BMW's biggest SUV has arrived!

[shakotan]

BrettMRC said:

Currently I'm looking at vehicles big enough for a fully grown St bernard... wonder how the interior will hold up to signifcant amounts of slobber?

We have a St Bernard AND a Bernese, both fit comfortably (at the same time) in the boot of the latest gen Rav 4.

[aeropilot]

schmalex said:

However, for the roads and traffic conditions we have in the South East, the reality is one very rarely gets a chance to really enjoy the dynamic abilities of a sporty car, so a comfortable, quiet, spacious and highly equipped SUV makes trudging down the M4 on a wet Tuesday morning all the more tolerable.

Exactly.

I went from a mildly modified DCT equipped E82 135i to the X5, and I certainley haven't missed the 135i as much as I was expecting to, for the reasons you state.

[anonymous-user]

skyrover said:

Pothole said:

Wow, that's Escalade sized! Ridiculous for most single carriageways in the UK.

Hardly... it's approximately the same size as a full fat range rover and still smaller than traditional American full sized SUV's.

People seem to manage just fine with pickups and van's on British roads, this will be no different.

Probably because vans and pickups are that size for a good reason (to carry stuff in case you are wondering), whereas this is just large for the sake of being larger than everyone elses car, because either the driver has severe ego-problems and needs to compensate and intimidate to make themselves feel good, or label-obsessed-school-run-mum needs a larger vehicle with a posher badge than Champagne and Tiffanys' mothers.

[Willy Nilly]

skyrover said:

People seem to manage just fine with pickups and van's on British roads, this will be no different.

You're right, they do, but they are bloody hard to park in a lot of places. Our Transit is not easy to park on industrial estates due to its size.

[nickfrog]

JimSuperSix said:

this is just large for the sake of being larger than everyone elses car, because either the driver has severe ego-problems and needs to compensate and intimidate to make themselves feel good, or label-obsessed-school-run-mum needs a larger vehicle with a posher badge than Champagne and Tiffanys' mothers.

Based on this very thread, I am now totally convinced the perceived social ranking insecurity and chips on shoulder are mainly with the systematic detractors of SUVs, which makes them perceive anyone with a bigger car than theirs as a threat. A reverse snobbery thing if you like.

Personally, I am not too bothered what OTHER people do or choose as a car.

[GSE]

corozin said:

Why do we need the X7? Because the X5 is already a f**king great battleship of a thing and what the world needs is an Aircraft Carrier to replace it with. It's a ridiculous monster of a vehicle, from a company that is supposed to be trying to lead the market into hybrids and fuel efficiency.

Any gains in fuel efficiency from hybrid or EV vehicles will be wiped out 10 times over by the sale of one of those.

corozin said:

And that front grille looks stupid. The Escalade which the X7 is trying to mimic actually looks better.

Don't forget that BMW are targeting the Klingon demographic. Soon to be seen barging its way around the roads of Kronos.

[anonymous-user]

nickfrog said:

JimSuperSix said:

this is just large for the sake of being larger than everyone elses car, because either the driver has severe ego-problems and needs to compensate and intimidate to make themselves feel good, or label-obsessed-school-run-mum needs a larger vehicle with a posher badge than Champagne and Tiffanys' mothers.

Based on this very thread, I am now totally convinced the perceived social ranking insecurity and chips on shoulder are mainly with the systematic detractors of SUVs, which makes them perceive anyone with a bigger car than theirs as a threat. A reverse snobbery thing if you like.

Personally, I am not too bothered what OTHER people do or choose as a car.

We all know that this type of oversized SUV will be bought mostly by the types I listed above precisely for their perceived social ranking and size over others *as perceived by the person who buys it*, that's just fact and stating it doesn't indicate whether i or anyone else stating it does themself feel threatened by larger vehicles, no matter how much you would like that to be the case. If you want to see it first-hand just do the school run a few times and observe.

Two of my cars are tiny (mx5, kitcar) so I guess I should feel threatened by every single vehicle? Guess what, I don't. But I have eyes and I have observed the behavior and attitudes of the drivers of these massive SUVs, and sadly they enforce their own stereotype.

[Phil Dicky]

I do wonder sometimes if people on here are being totally honest with themselves.
Let's say you are a PH worthy guy with a few bob in the bank.
You've failed to understand how condoms work and have 4 kids .
You have a McLaren etc in the garage for weekends. A nice S63 coupe for daytime duties, but need a car for the family.
You really going to nip down to Ford or Vauxhall for the required 6/7 seater ?

[anonymous-user]

Nanook said:

JimSuperSix said:

We all know that this type of oversized SUV will be bought mostly by the types I listed above precisely for their perceived social ranking and size over others *as perceived by the person who buys it*

So?

Why do you care?

Why do you keep going on about it?

Because it's a forum discussion about yet another of these daft vehicles?
And because I'm sick of having to run the gauntlet of these things and their silly owners every day.

[p1stonhead]

Phil Dicky said:

I do wonder sometimes if people on here are being totally honest with themselves.
Let's say you are a PH worthy guy with a few bob in the bank.
You've failed to understand how condoms work and have 4 kids .
You have a McLaren etc in the garage for weekends. A nice S63 coupe for daytime duties, but need a car for the family.
You really going to nip down to Ford or Vauxhall for the required 6/7 seater ?

Its ugly as sin but this.

People buy the Range Rover, Bentayga and Cullinan like no ones business (i know someone who bought his and hers Bentaygas for christ sake). This will sell by the boatload.

[aeropilot]

JimSuperSix said:

Two of my cars are tiny (mx5, kitcar) so I guess I should feel threatened by every single vehicle? Guess what, I don't. But I have eyes and I have observed the behavior and attitudes of the drivers of these massive SUVs, and sadly they enforce their own stereotype.

Got to at a MX5 owner calling out stereotypes of other vehicle owners.

[anonymous-user]

Phil Dicky said:

I do wonder sometimes if people on here are being totally honest with themselves.
Let's say you are a PH worthy guy with a few bob in the bank.
You've failed to understand how condoms work and have 4 kids .
You have a McLaren etc in the garage for weekends. A nice S63 coupe for daytime duties, but need a car for the family.
You really going to nip down to Ford or Vauxhall for the required 6/7 seater ?

I wouldn't nip down to Vauxhall for any car, because I've not yet totally given up on life.

[Phil Dicky]

p1stonhead said:

Phil Dicky said:

I do wonder sometimes if people on here are being totally honest with themselves.
Let's say you are a PH worthy guy with a few bob in the bank.
You've failed to understand how condoms work and have 4 kids .
You have a McLaren etc in the garage for weekends. A nice S63 coupe for daytime duties, but need a car for the family.
You really going to nip down to Ford or Vauxhall for the required 6/7 seater ?

Its ugly as sin but this.

People buy the Range Rover, Bentayga and Cullinan like no ones business (i know someone who bought his and hers Bentaygas for christ sake). This will sell by the boatload.

My point relates the poster on here..he has 4 kids so has one on order. He's obviously not short of a few bob, yet is getting abuse. For a wealthy guy what other options does he have?

[anonymous-user]

aeropilot said:

JimSuperSix said:

Two of my cars are tiny (mx5, kitcar) so I guess I should feel threatened by every single vehicle? Guess what, I don't. But I have eyes and I have observed the behavior and attitudes of the drivers of these massive SUVs, and sadly they enforce their own stereotype.

Got to at a MX5 owner calling out stereotypes of other vehicle owners.

Surely I'd need to have made or defended one about mx5s for your point to be relevant?
I could claim to exit every junction with a dab of oppo and dodging flying hair products if it helps you out?

[baconsarney]

I find this thread genuinely entertaining

[Sebastian Tombs]

BMW, like Mercedes Benz, gained their reputation and became the success they are by making the kind of vehicles that would appeal to (West) Germans.

Maybe they should try doing that again.

[Tom_Spotley_When]

JimSuperSix said:

Nanook said:

JimSuperSix said:

We all know that this type of oversized SUV will be bought mostly by the types I listed above precisely for their perceived social ranking and size over others *as perceived by the person who buys it*

So?

Why do you care?

Why do you keep going on about it?

Because it's a forum discussion about yet another of these daft vehicles?
And because I'm sick of having to run the gauntlet of these things and their silly owners every day.

I've got a Diesel VW Touareg. I use to drive my Golden Retriever around on the weekend. It hasn't moved from the drive for the last 4 days. I bought it when my commute to work was 60 miles/day from the countryside to Manchester and I liked it because it had a heated seat and a heated steering wheel and a panoramic roof and a big stereo.

Does that mean I'm silly too?

[pb8g09]

I've got no problem with vehicles like this existing - they have their place for those with a bit of money who want a big car, fine.

What does offend me about these is when they're bought and driven by people who can't drive. The number of SUVs in my area (which is supposedly a higher disposable income area which seems to attract wideboys with fake tans) which mount kerbs when pulling out of junctions, taking up two lanes at roundabouts from misunderstanding the size of their vehicle and tailgate on long straights is what irks me.

If I had kids, I'd buy an SUV over a MPV every day of the week and I worked hard enough at school to buy one that will be refined. If it has a BMW or Audi badge on it, so be it.

In reality, I don't have kids and instead will continue to chuckle at all the fury on these forums over SUVs from the gents who care more about what Phil next door drives than their own motor.

[anonymous-user]

Tom_Spotley_When said:

JimSuperSix said:

Nanook said:

JimSuperSix said:

We all know that this type of oversized SUV will be bought mostly by the types I listed above precisely for their perceived social ranking and size over others *as perceived by the person who buys it*

So?

Why do you care?

Why do you keep going on about it?

Because it's a forum discussion about yet another of these daft vehicles?
And because I'm sick of having to run the gauntlet of these things and their silly owners every day.

I've got a Diesel VW Touareg. I use to drive my Golden Retriever around on the weekend. It hasn't moved from the drive for the last 4 days. I bought it when my commute to work was 60 miles/day from the countryside to Manchester and I liked it because it had a heated seat and a heated steering wheel and a panoramic roof and a big stereo.

Does that mean I'm silly too?

Depends how you drive it I suppose, hence why I said "mostly". Plus as mentioned below, it's not really the same as the vehicle and therefore target market that this thread is referring to.

[hyphen]

Tom_Spotley_When said:

I've got a Diesel VW Touareg. I use to drive my Golden Retriever around on the weekend. It hasn't moved from the drive for the last 4 days. I bought it when my commute to work was 60 miles/day from the countryside to Manchester and I liked it because it had a heated seat and a heated steering wheel and a panoramic roof and a big stereo.

Does that mean I'm silly too?

Nah, The 'image' projected by the Toureg (and indeed all VW's)/Old XC90/Disco are less status driven.