2025 BMW X3 M50i Review: BMW’s Best All-Rounder… with a Catch

Cruising on I94 heading south back into Chicago is when I realized how much I’ve taken BMW’s like the X3 for granted. They are, by design, not the most exciting vehicle in the range. But day after day, trip after trip, they deliver. No matter your ask or what the weather delivers, they seem to excel. And none have done it better than the new 2025 BMW M3 M50i we recently had for a week. But there’s a big asterisk there for those in the know.

First let’s pour one out for the high-strung X3 M. An M3 wagon on stilts, it was sports sedan trapped in a crossover body and we loved it for that. But if we’re being honest, this slightly softer, more calm new M Performance M50i is better suited to what most people need.

I spent a week with it doing exactly what its target buyers will do: weekday commutes, hauling kids to sports, taking the dog to the park, and running errands. Then, over the weekend, I pointed it north to Wisconsin’s Kettle Moraine for some hiking and dirt-road exploring. By Sunday night, it was clear: this is BMW’s most complete daily driver in the U.S. market.

Powertrain: Smooth Muscle with Brains

Under the hood is BMW’s B58 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six, now paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. It delivers 393 hp and 428 lb-ft of torque, with a 0–60 mph time around 4.4 seconds. On paper, that’s firmly in sports sedan territory, but in practice it’s the immediacy and linearity that impress.

The mild-hybrid system’s e-boost fills in the gaps when the turbo is spooling or the gearbox is swapping cogs. In Comfort mode, this means traffic maneuvers are drama-free—tap the pedal and you’re already moving before the gearbox has fully committed to a lower gear. In Sport, the powertrain sharpens up, shifts come with a tangible shove, and the exhaust adds a harder edge without going into manufactured pops and bangs.

Driving Modes & Character

Let’s take a moment and talk about driving modes because few BMW’s I’ve driven are more reliant on them than the X3 M50i

• Comfort Mode: The default for city traffic. Steering is light but accurate, throttle response is progressive, and the suspension filters out potholes without float. The eight-speed shifts unobtrusively and the cabin stays impressively quiet.
• Sport Mode: Weight builds in the steering, throttle mapping gets more aggressive, and the transmission hangs onto gears longer. Adaptive M dampers stiffen enough to cut roll, but not so much that you dread expansion joints.
• Sport Plus: Here, the M50i feels closest to the outgoing X3 M in urgency. The gearbox is almost telepathic on downshifts, steering is at its most direct, and the chassis stays flat even in tighter corners. Still, the ride never crosses into harshness—the benefit of tuning for the real world rather than Nürburgring lap times.

X3’s have had drive modes before. But here BMW has both turned down and turned up the wick. Comfort is almost eerily serene while Sport Plus is eager with a snarling attitude. The result of this variability is a vehicle that feels even more like a Swiss-army knife than ever before.

Chassis & Handling

BMW has done an exceptional job with the M50i’s balance. I’ll let you in on a secret – the previous X3 was incredibly well balanced – even more so than the vaunted 3 Series. This new version in M50i loses some of that with a 52% front / 48% rear weight distribution. But BMW engineers have worked their magic as usual. The adaptive suspension keeps body motion in check, but avoids the brittle, overly rigid feel that plagued some past M-tuned SUVs. Turn-in is crisp, aided by variable sport steering that doesn’t feel artificially quick. Mid-corner composure is excellent for something with this ride height and weight.

xDrive is calibrated for security rather than tail-out antics, but in Sport modes it will let the rear take a meaningful share of the work. On loose gravel, the system’s quick torque shifts give you confidence to accelerate out of turns without a hint of scrabble from the front.

Braking performance is strong and repeatable. The pedal has a natural progression is easy to modulate and never feels grabby. And it’s no surprise as they compare well to the previous generation X3M’s brakes.

But the moment you really hustle the X3 M50i is when you remember that this thing weighs 4,491 lb. Not a problem for most but what if you could take that weight away, lower the car for a better center of gravity and then sell it cheaper?

The Wagon That Outsmarts It

For the enthusiast, the M50i’s biggest weakness isn’t a lack of a true M engine – it’s that weight. A similarly equipped M340i Touring is roughly 490 pounds lighter and sits nearly 10 inches lower. That translates into a sharper, more connected feel — the kind of immediacy you notice the first time you turn the wheel or change direction at speed.

I had a chance to spend a week with the M340i Touring in German and Austria and was blown away with its combination of porting credentials and versatility. And in the Touring, the B58 felt more eager because it’s carrying less mass. Steering feedback was clearer, braking distances shorter, and transitions through corners feel more fluid. Cargo space and rear passenger room are virtually identical, and the wagon’s lower load floor makes it easier to get heavy items in. The real advantage the X3 offers is seating height — the SUV “command view” some buyers won’t give up. For me, I could care less. Especially given how even BMW’s sedans have slowly gotten taller themselves.

BMW X3 M50i vs. M340i Touring

While the X3 has the newest variant of the B58 with more power and torque, the acceleration difference is negligible thanks to the weight difference. Also interesting is how similar these vehicles are in cargo capacity. And then there’s that wonderfully useful split tailgate the Touring has that the X3 doesn’t.

If BMW sold the Touring in the U.S., it would be the smarter buy for anyone who values dynamics over ride height. But they don’t, and that’s why the M50i ends up being the best all-rounder most Americans can actually put in their driveway.

Weekday Utility

This is the part of the test most cars in this segment fail: being genuinely pleasant to use in the grind of daily life. The M50i clears that bar with room to spare. Visibility is good, the seating position is spot-on, and the cabin is quiet at highway speeds. The rear seats fold easily to expand cargo space, and the square tailgate opening means awkward items aren’t a wrestling match.

Weekend Versatility

On the open road, the M50i’s blend of torque and composure makes long stints effortless. Our car came with BMW’s Driving Assistance Plus for $1,700. While that’s a lot of cash for mostly software, it’s a hugely welcome addition if you’re going to be commuting of road-tripping on highways.

I did some light off-roading in the form of turn roads and trails and even on summer tires the X3 had zero issues given it’s fast acting xDrive system. The adaptive suspension kept the body calm and the steering precise enough to pick a clean line around ruts.

Where BMW Missed

The new iDrive interface is still a usability misstep. Too much is buried in the touchscreen, and there’s an unnecessary layer of visual noise in the graphics. The interior styling has gone the same way—bold shapes, layered materials, and lighting effects that feel like they were signed off by marketing rather than engineering. It’s functional enough, but it’s lost the clean, driver-focused look BMW once did better than anyone. The next iteration of BMW’s interior design language cannot come soon enough.

U.S. X3 Lineup — Pricing and Specs

Our test car came to an eye watering $76,675 incoming destination charge. That’s a lot of money but then again this is a lot of car.

Final Verdict

The 2025 BMW X3 M50i is right on target for what the U.S. market wants: an SUV with serious performance, year-round usability, and enough space to handle the realities of family life. It’s fast without being frenetic, agile without being punishing, and versatile enough to handle everything from rush hour to dirt roads.

But for those who care about feel, precision, and connection, the M340i Touring shows what’s possible when you remove the weight and lower the center of gravity. That car is the true all-rounder—just not one BMW will sell you here.

For everyone else, the M50i is as close to a perfect daily driver as the current BMW lineup gets.