. The Sensafin seats in the X5 feel more premium, and the X5 interior is entirely free of hard plastics. The doors on the X5 also feel more substantial, and the overall ride comfort is superior. My 530d, similar to the X5 in build quality, compensates for any perceived lack of ultimate luxury in the X3.
Minor Niggles and Issues
Now for the minor issues I’ve encountered. I have a rattle in the left front door. KUN BMW promptly sent a technician to my home to investigate. After some test drives, they identified that a screw and washer securing the side skirt to the door were missing from the inside. This was unexpected from BMW. The part has been ordered from Germany and is expected to take 2-3 weeks to arrive. Driving with this subtle rattle is quite annoying, and anyone with even mild OCD will find it irritating. A picture of the missing part is included below.
The Missing Screw and Rubber Bush:
Alt text: Image highlighting the missing screw and rubber bush from the BMW X3 M40i’s door panel, causing a rattle.
Conclusion: Is the BMW X3 M40i the Right Performance SUV for You?
I hope this detailed ownership review addresses any questions for those considering the BMW X3 M40i performance SUV. It’s a fantastic vehicle that blends sedan-like handling with SUV practicality, powered by a phenomenal engine.
My garage now houses a diverse collection of BMWs: a turbo diesel and a turbo petrol inline-6, along with an EV (Tata Nexon EV) as our city runabout.
For further insights and discussions, check out BHPian comments on the Team-BHP forum.
