What is the point of the BMW X6?

I mean besides making money for BMW.

There's one parked across 2 handicap spots in my lot (the bike rack is near the handicap spots) this morning. The thing is huge! And it appears to be SUV size, but it has really wide low profile performance tires on it. Honestly, it looks like a mars rover or something. Except it doesn't look like it has much cargo room either.

So I ask you, what is the point of this vehicle existing?

Same as the Acura ZDX.

I think it is mostly to show their owners are idiots.

Physical evidence, admissible in court, that BMW's engineers have been assimilated by the marketing department Borg?

They manage to be both wretch-inducingly hideous and absurdly comical at the same time. Not many cars can do both simultaneously. The Pontiac Aztek comes to mind, which, now that I think about it, bears more than a passing resemblance to the X6.

I totally get the point of the X6. Allow me to explain.

The X5 says to the world, "I need an SUV for the added room and passenger space that it provides, but I won't be going offroad and I don't want to give up driving dynamics or quality, so I paid more for a BMW" It's a little douchey, but it makes sense.

The X6 says "Yeah, I have a lot of money, so I paid even more to eliminate the room and space of the X5 just to show the world that I have a lot of money to spend. I could have lots of room, but I don't need it. Ha Ha Ha I could have spent less to get a BMW with better ride and handling like a 5-Series or M3, but I didn't because I can afford to do whatever I want, even make stupid decisions, and you can't Ha Ha Ha"

I'm double-parked in the handicapped spaces on top of a baby seal. So what?

I've been tempted to mark chalk stripes alongside a double-parker and write “Shiny Happy Person Parking Only" at the end of the space.

The thing really is like a cartoon come to life. I've never actually seen a ZDX except in pictures, but it looks to be around the same size as the Crosstour. It's like 1/3 the size of an X6.

Any BMW SUV is just for badge-whore douchebaggery. What a brilliant idea- Lets buy an SUV from a company famous for their fast, road holding sedans, but the SUV does not share these traits, and it's also horrible at off roading, but it'll look great double parked at Target.

The BMW SUV is to douchebaggery what Hummer is to repressed homosexuality.

The point is to create yet another marketing niche to jam a model into. The industry is INSANE with it these days.

Why does Toyota need seven - SEVEN! - SUVs in its lineup? Do we really need an A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, and A8, especially since some come in both 2 and 4 door varieties?

And now I just looked up the price. Holy crap!

Most people buy performance cars because they look cool. Most people buy trucks because they look cool. In fact, most everyone who brings home any new car thinks it looks cool for some reason. Someone walked into the BMW dealer and between the five series and the X6, they thought the 6 was cooler. It does everything the 5 does at normal road speeds, plus you're higher so you can see better. It makes perfect sense really.

There's an A5, A6, and A7 now?

Wait I take that back, I know about the A5.

pinchvalve wrote: I totally get the point of the X6. Allow me to explain. The X5 says to the world, "I need an SUV for the added room and passenger space that it provides, but I won't be going offroad and I don't want to give up driving dynamics or quality, so I paid more for a BMW" It's a little douchey, but it makes sense. The X6 says "Yeah, I have a lot of money, so I paid even more to eliminate the room and space of the X5 just to show the world that I have a lot of money to spend. I could have lots of room, but I don't need it. Ha Ha Ha I could have spent less to get a BMW with better ride and handling like a 5-Series or M3, but I didn't because I can afford to do whatever I want, even make stupid decisions, and you can't Ha Ha Ha" I'm double-parked in the handicapped spaces on top of a baby seal. So what?

Then what/who in the world did they make the X6M for.

wearymicrobe wrote:

pinchvalve wrote: The X6 says "Yeah, I have a lot of money, so I paid even more to eliminate the room and space of the X5 just to show the world that I have a lot of money to spend.

Then what/who in the world did they make the X6M for.

You know how Dexter is a serial killer that preys on serial killers? It's like that - the douchebag douchebags buy them to distinguish themselves from regular, garden-variety douchebags.

555 hp(!)

It's a ROAD CAR. It's almost certainly as capable on THE ROAD as an M5, plus you're higher and it can go over speed bumps better. How many M5's see a track?

You're all silly.

I'd rock the E36 M3 out of an X6M if i had the silly disposable cash. All that power? YUSS PLZ.

There's only two of us. Epic road trip car/suv/whatever.

slowride wrote: What is the point of the BMW X6? I mean besides making money for BMW.

There is no reason for the 99% of the entire SUV/SAV segment functionally speaking versus a wagon. Yet... they sell an assload of them.

So, I think you nailed it in the 2nd line.

Wow, so much hate for a company building a high-performance vehicle. Shame, shame on BMW!!

David S. Wallens wrote: Wow, so much hate for a company building a high-performance vehicle **that has to overcome crippling size, weight, and height compromises, but without any of the traditional advantages in utility and interior space typically associated with those tradeoffs. ** Shame, shame on BMW!!

There, I added in the part you missed, which is what's generating all the vitriol.

BMW built it because they could. I'm OK with that. The technology that thing has in it to make it turn like it does is astonishing. Completely pointless? Absolutely. I'm only talking about the X6M though, all the others can DIAF.

Swank Force One wrote: You're all silly. I'd rock the E36 M3 out of an X6M if i had the silly disposable cash. All that power? YUSS PLZ. There's only two of us. Epic road trip car/suv/whatever.

+1 to that. I would not be satisfied with "only" 555hp out of that thing, though. Must. Eat. GTR's.

Man we're a bunch of haters. I dig it, I love the look of the thing. I look at it and think it would be an awesome mile eating road trip car. There's a red 'M' version with the plate X6M that I see so often it has to live within a few streets of me, I'm just not sure where yet. It draws my eyes in every time I see it. Great looking car. I think the days of even pretending that SUV's are off road vehicles is long gone, they are the family wagons of yesteryear.

As far as people parking in handicapped spots, I never ever see late model luxury vehicles doing that. The only cars (other than those with handicapped stickers in them) I see in those spots are ancient falling to pieces POS that people obviously don't care about the car, themselves or anyone else, or young teen/early 20's kids who still think the world revolves around them and them alone.

Also what’s wrong with BMW, Audi or anyone else building multiple versions of a platform in slightly different ways. Some people want sedans, some want hatches, some want wagons some want big engines, some want fuel sippers. Since when was choice a bad thing?

Duke wrote:

David S. Wallens wrote: Wow, so much hate for a company building a high-performance vehicle **that has to overcome crippling size, weight, and height compromises, but without any of the traditional advantages in utility and interior space typically associated with those tradeoffs. And it is ugly ** Shame, shame on BMW!!

There, I added in the part you missed, which is what's generating all the vitriol.

Fixed for more truth.

beans wrote: BMW built it because they could. I'm OK with that. The technology that thing has in it to make it turn like it does is astonishing. Completely pointless? Absolutely. I'm only talking about the X6M though, all the others can DIAF.

Swank Force One wrote: You're all silly. I'd rock the E36 M3 out of an X6M if i had the silly disposable cash. All that power? YUSS PLZ. There's only two of us. Epic road trip car/suv/whatever.

+1 to that. I would not be satisfied with "only" 555hp out of that thing, though. Must. Eat. GTR's.

What is wrong with BMW X5M? I mean that has the same power and a useable back seat and doesn't look completely stupid.

The X6 review on Top Gear was rather hilarious:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UwOBKSHl-c

offroadability around 4:00

Look at it this way: the X6 makes money for BMW. They then have the freedom to build low-volume, low-profit cars for us, like M3s with carbon roofs. It's like Porsche with the Cayenne - thanks to the Cayenne, we have the 911 GT3 RS.

I am okay with that.