Topic: Test-Drive: 2010 BMW X6 ActiveHybrid

[Autos_Editor]

BMW's X6 ActiveHybrid is like an amusement park ride, says Assistant Editor Jil McIntosh: it makes no sense, but it sure is a lot of fun. It's fast and powerful, and should be for the $99,900 price, she says.

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[sailor723]

This is one of those vehicles that as you are skimming the review you're thinking "who cares?"

[Eric Green]

My contempt for this thing is immeasurable. I'm beginning to think that the last good BMWs were the E28 3.5s, the E9s, the 02s and the E30 M3. This is a company that utterly appears to have lost its way- anyone here recall the 1970's "The Ultimate Driving Machine", when one could say that about BMW with a straight face?

One of the few of Ms. McIntosh's reviews that I have no intention of reading.

[Eric Green]

I just checked- this bloated thing weighs almost <i>a ton</i> more than my Chevy half-ton Think about that for a moment, peeps...

BMW- I lament for what you once were.

[firemanjack]

 Once again, Jil, I agree with you in most aspects of this car....It's one big, bloated gimmick...
  The only thing I disagree with is the wheels...Man....ugly...Hot wheels on acid...
                       3 tons a fun..for a mere 110 big ones...and a solid 14 MPG to boot...Another modern marvel from BMW....Patooey   dragonfly

[CanuckS2K]

This is one of those vehicles that as you are skimming the review you're thinking "who cares?"

My thoughts exactly. 

[ovr50]

As a BMW-fan, I have to say that the regular X6 makes little sense to me, this AH one makes even less sense. 

At least an X5 is useful to lug stuff, and has decent rear seat headroom. The X6, meh....

BMW does use the upper models as a "testing ground" for applications that may trickle down to more affordable models. I think this is the main thrust here.

[new age group]

X6 makes no sense? wait until you see the 550I GT.

The official name is: BMW 550i Gran Turismo

basically it is the RWD version of the X6, and this thing will replace the nice looking and functional 5-series Touring Wagon. .... Sigh. ...

I am wondering when will BMW introduce the 550I GT X Drive .... LOL

[ovr50]

X6 makes no sense? wait until you see the 550I GT.

The official name is: BMW 550i Gran Turismo

basically it is the RWD version of the X6, and this thing will replace the nice looking and functional 5-series Touring Wagon. .... Sigh. ...

I am wondering when will BMW introduce the 550I GT X Drive .... LOL

The 550i GT is derived from the new 5 Sedan, not the X6.

Not my cup of tea, either.

[wing]

I rather like the GT actually it is very nice inside and out.

[evil_twin]

The X6 is the BMW Aztek - only less useful.


BMW should be ashamed of themselves.

Although I agree, the X6 is awful, BMW is a company driven by profit like any other, and these things have killer margins and they sell...

I have no idea why they sell...but they do.  Drive by BMW Waterloo and in the 3 'podium' positions out front of the dealership they will always have some combination of X3's, X5's, and X6's.  No 335i, no M3...just SUVs for the masses.

Certainly no worse than Porsche producing (and selling) Cayenne's buy the boatload. 

It's disappointed as a car enthusiast that there are people out there more willing to shell out $100k+ on an X6, when they could SAVE money, drive an M3 Sedan, and still have more cargo space....

...but that isn't BMW's fault.  They are more than happy to feed the market and pocket the profits.  We'd all do the same given the opportunity.

[ovr50]

I agree with Evil's post above.

Not only do they sell, but then the South Beach poser rushes out and buys 22" bling wheels for it, and posts a pix on it on the BMW forums, expecting other posters to be impressed with the monstrosity created. Unfortunately, many are impressed.

Certainly the X crossovers by BMW have helped their bottom line immensely. As has the Cayenne for Porsche, in fact, likely Porsche would not have survived financially without the Cayenne. Sad as it may be, this is price we all have to pay for being able to buy an M3, M5 or 911GT3.

As depressing as this to real auto enthusiasts, it is the only way for these cos to survive, and help all avoid driving Japanese refridgerators.

And, as bad as the X6 looks, it really is not quite at Aztec level yet...

[HeliDriver]

I don't know how true it is, but I read somewhere that the real impetus for the development of the new crossover models came from the European market, not the US.

Apperently, there's a huge SUV stigma over there - to the point that in some places you can't park a Cayenne or X5 without it getting vandalized. European buyers are supposedly going crazy for vehicles like the X6 because it offers most of what they want in an SUV, but without the social stigma.

Could be total BS, but I thought it was an interesting point. Maybe we can't blame everything tasteless and ugly on the wishes of the American market. 

[Dan]

U G L Y

[Mitlov]

The 5 GT makes perfect sense to me.  It's what we call a "hatchback."  Not a bad idea.

This, on the other hand...arguably the stupidest vehicle of 2010.  I can't think of a single thing it does well.  If you want something that handles, don't get a three-ton crossover.  If you want a hybrid, don't get something that returns 14 mpg.  If you want a crossover, get something with more utility than a run-of-the-mill sedan.

[Schmengie]

The Ultimate Fat Ugly Pig...
Does BMW remotely care what monstrosities like this will do to their legacy a few years from now? 

[aknutson]

The 5 GT makes perfect sense to me.  It's what we call a "hatchback."  Not a bad idea.

This, on the other hand...arguably the stupidest vehicle of 2010.  I can't think of a single thing it does well.  If you want something that handles, don't get a three-ton crossover.  If you want a hybrid, don't get something that returns 14 mpg.  If you want a crossover, get something with more utility than a run-of-the-mill sedan.

I thought so too until I found out the 5 GT actually weighs more than an X5, so in fact it is just as irresponsibly un-engineered as the X6. Why all the fancy tricks? It's all marketing. If you want practicality and performance just get the 5-series touring. Wagons have been around forever, because they work. The touring tips the scales at a full 400 Kg (881 lbs!) less than the Gran Turismo! Plus you get AWD, Save $10K, and have a better handling vehicle. All this segment invention is dancing around simple basics that work - if you want the 'ultimate driving machine', skip the hatchback-cross-activity-sports vehicle, just get back to the basics and get a car! That being said, if you do want utility, then get the X5 and don't expect it to be ultimate anything. The X6 just falls through the cracks in to a pit of head-scratching 'why does this exist?'

[evil_twin]

The Ultimate Fat Ugly Pig...
Does BMW remotely care what monstrosities like this will do to their legacy a few years from now? 

I think people are overly dramatic about 'legacy' and 'heritage' with car companies.  We're enthusiasts for the most part so we're passionate about these things, but companies conduct their business with one goal primarily: Make Money.

Does seeing an X6 on the dealership lot really make that M3 beside it any less attractive??  I don't think so.  And I don't think the Cayenne really hurt Porsche's legacy at all.  I still see 911's, Cayman's, etc on the road and lust for them as much as ever.  As ovr pointed out, had they NOT built the Cayenne, those cars might not exist anymore....or worse, they'd be yet another division of VW and the 911 would be a rebadged S5.

We all love these iconic cars and have models and posters of them on our shelves and walls.  But unless we're all actually BUYING the cars, Porshe and BMW will have to find other ways to make a profit.

[Jaeger]

Put me in thegroup trying to figure out the point of this vehicle.

And the group trying to keep down their breakfast after looking at it.

Ugh.

Jaeger