It’s 2019 and 500-hp SUVs are a normal part of life now, so you’d better get on board. You used to want that M3 coupe, but reality got in the way and an SUV just fits you and the family better now. That doesn’t mean you can’t have fun, though. With 70 to 80 grand financed for a few too many months, you could be getting the kids to school at a top speed of 174 mph with either the 2020 BMW X3 M or X4 M, but how do you choose between these almost identical SUV rocket ships? We’re here to help.
Read our 2020 BMW X3 M and X4 M review HERE.
Money Matters
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If the bottom line is priority one, the standard X3 M is the best bang for your buck with 473 hp, 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds, and a starting price of $70,895. The X4 M is an extra $3,500 for the same performance and fuel economy, and adding the Competition package to either vehicle only nets you an extra tenth of a second to 60 mph for $7,000. Of course, if money is that much of a concern, the X3 M40i is only seven-tenths of a second slower for $55,645 and doesn’t drink nearly as much gas.
I Wanna Go Fast
Can’t totally let go of that M3 Coupe dream? We can get you close. The X4 M Competition gives you that swoopy, coupe-like styling you prefer with rear doors for the kids and an easy-to-load trunk. The Competition package gets you an extra 30 hp and knocks a tenth of a second off the official 0-60 time, too. That’s actually three-tenths quicker than the last M3 Competition we tested. Have your kid’s birthday cake and eat it, too.
Practicality is King
We get it—you bought an SUV because you need to haul stuff. Although BMW has done a lot of work to make the X4 M more practical this time around, there’s no getting around that sloping roofline. You need an X3 M with an extra 1.6 inches of rear headroom and, crucially, an extra 10.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat. The X3 M also gets reclining rear seats and rear window shades to keep the sun off the kids. The good news is, getting the Competition package on your X3 M doesn’t affect cargo capacity, so feel free to go for the big gun.