Rs 65 lakh: BMW 330Li M-Sport vs 530i M-Sport vs X3 xDrive

We currently own an 8-year-old Hyundai i20 which has clocked over 1 lakh km.

BHPian GokuTorqueRider recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello BHPians/Petrolheads,

Being a silent follower of the wonderful forum for more than a decade finally, I am in a crossroads situation where I need guidance/advice from you all on choosing my first Luxury car.

Just a background on me I am in my early 30s hailing from a middle-class family and the first generation to own/worship a car. We currently own an 8-year-old Hyundai i20 which has clocked over 1 lakh km and has been like a member of the family.

I always dreamed of owning a Luxury car and have been saving for it from the time I purchase our i20. This ongoing pandemic put me away from my car for more than 2 years and it made me think that this was the right time to own my dream.

Started discussing with my wife the plan and after a long discussion/convincing she finally agreed to make the big move. We both agree that we do not want anything other than a BMW as we somehow feel more connected to the BMW than any other brand.

We are a family of 5 including my parents who are in their late 60's and an infant. We mostly drive to places across south India and at least once in 2 months to a hill station. I enjoy spirited driving when I am alone or with my wife and like to cruise with comfort when others are on the ride. We like to own this car for at least the next 10 years and reliability is the key thing. Decided to go only with petrol options as most of the automakers are slowly discontinuing diesel mills.

We had a hard budget of Rs 65 lakh with that started our showroom visit in Dec, We approached KUN BMW Coimbatore and did a TD on 330LI, 530i, and the last Gen x3 (though we can not book it at the time as BMW was about to Launch LCI in Early Jan). The SA was so sure that they can not provide any discount of more than 2L for any of their current models owning to huge demand and chip shortage.

yesterday did a second round of visits to the showroom to do more TD with my complete family and was surprised to see the New X3 in their garage though I was not able to do the TD I was impressed with the new tail Light and the updated headlight assembly.

• BMW 330Li M-Sport: I like the overall driving dynamics and the family felt better with the extra legroom in the rear seat but I felt the suspension is a bit soft compared to 330i and due to chip shortage they have removed gesture control, 360 cameras with the upcoming batches.
• BMW 530i M-sport: The moment I stepped into 530i I felt its interiors are in a different class compared to 330Li. The TD was amazing and the laser lights lit up the road quite well which boost my confidence in the evening the only downside which I felt was a small scratch on the underbelly over a big hump and the car was loaded with 6 including myself and SA in the front which my family occupied the rear seat.
• BMW X3 Xdrive30 M-sport: This was never under our radar until the scratch on the underbody during a TD on the 530i as we like to drive around a sedan at least till the early 40s, but the new x3 design and the old x3 reviews made me rethink on owning an SUV.

Now the confusion over which bimmer starts here as I know that 3 series is almost nearing its time for an LCI update and I do not want to buy the last generation when I know that the change is somewhere around the corner as I am planning to stick with the new drive for more than a decade.

For the 330Li, I somehow feel that it does not fit in either of the categories and like to keep it as the last option if things don't work out with the 5 series or X3.

Everyone in the family is fine with the 530i but I am a bit sceptical about the GC given that 40% of rides will be on some non-highway roads I like to know how well a 530i can handle the non-highway roads and some rough terrains on hill stations.

X3 is completely sold out for the first edition and one may need to wait till March for the second slot booking. We are considering it only from the GC point other than that not much interested in an SUV now and also this being a new launch I doubt that they may not even offer the Rs 2 lakh discount.

We even considered the 340I but worried about the FE. My rides will be split 50-50 on a spirited ride and a family cruise ride.

This will be our primary car other than the ageing i20 which we feel will serve for some more years.

Here's what BHPian Turbanator had to say on the matter:

BMW is amongst the more reliable of all the Germans as you must have noticed on other threads. 530 is a very good car and GC should not be a problem on the majority of roads. At least, it will be better over 330Li. However, the rear seats are a pain and can be a dealbreaker especially if your parents accompany you a lot They may not feel good sitting so low. The best will be to take them along on an extended drive.

X3-LCI looks nice and will be fresh, you can book the M variant and get those lovely alloys complimentary. There are multiple X3 ownership threads and many members have driven long distances. It drives well for an SUV, not the same as 5 but still, you will enjoy more in daily use.

Since the days of crazy discounts are practically over, it’s always a good idea to buy the latest product. There won’t be any discounts on the X3 LCI but you should be able to get deliveries from an alternate dealership most likely. Good luck with your purchase.

Here's what BHPian androdev had to say on the matter:

I think there are two very well maintained TN reg BMW cars on Team-BHP Classifieds. 530i and X3 2d. Worth considering. TN roads really good and you can manage a sedan - rare underbody speed breaker scrapes are harmless. Just don't go over large stones and you will do just fine.

Your shortlist is pretty focused already, just go with your gut feeling after test driving with full family.

Here's what BHPian Hayek had to say on the matter:

Agree fully that you should test drive both options back to back and then decide what you prefer.

Why did I pick an X3 rather than a 5 series? It actually boiled down to rear-seat knee room. In my driving position, my knees pressed against the rear of the driver’s seat in the 5 series (F-10, not current generation), while in the X3, I did not face the same problem. I realised when I bought the X3 that my son is likely to be tall (he is already almost 5’10 at 14) and wanted to ensure that he will be comfortable in the rear seat. The 5 series does have better front seats and more under-thigh support in the rear seat than the X3, so if your family is a little shorter than mine, the 5 may be a better choice. The other advantage of the X3 was boot space - in the previous generation, where the spare tyre was placed on the boot floor, the X3 offered more practicality than the 5 series. Both these factors may be different in the current generation, so do test it for yourself. I also think that the xDrive and adaptive suspension add some value - though the extent of benefit from that could be debated.

And finally, the greater ground clearance of the X3 does provide a marginal benefit on those 4-5 days in a year when Bombay floods. Without being reckless, the X3 does make a difference between driving through minor floods instead of parking and wading on foot.

Here's what BHPian aravindrn had to say on the matter:

Hi Goku,

I have been driving an X3 2.0d for the last 5.5 years. Similar to you I had started out buying a BMW sedan but had to give up all hopes immediately due to the state of Bangalore roads. Even though my parents/in-laws don't stay with me, I had to consider the low seating in sedans due to them. I have done numerous Bangalore - Coimbatore, Bangalore - Coorg/Chikamagalur, Bangalore - Kodaikanal drives in the X3. The car is an absolute hoot to drive and it has the least body roll amongst all SUVs in that price range and the sport mode is great in the highways/ghats. Also in terms of maintenance, with the BRI and BSI packages, all I had to do was fill fuel and drive.

Regarding the rear bench space, I have found both my parents/in-laws ( all with a maximum height of 5'7") have had no complaints about 8-9 hour drives also. Even with the tunnel, rear space should be good enough for 2 adults and a 10-year-old kid for long drives. The only negative is the slightly stiffer ride quality due to the run-flats but I didn't want to have a space saver in the boot due to the luggage we carry when we travel on the highways and didn't want to compromise on the safety.

My car has done 55,000 km and even though I recently bought a Gle 400d the X3 is my daily driver for its sedan-like ride. I intend to keep her for at least another 3-4 years.

The new LCI looks fabulous and should serve you well for the next 6-8 years till your infant grows up and your parents will definitely thank you for a higher seating as they will only grow older. You can look up to the amazing ownership threads of SantoshBhat and Hayek for further information.

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