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From a BMW X3 30i to the mighty X3 m40i: My upgrade story

22nd October 2024, 11:32 by Ananth Iyer

The car has been nothing short of an absolute joy. It has definitely been a dream come true.

BHPian athray9 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

2022 BMW X3 M40i Ownership Experience

It was 2009 and I was 14 years old, I remember watching a comparison in Autocarindia by Karthikeya Singhee between a Skoda Superb V6 and a Honda Accord V6. That fascinated me and I had dreamt of owning a 6-cylinder one day, but as I grew up, I got into this world of downsizing and the 6-cylinders started disappearing and was only available in luxury car models. Around 2014 it was the facelift F10 530d that caught my fancy and always dreamt of owning one. Fast forward to 2020 and I moved to USA for my masters, the car scene here was so different with the American muscle V8s, but that was the time when the news started circulating about the launch of the M340i in India and when I checked the acceleration numbers, the I-6 from BMW was as fast as many V8s and so I was still stuck to my dream of owning a 6-cylinder. Then we came to 2023 where I had a stable job and could finally afford a 6-cylinder that was also super comfortable - the mighty X3 M40i in Brooklyn Grey shade.

Some History:

HondaCBR150R:

It was July 21st 2013, the day before I start my undergrad. My dad gives me a cheque of Rs 1 lakh. I was overflowing with joy. He said it is a cheque for me to get a bike for myself once I turn 18. As happy as I was, I also had to wait until September 27th. My dad was super clear that the choice of bike is not just mine and it had to be a something that he approved of. The bike I had in mind was the Pulsar 200NS. But dad felt it was too powerful, so he suggested getting the Yamaha FZ/Fazer. I always like the touring/sports bike designs, so I was fine with it. But as a teen, I was fascinated by speeding Duke 200s on roads .I wanted a Duke but my dad was completely against it, so the next immediate option was the R15 and dad was against the R15 as well, I was never fascinated by the CBR150R since I felt it was a bit boring in comparison but my dad felt it was not those fast bikes on roads and looked very pleasing and also not too powerful. It was September 16th, 11 more days before I turn 18. Dad and I decided to head to Yamaha showroom to book the Fazer, but dad suddenly get’s and idea and asks our driver to head to Honda showroom. I got excited since we were going to look at the CBR150R and it was an upgrade from the initially considered bike which was a Fazer. We head to the showroom and Book a red CBR150R. ETA for the bike was September 30th.  It was September 27th, I turn 18 and my dad calls me to the showroom on that day. I take an auto to head to the showroomand I see my brand new bike Suzuki Swift 1.2 K12 Vxi:

It was 2015 March and I was happy with my CBR150R. My parents had a Toyota Corolla and Honda City. I was a car person since childhood. The bike thing was more from my dad since he was always a bike person. So I always used to wait for my parents to get back form their work so that I could enjoy their cars (especially the Honda City I-Vtec). My parents felt that we needed a small car/third car in the house for some chores and for me as well since I love cars and so that I can do some chores when they take both cars to work. Dad wanted to go the used route. The options considered were Honda Brio, Suzuki Swift and Hyundai I20. I wanted the Brio due to its handling and the I-Vtec, but dad wanted something more comfortable and tech loaded which was the i20. So we both agreed on a middle ground and decided to go ahead with the Swift. It was a 2013 Swift with 12K kms red in color. Initially I was not super happy since I was used to driving 118bhp and 138bhp cars and the 86bhp Swift felt underpowered. But as I started driving the car, I got used to the car and loved the handling of the car so much. We also upgraded the alloys, added some sporty seat covers trying to make it look sporty. Used the car until June 2018 and the car was at 42K kms. So a total of 30K kms in 3 years.

Honda CBR250R:

It was March 2017 and I had done some long trips in my CBR150R, so dad thought I was matured enough to get a more powerful bike. We were looking at RE Classic 500 or a Ninja 300. It was the time when BS3 bikes were suddenly sold for very low prices since BS4 was kicking in the next 2 days. So got a stellar deal on a Red CBR250R and went ahead with it. Now this was an amazing experience since I had not ridden such a powerful bike and I was able to feel the power and weight. The irony was that the CBR250R was only used for occasional long trips since I had moved out of Chennai and was primarily using cars for my commute. So I put only about 9K miles in 2.5 years.

Ford Ecosport TDCi Titanium+ :

So I had moved from Chennai to Bangalore for my work and was using the Swift for my use. Dad flew from Chennai to Bangalore for some work and we planned to drive back to Chennai at this time in the Swift. It was 2017 and at this time, Dad owned a Mercedes Benz GLA and mom owned an Audi A4. So dad had a very high standard when it came to traveling in cars and especially long distant travels since those luxury Germans were so well insulated and comfortable. When we did the trip from Bangalore to Chennai in Swift, I was doing 120 km/h at max, but dad felt really uncomfortable and did not feel safe. The car also had no ABS and airbags, the moment we reached Chennai, he decided to upgrade the Swift to something safer. I was all stoked and thought of going for the Polo GT TDI. This time also we decided to go the used route. Dad was initially against the Polo since he felt it was small. But it was just me who was going to use it so I was for it, then we test-drove it and he felt it was not as solid as he expected !!! Then he suggested the Ecosport, we test-drove one, the first impression after opening the door was that it felt much heavier than the Polo and more like the expensive Germans. The car was also pretty heavy and felt like a real tank. The one we saw was the top end Titanium+ with 6 airbags. Dad decided that we are going ahead with an Ecosport. My impressions were that I was amazed by the engine having no lag bottom down (polo had a lot) with a strong mid-range (polo had this better) and finally the steering feedback was rich, sharp and pretty light at low speeds. The handling of the Ecosport in the test drive really impressed me. I was convinced to go for the Ecosport even though it was not as powerful as the Polo since there were other aspects that impressed me and my dad was hell bent on getting the Ecosport.

The Ecosport was probably one of my favorite machines till date that I had owner because it was fast enough, had amazing handling with great steering feedback, good drivability and strong mid-range for highway overtakes, it felt so stable at speeds that I never used to get tired after the long highway drives, insulation in the cabin was great, had a good audio system. The only downside I felt was the stiff ride and the bad headlights. I changed the headlights to good LED ones which did not make a big difference. I had also upgraded the car to Momo alloys and a Ford aftermarket grille. It really looked menacing and sporty in black color, with fat black alloys and the ford grille. I bought the car with 20K miles on the ODO and had 50K when I sold it before leaving to US for my masters in 2019 December. Ecosport will always be a very special and favorite car for me since it taught me how to enjoy a car as an enthusiast. So overall I covered 30K kms in 1.5 years.

BMW X3 30i:

It was 2022 March, I completed my masters in the US and ended up landing in a dream job. I did not have a car/bike for myself for about 2 years and 3 months and finally was in a position to get a car with my own money, so this time around I had to choose what I wanted with very less compulsion from my dad (joking :P ). Dad didn’t want me to spend a lot and told me to go ahead with a VW Tiguan, I test-drove the car and felt that I needed something with more power, so decided to go ahead with the 330i, but dad pushed me for an SUV and told me to look at the X3. I also realized the time travelled in the Ecosport was very comfortable yet fun. So a sporty SUV like the X3 made lot of sense. I was looking for an X3 30i, but the the car I got for test drive was an X3 M40i (maybe that was an indication from God that I had to get the M40i), I drove the car and was super impressed and decided to go ahead with an X3 30i. Bought a brand new X3 30i in Photonic Blue color. The car was amazing. I covered 39K kms in 1 year and 4 months. More about the ownership review here - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...d-x3-m40i.html .

So there goes the history about all the automobiles that I’ve owned/gifted. Now I want to start about how and why the X3M40i.

How the X3 M40i story started:

So my X3 30i was great. It was pretty fast, very comfortable and did the job really well. But for fast overtakes, the car used to downshift and rev in a very smooth and nice way. It lacked the excitement that I wanted from the engine. The suspension was borderline stiff, but had some body roll. Other than that it was amazing as a car. Mom has the 320d in India. I love the 3-series. So I had decided that if I get a good deal, I would end up trading my X3 30i for a 1 year old used X3 M40i. If not then I would go ahead with a brand new M340i. Why used X3 and a brand new 3? It was pretty simple, the X3 facelift was launched in 2021, so the car I was getting in 2023 was still the LCI. But the 3-series got a facelift in 2022, so if I was getting one, it was the newer one.

It was a bright Saturday morning and the listing for a 2022 BMW X3 M40i and Brooklyn Grey (my favorite color) came for sale !!! Now I was thinking whether to go visit the showroom to see the car. I decided to go see the car, then I test drove it. The moment I hit the start button, I heard that 6-cyl sound, it felt so much more sporty. I put the transmission into Drive and turn the wheel, I can instantly feel how much heavier the steering was. The throttle felt snappy compared to my smooth throttle in the X3. I understood that the cars intention was pretty clear, it was SPORTY. Then I drive slowly into the road and then finally reach an empty stretch. I change it into Sport+ and accelerate the car, it flew like a beast with that sound track which was like symphony. Finally the icing on the cake was the bang sound on upshifts. I was convinced with just these things that this was my car.

Now I had to sit with the dealer to discuss about the price. The difference between my X3 30i and the M40i was only about 20% lesser than what I would’ve paid had I bought this car in the first place instead of the X3 30i. But this car was way better equipped than my X3 30i. It got 360 degree camera, ACC, upgraded H&K audio system, park assist, upgraded interior leather, rear sunshades, rear heated seats, adaptive suspension and 6-year maintenance package. Now all of this seemed like a very good deal. It was a clean car with all records. It was 16 months old just like my X3 30i but 19K miles (my X3 30i had 25K miles). I really wanted to do this purchase. But before that, I had to consult with my parents (that’s how it works :P ).

Questions asked by my dad:

Dad: Why an X3 again, why not an X5?
Me: Appa, I am single, I need a small car. X5 is heavy and very expensive, I wouldn’t need it.
Dad: Okay I am fine if you are convinced.

Now I did not expect an approval that easy from my dad.

Questions asked by mom:

Mom: Why are you changing the car to a white colored one, I like the old color better.
Me: Amma it’s Brooklyn Grey and not white, plus the new one has more power.
Mom: What are you going to do with more power?
Me: I don’t have an answer.
Mom: Do what you like.

That was a passive yes and I decided to close the deal. Mom told the auspicious day was on Friday. I needed that time to get my loan approved as well. Got all the documents and it was the delivery day Friday on July 21st 2023. So basically I had to drop my X3 30i to the dealer on the same day I take delivery of the X3 M40i. I was already super excited about the fact that I am getting a 6-cylinder. I still remember the excitement that I had waking up in the morning and thinking that I am going to be a proud owner of a 6-cylinder car by end of the day.

I go to the showroom and see my car parked in the handover bay. I did all the paper work for getting the new car and trading the old one. As I was getting my paperwork done, I was in for a pleasant surprise that the previous owner had bought the car with BMW Ultimate care for 5 years/70K miles, but there was a catch there, in order to transfer the ultimate care to my name, I had to purchase two more years of Ultimate care, so that meant 7 years/100K miles of service covered which included replacement of brake pads, wiper blades and fluids. Now this was a steal for me, I purchased that along with windshield damage replacement package as well. One good thing about trading your car with the same dealer in the US is that you will only be taxed on the difference between the car that’s going to be traded and the car to be purchased.

Once the paper work was done, I head to the hand over bay and start the car, that sound was to die for. Then the tech guy starts explaining about the car. I was literally waiting for that session to get over so that I can take the car out. Once it was done, we took the car out of the showroom. As I slowly drove out of the showroom, I drove the car carefully and waited to reach the freeway to make my first pull (advantages of getting a used car is that it is already run in). I reach the freeway and then I do my pull, that feeling of acceleration along with the sound was surreal. I was enjoying the drive. As I made lane changes, I realize how much more agile the car was compared to X3 30i. Another thing I observed as I hit expansion joints were that the car was super stiff. I finally reach the temple, did all of the pooja, had dinner and drove back home. It was still an unbelievable day and I still pinch myself sometimes not being able to believe that I own a 6-cylinder.

Pros:

1.ENGINE: I think this should be the one and only reason you get this car, the engine is explosive with the kind of performance it offers.
2. Exhaust Note: The exhaust note is just music to ears, especially early morning cold starts.
3. Gearbox: It’s probably one of the best tuned gearbox that I’ve experienced.
4. Handling: It handles so well, very close to its sedan counterpart.
5. Brakes: Braking power is stupendous with M-Brakes.
6. Interior buttons: the car still gets buttons in its interior for A/C controls, heated seats, heated steering wheel and a lot more.
7. IDrive-7: Has a very good interface that is simple and easy as well as informative.
8. Adaptive headlights: Makes life easier and knows where to point light, also dims light when there is a car in the opposite direction.
9. Looks: This is very subjective but it looks SUV in its looks and not very curvy like the GLC or Q5.
10. FE: I’ve been getting about 25.8mpg (11 km/l)
11. Heads up display:Such an amazing feature that every car should have.

Cons:

1. Ride: The ride is very stiff even in comfort mode.
2. Rear Seat: It could do with better under thigh support.
3. Audio: H&K speakers could do with better bass.
4. Fuel: BMW recommends shell fuel only.
5. Instrument Cluster: No point in having digital instrument cluster since it’s not customizable.
6. Wind Noise: The mirror design is so bad that it makes excessive wind noise
7. Brake: Jerky brakes at lower speeds.

Now let’s get into the details:

Exterior:

I love the looks of the car, it looks SUV by not having too many curves but still begin compact and not too bulky. I especially love the Brooklyn grey color. It shouts the sporty intent of the car. This is probably the shade to get if you are purchasing the X3.

I believe the front grill is just about the right size by not being too huge. The headlights of the X3 LCI got thinner which made it look sportier I feel. The M40i get’s the M-Sport exterior package which gets sporty black bits on lower side of the bumper. The chrome outliner on the grill is probably the only eyesore in the otherwise sporty looking front of the car.The BMW M logo on the grill for the M cars.

Radar system on the lower part of front bumper since the car gets ADAS.

The headlights look sleek.

The M cars get sporty side mirror which make excessive noise, it is pointless and I hope BMW rectifies this with the newer gen X3.

The car has keyless entry for all four doors.The windows are pretty huge.

The rear is sportiest angle of the car I feel. The exhaust tips are black in the M40i compared to the 30i which is silver in color.

The black effect on the lights go well in contrast with the grey color of the car.

The black tires add to the sporty intent of the car and they have M badges (it comes if you opt for the MSport body kit even in the 30i versions). The car comes with staggered setup of 245/45 R20s in the front and 275/40 R20s in the rear. I use Bridgestone Allenza for summer and Pirelli SottoZero 3 for winters.