Being an Official BMW Club, we are incredibly lucky to have the support of BMW Australia and the BMW Dealer Network and as such we have developed a great relationship with some of them. Mornington BMW, being the closest dealership to us.
The Team at Mornington BMW have supported quite a few of our events with cars to show off and have given us a few cars to take on drives to test and show to members as well.
For our first drive event out of lockdown we ran a drive from Warrandyte through some amazing roads to Mt Macedon, via Wallan. As luck would have it, it fell on a long weekend and Alex at Mornington BMW offered us the new X4M Competition, not only for the drive, but for the whole long weekend.
Jo went and picked it up on Saturday morning and parking it next to our X5. I wasn’t surprised to see it was slightly longer and wider than our old E53. With each model upgrade every model gets a little larger and now the current version of ours is quite large. So, no, not really surprised the X4M is a bit bigger.
Looking around and sitting in it is a huge jump forward in technology and styling and I really like the feel of everything. From the infinitely adjustable seating position, to the different driving, steering and suspension modes. Love the head up display and all the other toys that come with a top of the line model. The one thing I was surprised about though, no electric adjustable steering column, you only get that on 5 series and above I am told. Pity, I love the automatic memory adjustments when I jump in our X5. That would be the only small item I found I didn’t like.
Driving it is, of course, a very satisfying thing, especially to a lover of fast cars that actually do their job well. Now I have driven a lot of fast cars, both in my personal and professional life and I must say, this car is amongst the best when you take into account everything it has and does and how it drives and delivers the driving experience.
Some cars are outright fast and somewhat scary in some situations, or have way too hard suspension for our roads, or no room for adults in front and back as well as a lack of luggage space. But the X4M Competition has pretty much everything you would want. Around town it drives beautifully, nice high seating, good vision and plenty of go, even in economy/comfort mode, handles stupid speed humps, that are popping up everywhere, with ease, room for the shopping in the back and all the parking cameras and radar sensors one could ever need.
On the freeway it is a pleasure, easy to drive and all the cruise gadgets you could want, almost drives itself with steering assist, adaptive cruise, etc.
Get it on the backroads and press a few buttons and it really comes alive! Through the windy or open country roads where you can have some fun without breaking the law, it delivers the power easily and handles curves and hills without a blink or hint of slip or slide. An amazing thing to play with, on a track would be very interesting indeed! We had to pass a horse float on one of the back roads and the ease with which it got up and galloped past was amazing. Definitely doesn’t drive like the large SUV type vehicle it is and you almost forget what you are actually driving.
I would happily park one of these in my driveway, and who knows, with our old Helga approaching her retirement date, An X4M Competition could definitely be on the shopping list.
Be sure to pop into Mornington BMW and speak to them about the new X4M Competition, and be sure to take one out for a test run, I promise you will not be disappointed.
Graeme Bell | Member #1
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne
