BMW X3 and X4 review: SUVs offer choice of style or substance

Powered by a two-litre turbodiesel engine boosted by a 48V mild hybrid system, the 190 bhp output of the BMW X3 delivers a 7.9 second 0-100 km/h time and the handling is more GTi than SUV.

BMW X3 and X4
Rating	★★★★☆
Price	X3, from €63,130 — €70,350 as tested; X4, from €72,730 — €75,884 as tested
Engine	Both have a two-litre turbodiesel
The Spec	Both came in M-Sport guise
Verdict	Both excellent but one is only for the vain

Last week, we touched on that dichotomy between good and evil and the terrible choices humanity is faced with as they pick one or another of the virtuous or the immoral in an attempt to please either the guy with the long white beard or the fellow with the forked stick and the horns.

That such a contrast can be faced by mere mortals in the act of simply choosing a car is a sign, surely, that the apocalypse is nearly upon us. When our decisions lead to either eternal heavenly salvation on one hand or perpetual damnation on the other, things can’t be good.

As you can obviously tell — in the context of a column about cars — this is the battle of good v evil in the shape of your preference between an SUV and a coupe SUV. 

This week we try and point you in the right direction — or is that the direction of the righteous? — as we test one of each of these beasts.

Remarkably, both testers come from the same stable and that in itself seems almost unthinkable. I mean, how could one manufacturer cross the line between the morally decent and the decadently depraved? It seems almost unnatural.

The choice on offer here is that between the BMW X3 — the moral one — and the BMW X4 — the amoral one — with the former representing all that is good and the latter presenting the case for all that is in seriously bad taste.

Velvet hipster elephant flares also come to mind but, hell, they’re probably back in fashion.

Technically there is little difference between the two machines on offer here — they both share the same engines and running gear — but morally there is a vast chasm between what on one hand is a sensible and practical choice for the upstanding in society; while the other is for those for whom gaudy jewellery and extravagant hairdos are the order of the day.

The BMW X4 is more expensive than the X3 and not as roomy and not nearly as practical.

Both are excellent machines in which to drive, but one represents a sober and considered choice and the other offers up something many would not be seen dead in. 

Yet it is a mega-draw for the vainglorious out there, with a couple of notable exceptions where otherwise sensible people fall victim to base desires — and a shout out once more here for Brendan.

Unbelievably there are those for whom the coupe SUV concept — an automotive niche so divisive when it comes to public opinion that it has been known to cause deep rifts, divisions, and splits in a single-family unit — is seen as an engaging and worthy entity.

Whatever accusations might be laid at the door of the coupe SUV crowd about vanity or attempting to find the elixir of youth, in the case of the choice on offer here there are a few curious things to note. 

The main one is that the X4 is more expensive than the X3 and not as roomy and not nearly as practical.

So the X4 does not only present people with a moral dilemma, but also leaves buyers trying to explain to their better halves as to why they lashed out more dosh on something that looks very fancy dan, but you can’t get the kids into it — or all the stuff you need to carry around when you do have kids.

Now, if it has not been apparent to you already, the one we here at Examiner Motoring prefer of the two cars here is the X3. 

Driving it again was like meeting up with an old friend. Everything about the car was pretty familiar, perhaps especially so as it has only just received a refreshing facelift since the current Mk 3 model was launched in 2018.

Standard kit on offer is exemplary and leather interior adds a depth of class to proceedings.

While I had the car, I undertook a trip from Crookhaven in West Cork to Waterville in Co Kerry and as anyone who has trodden that particular path will know, it is not the most straightforward of journeys, taking in as it does various mountain passes and other challenging roads — not least the section of the Ring of Kerry between Kenmare and Sneem.

While some might see the X3 as an urban warrior — largely because they live in towns and rarely see rural Ireland anyway — nothing could be further from the truth in terms of its abilities on lesser roads. 

This is a car — and especially so in the xDrive specification we tried — which loves a challenge and it certainly got one on that return journey.

Powered by a two-litre turbodiesel engine boosted by a 48V mild hybrid system, the car has a decent output of 190 bhp and some 400Nm of torque. 

This translates into a 7.9 second 0-100 km/h time and a top speed of 213km/h and if those figures weren’t enough to impress you, then the 5.8 l/100km (48 mpg) should.

What’s the most impressive thing, though, is the way this thing behaves itself on the road — and especially those roads. 

The handling was second to none — more GTi than SUV — and the ride too was superb, ironing out the many and varied surfaces with considerable aplomb.

The updates on offer here include a sharper look for the front and rear end which incorporate new lights, while there is also a new infotainment system which is really good to use and live with and a million miles from the dreaded original iDrive system.

BMW still call the system ‘iDrive’ but it is so much more efficient and human-friendly than what preceded it, it is hard to credit that the two are related. 

The combination of the 12.3 touchscreen and the rotary controller is wizard and easily surpasses its rivals for ease of use.

Standard kit on offer is exemplary and the Sophisto Grey overcoat and cream leather interior add a depth of class to proceedings. 

In the case of the X4, the colour was Phytonic Blue which would have been lovely were it not for the appalling shape of the thing.

As has been mentioned, the technicalities of the two cars are almost exactly similar — engine, eight-speed auto ’box, 4WD, etc — so all you have to do is decide which body shape you choose.

It is worth noting, however, that neither of these cars features BMW’s new kidney mega-grille, which is still taking time to meld into our collective consciousness.

It’s no secret at this point that the X3 is the favoured car here, especially given that the coupe SUV is little other than the work of Beelzebub or his boss.

And, in any event, the X3 is cheaper, more practical and more family oriented.

You would have to admit that both cars are actually an improvement over their immediate predecessors in almost every regard — performance, handling, comfort levels, and specification, but in the case of the X4, that’s of little import given that it is aimed at seriously disillusioned enthusiasts or full-blown narcissists.

To these eyes then the X3 is the one to have because the X4 trades mostly only on its image; the trouble is that the image it projects is not a good look for the most part.

So the advice here is — buy the X3 and save yourself a bundle of cash and a helluva lot of explaining in the golf club car park as to how you lost your marbles in such spectacular fashion.