SUVs are supposed to be big, spacious, comfortable and capable of taking its occupants off the beaten path, yet most of today’s high-riding vehicles can do very few of those things.
Take the 2020 BMW X4 M, for one, which is less practical than the X3 M, costs more, is not that big nor spacious and would get lost whenever the road would end. Most would argue that it’s not good looking either, that the fake engine noise makes it feel cheap and that it’s not as dramatic as the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 or Jaguar F-Pace SVR.
Review: BMW X3 M And X4 M Are Ready To Rock The Compact Performance SUV Niche
Who are those people? Well, one of them is former Top Gear presenter Rory Reid, who has joined AutoTrader and continues to do what he does best: reviewing cars. And with the new X4 M falling in his hands recently, he went out to drive it and made the aforementioned claims. The journo was also surprised by the very jiggly ride even in ‘Comfort’ mode and ended up calling it a vehicle for people who just want to show off.
Now, it’s not all negatives when it comes to Munich’s sporty premium compact SAC, as the firm ride makes the steering very responsive, so the driver will be encouraged to abuse the fun pedal. There’s also very little to no body roll and the 3.0-liter, twin-turbo engine contributes to the lively experience. It puts out 503 HP (510 PS / 375 kW) and 441 lb-ft (598 Nm) of torque in the Competition model and allows it for a 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 4.0 seconds, plus a 177 mph (285 km/h) max speed with the optional M Driver’s Package.
For an MSRP of $81,395 in the U.S., including the destination and handling charge, you could get a very fun to drive car, so would you even consider the X4 M?