Mazda CX-60 vs BMW X3

The gap is vast: $44,240 for the CX-60 G25 Pure against $86,100 for the base X3 20 xDrive, a $41,860 difference, the CX-60 is essentially half the price. For many buyers, that's the whole comparison.

Running costs are near-identical (both claim 7.5L/100km), and both carry 5-year warranties. But the X3 will cost more to service and insure as a premium German marque, and depreciation on a luxury SUV is steeper in dollar terms. The CX-60 is far cheaper to own as well as to buy, while the BMW holds a higher resale percentage but from a much higher starting price.

The Mazda CX-60 holds a current 5-star ANCAP rating (2022) with the full active-safety suite. The latest BMW X3 is so new that its ANCAP rating was still pending in our data at the time of writing, so confirm it before you buy. Both are well-engineered, structurally strong SUVs with comprehensive driver assistance; the CX-60 simply has its 5-star result confirmed today.

The CX-60's great achievement is how premium it feels for the price. Mazda has lifted its interior quality, materials and design to genuinely near-luxury levels, and the rear-drive-based platform gives it a more upmarket character than its front-drive rivals. For the money, the cabin is a standout.

The X3 is the real thing: BMW's latest cabin tech, the iDrive system, the brand's renowned build and the intangible prestige of the badge. It also adds xDrive all-wheel drive as standard and tows more (2,400kg vs 1,800kg). The difference isn't that the CX-60 is poor, it's very good, but the X3 operates in a different price and prestige bracket, and you can feel where the extra money goes in the polish and the badge.

On paper they're closer than the price suggests. The CX-60 G25's 2.5-litre makes 138kW and 250Nm; the X3 20's 2.0-litre turbo mild-hybrid makes 140kW and 310Nm. The BMW has more torque and AWD, but the lighter, rear-drive CX-60 is actually quicker to 100km/h (7.4s versus 8.5). Both claim the same 7.5L/100km.

Where the BMW pulls ahead is dynamic finesse, the way it steers, rides and rewards, and the breadth of more powerful (and electrified) X3 variants above this base model. The CX-60 also offers stronger inline-six and plug-in hybrid versions higher up its range that narrow the gap to the BMW on performance while still undercutting it on price. For most buyers, though, this comparison is decided on the showroom floor by the badge and the budget, not the spec sheet.