2024 BMW X3 M Base

The X3 M is BMW's compact performance SUV, the one you cross-shop with the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 and the Audi SQ5. It's brutally quick in a straight line, but the real treat is how composed it feels when you push it through a set of corners. The ride is firm, which is the trade for that flat cornering, so expect to feel the road more than you would in a regular X3. Inside, you get supportive sport seats and a clean, driver-focused layout, with enough room in the back for two adults and a useful cargo area. The 3.0L I6 and eight-speed automatic make this SUV genuinely fast, though you'll pay at the pump with 17 mpg combined.