I’d be particularly interested in your thoughts about the ride quality, noise levels (road/motors) and the seats.
Seats are very firm. Its very tall (by comparison), so you have to step-down-out-of-it. My wife is short, she started off tumbling out and knocking her shins (I expect she'll get used to it!). Her 80 year old Father finds the MS very low to get into and much prefers the MY (and M3 is middling for him)
I think wind-noise it is quieter than the M3, but road-noise is louder. The MS is quieter, overall. Just my subjective observation though. MY has double-glazed front side windows I think.
I find the MY poise a bit imprecise at full throttle (launch from 30~40MPH to, say, 70~80MPH simulated overtake), other reviews I have read praised it so mine might be out of whack.
Performance feels slower, not sure why as I think actual numbers are OK. I have a location (with two suitable markers, about 200M apart) for overtaking-performance comparison; approach with cruise set to 40MPH and full throttle applied at start-marker. Both my M3 and MS Raven LR (both bog standard) hit 90 MPH, the MY gets to 86 MPH. Maybe the MY height gives perception of less speed ...
Lots of boot space. Privacy glass at the back, and sloping rear window, make the rear-view letterbox both small and reduced-contrast. No parcel shelf (maybe privacy glass means it is not needed)
The lightshow (includes rear powered tailgate, so somewhat like the Lightshow on the MX) and the use of external speaker for augmented horn sound, and Boombox are new toys for me. They seem to amuse my mates ... well, the first time at least! Latest, faster, CPU (probably significant compared to 4 year old MS). I haven't heard the forward slow-speed white-noise (dunno if it I should expect it to be audible with the windows open), but I have heard that in reverse (not with windows closed). You won't have that on the MS (in case that bothers you)
I've upgraded M3 to MY in order to get hatchback and tow bar. The "taller" thing isn't something I particularly enjoy, my wife is happ0y with it; I know a lot of people who have cars specifically for a higher driving position. The central console is quite high (to have arm rest at correct height for the raised driving position). As such the space under the flat-screen is reduced and consequently I can't see the top inch or two of my phone when it is on the wireless charger which wasn't an issue in the M3 (wireless charger included, was an extra on the M3 and not available on MS).
I much prefer the vertical screen in the MS (maybe I prefer not having 1/3rd of the screen taken up with speed-info, and having "more map" etc.)
