2009 BMW X6: Perfectly pointless


I grabbed the keys to the BMW X6 last night. By the time I got home I was wondering whether, in a quiet corner of the FIZ, BMW's giant engineering center in Munich, a bunch of engineers were crying into their weissbier over this thing.

Don't get me wrong, the X6 -- in this case the six-cylinder version -- is an impressive piece of work. The 3.0-liter turbocharged engine is smooth and torquey and punches the X6 hard away from the lights. The ride is beautifully controlled, a huge improvement on the first-gen X5, which bounced around like a Conestoga wagon on the Oregon Trail. It changes direction with near sport-sedan alacrity.

But driving the BMW X6 hard is a bit like watching an elephant tap dance -- you're left faintly bemused by the whole act, but not entirely sure it belongs anywhere outside a circus. I couldn't help wonder how much time and effort it took the BMW engineers to make this 4894-pound truck perform like, well, a BMW. More to the point, I wondered whether deep down the BMW engineers, car guys all, thought the X6 a waste of their talent. You see, good as it is, the X6 is still a truck. A perfectly pointless truck.


A Ferrari 599GTB has a point. A Toyota Prius has a point. A Ford F-150 has a point. But what, exactly, is the point of a BMW X6? Despite all the clever engineering, it still manages to artfully combine all the disadvantages of a tight-fitting coupe with all the downsides of a big SUV. The result is a vehicle that can't go off-road or carry as much stuff as a regular SUV and doesn't quite go around corners as well -- or use fuel as efficiently -- as any comparable BMW car.

I guess the point the X6 proves is the auto business has long ceased to be about transportation. The auto business is really a fashion business. The X6 exists only because BMW's marketing mavens are convinced there are enough of you out there who want an SUV that thinks it's a coupe. And judging by the approving looks and thumbs up grins our test X6 is generating on L.A.'s streets, it seems they might be right.




This is from Motor Trend.com,under their Blogs section.Thought I would stir the pot a little.My response to Mr.MacKenzie:I don't want a "mudplugger",ie Porsche Cayenne (I don't tow anything-19 cu ft rear storage vs 26 cu ft for X6-Off road for me is turning around on a dirt road),or Range Rover Sport or shall I say "6k Flying Brick".Nor do I need or want the utility of the X5 (great SUV),or the Chevy Tahoe's and their ilk's of the auto universe.I don't want or need a traditional sedan or station wagon ( still not big enough for my motoring needs). Viola!!!!! The X6 fit's me like a glove.....and I suspect many thousands more like me with similar vehicular needs !!!! Thanks. PalBay