Mercedes G 450 d W463 vs BMW X3 xDrive30d G01: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the X3 xDrive30d hits 100 km/h in 5.78 s versus 5.83 s for the G 450 d. The 0.05 s gap is negligible: both vehicles are neck and neck.

At 200 metres, the G 450 d is doing 128 km/h against 129 km/h for the X3 xDrive30d. The gap is 0.06 s. The gap remains stable from the start.

At 400 metres standing start, the G 450 d crosses the line in 14.11 s versus 14.11 s. The 0.00 s gap represents roughly 0 m of track

Past 400 metres, the situation changes. The G 450 d maxes out at 210 km/h while the X3 xDrive30d keeps accelerating towards 240 km/h. At 600 metres, the gap has dropped to 0.08 s.

Around 406 metres, both vehicles are level. This is the inversion point: the X3 xDrive30d overcomes its launch deficit thanks to a 30 km/h higher top speed.

At 1,000 metres, the X3 xDrive30d finishes in 25.96 s versus 26.22 s. The 0.26 s delta shows an extremely tight race.

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the G 450 d is capped at 210 km/h, the X3 xDrive30d at 240 km/h. This isn’t a physical engine limit - it’s a manufacturer choice, usually for tyre safety or homologation reasons. Neither car reaches its true aerodynamic top speed.

With two combustion powertrains, the difference comes down to power-to-weight ratio (6.96 kg/hp vs 6.87 kg/hp) and transmission (Unknown vs Automatic).

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 9.41 seconds. The 0.05 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.