BMW X3 vs Range Rover Sport

What's the difference?

This is a highly competent all-rounder, given that it has the comfort and practicality for urban family duties yet with its revered M breeding can produce a level of performance which, in competent hands, could hold its own at a track day where its capabilities could be safely explored.

The Range Rover Sport P460e Dynamic HSE is a cool and classy premium five-seat SUV. It’s comfortable, refined, powerful and efficient with excellent safety and thoughtful practicality.

If you’re in the market for a luxurious SUV and your budget sits just under $200K this car should be on your shopping list but we’d recommend careful assessment of its value proposition across standard features and cost-of-ownership relative to its highly credentialled rivals. 

The fourth-gen X3, which has a lighter but stiffer body, shares the same wheelbase as its third-gen predecessor but at 4755mm end-to-end it's 34mm longer and it's 29mm wider.

It’s also 25mm lower, which combined with front and rear track-width increases and adaptive suspension damping to sharpen the handling underlines its sportiness and driver appeal, despite a substantial 2055kg kerb weight.

The new exterior design is characterised by short overhangs, flush door handles, a larger ‘split kidney’ grille, new LED taillights and L-shaped light elements for the LED headlights.

The new interior design is a classy mix of soft-touch materials and high-gloss hard surfaces in tastefully contrasting tones. The seats are upholstered in a new synthetic leather called 'Veganza' ('Espresso Brown' in our example) which according to BMW requires 85 per cent fewer CO2 emissions to produce than genuine leather (which is still available as an extra-cost option).

Combined with subtle use of ‘Magnolia’ fine-wood trim inserts, satin chrome, piano black, blue/red M highlights and slender ambient light-strips, it’s a cabin that exudes opulence.

Gerry McGovern may have left his role as Jaguar Land Rover Chief Creative Officer (under mysterious circumstances) late last year but his design fingerprints are all over the current Range Rover Sport.

A clean, confident and tightly wrapped exterior reflects his focus for SUVs on large, relatively unadorned surfaces, a high waistline and a curved, sloping nose. 

A coefficient of drag (Cd) of just 0.29 also supports his team’s consistent focus on aero efficiency.

The interior treatment gives off a clearly discernible echo of Land Rovers and Range Rovers past with a compact angular hood sitting over the compact digital instrument display and the flat lower dash section enhancing a feeling of simplicity.

Perforated semi-analine leather seat trim (in Ebony on our test car) dials up the luxury feel, as does the sleek 13.1-inch media screen and soft-touch materials across the dashtop as well as in and around the doors.

Worth noting piano black surfaces across the front centre console might look slick in the showroom but in day-to-day life they attract fingerprints like Chopper Read before a police interview.

This would make a great family weekend escape machine, for which BMW quotes a 645kg payload rating. It’s also rated to tow up to 2500kg of braked trailer, which could pose a challenge given the relatively low 100kg tow-ball download limit (TBD is typically around 10 per cent of trailer weight).

BMW also does not publish a GCM figure (how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) so we can’t confirm if it can carry its maximum payload while towing its maximum trailer weight.

Even so, the M50 has a useful-sized luggage area which offers up to 570 litres (or 0.57 cubic metres) of load volume with the rear seat upright.

This expands to 1700 litres (or 1.7 cubic metres) with the rear seat folded flat, which can be handy for a multitude of tasks like transporting a mountain bike or hauling home flat-pack furniture.

There’s comfortable space for the driver and front passenger, along with useful storage including large bottle-holders and bins in each front door.

The centre console has two small-bottle/cupholders plus wireless phone-charging and a pair of USB ports. There's also a glove box plus another box at the rear of the console with a padded lid that doubles as an elbow rest.

The rear bench seat is surprisingly spacious, given that I’m 186cm tall and when seated behind the driver’s seat in my position I still have about 40mm of knee clearance, which is optimised by the concave shape of the front seat backrests.

The spacious and airy feel is enhanced by the ‘panorama’ glass roof which spans the full length of the seating area and allows generous headroom even for tall people.  

However, shoulder room is tight for three adults and the centre passenger’s feet must contend with the transmission tunnel, so even though it would be fine for three kids we’d suggest a limit of two adults for longer trips.

Rear passengers get privacy glass and pull-up roller sunshades, large-bottle holders and bins in each door plus net-type pockets and anchorage points for media devices on each front seat backrest. There are also two small-bottle/cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest.

The rear of the centre console has two USB ports, adjustable air-vents plus controls for zone temperature, airflow preferences and seat-heating.

The bench seat features a 40/20/40 split, which allows the centre backrest to fold forward independent of the two outer backrests to allow long loads like snow skis, home hardware etc to be carried if securely fastened.

A power tailgate provides access to the luggage area, which is equipped with a handy 12-volt accessory socket plus load-anchorage points front and rear, extra storage nooks for small items on either side and a retractable roller-type load cover. Overall, this vehicle offers good practicality for family duties.

At just shy of 5.0m long, more than 2.2m wide and a bit over 1.8m tall with a 2997mm wheelbase the current Range Rover Sport is a large five-seater. 

Its wide-track, high-roof stance and the dash’s away slope means there’s lots of room up front  and storage aplenty.

A deep box between the seats is covered by a padded lid and a dual cupholder unit in front of it is able to slide away to reveal another handy space. A wireless charging pad sits in front of the gearshifter.

The top of the centre console forms a flying buttress which leaves another useful storage area underneath.

Generous bins in the doors (neatly outlined by bright metal trims) are big enough to hold large bottles and there are two (upper and lower) glove boxes on the passenger side.

There are also individual front centre armrests swinging down from the inner edge of the front seats, their angle adjusted via a twisting rotary dial.

We’re not convinced by the multimedia package with a relatively complex line-up of screens and functions proving at times a struggle to navigate. 

Physical controls for the ventilation system, rather than in-screen adjustment would be a good start.

But what we loved was the heated windscreen which is part of the Cold Climate Pack fitted to the test car. A cold winter morning’s foggy windscreen cleared in an instant is a huge safety plus.

Move to the back, as you’d expect for a car measuring close to three metres between its axles, there’s lots of room.

Sitting behind the driver’s seat set to my 183cm position I have plenty of head, leg and shoulder room. 

The rear seat’s breadth means three adults can slide in there quite easily. But the centre position isn’t sculpted and padded like the outer two and a driveline hump in the centre of the floor limits footroom, however power recline functionality (with controls in the doors) adds extra flexibility.

The reason for the non-sculpting in the centre spot is a hefty fold-down centre console housing a lidded storage compartment and a pair of flip-out cupholders.

The door bins are generous, there are hard-shell map pockets on the front seatbacks and adjustable ventilation control at the back of the front centre console sits above the seat heating dials. Nice. 

The boot swallows no less than 647 litres with the 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat upright which grows to a healthy 1491L with it folded and there are numerous helpful additions back there including hooks, lighting, a netted pocket, storage cubby and 12-volt power socket. Boot-mounted buttons to release the rear seats are handy, too.

The same control panel contains a height adjustment feature for the electronic air suspension to make loading and unloading easier and Land Rover also deserves a medal for including a full-size spare wheel rather than a space-saver or inflator kit.

In this case that means a monster 23-inch alloy rim shod with the same tyres as the rubber doing the work under the car. Bravo!   

Power and connectivity options include two USB-C sockets, a 12-volt outlet and a wireless phone charging pad in the front, another two USB-Cs in the back and a second 12V plug in the boot. So no problems with charging capacity for phones and other devices.

Braked trailer capacity is 3.0 tonnes (750kg unbraked) and one of the Range Rover’s party tricks is the ability to swing the tow bar into place or back out of the way at the touch of a (you guessed it) boot-mounted button. Exposed shins everywhere are grateful.

Our test car’s Dynamic HSE grade is one rung up the Range Rover Sport ladder with a single grade below and four above. 

Then its P460e petrol plug-in hybrid powertrain is one of four choices which also include petrol and diesel mild hybrids.

The combination of the two adds up to $181,018 (a model year update coming in quarter four sees that increase to $188,500), before on-road costs, which puts it in the same size and price league as the Audi SQ7 4.0 TFSI V8 quattro ($174,815), BMW X5 M60i ($177,900), Mercedes-AMG GLE53 AMG 4Matic+ ($179,900) and Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid AWD ($187,800) - all prices before on-road costs.

Quite the shopping list of large performance luxury SUVs and you have to be packing in the standard features to keep your head above water in this company.

Aside from the performance and safety tech we’ll get to shortly this Range Rover Sport steps up with 20-way heated and ventilated, electric memory front seats, electrically reclining and heated rear seats, perforated semi-analine leather seat trim, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, illuminated alloy treadplates (with Range Rover script), Satin Chrome gearshift paddles and ‘bright metal’ pedal covers.

There’s also a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, dual-zone climate control, an electrically adjustable steering column, a 13.1-inch central multimedia touchscreen, high-end Meridian audio (with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and digital radio), a head-up display, built-in nav, voice recognition and wireless device charging.

To split hairs, I’d expect three- or four-zone climate at this price point but things like the heated power rear seats are a nice inclusion.

All up, a solid standard equipment list but not enough to blow the competition away.

For reference, our test car had been treated to some options in the shape of the Enhanced Black Pack for $8720 (black brake calipers, 23-inch gloss black wheels, privacy glass, Black Exterior Pack and black contrast roof), a sliding panoramic sunroof ($4641), Cold Climate Pack for $1980 (heated steering wheel, heated windscreen and heated washer jets) and adaptive off-road cruise control ($483). Total as-tested price is $196,482, before on-road costs.  

According to BMW, the M50 xDrive features the most powerful inline six-cylinder petrol engine fitted to an M Performance model.

This 3.0-litre unit clearly benefits from BMW’s twin-scroll turbocharging technology, which combined with variable valve timing and an extra 13kW/200Nm from the 48V mild-hybrid technology produces a stomping 293kW of power at 5500rpm and 580Nm of torque at 1900rpm.

It also has a ‘boost’ function, which provides an extra burst of power for short periods when maximum acceleration is required when overtaking etc.

It’s activated by the left paddle-shifter on the steering wheel and automatically optimises transmission/chassis settings to suit. There’s also a drive mode selector, with ‘Sport’ offering the most responsive and engaging experience.

The eight-speed torque converter automatic is a refined and efficient transmission well suited to this full-time all-wheel drive application. Rapid-fire manual shifting is also available using the steering wheel paddles.

The Range Rover Sport Dynamic HSE P460e is powered by a 3.0-litre, turbo-petrol, inline six-cylinder engine sending drive to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel-drive system including a two-speed transfer box for high- and low-range running off-road.

A permanent magnet synchronous electric motor, positioned between the engine and transmission, is powered by a 38.2kWh lithium-ion battery located under the rear floor.

The motor’s roughly 160kW of peak power contributes to overall outputs of 338kW and 660Nm, the 2.7-tonne SUV claimed to sprint from 0-100km/h in a spritely 5.5 seconds.

BMW claims an official average combined consumption of 8.2L/100km but the dash display was showing 9.9 at the completion of our 210km test, which included a mix of suburban, city and highway travel.

Our own figure, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, came in slightly higher again at 10.5L/100km, which given our test vehicle’s two-tonne-plus weight and performance capabilities is still reasonable economy.

So, based on our figures, you could expect a realistic driving range of around 600km from its 65-litre tank, which prefers premium 98 RON petrol.

Claimed combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) fuel economy for the Range Rover Sport Dynamic HSE P460e is a miserly 1.6L/100km, the 3.0L inline six emitting just 38g/km of CO2 in the process.

It’s important to note that the official number is predicated on the car’s battery being charged consistently.   

Land Rover says pure-EV range on the combined WLTP cycle is 118km, noting a real world number of “up to 96km” is more realistic. Maximum electric-only speed is a lofty 140km/h.

Maximum DC charge rate is 50kW which Land Rover says will deliver an 80 per cent charge in 40 minutes. A 7.0kW AC wallbox will take you to 100 per cent in five hours and a 2.3kW domestic socket will have you waiting 15 hours for a full charge. Home and public charging cables are included.

We recharged at a 150kW pylon and as expected the peak rate went to around 45 kW and it took 30 minutes to half fill the battery. Using the supplied home charging cable on a three-pin outlet for a roughly nine-hour stint delivered a 50 per cent battery top-up. 

Over around 300km of city, suburban and highway running we spent most of the time in Hybrid mode which leaves it to the powertrain’s brain to switch between pure-electric and internal combustion power, rather than the dedicated EV setting. 

Overall result was 6.1L/100km, which is pretty great for a full-size, 2.7-tonne SUV.

A 71.5-litre fuel tank (which requires a minimum 95 RON premium unleaded inside it) equates to a real-world range of around 1170km using our on-test consumption figure.

First, the fun stuff. It certainly feels like ‘the ultimate driving machine’ when you slide behind the chunky leather-rimmed flat-bottom steering wheel and hold it in your hands.

The driver’s seat offers not only powered adjustment of backrest and base-cushion rake, but also four-way lumbar support and side-bolsters that can tighten their embrace of your upper torso to contend with high cornering loads.

There’s also manual extension of the base-cushion length for greater thigh support and a big left footrest to brace against, so you could not ask for a more accommodating and purposeful driving position.

The steering is perfectly weighted and the quartet of enormous disc brakes provide ample bite with superb pedal feel. Combined with its adaptive suspension and wide grippy tyres, the X3 is a family car that’s also invigorating to drive, particularly when you select the ‘Sport’ mode.

The enhanced engine response and sharper steering that result (even the instrument panel display changes) make any twisting mountain road an engaging experience, enhanced by an intoxicating exhaust note that only a BMW M six can deliver.

The turbocharged engine offers an unyielding surge of acceleration from well below peak torque at 1900rpm to maximum power at 5500rpm, making BMW’s claim of 0-100km/h in a scant 4.6 seconds sound credible.

You can also manually change gears using the steering wheel paddles, but we found the gearing and shift calibrations so good that we preferred to leave it in auto mode.

However, the X3 M50 has two distinct personalities, as in more relaxed drive modes it’s just as happy serving as practical family transport during the week for grocery shopping, daily school runs and other common tasks.

It’s also a comfortable tourer for family getaways, with long gearing that requires only 1500rpm to cruise at 100km/h where low engine, tyre and wind noise allow highway conversations at lounge room levels.

Applying a Sport badge to a 5.0-metre long, roughly 2.7-tonne SUV is a brave call. But there’s no doubt the Range Rover Sport Dynamic HSE P460e is rapid in a straight line. 

Zero to 100km/h in 5.5 seconds is quick for a car of this size, and just so you know, it has the ability to storm on to a maximum velocity of 225km/h. It will even hit 140km/h in EV-only mode.

The 3.0-litre, turbo-petrol six feels and sounds suitably brawny without upsetting what is an impressively refined drive.

Throttle response is as smooth as it is urgent, the eight-speed auto is slick as butter and the option of manual shifts via wheel-mounted paddles is welcome when you want to get more involved.

The front seats manage to combine long-distance comfort with firm location and the continuously variable adaptive suspension smooths out imperfections with uncanny ease.

The layout is double wishbones at the front with multi-links at the rear and the Sport’s calibration keeps in planted and balanced in corners despite its high-riding SUV form.

Noise from the enormous 23-inch rims, shod with 285/40 Pirelli Scorpion MS rubber is minimal and we didn’t come close to challenging their grip strength. Road feel through the steering is pretty good, too.  

Brakes are big ventilated discs all around (400mm fr / 370mm rr) and they’re well up to the task with regen braking in support at slower speeds.

This test was on-road only, but for the record this car’s approach angle is a maximum 33 degrees, breakover is 24.5 and departure is 30, with a handy wading depth of 900mm.

Despite its substantial footprint the Range Rover Sport is surprisingly easy to park, with sensors, multiple cameras and screens helping to keep things low-stress.

And it's worth noting none of the Range Rover’s advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) functions intrude beyond their intended purpose in day-to-day driving, which is always welcome. 

The Range Rover Sport has a maximum five-star ANCAP rating from assessment in 2022 although it’s worth noting that rating is based on the performance of its slightly larger Range Rover sibling.

Active (crash avoidance) tech includes auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, junction assist and backover detection, all operational from 5.0 to 80km/h, adaptive cruise (with stop & go), lane departure warning and lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, traffic sign recognition, a 360-degree camera view, rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision warning, driver fatigue monitoring and tyre pressure monitoring as well as front and rear parking sensors.

If a crash is unavoidable there are six airbags onboard - front, front side and side curtain - but no front centre bag or knee airbags for the driver or front passenger. 

No active bonnet to help protect impacted pedestrians from striking hard engine parts under the bonnet but standard multi-collision brake minimises the chances of subsequent impacts after an initial crash. 

There’s also an event data recorder and for child seats there are three top tether points across the second row with ISOFIX anchors in the outer positions.

It comes standard with a five-year, unlimited km warranty.

Scheduled servicing is determined by BMW’s vehicle monitoring system which advises when a service is needed, typically around 12 months/15,000km.

A capped-price servicing package covering five years/80,000km (whichever occurs first) totals $2475, or an average of $495 per service.

Land Rover covers the Range Rover Sport with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is in line with premium competitors like Audi, BMW, Lexus and Mercedes but lags the mainstream market with an increasing number of brands at seven, eight and up to 10 years conditional. The warranty for the hybrid battery is six years/100,000km.

Roadside assistance is included for five years, service is recommended every 12 months/20,000km and a five-year service plan will set you back $3900.

That’s a solid average of $780 per workshop visit, which is marginally more expensive than a BMW X5 M60i ($714) over the same period, but substantially cheaper than the Audi SQ7 ($920) or Porsche Cayenne S ($1135) and less than half the cost of the Merc-AMG GLE53 ($1684).

Land Rover has a long-standing network of 74 dealers across the country including all state and territory capitals as well as key rural and regional centres.