2025 BMW M3 Competition xDrive Tested: Sharpening the Knife

• The 2025 M3 gets a handful of updates, including more power for Competition xDrive models.
• The extra oomph puts performance close to the six-figure M3 CS.
• Prices for the 2025 M3 start at just under $78,000.

A little more heat

The M3's formula is the same as ever. Take the 3 Series sedan and hand it over to BMW's M performance division. The M3 comes out the other side with bigger brakes, a sportier suspension and a more powerful engine. For 2025, the M3 is available in three trims: base, Competition and the all-wheel-drive Competition xDrive.

While the powertrain has changed over the years, all M3s currently use a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six. In the standard M3, it makes 473 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. The Competition gets a bump to 503 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. Starting with the 2025 model, opting for all-wheel drive adds another 20 hp, bringing the M3 Competition xDrive's output to 523 hp. You can get a six-speed manual in the base M3, but all Competitions come with an eight-speed automatic.

Prices for the 2025 M3 start at $77,875. The Competition xDrive starts at $87,175, but our test car was fitted with quite a few options. The Tampa Bay Green metallic paint was $4,500, but the biggest and most notable addition was the $14,300 Carbon package. It adds carbon-ceramic brakes, lightweight carbon-fiber seats and a few other niceties, including a day at BMW's driving school. All in, the as-tested price for this 2025 BMW M3 Competition xDrive was $110,975.

Track tested

At the Edmunds test track, the updated 2025 M3 hit 60 mph in 3.2 seconds. While that's no quicker than the last M3 Competition xDrive, it's 0.2 second quicker than BMW's estimate. Given that there's been no increase in torque, it's not surprising the 0-60 time is the same. Where the extra power really makes itself known is at the quarter-mile mark. The 2025 M3 posted a time of 11.1 seconds at 124 mph, 0.2 second quicker and a full 4 mph faster than the prior Competition xDrive. That might not sound like a lot, but 4 mph is a sizable increase.

Senior vehicle test editor Kurt Niebuhr was impressed. "If I could describe the M3 Competition in one word, it'd be 'potent.' Unless you're using one of its more aggressive drive modes, you might not notice how ferocious the M3 can be, but once the tach swings past 3,500 rpm, things get pretty serious. This 2025 model benefits from an additional 20 hp, and it allows the M3 to just tear into the triple digits. Midrange power is immense, and the rush of acceleration doesn't taper off, even when you get close to the 7,100 rpm redline. Another indicator of just how strong the engine is in this M3 is the time we recorded from 60 to 75 mph: 1.3 seconds. That's moving."

The engine was tweaked, but the suspension, brakes, wheels and tires are all the same as before. Braking performance was roughly the same as before, with panic stops from 60 mph measuring 108 feet. The optional carbon-ceramic brakes are better at dissipating heat than the standard brakes, so braking performance remained consistent and even.

As with braking, handling performance is unchanged, though that's hardly a bad thing. Niebuhr noted, "Grip around our skidpad borders on immense. As with other M cars, the steering is pretty light — even in the sportiest setting — as is the feedback through the wheel, but accuracy is very good. Despite the immense power on tap, the M3 can be balanced on the throttle with very subtle inputs, making it easier to control and more friendly than you'd expect."

Our test car was fitted with staggered wheels and tires — 19 inches up front and 20 inches in the rear — wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. These are good all-around performance tires, but they sacrifice some performance for road manners, longer life, and improved weather characteristics.

"The all-wheel drive can be switched off, allowing the M3 to be a rear-wheel-drive drift machine, but the M3 does its best and most rapid work in all-wheel drive," Niebuhr said. "To get the full M3 experience, a closed track is necessary. The M3 storms around our handling loop, and while at first it can be intimidating, it quickly becomes a trusted partner. The brakes can handle the massive speed and the handling belies the weight of the M3. Lap after lap, the M3 felt strong and proved just as capable of being driven with precision or with a bit of sideways fun."

Photos by Keith Buglewicz