BMW M3 Sedan vs Lexus NX

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — compare price, performance, fuel economy or electric range, safety and the details that shape long-term ownership.

BMW M3 Sedan in South Africa

BMW M3 Sedan

M3 Competition Sedan with M xDrive Petrol 8-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 2,190,000 ex-showroom
⚡ 390 kW 🔧 650 Nm ⛽ 12.5 km/l
VS
Lexus NX in South Africa

Lexus NX

NX 350 F SPORT Petrol 8-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 1,276,500 ex-showroom
⚡ 205 kW 🔧 430 Nm ⛽ 12.3 km/l
＋ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

BMW M3 Sedan vs Lexus NX: the short answer

M3 Sedan and NX are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

NX starts ZAR 1,115,800 cheaper M3 Sedan from ZAR 2,190,000 · NX from ZAR 1,074,200

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification M3 Sedan NX
Maximum Power M3 Sedan390 kW NX205 kW @ 6000 rpm
Maximum Torque M3 Sedan650 Nm @ 2750-5730 rpm NX430 Nm
Engine Size M3 Sedan2993 cc NX2400 cc
Combined Fuel Economy M3 Sedan12.5 km/l NX12.3 km/l
Ground Clearance M3 Sedan140 mm NX195 mm

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

Independent editorial assessment

Hagalu editorial ratings

When a variant is selected, its rating out of five applies only to that exact derivative; a model-range review is not inherited. Editorial ratings are separate from the Specification Evidence Index out of 100 and are not customer ratings.

BMW M3 Sedan

M3 Competition Sedan with M xDrive

Hagalu editorial rating
3.9/5

Desk research · Exact variant

Hagalu Editorial Team ·

Editorial assessment, not a customer rating. Not road-tested for this review.

Read the review and score breakdown

Lexus NX

NX 350 F SPORT

Hagalu editorial rating Not yet rated

No complete editorial rating is published for this exact variant. This is not a zero score.

How Hagalu rates cars

Not yet rated means a complete review is not published; it does not mean the vehicle scored zero. Read the rating methodology.

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Specification evidence leader

M3 Sedan

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Fewer listed safety features
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: Published Performance

NX

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
Best suited to: Published Efficiency Published Practicality

Which One's Right for You?

M3 Sedan

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures

NX

  • Buyers prioritising the lower published fuel or energy use
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec M3 Sedan NX
Model Introduced Year 2020 2023
Generation G80 four-door BMW M performance sedan, separate from the regular 3 Series range and from the Touring body. Second-generation Lexus NX mid-size luxury SUV
Facelift History Current G80-generation South African M3 Competition Sedan in all-wheel-drive form. Current South African range includes petrol, self-charging hybrid and plug-in-hybrid derivatives
Facelift Launched Since Original current-generation version Current South African range includes petrol, self-charging hybrid and plug-in-hybrid derivatives
Facelift Version Ending Current Current South African specification checked 2026-07-17
Body Style Sedan SUV
Model Year 2026 2026
Production Status active published
Segment Premium Sedan Luxury SUV
Vehicle Type Car SUV
Tare Mass Kg - 1760-1860 kg
Spec M3 Sedan NX
Length 4801 mm 4660 mm
Width 1903 mm 1865 mm
Height 1438 mm 1670 mm
Wheelbase 2857 mm 2690 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 140 mm 195 mm
Ground Clearance (With Full Seating Load) 125 mm -
Fuel Tank Capacity 59 l 55 l
Boot/Cargo Space 480 l 520 l
Kerb Weight 1855 kg -
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 2260 kg 2370 kg
Payload Capacity 480 kg -
Towing Capacity 1600 kg 1000 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Number of Rows 2 rows -
Doors 4 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 5.6 m 5.8 m
Front Headroom 985 mm -
Rear Headroom 952 mm -
Front Legroom 1050 mm -
Rear Legroom 895 mm -

In depth: how these cars differ

This M3 Sedan and NX comparison uses the exact derivatives selected above for South Africa. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: M3 Sedan 100 vs NX 86.

Efficiency index: M3 Sedan 47 vs NX 49.

Safety-equipment index: M3 Sedan 92 vs NX 93.

Practicality index: M3 Sedan 60 vs NX 65.

Ownership-cover index: M3 Sedan not separately scored vs NX not separately scored.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

M3 Sedan leads by 2 points

M3 Sedan and NX are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 77 /100
Lead 2 points
Data 83% source coverage
77
#1 Evidence leader

M3 Sedan

83% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Performance 100 Check Efficiency 47
Performance 100
Efficiency 47
Safety 92
Practicality 60
Leads by 2 points
75
#2

NX

70% source coverage 2 strong categories
Best at Safety 93 Check Efficiency 49
Performance 86
Efficiency 49
Safety 93
Practicality 65
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance M3 Sedan +14 Efficiency NX +2 Safety NX +1 Practicality NX +5

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

M3 Sedan

Performance 100/100
Efficiency 47/100
Safety 92/100
Practicality 60/100

NX

Performance 86/100
Efficiency 49/100
Safety 93/100
Practicality 65/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index BMW M3 Sedan leads the specification evidence index with 77 pts vs 75 pts for NX

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, M3 Sedan leads. However, NX may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Related comparisons

Continue with closely related South Africa models and comparable body styles.

M3 Sedan
M3 Sedan
VS
RZ
RZ
M3 Sedan vs RZ →
M3 Sedan
M3 Sedan
VS
GR Supra
GR Supra
M3 Sedan vs GR Supra →
M3 Sedan
M3 Sedan
VS
RX
RX
M3 Sedan vs RX →
M3 Sedan
M3 Sedan
VS
i4
i4
M3 Sedan vs i4 →
M3 Sedan
M3 Sedan
VS
Touareg
Touareg
M3 Sedan vs Touareg →
M3 Sedan
M3 Sedan
VS
X5
X5
M3 Sedan vs X5 →
NX
NX
VS
RZ
RZ
NX vs RZ →
NX
NX
VS
GR Supra
GR Supra
NX vs GR Supra →

M3 Sedan vs NX questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the models and available derivatives in South Africa on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.