I Traded in a 2021 M3 Competition RWD For a 2023 Competition xDrive And Have Never Been So Disappointed With How I Spent $100,000

For most BMW brand fans, it doesn’t get much better than M3 ownership.

The current generation M3 is BMW’s quintessential compact, high-performance sedan. 

BMW’s in-line six-cylinder engines are renowned, and the M3 is powered by one of the greatest BMW’s sixes ever made. You get all the performance with the adaptability and practicality of a four-door sedan configuration. And reasonable trunk space. 

For nearly any driving application, the M3 is perfect. Provided you buy the right one. What do we mean? On the Edmunds M3 review section, Drew Harrig rated it as only 2 out of 5 stars. That’s a remarkably low rating for one of the most regarded cars that BMW makes. What’s going on?

Can iD8 kill the BMW M3 experience

Drew owns a 2023 BMW M3 Competition xDrive. But it’s not his first M3, making him an excellent judge of this specific BMW model. He raised his issues in the Edmunds M3 review’s comment section:

I've never been so disappointed with how I spent $100,000, but here I am. Traded in a 2021 M3 Competition RWD for a 2023 Competition xDrive this year and I hate absolutely everything about the new ride. BMW's new iD8 infotainment system is almost enough to single-handedly ruin this car. I've owned it for six months and I want out BADLY. I wish I had never gotten rid of my 2021.

Creating infotainment systems that keep everyone happy, is nearly impossible. Software engineering and UX design have been a challenge for most car companies, including BMW. Long-time BMW brand fans will remember the original iDrive system, which was futuristic, but many owners struggled with it until BMW added haptics in later versions. 

Nobody is going to pay $100,000 for an M3 and expect to have a frustrating infotainment experience. Modern life is about connectivity and device syncing, especially all those apps used daily to manage business communication and schedule modern life. M3 owners expect the iD8 infotainment system to be intuitive and essentially recreate their experience with the Smartphone into the car’s cabin environment. 

Is iD8 really the issue?

So why is that not working and does Drew have a valid reason to be upset? There’s always a bit of initial discomfort with change, and considering how often infotainment systems upgrade and evolve, drivers are experiencing a greater frequency of adaptation. For some, that can be annoying. 

Technology issues like those experienced with the iD8 system aren’t just limited to infotainment frustrations. Some BMW owners have reported unexpected problems that directly impact the driving experience, such as their vehicles shaking during start-up or showing abnormal fuel consumption values. These incidents raise important questions about BMW’s focus on delivering a seamless ownership experience. Could something be wrong with these models?

The iD8 system has a better processor and slicker interfacing than iD7. Some of the newer features, like the Great Entrance Moment function, could be considered gimmicky. But the core computing speed of iD8 is better; it all depends on how you deploy it. 

Like steering wheel rim size or the padding of a specific model’s sport seats, drivers can become very fond of specific features. This creates a bias against upgrades, believing that nothing new could ever be better than what they have. 

The reality of product design and technical development means it’s exceedingly rare for something newer to be demonstrably worse. And that’s true about the software and interfacing of BMW’s iD8 system, found in the M3. 

For an owner like Drew, the issue is most likely feeling overwhelmed by the gimmicky graphics. It’s a style and aesthetics thing. For decades, BMWs were celebrated for their minimalist interior design. Everything was driver-centric. There were no needless novelty features. 

Digitization has changed all of that. The markets expects bright graphics and a sense of theatre with any infotainment screen. An M3’s iD8 system is no different, capable of recreating wild graphics and dramatic interior lighting effects. That’s not for everyone. 

For Drew, the solution would be to set his preferences to create a more classic BMW M3 cabin ambience. Because nobody wants the infotainment system to degrade their M3 driving experience. Each drive in an M3, should be an event, not a sequence of frustrations. 

Drew’s experience with the iD8 system highlights how even minor changes in technology or design can shape an owner's perception of a luxury car. This is not an isolated case for BMW fans. Other owners, like one who transitioned from a Lexus IS250 to a BMW 430i/440i, have also encountered unexpected challenges in adapting to BMW’s offerings. Their story provides valuable insights into what buyers should consider before making the leap to a new BMW model.

How do you feel about iD8? Is it too much of an evolution over iD7? Or do you have specific preferences and settings that make it work just right for your needs? 

Lance Branquinho has 20 years of reporting experience working with various carmakers and OEMs. His work at Torque News focuses on covering BMW news and opinion about the latest BMW vehicles and their development Follow Lance at LinkedIn and X for the latest BMW-related news.