Need help? I'm thinking of buying a BMW X6
Discussion
I know this is one of the more divisive cars on the road. It seems to be pure marmite - provoking love it/ hate it responses from people.
But here's the thing:
I like SUV's. I like sitting high ( dodgy knee ). 4WD and some better ground clearance is also handy because I live in a lane that is not adopted by the council ( not tarmac) and during the winter is gets very, very muddy and slippery.
I also like smooth, swift cars. A 40d X6 is pretty rapid, unusual car and it is a decent drive. And looking through the classifieds, I can have a young one with low mileage for little more than the price of a new Freelander.
I am aware of the stereotypes attached to the car ( Cheshire housewives spring to mind ) but I don't care. I am actually pretty conservative at heart and I act, look and probably live like an archetypal LR Discovery driver - but they are so boring. Not all that reliable, either. And I like BMW.
Am I mad?
But here's the thing:
I like SUV's. I like sitting high ( dodgy knee ). 4WD and some better ground clearance is also handy because I live in a lane that is not adopted by the council ( not tarmac) and during the winter is gets very, very muddy and slippery.
I also like smooth, swift cars. A 40d X6 is pretty rapid, unusual car and it is a decent drive. And looking through the classifieds, I can have a young one with low mileage for little more than the price of a new Freelander.
I am aware of the stereotypes attached to the car ( Cheshire housewives spring to mind ) but I don't care. I am actually pretty conservative at heart and I act, look and probably live like an archetypal LR Discovery driver - but they are so boring. Not all that reliable, either. And I like BMW.
Am I mad?
I think the X5 is quite handsome. I don't like the looks of the X6.I have an X6 40d and I'm very happy with it.
It's fast enough for most situations, comfortable, practical and I love the looks. It is quite stiffly sprung but not harsh (certainly compared to S line Audi). The extra height is good for country roads where you can see over walls etc that would block the view in something smaller.
The 8 speed gearbox is very good, I don't use the paddles often as sport mode is enough. It's very smooth with a fast response.
Mine has the upgrade stereo with the hard drive and DAB and it sounds great.
Compared to the X5 it handles better due to the M5 style rear diff that puts power to the outside rear wheel during hard cornering, it certainly feels more aggressive to drive.
Downsides? People either love it or hate it and the ones that hate it really, really hate it. I was astonished by the level of rage the thing seems to generate!
Headroom in the back is slightly limited. The boot is big but with a very high lip, I'm 6'2" and notice the height compared to other cars.
Rear visibility is poor so a parking camera is a good option to get.
Tyres are expensive being runflat 20" with 315 on the back.
It does hide speed well and you may find that everyone around you seems to be driving awfully slowly.
It's fast enough for most situations, comfortable, practical and I love the looks. It is quite stiffly sprung but not harsh (certainly compared to S line Audi). The extra height is good for country roads where you can see over walls etc that would block the view in something smaller.
The 8 speed gearbox is very good, I don't use the paddles often as sport mode is enough. It's very smooth with a fast response.
Mine has the upgrade stereo with the hard drive and DAB and it sounds great.
Compared to the X5 it handles better due to the M5 style rear diff that puts power to the outside rear wheel during hard cornering, it certainly feels more aggressive to drive.
Downsides? People either love it or hate it and the ones that hate it really, really hate it. I was astonished by the level of rage the thing seems to generate!
Headroom in the back is slightly limited. The boot is big but with a very high lip, I'm 6'2" and notice the height compared to other cars.
Rear visibility is poor so a parking camera is a good option to get.
Tyres are expensive being runflat 20" with 315 on the back.
It does hide speed well and you may find that everyone around you seems to be driving awfully slowly.
Just a thought. i know Gezza was driving an X3, but what did he need to help him out - yep RR. Think on about WHY BMW bought out Rover. Mini/LR/RR names and patents comes to mind. Rover- they did what a lot of puppy farmers do when Rover can't earn her keep( by providing an income source of young pups)- they sold it off for peanuts.
Speed addicted said:
I have an X6 40d and I'm very happy with it.
It's fast enough for most situations, comfortable, practical and I love the looks. It is quite stiffly sprung but not harsh (certainly compared to S line Audi). The extra height is good for country roads where you can see over walls etc that would block the view in something smaller.
The 8 speed gearbox is very good, I don't use the paddles often as sport mode is enough. It's very smooth with a fast response.
Mine has the upgrade stereo with the hard drive and DAB and it sounds great.
Compared to the X5 it handles better due to the M5 style rear diff that puts power to the outside rear wheel during hard cornering, it certainly feels more aggressive to drive.
Downsides? People either love it or hate it and the ones that hate it really, really hate it. I was astonished by the level of rage the thing seems to generate!
Headroom in the back is slightly limited. The boot is big but with a very high lip, I'm 6'2" and notice the height compared to other cars.
Rear visibility is poor so a parking camera is a good option to get.
Tyres are expensive being runflat 20" with 315 on the back.
It does hide speed well and you may find that everyone around you seems to be driving awfully slowly.
Thanks. Just what I was looking for. It's fast enough for most situations, comfortable, practical and I love the looks. It is quite stiffly sprung but not harsh (certainly compared to S line Audi). The extra height is good for country roads where you can see over walls etc that would block the view in something smaller.
The 8 speed gearbox is very good, I don't use the paddles often as sport mode is enough. It's very smooth with a fast response.
Mine has the upgrade stereo with the hard drive and DAB and it sounds great.
Compared to the X5 it handles better due to the M5 style rear diff that puts power to the outside rear wheel during hard cornering, it certainly feels more aggressive to drive.
Downsides? People either love it or hate it and the ones that hate it really, really hate it. I was astonished by the level of rage the thing seems to generate!
Headroom in the back is slightly limited. The boot is big but with a very high lip, I'm 6'2" and notice the height compared to other cars.
Rear visibility is poor so a parking camera is a good option to get.
Tyres are expensive being runflat 20" with 315 on the back.
It does hide speed well and you may find that everyone around you seems to be driving awfully slowly.
The ride quality is a strange thing and I cannot quite get a handle on it. I had an X5 with M sport suspension and that had a horrible ride. Mrs TS hated it and we didn't have it long. I don't know if it was the M sport suspension, the tires, the seats or a combination of things, but it was a bumpy and uncomfortable thing. The odd thing is that the X6 30d I drove recently seemed to ride better than my old X5 when ,in theory, it shouldn't.
Maybe it was the tires?
I see that a lot of X6 are 4 seaters, but some have the third rear seat in the middle option. I wonder if this can be retrofitted and a 4 seater turned into a 5 seater?
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