The 2019 BMW X3 M40i’s turbocharged six-cylinder engine and suspension upgrades provide a big helping of performance without sacrificing comfort.
If you can’t spring for a ballistic X3 M, the M40i isn’t a bad consolation prize.
Enthusiasts shopping for a BMW X3 will assuredly be salivating over the ballistic X3 M models. Offered in 473- or 503-horsepower flavors, the Ms are capable hitting 60 miles per hour in the low-4-second range and are legit racetrack-capable machines. Problem is, a $70,000 base price isn’t in the cards for everyone.
How about the X3 M40i and its $55,000 starting price tag. It might not be as hot as the full-fledged M, but it isn’t anything to write off, either.
Boosted six-cylinder
Like the king-of-the-hill Ms, the X3 M40i is powered by a 3.0-liter, turbocharged inline-six engine. Its output checks in at a still-punchy 355 horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque. All that peak twist is available for a long time between 1,520 rpm and 4,800 rpm, resulting in hard launches from stoplights and rapid midrange acceleration for easy expressway merging.
Sending power to all four of the X3’s wheels is the fantastic ZF-sourced, eight-speed automatic transmission. It provides well-timed gear changes when left to its own devices, and a worthy manual shift function for a more involving experience behind the wheel. BMW claims the drivetrain allows the X3 M40i to scoot to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, besting the Audi SQ5’s 5.1-second and Mercedes-AMG GLC43’s 4.7-second efforts.
If you can resist the urge to dip deep into the throttle to unleash all of the M40i’s grunt, it’ll return an EPA-estimated 20 miles per gallon in the city and 27 mpg on the highway. The latter figure I confirmed during a roundtrip run from Detroit to Cleveland, observing 26.5 mpg along the way.
The other part of the M40i equation is improved handling. Upping the 4,300-pound crossover’s dynamics are a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system, adaptive M dampers and bigger M Sport brakes with four-piston front calipers. On my test car, optional 21-inch split-spoke wheels wrapped with Bridgestone Alenza tires also help matters quite a bit.