[wtb1313]

Did anyone cross shop the 2025 m440i Xdrive GC before settling on the x3 m50?

I have a thing for wagons, (m3 touring anyone) and although not a proper wagon, the hatch has elements I like. I also like the updated lighting on the ‘25 GC and didn’t mind the what I call 1/3 raised seating position. Didn’t feel like the lowest car on the road. (I say the x3 is only 2/3 as it’s not a full size x5 type of commanding driving position)

I’m sure you can make an argument for back seat comfort for families, headroom particularly, but I’m driving 70% alone and the rest with one adult and one under 12 99% of the time.

I believe the drivers seating dimensions and overall storage capacity aren’t that far off from each other unless I misread so comfort for me shouldn’t change and I can get most of what I carry in and out of the hatch.

This would be my daily driver and I am buying a bmw mainly for driving dynamics and on the road enjoyment, may even slightly lower the car if it made sense and gave a bit more to the experience.

Maybe transporting bicycles is limited but curious if there’s a solution for that on GC?

Not looking for anyone to tell me what to choose or to start a knock the new x3 or GC thread.

Just curious if anyone else went between these two newer cars (maybe even last gen instead) and had other thoughts or things to add into the equation.

[Montaver]

I wrote a thread comparing my M340 to an X3 further down the page. The M440 GC is effectively the same car as the M340 with different packaging. The only thing I would mention with the 4 vs the 3 is it has frameless windows.

[Sportstick]

I did a similar last-gen comparison of the 2024 X3 and 2024 4GC after coming from a prior 2018 3GT that was a "best of both worlds" vehicle. Abiding by your request not to offer choice advice, I will just share that my use case for the vehicle was not compatible with the new 4GC but yours seems to be. Other than the package size that affects rear seat ingress/egress, rear comfort once inside, and cargo/storage capacity (quite different due to roof height and slope), and vehicle ride height for overall ingress/egress, the vehicles are so highly related that I cannot think of other meaningful issues that would divert your choice away from the 4GC's driving dynamics.

[cb804]

Originally Posted by Sportstick

I did a similar last-gen comparison of the 2024 X3 and 2024 4GC after coming from a prior 2018 3GT that was a "best of both worlds" vehicle. Abiding by your request not to offer choice advice, I will just share that my use case for the vehicle was not compatible with the new 4GC but yours seems to be. Other than the package size that affects rear seat ingress/egress, rear comfort once inside, and cargo/storage capacity (quite different due to roof height and slope), and vehicle ride height for overall ingress/egress, the vehicles are so highly related that I cannot think of other meaningful issues that would divert your choice away from the 4GC's driving dynamics.

What website did you use for the comparisions? Very cool!

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by cb804

What website did you use for the comparisions? Very cool!

https://www.carsized.com/en/cars/com...024-suv/front/

Notice you can choose front, side, or rear views and swap which is in front for the side views. By backing out, you can return to the home page and change brands and models.

[wtb1313]

Agreed very cool seeing the comparisons.

Comparing the interior dimensions the x3 is well roomier…you can feel it too sitting in them.

The tradeoff is driving dynamics possibly with the size differences playing into that, though the x3 m50 is pretty well planted isn’t it? I’d like to see some comparisons on this.

Does the x3 have the optional for the GC adaptive M suspension?

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by wtb1313

Agreed very cool seeing the comparisons.

Comparing the interior dimensions the x3 is well roomier…you can feel it too sitting in them.

The tradeoff is driving dynamics possibly with the size differences playing into that, though the x3 m50 is pretty well planted isn’t it? I’d like to see some comparisons on this.

Does the x3 have the optional for the GC adaptive M suspension?

https://www.bmwusa.com/vehicles/m-se...cal-highlights

[BMWbiker]

Originally Posted by wtb1313

Did anyone cross shop the 2025 m440i Xdrive GC before settling on the x3 m50?

I have a thing for wagons, (m3 touring anyone) and although not a proper wagon, the hatch has elements I like. I also like the updated lighting on the ‘25 GC and didn’t mind the what I call 1/3 raised seating position. Didn’t feel like the lowest car on the road. (I say the x3 is only 2/3 as it’s not a full size x5 type of commanding driving position)

I’m sure you can make an argument for back seat comfort for families, headroom particularly, but I’m driving 70% alone and the rest with one adult and one under 12 99% of the time.

I believe the drivers seating dimensions and overall storage capacity aren’t that far off from each other unless I misread so comfort for me shouldn’t change and I can get most of what I carry in and out of the hatch.

This would be my daily driver and I am buying a bmw mainly for driving dynamics and on the road enjoyment, may even slightly lower the car if it made sense and gave a bit more to the experience.

Maybe transporting bicycles is limited but curious if there’s a solution for that on GC?

Not looking for anyone to tell me what to choose or to start a knock the new x3 or GC thread.

Just curious if anyone else went between these two newer cars (maybe even last gen instead) and had other thoughts or things to add into the equation.

I feel better qualified than many to answer your questions, having owned an F31, G01, and now a G26, and having sat in (but not yet driven) a G45.

If the current M340xi Touring were available in the U.S., I would own one today. (Or an M340xd Touring!)

When I had to replace my F31, I wanted to get a G26, since wagons are no longer available in the U.S. However, I couldn’t find what I was looking for, so I got a G01 M40i.

I never really warmed up to the G01. I’m more of a wagon person than a faux-SUV person. I never really liked the (ventilated) seats or the seating position or the height, and I found it a bit less refined driving experience than I’d prefer. That said, it did handle well for an SUV, it was definitely zippy, it got surprisingly good gas mileage, and it was roomy.

The G01 needed to be replaced on short notice. This time I replaced it with a G26.

I feel much more at home in the G26 than I did in the G01. For me the G26 is more comfortable, it feels more refined, its handling feels more familiar, etc. I prefer the G26 seating position. It is a bit less roomy, especially in the rear seats, but that hasn’t been an issue. The fold-down seats and hatchback layout accommodate my cargo needs. I miss the under-floor storage, but that’s a minor detail. I haven’t tried to fit my bicycle in it yet. I haven’t investigated roof racks yet. I liked the balance of buttons and screen in the G01 and iDrive 7, vs. the dearth of buttons with iDrive 8.5, but it’s good to know that I have 5G in the G26 vs. 4G in the G01. (I lost all telematics in the F31 when 3G shut down.)

I’m still breaking in my M440xi GC. I look forward to unleashing its horsepower.

I sat in a G45 M50i. In the dealership the seat felt more comfortable than my G01. I would have to drive it a good distance to know for sure.

You mention lighting. You may want to look for a leftover or used ‘24 M440xi GC, equipped with laserlights (not to be confused with the laserlight taillights on the ‘25).

If you opt for a G26, consider getting adaptive suspension. I think it’s standard in the G45 M50i.

Happy shopping!

[MidnightLight]

Why not both? The M440i GC is a great complement to the X3. That's what I plan to do once the G45's price has faded a bit in my significant other's memory...

[Locotiki]

I actually cross shopped the same two vehicles as well. I was coming out of a Honda Pilot, and while I made the most of the space it provided, I wanted something different, so I settled on the M440i GC. I was actually ready to pull the trigger on it but then at the last minute I found out that you couldn’t install a hitch rack on it. I use the hitch for a bike rack that stays on my vehicle for all but a few months of the year. That alone took the car out of the running for me. I then test drove an X5 and the X3 M50 and settled on the X3. I much preferred the interior of the X5, but I felt that the X3 was a good compromise between the two as far as driving dynamics/sportiness and space. It’s been about a month and so far I don’t regret my choice. The one area that bugged me (like others) was the interior of the X3 but in all honesty, the more I’m in it the more it’s grown on me. I appreciate the minimalistic design of it more than anything and I find it very comfortable. Are there some elements I would like to be different? Yes, of course, but overall, I think it’s fine. I won’t argue with anyone on the interior feeling down scaled compared to the X5, and M340/440 but most of those issues are more visual and perception based rather than actual low quality. Are the door handles plastic? Yes. Do they feel cheap? No, not to me. They feel like good quality plastic door handles. I also would have preferred more soft touch material over the hard plastics however, the new X3 has far less hard plastic in it than the Pilot Elite I came out of. I would prefer that any car costing over $70k would use more appealing materials, but it is what it is. I keep telling myself I’m paying for the drivetrain and driving dynamics. With that said, I find myself thinking less and less about it the more I drive it.
Hope this helps!