Jalopnik
The 2009 BMW X6 isn't great on a racetrack. This thought occurs during my third lap when I realize — the throttle wide open, exiting a corner at 100mph — this may not be the best sports car out there. My next thought is "But this is a 4,993lbs SUV." And that's the point where you realize what we have here is something entirely new.
BMW calls the X6 a Sports Activity Coupe. That seems preposterous given both their constant assertion that their best selling SUVs, the X3 and X5, be referred to as SAVs and the X6's four doors, which is 2 more than the unofficial definition of a coupe allows. The BMW X6 is based on that X5, its main difference, aside from the obvious low roof, swoopy bodywork and huge ass, is firm suspension and the addition of Dynamic Performance Control.
It's the latter that makes the X6 so special. Basically the cleverest rear differential in the world, DPC apportions power to the rear wheels independently to improve agility, stability and traction at all times. This matters to you and me because it makes the X6 handle incredibly well and incredibly safely in any condition without cutting power or hitting the brakes to interfere.
Combine DPC with Adaptive Drive, which eliminates roll and dive, and two incredibly powerful engines and you have a car that performs better than even the wildest imagination allows.
The first indication of the X6's genre-creating genius came with a tearing sound from the back end. Getting on the power in the middle of a wet and foggy hairpin in the Appalachian Mountains that sound suddenly joined the twin-turbo inline-six's deep growl as the level of grip began to beggar belief. It's the sound of the rear differential working hard to keep the X6 accelerating rather than spinning. Its function is otherwise undetectable, except through the scarcely unbelievable speed with which it allowed me to attack that windy mountain road in the middle of a thunderstorm.
Eventually, the realities of physics do overcome the ability of BMW's engineers to bend them. Pushed to the limits of grip the X6 will oversteer, stepping out into a few degrees of controllable slide, but take things a step further and the end result is understeer. The aggression it takes to provoke is, however, unlikely to be encountered on anything this side of an icy road or racetrack.
Slowing down, later in the day, that performance becomes nothing but a memory as the realities of driving an X6 on the road set in. It's bigger than you think, dwarfing Ford Explorers and minivans, a full width lane barely containing its bulk. This is both good and bad. The size creates an incredibly spacious interior for its four occupants and plenty of their luggage, but it's hard to place on narrow streets and in tight corners. The svelte shape leaves plenty of room for six footers in the rear seats, but doesn't allow for rear visibility. BMW has compensated by speccing the biggest wing mirrors you'll find this side of a semi, but we don't recommend reversing without the aid of the on board camera. And while its incredibly fast and has ridiculous levels of grip, the steering is almost totally numb, so it takes time to develop faith in the chassis' ability.
For the US, the X6 will come with two engines, both have twin turbos. The xDrive35i comes with a 3.0-liter straight six while the xDrive50i come with a 4.4-liter V8. On paper, the V8 is the clear winner, delivering a 0-60 time of 5.4 seconds and a top speed of 155mph. In practice however, the inline-six is livelier, weighing down the X6's front end considerably less and not suffering from the bigger engine's turbo lag. At 6.5 seconds to 60mph and topping out at 149mph, it's far from slow as well.
The gearbox lets both engines down by being difficult to use. Override it manually with the paddles and the results are hit or miss. Sometimes you get the gear you want, sometimes you don't, making fully exploiting the X6's chassis disappointingly difficult.
Don't expect the X6 to be the last vehicle to use Dynamic Performance Control. Allegedly, it'll soon find its way into the X5 and maybe even into vehicles from the M division. Judging by what's it's capable of here, we can't wait to try it when it's not just serving to make a flawed vehicle surprisingly capable, but when it's being used to make an already good car even better.
Comments
I think it's rad. I still want two (one jacked up with 33" BFG Mud-Terrains and one slammed on dubs).
Because so many want to go off-roading in their BMW sedan.
Isn't this monstrosity the worst of both worlds. Handles like an SUV with the storage capacity of a sedan, ya!
This is a horrifying vehicle. I want one.
@FLAT4-PΩWER ™: But it handles like a 4wd supercar and has the storage capacity of a coupe.
You just described my Subie WRX STI (now how do I make that smiley face thing?)
I read the review several time but can only assume that this phrase "...you realize what we have here is something entirely new." refers only to the spiffy rear diff, as there is nothing else new going on here. I point to the Cayenne/Toureg, Murano and other BMW x's as examples.
@FLAT4-PΩWER ™: This isn't about practicality, it's about radness.
25 years from now, people are going to be paying big money for X6s. Future Jalops will be discussing the awesomeness of the X6 and how silly we were for dissing it.
If I had 60-large to blow, I'd definitely put one in the garage.
This car comes out on the wrong time... and frankly it is a wrong car... what is the real advantage of this car over existing models?
What's next? The BMW X7 Wagon Convertible?
@sos10:
BMW X7 Wagon Convertible
That'd be so freakin' rad... and I'm willing to bet I'm not alone on that one.
@sos10:
What's next? The BMW X7 Wagon Convertible?
Sshhh! You'll make The Jalopnik get overexcited!
"In practice however, the inline-six is livelier, weighing down the X6's front end considerably less and not suffering from the bigger engine's turbo lag."
the V8 suffers from turbo lag? i thought it was NA
It's still the ugliest, most pointless vehicle ever. And what's worse is that it's a BMW, so expect to see millions of these being driven badly by badge snobs and rich sorority girls.
i love bmw, and i have all my life...howeeevveerrr..... really? x6? is it really necessary? we at bmw need to return to our roots... ie: E30 M3, 3.0CSL, 2002tii, and 507. mmmmmm vintage bavaria, all i need in life
I just dont know what to say about it. From a Jalop's point of view, yes its different, strange and well, I really dont know how to describe it. Its definitely not attractive, thats for sure.
Ill let my fellow Jalops debate it out.
"BMW X6: Un-practical, ugly prick wagon, or cool, different BMW for Cool different people"
Im kinda leaning for number 1, there's a lot better things, hell, there's better BMWs that you can buy for 60,000 (it has an M followed by a number between 2 and 4). However, in 25 years, i may be shooting myself in the foot for going aginst the X6. . . .
@SuperStock413: Bingo. But I guess it's better than a Suburban.
awesome, another soft bmw to further distance the brand from it's roots of providing the ultimate driving machines. More odd concoctions, more heavy soft cars, more steps in idrive to elicit anything close to the joy of the E30, more sales, keep up the great work BMW!
@kevina: "For the US, the X6 will come with two engines, both have twin turbos. The xDrive35i comes with a 3.0-liter straight six while the xDrive50i come with a 4.4-liter V8."... though I do love that it has turbo lag, something everyone else seems to have gotten passed... well and it's heavy... and the gearbox is a let down... Seriously, what the f*ck is going on at BMW? Turbo Lag? Bad Gear Box? Odd chick cars that weigh 4500 lbs. WTF.
Sorry, I still don't like it. And that's saying a lot, because I still think it looks like a big off-roading, four-door Corrado.
Mind you, the Corrado was introduced almost two decades ago, so perhaps that's not as complimentary as I intended.
This makes me frown. BMW's slogan is (was?) "The Ultimate Driving Machine". This just smacks of compromise in so many ways. When Porsche came out with the Touareg... sorry, Cayenne... I was disappointed in them too, but they made a proper SUV with a Porsche secretly hidden inside it. I let them off the hook for that one, because I realized it allowed dad to have a sports car without his wife really knowing.
This... is none of those things. It's strange looking, in the way an Aztek looked like something wasn't quite right with it. It has the generous compromises of something that is supposed to be the car for everyone, and then succeeds in not completely pleasing anyone. And I STILL don't see the huge benefits over, say, an S6 Avant quattro.
Nonetheless, I'm sure it will be popular with hip-hop artists and those buyers who deliver their cars to be "modded" on Unique Whips. I, on the other hand, feel that I don't have enough Top-40 hits to drive this without looking like a complete ass.
@sos10: -camino.
you forgot that. (i'm betting if you add it, it would even grant you a star from the magical Jalopnik wizard)
@Mink66: No. It's worse than a Suburban. The comparison's not really valid, but the point is that a Suburban has capabilities beyond an AWD car. What does this offer that a car doesn't?
(Also, for the record, the '95 3/4ton Suburban my family drove growing up weighed ~5500lbs...not much more than this turd)
The X6 is perfect. A perfect distillation of what I don't want from my automobiles.
@Dr. Schm: @JSmith53: did I miss something? what's going on in 25 years?
I thought the world was ending in 2012, when the Viper-driven apocalypse was nigh?
But I'm sure it'll be a sales winner.
Much like a deep-fried shirt, just because you can doesn't mean you should.
On the other hand, it looks cool - I'd rather the streets filled with these than the bland and equally pointless X3/X5.
Much like Stomp, gymnastics, and intricate matchstick models, I think it's cool that people can do that and I wish I possessed that sort of talent, but I just don't really care that they exist.
And it looks like a shoe.
This vehicle is to Jalopnik as the antichrist is to Christianity.
viewing the side profile, it looks like Lance Armstrong's bicycle helmet. Do a body double and you will see...
I want one, not because its a BMW, or some sport sedan SUV cross...
I want one because its an AMC Eagle!!
@triumph: Good call! Does that say more about AMC or less about BMW?
Why do cars gotta be everything now? A capable sports luxury sedan that's an SUV, minivan, and coupe. A sports car should be a sports car, a luxury car a luxury car etc. This is the transvestite of cars. Not that there's anything wrong with trannies. Unless they're the slush kind. I gotta quit drinking.
Wow. It wasn't until I read this that it really dawned on me that BMW is actually producing this turd for public consumption.
It ACTUALLY looks the best dressed in white! And, like Maymar pointed out, it is derivative, which gives props to the would-be owners.
Story is that X5 lost some grounds in Export Markets when Range Rover Sport came out and BMW retaliated with X6.
X6 will sell because this is where the market is. Strangely enough, both Land Rover and BMW had to turn their back on their respective heritage to be in that segment.
Land Rover used to go off-road, BMW used to stay on roads. Now (along with Porsche, Audi, etc..) everyone meets half way.Automotive compromise.
@Benson2175:
To quote Randal Graves from Clerks, "chicks with dicks, the best of both worlds".
the 4.4 v8 is turbocharged? had no idea they were pursuing this turbo thing so quickly
@FLAT4-PΩWER ™: This says more about AMC. The Eagle was probably more useful than this monstrosity.
Maybe, if BMW goes out of business, and 20 years from now, these become as sought-after as Eagles, I might re-evaluate my opinion. For the time being, however, the X6 doesn't need to exist.
@sos10: I've always said i'd be partial to an M powered, coupe convertible or roadster SUV based on the 5 series. You know, a BMW MX5.
this thing looks terrible my old eagle wagon was beautiful by comparison and i never considered that until now.
I think it would look dozens of times better with a Panorama Roof
I wouldn't hate it, but rear headroom is the worst I've seen on any 4-door automobile.
I want to see photos of real people sitting in this back seat!
Just when you think the SUV party has peaked, BMW returns to the table with roast pig.
Yuk. IMHO BMW has completed it's selling out to the badge whores. The days of a lightweight, fun-to-drive BMW are over. The ghost of the 2002 must be spinning in its grave right now.
[en.wikipedia.org]
@wyatt_1st: now this you can say is rad since it was from that era. You can even say that its wicked, def, fresh, boss, and mint.
I guess you can say the X6 is uberunpractical
but a few individuals will of course buy it
the Cayenne got its own fair share of hatred like the red headed German stepchild it was in the SUV/SAV/CUV world
but nowadays even I wouldnt mind a Cayenne Turbo if I had the disposable income (I don't) so who knows some of yo may be right this may be the kool Kubelwagen years and years down the
autostrada
It disgusts me. but I'm a rabid SUV hater. Actually I approve of SUVs for the 1% that take them off-road. But this is about as rad as the cellphone coffee drinking single driver behind it's wheel.
It looks an awful lot like a bigger version of last generation Hyundai Elantra. Did BMW take ideas from the Koreans, or did Hyundai invent time travel and rip off a future design?
How is this AWD system any different from Acura's SH-AWD? It sounds like the same thing.
I think I really gotta see one in person. Get a real feel for its lines and inside space. The wagon/amino lover in me thinks it could be badass. The SUV hater in me thinks it's an abomination. I read 5000 lbs curb weight, so as it stands I'm leaning towards abomination.
So, it's a modern BMW Wagoneer. Way to be ahead of your time, Bim.
@triumph:
Agreed, an uncanny resemblance. Desperately needs fake wood on the side to complete t