When the BMW X3 M Competition first debuted, our main question was whether or not it could take on the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio. The Alfa is the most fun, thrilling and absurd (in the best way possible) SUV on the road. But can the BMW X3 M actually take on the feisty Italian?
Both cars are monstrously powerful, packing around the same 500-ish horsepower from their twin-turbocharged six-cylinders. The BMW X3 M Competition uses a 3.0 liter twin-turbo I6 that makes (in Competition-spec) 503 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque. While the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio uses a 2.9 liter twin-turbo V6 that makes 505 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque. Both cars also weigh around the same, fit the same amount of people and drive the same amount of wheels.
So which of these two very similar cars is better? Well, according to Wheels24, it’s the Alfa.
We’ve driven both cars and it’s hard to disagree with choosing either, if we’re honest. Both cars are outstanding but have different flavors. The BMW X3 M Competition, is brutal in both good and bad ways. Its performance and agility far exceeds what an SUV should be capable of and is surprisingly good fun to drive. While the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio is a bit less extreme but potentially even more fun, thanks to its livelier steering and even nimbler handling.
That latter point is why the Alfa won this test. While the BMW X3 M Competition is a fun car to drive, the Alfa just has a bit more engaging handling, steering and dynamics, making it the more enjoyable car. There’s more driver-involvement in the Alfa, something I can personally attest to, and it just seems to be the happier car of the two, which is why it wins this test. Though, I don’t think I could disagree with choosing the X3 M, either.
[Source: Wheels24]
