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So I had a 135i that I loved... had kids and traded the car for an X3.
Car seats can be pretty monstrous, especially if you get a convertible one. Also, they recommend kids sit rear facing for quite a bit of time. I think my car seat is rated for rear facing til they are 35+ pounds. The car seat in the X3 (rear-facing configuration) sucks up quite a bit of front seat legroom. My wife is fine in the front seat, but it's not super comfortable. Not sure if it's still the case, but my 17 X3 only has LATCH mounts (and rear tether) for the outer seats (not the middle).
However... I now have a 2019 M240xi (son is 2.5 now). The car seat front facing is totally fine. Getting him in and out of the back seat can be a bit uncomfortable, but he is able to climb into the car seat on his own making that it much easier.
To your question, I did put the convertible seat rear-facing once... makes the front seat basically unusable and it's a pain to get them in and out. I wouldn't want to do this with an infant/toddler on the regular.
Also, I definitely get the judgy looks pulling the 2 year old from the 2-door sports coupe. It doesn't bother me... the lady with the mini-van driving 10x more aggressive/faster than me can make all the dirty looks she wants... Plus my son loves riding in the car (he's actually clapping during the turns).
Finally, I've used several car seats. I have the Graco 4ever 4in1 and it's huge. Great seat, but makes it impossible to get 2 people +car seat in the back of the X3.
I recently bought a Diono 3rxt and I find it a much better fit in the X3 and an overall better seat for just a few more $. I now have the Graco in the M240 as the width doesn't really matter, and the Diono in the X3.
Hopefully this helps! Feel free to PM for more info.
PS. You'll hear a lot about the back middle being the safest, but always check the car's manual to make sure it's supported.
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