# X3 vs X3m40i Lease Vs Buy Color Vs Speed



## justaBMWgirl (Nov 4, 2021)

Hey Everyone, would love to get some input. I'm currently making the jump from sedan to SUV going from a 330ixdrive to an X3 or X4. Love the look of the x4 but honestly it makes me a bit claustrophobic in comparison to the X3 head room. I like my ceilings high what can I say, but the x4 is so much nicer to look at in my opinion.

I'm in between buying and leasing - all cars right now are pretty much order only, worst time in history to buy a car I know but my lease is up and my Huffy is just not up to speed. My thoughts are if you buy at least in 3 years you'll have some equity vs loosing all the equity with a lease, thoughts? I've had two 3 year leases already and I really don't need a new car every 3 years so my thought is to buy my next one. Has anyone had this same argument, what did you ultimately decide?

Second question, the color combos arnt there in the X's - you really start getting whatever options you want when you hit the 5 series. Ideally id like Metallic White with a Leather, I have Alpine White(Cognac Leather) and its so flat for me but the m40i models come in the typical M colors. For the X3 I could go with MSport Package Mineral White or bump it to the X3m40i in Alpine white with all the bells and whistles. My wish is an X3m40i in MW with Tacora Leather. Has anyone made the decision from X3 30i to X3 m40i? Which driving experience did you choose?

Big decisions I know! and I know that its ultimately up to me but would appreciate any feedback!


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## Cadure (Oct 9, 2021)

My feeling is that if you are going to keep it longer than around 4-5 years, then buy. Usually if you run the numbers, leasing becomes more expensive after that period.


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## Autoputzer (Mar 16, 2014)

They've cancelled a lot of the electronic gadgets on the 30i's. I believe that includes HUD, H-K, optional parking cameras, and front passenger power lumbar adjustment. That would stop me from buying a four-cylinder BMW now. I believe you can still get those gadgets on the M40i. 

BMW FS guessed at the residual value of your car three years ago, long before all the COVID and car shortages. Your contract allows you to buy your car at the end of the lease for that residual price. Normally, BMW FS residuals are inflated, part of what makes lease payments so low. But, with all the chaos going on it's likely that your leased 330i is worth more than the residual value in your contract. As you've figured out, you'll be paying pretty much full MSRP for a new X3. An option would be to camp out in your 330i for a few months, maybe a year until things are back to normal. Depending on how long you were to keep your lease buy-back and how long the chaos continues, you would be driving your 330i xDrive for free... for a while, anyway. 

The ownership costs of a BMW in the fourth, fifth, sixth... years are far cheaper than they would be in the first three years if you bought a 2022 now.

BMW FS would likely finance you buying your leased 330i, and your monthly payments would probably be less than what your current lease payment is.

The crossover point between leasing and buying is somewhere around five or six years for the typical 12k miles/year, but that goes down if you have higher annual mileage. 15k miles/year, leasing is almost a no-brainer. 8k miles/year, owning is almost a no-brainer. 

If you're happy with the acceleration of your 330i, then other than getting the gadgets there's not much reason to spend the extra... what?... $5k for an M40i. An X3 will be about 500 pounds heavier than a 3 Series sedan. So, the acceleration of an X3 30i would be like your 330i with three more people in it. SUV's don't handle as well as passenger cars. They're heavier and the center of mass is higher. There's a reason Ferraris are so low to the ground.

My 535i's 7.5 years old, and I have the itch for a new 330i. But, there's no way I'd buy one now, due to the price and the lack of gadgets.


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## mattinfll (Oct 5, 2010)

If ordereing right now, you will get more content in your vehicle by ordering an M40i, such as HUD, Sirius and a few other things - plus there's a problem with 19" standard tires on the 30's right now (they don't have any). I just bumped up from an X1 to the X4 M40i, and I have a smile on my face every day when I start it. And driving it is just next level. 

I only ever lease because I traditionally have wanted a new car every 2-3 years. 

I wanted the style of the X4, and I am a large guy and feel like it is really spacious in the front seats. Granted, the rear seats are going to be more cramped, but I am usually not carrying people. The hatch/trunk is also plenty big, even with the seats up. 

Colors - I've always been for dark colors, but a friend who saw an early model told me to go with Brooklyn Gray, and it looks great in person. Tacored Red interior and black rims with red calipers. Lots of great comments on it so far.

Whatever you choose - good luck!


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## justaBMWgirl (Nov 4, 2021)

Cadure said:


> My feeling is that if you are going to keep it longer than around 4-5 years, then buy. Usually if you run the numbers, leasing becomes more expensive after that period.


And thats where my head is at! I just really indecisii


mattinfll said:


> If ordereing right now, you will get more content in your vehicle by ordering an M40i, such as HUD, Sirius and a few other things - plus there's a problem with 19" standard tires on the 30's right now (they don't have any). I just bumped up from an X1 to the X4 M40i, and I have a smile on my face every day when I start it. And driving it is just next level.
> 
> I only ever lease because I traditionally have wanted a new car every 2-3 years.
> 
> ...



Ahhhh this ones nice! I test drove an almost exact one to this to get the m40i feel. x1 to x4 is quite the jump! but im sure its worth it. Yup only performance tires out there now which arnt too good for the snow. I wanted to buy this time but im quickly learning i wont be able to get everything i want. Ive read lots of orders are being changed last min so thats throwing me off on the buy aspect.


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## justaBMWgirl (Nov 4, 2021)

Autoputzer said:


> Thanks for your input! I thought about buying out my 330 but they changed the body on it in 2019 and I got mine at the end of 2018 so my concern was its value wont be there in a few years when i go to sell because its would be a few body styles old by then. I did want to be higher so i know it wont handle as well (didnt think of this) but im not a racer any more, lots of speeding tickets have humbled me a bit. And to your point of lots of things missing on the orders, that's why i was thinking of going to x3 m40i model as ill have a better chance of getting the options in the car if i do plan to keep it past 5-6 years, at least ill be happier with what i have? Its such a hard decision!


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## justaBMWgirl (Nov 4, 2021)

Also, does it pay to get the bigger engine because it will have a better resale down the road in 6-7 years if I plan to get into something else ?


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## Autoputzer (Mar 16, 2014)

BMW platforms (body styles) are usually made for six years. There's usually a mid-life refresh after three years. Yeah, your F30 330i is the previous body style, but it was also that after just one year. Buying or leasing the last year of a platform can often get you a better deal, by the way. I personally think the F30 looks better than the G20. I also think having a BMW that is two-platforms old and still in good shape is a status symbol, a sign of diligence and intelligence.

Your car's probably worth about $35k now. That's probably way more than the residual. I'd bet your residual is below $30k.

It sound's like you have the SUV itch and the new BMW itch. Powerful itches have to be scratched. I'm with you on having all those gadgets. I pretty much check off every box when I'm ordering a BMW.

One of the boxes you should really think about checking off on your new X3 is the $150 spare tire. It raises the floor of the cargo area about seven inches, but you won't miss it. It also brings the floor up above the rear hatch opening. That actually makes it a lot easier to get heavy objects out, because you don't have to lift them up over the hatch opening. You really need a spare tire on a road trip, even with run-flat tires. Just ask this F25 X3 owner... 

(680) The cost of no spare tire! | BimmerFest BMW Forum

Having a spare tire will also give you the option of going to non-run-flat tires when the OE tires are worn out. They're usually cheaper, ride much better, and also last longer. 

There's a shortage of 19" X3 wheels as the X3 factory. So, a lot of X3's are coming with 20" summer performance tires. Those summer tires will make the car completely undrivable in snow, even with xDrive. I'm assuming you get snow where you live, since you currently have an xDrive BMW. The best way to deal with this is have two sets of tires and wheels, one for winter, one for the rest of the year. A set of winter tires and BMW wheels will cost between $2k and $3.5k, if you can even get them. There might also be shortage of 19" BMW wheels for the winter tire packages. If you're going to lease, you might be able to get them included as part of the lease contract.




justaBMWgirl said:


> Also, does it pay to get the bigger engine because it will have a better resale down the road in 6-7 years if I plan to get into something else ?


No. That's just car salesman talk. They've been saying that since before I was a yoot and went with my mom to buy her 1972 Plymouth Fury III. The M40i is probably $5k more than a 30i. Don't expect to get much of that money back in resale. Also, if gasoline goes to $6/gallon that would hurt the value of big-engine cars.

When things were normal, a good rule of thumb for depreciation of a car driven 12k miles/year is:

25% down from MSRP the first year.

20% down from the previous year's book value the year the warranty ends, the year the car becomes seven model years old, and the year the car goes over 100k miles.

15% down from the previous year's book value the remaining years.

So, expect a six year old car to be worth about 30% of MSRP and a seven year old car to be worth about 25% of MSRP. Options depreciate faster and sometimes further. That extra $5k for the M40i might get you back around $1500.

Test drive both a 30i and an M40i. That's the only way to decide if you need ~380 h.p. instead of just ~250 h.p.


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## justaBMWgirl (Nov 4, 2021)

Just watched a YouTube of someone who didn't get the spare! Wise Advice for sure. 

My buy out is about $30k and the resale is somewhere in that ball park. For the maybe extra $2-4k its not worth dealing with it and you're so right, i have the SUV itch bad. Prior to landing on the x3 I test drove the GLC (awful), the GLE (nice but premiums on it due to shortages), the Q5 not available for 3+ months and the Macan pushes out of that $50-60k bracket where I wanted to stay. The x3 IMO is the best you can get in that bracket and the most fun to drive. Fun being the main difference between all the brands.


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## Autoputzer (Mar 16, 2014)

I looked up the KBB private sale value of a 2018 330i xDrive with no options, 36k miles, very good condition, and the Bubba County, Floriduh ZIP Code, and the value was between $33.5k and $37k. xDrives don't sell well down here, so you might do better if you live in an area with snow.

Selling a car privately is a PIA, and can be dangerous. But, it's easy if the car's in good shape and you network with coworkers, friends, neighbors, and relatives. I have six people waiting for my 2014 535i, and three people waiting for Frau Putzer's 2018 X3.

If you have a new BMW on order, BMW FS will likely extend you lease until the new car arrives. 

Frau Putzer's 2018 X3 xDrive 30i had an MSRP of $56,320. Before taxes and after rebates, we got it for $29,918. Taxes brought it up to $53,381. We got just about all the bells and whistles except the M Sport Package. We didn't get the M Sport Package because for some stupid reason that eliminates the optional non-run-flat, all-season, 19" tires.


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## Autoputzer (Mar 16, 2014)

Oops, make that seven people on my 535i's waiting list. #1 is a friend, Leroy. We were going to lunch a few years ago, parked, and a flock of starlings crapped all over my car. I told him we had to hit the wand wash place before going to lunch. Leroy said "Or we can hit the credit union, instead," meaning he'd go withdraw the cash for the car right then. 

#2 on the list is the guy who bought my previous BMW. #3 is a former neighbor. #4 is a former co-worker. #5, #6, and #7 are BF-ers, mainly because I have a rare F10 535i with a manual transmission.


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## mdino768 (Dec 12, 2016)

justaBMWgirl said:


> Hey Everyone, would love to get some input. I'm currently making the jump from sedan to SUV going from a 330ixdrive to an X3 or X4. Love the look of the x4 but honestly it makes me a bit claustrophobic in comparison to the X3 head room. I like my ceilings high what can I say, but the x4 is so much nicer to look at in my opinion.
> 
> I'm in between buying and leasing - all cars right now are pretty much order only, worst time in history to buy a car I know but my lease is up and my Huffy is just not up to speed. My thoughts are if you buy at least in 3 years you'll have some equity vs loosing all the equity with a lease, thoughts? I've had two 3 year leases already and I really don't need a new car every 3 years so my thought is to buy my next one. Has anyone had this same argument, what did you ultimately decide?
> 
> ...


the lease on my 2019 x3 was coming due - i ordered an x4 30i (msport package and all options i wanted) a month into the order they pulled my options( no HUD, No satellite radio, they put on performance tires and black rims) I didn't take the car when it came in. and since the 2022 x3 had all those options pulled ( HUD, parking assistant/surround view camera) And in this market if I'm going to pay close to msrp, i want what i want. so i looked to the M40i. didn't think i needed the bigger engine for the money but from reviews I've read everyone loves the M40I. supposed to take delivery of mine this weekend, unless i still have an itch for the x4 - however the x4 m40i jumps the price another 6grand for basically the same suv.... so i may stay with x3 m40i 
best of luck - hope you get what you want


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## justaBMWgirl (Nov 4, 2021)

Hey! Thanks for responding. I actually ended up ordering a x4 m40i - it was more then I wanted to pay but since I was buying and not leasing I figured I’d get what I wanted! I was in the same boat with x3 m40i vs x4 m40i, ultimately I thought the x4 was cooler looking and went that route, at the end of the day the $5k extra was worth it because I planned on keeping it a while. It made me happy where the x3 missed the mark. That and x3 are dime a dozens, x4 are not as popular and so are more rare.
I choose Alpine white, Tacora red and carbon fiber, Harmon sound and heads up display and Surround cameras. It came super fast and when I went to pick it up they said a lot of options are not available anymore.
It’s def an awful time to buy a car, I paid full sticker, a lot of other dealers for other cars are asking you over sticker right now where I’m located.


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## holymackerel (Dec 23, 2013)

justaBMWgirl said:


> Hey! Thanks for responding. I actually ended up ordering a x4 m40i - it was more then I wanted to pay but since I was buying and not leasing I figured I’d get what I wanted! I was in the same boat with x3 m40i vs x4 m40i, ultimately I thought the x4 was cooler looking and went that route, at the end of the day the $5k extra was worth it because I planned on keeping it a while. It made me happy where the x3 missed the mark. That and x3 are dime a dozens, x4 are not as popular and so are more rare.
> I choose Alpine white, Tacora red and carbon fiber, Harmon sound and heads up display and Surround cameras. It came super fast and when I went to pick it up they said a lot of options are not available anymore.
> It’s def an awful time to buy a car, I paid full sticker, a lot of other dealers for other cars are asking you over sticker right now where I’m located.


Congrats on the arrival of your X4 M40i! How long did it take to arrive and were all the electronics you expected on the car?


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## justaBMWgirl (Nov 4, 2021)

holymackerel said:


> Congrats on the arrival of your X4 M40i! How long did it take to arrive and were all the electronics you expected on the car?


Thank you!

I ordered early November, the allocation wasn't approved until December but they moved it to the top and i actually picked it up right before the end of the year. It had arrived at the dealership close to Christmas. Fortunately I was able to get all the upgrades i wanted. When i went to pick it up they had mentioned there were no more Harman upgrades available on some models and they were surprised i had gotten it.


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## Red Ruby (Sep 1, 2021)

I wish that for some of these options that are not available, particularly the HK Audio, BMW could at least install the wiring. Then you could add on later.


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