Compared: 2023 BMW M3 vs. 2023 BMW M4

Have an appetite for acceleration? Satiate your need for speed with a stylish coupe or practical four-door.

Sami Haj-Assaad | 

Mar 14, 2024 | 3 min read

BMW

For almost 40 years, the BMW M3 has been planting smiles on drivers' faces. Sporty, speedy, and stylish, the M3 has helped build BMW's reputation for delivering thrilling performance cars. The 2023 M3 continues that tradition, arriving in a few enticing four-door configurations. However, shoppers seeking a stylish two-door will find the M4 to offer just as much fun in a similar but less practical package.

BMW

Fewer Doors Costs More Money Between M3 and M4

The BMW M3 comes in three configurations. The regular six-speed manual-equipped M3 sedan with 473 horsepower starts above $75,000 and gets you from zero to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. The more powerful 503-hp M3 Competition with its eight-speed automatic costs below $78,000, or an extra $2,400 for 30 horsepower, but it sprints from zero to 60 in 3.8 seconds.

The M3 Competition is also available with xDrive all-wheel drive (AWD) for an additional $4,100, or about $82,000 total. The M3 Competition xDrive is the quickest of the bunch, hitting 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, but it's unlikely anyone would dare classify the other models as being "slow."

The M4 is slightly more expensive across the board, starting below $76,000, but features the same performance and power figures as its M3 counterpart. The M4 Competition, like its M3 Competition counterpart, features more power, speed, and an automatic transmission and costs below $80,000, while xDrive AWD-equipped models start below $84,000. Shoppers can chop the top and get an M4 Competition xDrive Convertible for below $91,000.

BMW

BMW M3 Features More Interior Space and Tech Than M4

Although these two speed machines feature the same overall length and wheelbase, they have different interior dimensions. The M3 is more practical, with generally more room in the front and rear seats, plus rear doors to access them. With 13.0 cubic-feet in the trunk, the M3 has 1 more cubic-foot of space than the M4's 12.0 cu-ft. The M4 does offer 0.1 inches more front legroom than the M3, however.

BMW

The M4 Competition Convertible is the model with the ultimate headroom — it's hard to feel confined when you can remove the roof with the push of a button. However, the droptop has the least cargo room of the bunch, with just 9.0 cu-ft of space.

The M3 and M4's interior designs are similar, but the most noticeable difference is at the screens. In the M3 you get a 12.3-inch instrument display and a 14.9-inch infotainment screen paired under a single piece of curved glass that's running BMW's iDrive 8 operating system. The M4 implements older tech with a 12.3-inch instrument display and a separate 10.3-inch touchscreen atop the center stack that's running iDrive 7.

In terms of available features, both cars offer a head-up display, wireless phone charging, vented seats, parking assists, and more. Competition models even offer sporty and ultra-supportive M Carbon bucket seats to help you get the complete race-car feel.

BMW

M3, M4 Fuel Economy Is Neck and Neck

Comparing fuel economy among these beastly cars is rather simple. According to EPA estimates, rear-wheel-drive M3 and M4 models return 16/23/19 mpg city/highway/combined.

The AWD versions are a little less efficient, returning 16/22/18 mpg, but the AWD-only M4 Competition Convertible is actually a little more efficient at 16/23/18 mpg.

All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication), and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.

Sami Haj-Assaad

Sami Haj-Assaad is an award-winning automotive journalist who has contributed to several automotive, electric vehicle, luxury lifestyle, and technology publications. His work isn't just limited to the written word, as he's also hosted YouTube videos and podcasts. Having grown up in the '90s, he has a strong sense of attachment to that era's style, though he also loves to geek out about the modern, futuristic tech and powertrains rolling out today.