The BMW X3 M Competition and Porsche Macan GTS are SUVs you usually won’t find on dusty roads in the wild. However, new carwow The video features a pair navigating a difficult set of off-road challenges to determine which one is better at regular SUV tasks.
BMW features a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six engine from the automaker. That produces 510 horsepower (380 kilowatts) and 479 pound-feet (650 Newton-meters) of torque. It drives all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, weighing in at 4,431 pounds (2,010 kilograms).
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Porsche has an underpowered 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 engine. It produces 440 hp (328 kW) and 405 lb-ft (550 Nm) of torque. It has the power of routing a seven-speed gearbox to all four wheels. It is lighter than the BMW, weighing in at 4,321 lbs (1,960 kg). However, it has a much lower ground clearance at 6.9 inches (177 millimeters). The BMW is 8.1 in (206 mm).
The competition starts with an uphill drag race. Both used launch control, but the BMW rolled up the hill the fastest, delivering its first win. Next is a downhill race to see which SUV hill system is better. In this competition, the slowest SUV won, and that was Porsche. It took the BMW longer to control decent hills, sliding downhill faster than the Macan.
Other challenges tested the SUV’s ground clearance, grip, approach and departure angles, and suspension travel, with the final course testing their overall abilities. Both SUVs are tied for points heading into the final competition. While the Porsche did ride closer to the ground than the BMW, it won the final challenge and the overall match by one point.
The BMW X3 M and Porsche Macan GTS are sporty SUVs, and it is unlikely that most owners will take their SUVs off the road. However, if dusty roads present themselves, they are both fairly capable off-road machines that should have no trouble navigating the terrain. The M badge and GTS label don’t temper their off-road capabilities, but there are cheaper SUVs that can go off-road.
