“They just don’t miss!” These words keep reverberating through the halls of our offices, mostly whenever Nathan has a BMW for the week. I see it—yes, styling is subjective and BMW’s latest design philosophy has been polarizing, but when it comes to delivering that on-road magic they’re known for, they get it right every single time. The 2025 BMW X3 M50 embodies this through and through; no matter if it’s a crossover, a red-blooded M4 CS, or even the surprisingly engaging i5, the people in Munich know what they’re doing.
The X3 has been BMW’s top seller for a number of years now. Its ethos is in providing German car luxury and engineering at a relatively affordable price point—but if your heart desires, you can check off loads of option boxes and get it just the way you want, too. This carries forward into this just-launched, fourth-generation model, but BMW has cut back on the powertrain options for now, at least. This M50 variant is top dog for now, and may remain there unless BMW goes nuts again with another X3 M Competition. Honestly, they don’t need to—this X3 M50 is an animal in its own right—but I’ll get to that in a bit.
First, let’s get the most polarizing stuff out of the way. This X3 doesn’t get hit with the ugly stick like some recent BMWs, but its first impression isn’t particularly strong. Gone is the instantly attractive, subtly athletic look of the previous generation X3 in favour of a bigger, smoothed-over body that looks a little bit like the last one was left out in the sun for too long. But the first impression is where the disappointment starts and ends; the bigger but well-proportioned body eventually grows on you. Even our tester’s colour, Dune Grey Metallic—a new shade for 2025—wasn’t my cup of tea at first, but I found myself admiring it after a week with it.
It’s not that the new X3 is unattractive, it just has the unfortunate job of following up after the last one, which nailed the aeshetics. The new X3 comes across as an EV-esque-looking thing, with BMW seemingly trying to unify its design language between their gas-powered vehicles and EVs. This X3 M50 variant isn’t a full-on M product, but subtle hints lurk among its sheet metal that hint at its prowess: the more aggressive bodywork and 20-inch wheels look the part, but the quad tailpipes and blue brake calipers really make you wonder what’s underneath by hinting at its muscle.
And boy oh boy, does it have muscle. Powered by BMW’s venerable B58 and supplemented with a 48-volt mild hybrid setup, you’d easily mistake this family hauler for a full-blown M product. The 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six now with its electric assist churns out 393 horsepower and 428 lb-ft of torque on paper, but I’m calling BS. BMW is known to underrate their engines, and all it took was one stab at the throttle to make me suspect it puts out way more. Coupled with the damn-near-perfect eight-speed automatic transmission built by ZF, it’s a missile. Suddenly, those big brakes make sense.
The M50 also has adaptive M suspension, variable ratio sport steering, and other tweaks to add some serious sportiness to the X3. Equipped with BMW’s rear-biased all-wheel drive system, the X3 M50 is as much of a gazelle as it is a gorilla, with predictable handling and well-weighted steering to go along with the prodigious thrust on tap. The ride can be a little harsh at times even in comfort mode, but the trade-off is well worth it if you want to enjoy your morning school drop-offs. Just don’t annoy your neighbours: the M-tuned exhaust means you will be heard whenever you’re up to no good. There’s a fair amount of pops and burbles to keep things entertaining, and even BMW’s new Iconic Sounds option isn’t as tacky as I thought it’d be. The bassy tones with each shift pumped through the speakers seem a little goofy, but they’re a lot of fun.
So fun that I completely forgot how to be a grown-up. Fresh out of the base X3 30, Nathan asked me how smooth the automatic start/stop function felt on the M50, but I honestly couldn’t remember. I kept this supposed family vehicle in M Sport mode and used the paddle shifters almost the entire time. I had more of a lead foot than usual, making good use of the “393” horsepower. Despite all that, the silky smooth B58 supplemented by some electrons returned surprisingly good fuel economy, to the tune of 10.5 L/100 kilometres combined.
Unlike Mercedes-Benz, BMW hasn’t lost sight of old-school German car solidity as it evolves and embraces tech. The X3 M50’s interior feels rock solid, with everything you regularly touch feeling premium and solidly built. There’s a bit too much gloss black trim for my liking—hello, dust and fingerprints—but everything else in here is bang-on. The ambient lighting is unique, with wide, boomerang-shaped pieces on the doors and centre console. BMW’s signature, thick-rimmed steering wheel is present with a racy red stripe at 12 o’clock, and the paddle shifters are trimmed in red with a textured pattern that is both visually pleasing and satisfying to touch.
The new X3’s infotainment is both intuitive and responsive on the 14.9-inch display, as is the 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. Some have complained about BMW moving climate controls on-screen, but it really isn’t that bad once you’re used to it. The front seats are supportive and hug you well enough to keep you in place taking a corner, but avoid feeling uncomfortable on longer drives. There’s plenty of space in the rear seats, and the cargo area is on the larger side, at 570 litres with the seats up. The X3 can easily accommodate a family of four without breaking a sweat.
The reality is BMW doesn’t always bat a thousand, but when it comes to the 2025 BMW X3 M50, they knocked it out of the park. For about $92,000 as-tested, you can get a more luxurious package out of a Range Rover Velar and more performance out of an Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, but none of them can match the cohesiveness and completeness of the X3 M50 offers.
