Can an engine make a car? Yes, and the BMW X3 M50 is proof. The latest version of the X3 may not be a perfect car, but when you roll into the throttle, your complaints seem insignificant.
The X3 is new for 2025, and this fourth-generation model leans heavily into avant-garde design inspired by the iX SUV. Typical of new BMW models, it looks a little strange at first, especially in pictures. But in person, it works. As opposed to its handsome, understated predecessor, this X3 makes a real statement, especially in this shade called Vegas Red. Come at me, BMW haters. I like it.
| Quick Specs | 2025 BMW X3 M50 |
| Engine | 3.0-Liter Turbocharged Inline-Six |
| Output | 393 Horsepower / 428 Pound-Feet |
| Fuel Economy | 25 City / 30 Highway / 27 Combined |
| Base Price / As Tested | $65,375 / $72,225 |
This new X3 is ever so slightly longer and wider than the old one, but you’ll hardly notice the difference. BMW’s familiar and much-loved B58 turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six lives under the hood, and it benefits from a new mild-hybrid system that provides a big torque boost and helps with fuel economy. Total output is 393 horsepower and 428 pound-feet of torque, and as ever, it’s paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
It’s not hyperbole to say this powertrain is faultless. This was always an excellent engine and transmission combo, but BMW worked some magic to raise the high-water mark. Throttle response is lightning quick, to the point where you might not know this engine is turbocharged. There’s tons of torque from just barely above idle, and good power all the way to 7,000 rpm.
You can actually turn off the piped-in engine sounds, and in their place, you get a very subdued growl. Everyone talks about how smooth straight-sixes are, but it’s worth mentioning again here—no harshness claws at you from under the hood. The eight-speed transmission never puts a foot wrong, giving you the exact sort of shift you want, no matter the driving scenario.
This engine alone is reason enough to buy the new X3. To get something nicer in a modern crossover, you’ll need to look at V-8s in cars that cost near or more than $100,000, and even then, this ‘six runs any eight-cylinder closely. Plus, this car is more than quick enough. The fact that BMW won’t make a new X3 M is no big deal when the M-lite performs this flawlessly.
Pros: Perfect engine and transmission, great handling, surprising fuel economy.
But, there are other reasons to go for an X3 M50: The handling, for one. Even from a relatively high perch, you can feel the grip build up as you turn into a corner, and BMW’s rear-biased xDrive all-wheel drive system feels as invisible as ever. The X3 rides like a BMW should, though the low-speed suspension response feels a bit firm on the optional 21-inch wheel. Consider the standard 20s.
The interior is a bit more of a mixed bag, though, with BMW clearly cutting costs in some places. It’s barely a step above a lease-special X1. There’s lovely aluminum trim in the center console, but why doesn’t that extend to the doors or the dashboard? And the weird single panel on the doors for the HVAC vents, door locks, and seat memory is particularly egregious. But the ambient lighting is admittedly cool, the seats are great, and I’m a sucker for the M tricolor stitching on the steering wheel.
BMW’s latest iDrive 9 infotainment system is a lot, but you can tell the automaker has made iterative improvements to it to rein in the complexity. Plus, it’s still got the BMW signature rotary control, which is so much easier to use while driving than a touchscreen. And while I’m still slightly baffled by BMW’s fascination with the strangest-looking gauges, the digital cluster is clear, easy to read, and simple to configure to your liking.
This tester had the optional $1,700 Driving Assistant Professional package, which does a good job of taking the stress out of highway driving, with lane-centering and adaptive cruise. Though it is annoying that BMW now buries the distance adjustment for the adaptive cruise control system in a menu, rather than giving it a dedicated steering-wheel button.
Cons: Evidence of cost-cutting throughout, looks won’t be for everyone, worse than predecessor in some areas.
Part of me wonders how big of a step this X3 is over its predecessor. Inside, it feels like a step back. I missed the old X3’s physical climate controls and the simplicity of its infotainment system. Plus, the BMW nerd in me hates how the company is moving away from its classic orange backlighting at night.
In terms of ride and handling, it’s harder to say without driving old and new back to back, but the engine and transmission are undoubtedly getting better and better. Worth noting is the X3 M50’s astonishing fuel economy. Rated at 25 miles per gallon city, 30 highway, and 27 overall, this six-cylinder actually beats the old four-cylinder base X3. I hit those figures easily.
With an MSRP of $65,375 base and $72,225 as tested, the X3 M50 is not cheap. That said, you’re not going to find a nicer engine in any SUV for less money. The V-6 in the Audi SQ5 and Porsche Macan S is fine rather than transcendent, same as the V-6 in the Genesis GV70. The Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 uses a rough, heavily turbocharged four-cylinder.
And while the X3 does reflect some of the bad trends happening in cars right now, the downsides don’t outweigh the good ones, which are very good indeed. This engine transforms the X3 from a good car to a great one. When internal-combustion engines are gone, we’ll look back fondly on cars like this.
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Gallery: 2025 BMW X3 M50 Review
2025 BMW X3 M50
