BMW M3 Review 2024

If you want the finest high-performance saloon car (or estate - they do those too) currently on the market, then yes it is. If you’re the sort of person that values heritage and the historical lineage of where that fast saloon car has come from, then yes it is. If you want a car that can transport the kids to ballet practice one day, your colleagues to business meetings the next, and then set lap records at the weekend, then yet it is. If you want a car that’ll provide thrills and luxury in equal measure, then yes it is. The BMW M3 might just be the car that does everything. Provided you can afford to run it, that is.

If you just want the best BMW M3 money can buy, you’ll want the CS version. Not only does this version have an extra 40 horsepower from its twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine, taking the grand total up to 545PS, but it also gets a recalibrated exhaust that makes it sound better, extra lightweight body part to make it more agile, and a reworked suspension that makes it both more comfortable and more capable. However, do bear in mind that this version costs a great deal more than the standard M3 Competition, not to mention the fact that it’s a limited-edition, so finding one might be extremely difficult, so you’ll have to decide for yourself whether it's worth the extra hassle and cost, especially when the standard BMW M3 is already so good.

You can also choose whether your BMW M3 has rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, and controversially, we’d opt for the latter. It provides that extra cornering capability and all-weather ability when you need it, but when you don’t, you can simply switch the system to rear-drive mode for tail-happy thrills.

As a high-performance saloon car packing a six-cylinder engine with upwards of 500 horsepower, arguably the M3’s most direct rival is the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. Then there’s the latest four-door offering from Affalterbach in the form of the Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance. This replaces its predecessor’s hulking V8 with a four-cylinder petrol engine and a plug-in hybrid system, so it’s not quite a direct rival, a fact punctuated by the fact that this concoction in the Merc bestows it with a frankly bonkers 680PS. There’s no Audi RS4 saloon on offer at the moment, so the RS5 Sportback is another alternative, or if you’re considering the M3 Touring Estate, then the Audi RS4 Avant will also be of interest to you.

You’d expect any car with a BMW badge - especially one that costs as much as this - to be fairly dazzling when it comes to interior quality, and happily, the BMW M3 doesn’t disappoint. Everywhere you look, the cabin is lined with touchy-feely surfaces, highlighted with metallic elements and carbon fibre finishes, while many other surfaces are covered in sumptuous stitched leather. You’ll also like the fact that all the various switches and dials work with properly slick precision. It all adds up to an environment that feels both posh and sporty, which is exactly the effect that a car like the BMW M3 should deliver.

Early versions of the BMW M3 had a 12.3-inch instrument screen behind the steering wheel, and a 10.25-inch central control screen, but this was later replaced with BMW’s Curved Display infotainment system, which brings together a 12.3-inch instrument screen and a 14.9-inch central control screen, all integrated into one unit that curves satisfyingly around the driver. You also get a head-up display that projects further driving information onto the windscreen in front of you.

It’s a hugely complex system that controls myriad features, but because BMW knows a thing or two about infotainment, it’s also fairly easy to find your way around once you’re used to it, with reasonably logical menus and handy shortcut buttons. Like most such systems these days, it has touchscreen functionality, but happily, it can also be operated with the rotary dial controller found on the centre console, which is easier, more precise and less distracting to use on the move.

The graphics are incredibly sharp and slick, and the system responds quickly to commands. It’s slightly annoying that you have to operate the ventilation system with the central screen, rather than the system having its own buttons and switches, but at least there’s a shortcut to the climate control menu displayed at the bottom of the screen at all times. With the older infotainment system, separate air-con controls were provided.

Features supported by the system include DAB radio, navigation, a Bluetooth phone connection, smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, a wifi interface and an intelligent personal assistant. You also have two USB connections for connecting and charging devices, and a Harman Kardon surround sound stereo system.

The BMW M3 is based on the 3 Series executive car, so it’ll be no surprise whatsoever that practicality sits at a very similar level. Those in the front seats have lots of room to stretch out, but happily, those in the back don’t do at all badly, either. There’s lots of legroom on offer, and headroom is generous enough for six-foot-plus adults to sit comfortably. The three-seat rear bench is actually much better for two people, though: the middle seat is hard and raised, and there’s a transmission tunnel in the floor that eats into foot space, but it’s more the fact that the cabin is too narrow to comfortably accommodate three sets of shoulders. Your friends or colleagues might be able to stick it for short distances, though.

The boot in the BMW M3 Saloon is a very decent size at 480 litres, giving you plenty of space for family clutter, but the opening is rather shallow, so wedging larger items in might be tricky. There’s also a slightly awkward load lip to negotiate. If you need more cargo-carrying capability in your M3, then the latest incarnation is also available in Touring estate form. It doesn’t have that much more capacity at 500 litres, but the access is way better. Both versions have versatile 40-20-40 split-folding rear seats for when you need maximum load-lugging capacity. The folded seats lie at a slight angle, leaving a slope and a small step in the extended loadbay. The loading aperture this opens up in the saloon is small and awkwardly shaped, but again, it’s much bigger and better in the wagon.

The BMW M3 has a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission - there’s no manual gearbox option here. In the regular BMW M3 Competition Saloon, you can have it in either rear-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive forms, while with the BMW M3 Touring estate, and the limited-edition CS high performance (well, even higher performance) version of the saloon, it’s four-wheel drive only.

In the ‘regular’ BMW M3, the maximum power output stands at 510PS, and the official 0-62mph time stands at 3.5 seconds. The top speed is limited to 155mph, unless you add the optional M Driver’s Package, which allows a top speed of 180mph. Pay the (considerable amount) extra that the CS costs, and the power output is hiked up to 550PS, while the 0-62mph sprint time drops to 3.4 seconds. Top speed on this version stands at 188mph. And it was the CS version that we had a go in.

Now, those numbers all sound very impressive, but it’s nothing compared to the experience delivered by the car, and that applies at both ends of the speed spectrum. With the more relaxed driving modes selected, and when you’re just pootling around town, the M3 is a surprisingly easy and tranquil thing to get around in, with and engine that’s tractable and composed, controls that are consistent and easy to modulate, and a gearbox that slushes between ratios smoothly and cleanly. Get a few more revs on the dial, though, and the exhaust starts to sound naughtier and your speed rises exponentially: even in these modes, the car is capable of truly searing pace, especially if you find the bravery to rev it out to its dizzying 7,200rpm limit.

Switch the car into the more hardcore modes, however, and things become even more bonkers. With the transmission primed for maximum attack, the acceleration becomes even more brutal, and each upshift is punctuated by a burp from the exhaust and small extra surge of forward momentum, while each downshift results in theatrical spits and cracks from the exhaust. Monstrously fast and with no shortage of drama, if you can’t get excited about driving this car, then you’ll never be excited by any car.

In the CS that we drove, the engine is the thing that dominates here, and as we’ve said, it’s enormously impressive. It’s quiet, smooth and subdued when you’re driving gently, and it’s distant and relaxed at a motorway cruise, yet when you’re getting a move on, it delivers the sort of aural theatre that will have your pulse racing on its own, regardless of the pace you’re experiencing. We have heard it said that the regular M3’s engine and exhaust don’t deliver quite the same drama in terms of noise, and having not driven the car, that’s not something we can substantiate or otherwise, but we can’t imagine it would be an entirely soulless experience.

Wind noise isn’t an issue at motorway speeds, but you do hear a fair bit of road noise. Then again, when you consider the incredible width of the tyres beneath you, that’s not entirely surprising.

The current BMW 3 Series was crash-tested by Euro NCAP way back in 2019, and achieved the full five-star rating, but because the testing thresholds get harder and harder to ace each year, we don’t know if the score would be the same were it tested today.

The BMW M3 comes with a generous roster of safety kit as standard. This includes a vast variety of driver aids including a parking assistant, forward collision warning with automatic brake intervention, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, attention alert, speed limit assist and an emergency call function. A Driving Assistant package is also included, that brings lane change warning, rear cross traffic alert and rear collision prevention.

Take a look at the latest HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index, and it makes for some quite mixed signals. In the overall customer satisfaction standings, BMW placed 12th out of the 29 manufacturers considered, putting it above average and out-performing rivals Audi and Mercedes-Benz. In the same study, however, this generation of 3 Series featured 10th on the top 10 list of least reliable cars, which is a concern given the vast amount of models considered.

All cars have an insurance classification that runs from group 1 (the cheapest grouping) to group 50 (the most expensive). Look at a car like the BMW M3, with its lofty price tag and power output upwards of 500PS, and you might automatically assume that it would slot straight into group 50, but that’s actually not the case. Rear-drive versions of the Competition actually slot into group 41, while four-wheel drive variants sit in group 42. OK, so insurance premiums won’t be pence, then, but by the same token, they might not be as astronomical as you might expect. The CS only has an extra 40 horsepower, but that hikes its classification up to group 49, likely due to its considerably higher price.

Despite its monstrous power, the BMW M3 is taxed at the same flat rate as any other petrol-powered car, which stands at £180 per year. Do be aware, however, that because all versions cost (considerably) more than £40,000 to buy new, they’re classed by the exchequer as luxury cars, meaning that you must pay an additional surcharge on top of that for five years, between years two and six of the car’s life. That surcharge amounts to £390, taking your annual road tax bill for that period up to £570.

Most of the standard kit you get on the BMW M3 is either the performance-enhancing stuff we’ve already talked about, or the infotainment and safety stuff that we’ve also already mentioned. However, there are a few bits and pieces of luxury kit that are provided besides. Competition versions get alloy wheels (19-inchers at the front and 20s at the rear), heated front seats, M Sport leather seats, three-zone climate control, automatic lights and wipers, LED lighting all round, a head-up display, and cruise control with braking function. As well as all the performance upgrades, the CS gets various additional bits of lightweight CFRP body styling, plus the upgraded M Carbon bucket seats.