2023 BMW M3 Competition xDrive Review: Bonafide Supercar Killer
- Supercar-shaming speed
- Choice of scalpel handling or tail-wagging glee
- Still reasonably practical
- Design is divisive
- The options list can get very expensive
- Still a firm ride even with the softest settings
Only a fool would conclude the BMW M3 Competition xDrive's grille is a dealbreaker. The German automaker's snout-du-jour has proved divisive: no longer nostrils so much as outsized bunny teeth, and about which even loyalists generally conclude, "Well, you can't see it from inside, at least."
If you're still thinking about the M3's grille while gripping its chunky sports wheel, you're missing the point. Aesthetics are subjective, and "perfection" is only ever aspirational, but it's hard to deny that BMW's smallest sports sedan delivers an outsized wallop when it comes to performance. In fact, you could probably sell tickets to watch owners of other, more expensive sports cars get taken down a peg or three.
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The Techno Violet Metallic of this particular car was limited to the M3 Edition 50 Jarh BMW M, which is a shame because the gleaming dark purple suits the sedan perfectly. There are, at least, plenty of even more bright options among the usual gray, black, and silver finishes. São Paulo Yellow, for example, will leave nobody second-guessing whether something special just drove past. Staggered wheels — 19-inches at the front, 20-inches at the rear — sport skinny rubber that prioritizes grip over compliance.
Three M3 flavors, all wild
There are three versions of the M3, with this M3 Competition xDrive sitting at the top of the tree with all-wheel drive and the most potent engine tune. Entry comes courtesy of the $76,000 (plus $995 destination) M3 Sedan, with a still-plentiful 473 horsepower and a 0-60 mph time of 4.1 seconds. If you're committed to manuals, it's the one to get, with a 6-speed stick as standard.
For the M3 Competition Sedan, BMW coaxes 503 horsepower out of the same 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six engine, here paired with an 8-speed automatic with steering wheel paddles. In the process, it trims the 0-60 mph time down to 3.8 seconds.
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By the time you get to the M3 Competition xDrive Sedan, the 3.0-liter engine is delivering 503 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels. It's the fastest of the trio in a straight line, with a 3.4 second 0-60 mph time, while the 155 mph top speed can be unlocked to 180 mph with the right package.
Settling the rear-wheel or all-wheel drive debate
Once upon a time, the choice between a rear-wheel drive BMW or an all-wheel drive BMW was a contentious one. Purists scorned anybody who favored the latter, while those in cold-weather states (or who just prefer a more efficient transfer of power to asphalt) talked up the advantages of xDrive. Since the 2018 M5, though, the lines have blurred.
BMW's all-wheel drive system on the M3 Competition xDrive Sedan defaults to 4WD but also offers 4WD Sport and 2WD modes. As standard, the car biases its power to the rear wheels, but that distribution cranks up further in 4WD Sport — as well as loosening some of the traction settings that avoid tail-wagging drifts — and then pushes all the grunt there in 2WD mode.
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Bar a little extra weight — 100 pounds more for the all-wheel drive gubbins — it's hard to see a downside to the M flavor of xDrive. Certainly, it helps make the M3 sedan feel better equipped as a daily driver, as does the fact that its 18 mpg combined EPA fuel economy rating is easily improved when you drive with restraint.
Legitimately astonishing performance
BMW's Adaptive M Suspension — fitted as standard — aids there, too, capable of switching from a softer configuration through to bone-shatteringly firm. I say "softer," mind: even at its most cosseting, the M3 is never going to be mistaken for a 7 Series. The skinny rubber doesn't help, and nor does the slight lumpiness of the sports transmission at very low speeds.
Of course, that's because the M3 hates very low speeds, and frankly having access to its keys is enough to make you abhor low speeds, too. Graze its accelerator pedal and it surges forward with puppy-like eagerness. Just like that puppy, it'll happily facilitate the shredding of your drivers license: a plainly illegal pace is all too easy to achieve.
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For the sticker price, the performance here is astonishing. The M3 can go toe-to-toe with bonafide supercars, and the duality of its switchable 2WD/4WD means your fun isn't limited to bone-dry, sunny days. It's the immediacy that grabs you (and then shakes you by the throat; this puppy has serious teeth after all), with superlatives-spinning directness to the steering that, even in its softest settings, feels preternaturally precise. Then factor in the lashings of grip, not to mention the double-act of screaming acceleration and equally mesmeric braking.
The tyranny of choice
Like in other recent M cars, there are so many settings and adjustments as to be overwhelming. Gone are the days when you chose between Normal and Sport. Now, there are Road and Sport options, multiple levels of aggression for the transmission, independent adjustment of the suspension, steering, engine, and brake mapping, and the choice of xDrive bias with accompanying ESC levels.
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If that sounds like a heck of a lot to think about when you just want to take advantage of an unexpectedly empty stretch of twisty road, you'll be pleased to hear about the handsome red buttons on the steering wheel. These are not just deeply tactile but can also be mapped to a specific configuration of drivetrain settings, allowing them to be recalled at a press. That's even the case if you opt to shut off some of the safety systems, though then you'll need to press and hold to prove you really, really want them to disengage.
Fear the extras
As always, the options list is your biggest foe. Admirable (and probably mythical) is the person who leaves the BMW dealership with a car still at MSRP: in the case of this particular Grimace-hued example, there are almost $28k-worth of extras present.
The M Carbon Ceramic brakes are both fiendishly capable and eye-waveringly expensive, at $8,500. The Parking Assistance Package wields its talents in return for $700; another $1,800 gets the Executive Package, with remote start, a heated steering wheel, a power tailgate — to access the reasonable 13 cu-ft of trunk space — and a head-up display.
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What I'd skip would be the M carbon bucket seats, a $4,500 option. They're definitely on the snug side, with the power side bolsters likely to be too tight for a lot of drivers, while the oft-scorned carbon fiber bulge between your legs never stops feeling ridiculous. BMW's argument is that it helps hold you in place during enthusiastic driving.
A dashboard borrowed from pricier cars
Ahead of you is a familiar dashboard, though that's not such a bad thing in BMW's latest iteration. A 14.9-inch infotainment touchscreen and a 12.3-inch instrument display are encapsulated in a single, curved glass swathe. If there are an excess of buttons and controls for drive settings, BMW has pulled well back elsewhere: everything, from HVAC to multimedia, is navigated through either the touchscreen, voice control, or the iDrive wheel in the center console.
The UI is a little intimidating at first glance, though wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto mean you don't have to see it if you prefer not to. Multi-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, and heated seats are all standard, as is a Harmon Kardon audio system and SiriusXM. Everything feels sturdy and premium.
Navigate your way into the bulbous bucket seats and the front of the M3 is spacious. The rear is a little more snug, the carbon fiber curve of those buckets' backs making for an uncomfortable place for taller passengers to find their knees pressing. The upcoming M5 will have more room in the second row, but we'll have to wait a while for the new version of the legendary sports sedan to land.
Which M is the right M?
Over the years, just as with its larger and more mainstream range, BMW has filled in most of the gaps in its M line-up. Indeed, you'd be forgiven for finding things confusingly crowded, even if you ignore the M Sport iterations of those mainstream models, particularly in the sub-$100k category. The $84,300 (plus $995 destination) sticker price of the M3 Competition xDrive Sedan is in the same ballpark as an M4 Competition xDrive Coupe and an X4 M Sports Activity Coupe, for that matter.
Really, though, I stand by my prior conclusion that if you want a two-door BMW then you should go for the M2. It's the most affordable M Series model and ridiculously good fun. BMW's M-ified SUVs, meanwhile, don't quite manage the focus and charm of this M3 sedan. Partly that's down to them being more family-friendly: an admirable sign of all-round consideration, but one which absolutely dilutes some of the M focus along the way.
2023 BMW M3 Competition xDrive Verdict
The M3 Competition xDrive Sedan has rear seats, but don't mistake them for a sign of compromise. Think of them, perhaps, as simply room for a bigger audience to the compact BMW's outsized talents.
If there's a criticism to be leveled, it's probably in everyday usability. BMW trades the regular 3 Series' compliance for the M3's aggressive precision, and despite the trick dampers there's only so much comfort that can be dialed in. It's not at M4 CSL levels, but expect to feel road bumps and poor-quality surfaces.
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You make those concessions in a supercar, though, and they're far less useful on the school run or at the grocery store. While the BMW's performance skew (and price tag) means it's targeted at those willing to sacrifice a little cosseting in return for speed, what stands out is how moderate that sacrifice really feels. Few may need the outrageous pace the M3 Competition xDrive offers, and fewer still may actually take advantage of it, but here excess is absolutely aspirational.