BMW XM | PH Used Buying Guide

A second bespoke M car half a century after the first - what would possibly go wrong?

By Tony Middlehurst / Sunday, 27 September 2026 / Loading comments

Key considerations

Available for £63,000
4.4-litre V8 petrol twin-turbo plug-in hybrid, all-wheel drive
Most powerful M car ever...
Also the biggest and heaviest M car ever
Some issues with transmission and brakes, but mainly reliable
Massively overpriced when new: where will the depreciation end?

Announced in 2022 and going on sale in the spring of 2023, the South Carolina-built XM sports activity vehicle was only the second bespoke project to come out of BMW’s M division, a full 44 years after the first one, the M1.

The CLAR-platformed XM was also BMW M’s first plug-in hybrid, mating BMW’s twin-turbo S68 4.4 V8 with a single 200hp electric motor that was built into the 8-speed torque converter automatic transmission to deliver 653hp, 591lb ft, and a 0-62mph time of 4.3 seconds – actually an impressive result given the car’s ungodly weight of nearly 2.8 tonnes. The XM’s new price of nearly £145,000 before options wasn’t exactly lightweight either.

The cosmetically jazzed-up and remapped 500-off XM Label Red that was launched in the autumn of 2023 turned out to be BMW’s most powerful road-legal car ever, boasting total power and torque outputs of 748hp and 738lb ft and a 0-62mph time of 3.8 seconds. This powertrain formed the basis for BMW’s return to FIA World Endurance racing and the Le Mans 24 Hours race in 2024, but that didn’t go well, neither of the M Team cars making it into the final Le Mans classification.

The XM road car wasn’t doing much better in sales terms with only 4,000 or so sold in Europe in 2024 and fewer than half that number sold in the US. Why? Well, to say that not everyone was impressed by the looks of the XM would be understating it. One US car site said that it looked like an X5 that had driven through the M parts bin. To be fair, they did then qualify that statement by adding that the XM was a coherent performance SUV, and plenty of pressers have generously praised it.

BMW attempted to whip up XM interest with special editions like the Kith Concept and the Naomi Campbell ‘inspired’ Mystique Allure. They then tried to widen its appeal by launching the XM 50e which, despite a healthy sounding 470hp from its B58 3.0 litre single turbo straight six/electric motor package, turned out to be one of the slowest M cars you could buy – hardly surprising given that, although it was nearly 200kg lighter than the XM 4.4, it still weighed the thick end of 2.6 tonnes. At £110,700 the 50e was at least a lot cheaper than the 4.4, which by that stage had gone up to £150,270 before options. The basic 4.4 V8 was a relative bargain compared to the Label Red though. That wore a scarcely believable price tag of £174,000.

In mid 2025 the high-power XM Label (lose the Red bit) became the only V8-engined model in a shortened two-car XM range alongside the 50e. It looks like BMW saw the error of its pricing ways as the price of the ‘26MY Label had come down to something very similar to the old base model’s. Performance figures were unchanged, but the 25.7kWh battery was given a higher charging rate of 11kW, up from the 7.4kW that had meant a 4.5hr wait between zero and full. Even at 11kW it was still miles behind the 50kW DC charging speeds of luxury SUV rivals like the full-fat Range Rover. Highlights included new colours inside and out, a new welcome light animation, and a new suite of cabin bongs, chimes and pops by DJ Carl Cox which we presume were in addition to, rather than replacements for, the original Hans Zimmer noises.

The usual consequence of overpricing what most sensible folk will see as regular production cars is massive depreciation, and sure enough that’s now hit the 4.4 XM square in the face three years after it went on sale. If you’re simply after neck-stretching performance and aren’t that brand-conscious or keen on paying ICE servicing bills it’s hard to get away from the fact that you can get a brand new Chinese or Korean EV that can legitimately challenge a three-year-old BMW XM on many levels for not much more than half the cost. As of September 2026, early XM 4.4s with 45-50,000 miles on them could be picked up for £63,000, well under half the original asking price (again, before options).

With all this taken into account, in this buying guide we’ll be ignoring the uninspiring 3.0 XM and the crazily expensive Label Red, focusing instead on the only mildly crazily expensive pre-’25 4.4 model.

SPECIFICATION | BMW XM G09 (2023-25)

Engine: 4,395cc V8 32v twin-turbo petrol with electric motor
Transmission: 8-speed M Steptronic auto, M xDrive all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 644 total (ICE only 482@5,400rpm)
Torque (lb ft): 591 total (ICE only 480@1,650-5,000rpm)
0-62mph (secs): 4.3
Top speed (mph): 155 (limited) 168 (M Driver’s Package) 87 (electric only)
Weight (kg): 2,785
MPG (official WLTP combined): 176.6-188.3
Electric-only range (miles): 51-55
CO2 (g/km): 36-33
Wheels (in): 21, 22 or 23
Tyres: 275/45 (or 40 or 35) front, 315/40 (or 35 or 30) rear
On sale: 2023-on
Price new (2023): from £144,980
Price now: £63,000

Note for reference: car weight and power data is hard to pin down with absolute certainty. For consistency, we use the same source for all our guides. We hope the data we use is right more often than it’s wrong. Our advice is to treat it as relative rather than definitive.

ENGINE & GEARBOX

BMW beefed up the 4.4 engine’s crank for the XM and made the sump out of plastic to er minimise weight. Maximum power from the engine was delivered at 5,400rpm with peak torque coming in at 1,650rpm and continuing to not far short of that 5,400rpm power peak point. 7,200 revs were available if you felt the need.

As noted earlier, the claimed 0-62mph time for the non-Label car was 4.3 seconds but cars on the US press launch seemed to be doing that run in under four seconds, hmm. The noise while it was doing so was a mix of real and artificial, the real stuff coming from a vertically-stacked four-pipe sports exhaust system. The drivetrain’s response to a mashed throttle at cruising speeds wasn’t textbook immediate.

There have been ‘performance inconsistencies’ with poor or rough gearshifting in the lower gears, when the ICE was coming on stream, or when transitioning from regen to mechanical braking. These glitches were escalated to complaint level by more than a few owners. Once all the various stars had eventually aligned however the pickup was impressive. It wasn’t painfully slow in electric-only mode either, hitting 60 in ten and a bit seconds. When not booted hard the XM could do around 50 miles on electricity alone.

The WLTP combined test figure was given as 177-188mpg, but claimed/official mpg figures for PHEVs like the XM reflected surreal testing methods more accurately than they did real-world driving. Most information sources quoted a theoretical figure in the region of 22mpg for the engine only, i.e. with no electrical assistance, representing an again purely theoretical worst-case petrol-only range with the 15-gallon tank of around 330 miles. The XM was a good tow car with a pull capacity of 2,700kg for braked trailers.

CHASSIS

It was to BMW’s credit that they managed to make the XM drive like a somewhat lighter car. 48-volt electronically controlled anti-roll bars worked with steel springs and adaptive dampers and an M Sport diff on the back axle for torque vectoring. Adding rear-wheel steering, another M first, helped the XM’s cause too.

At the end of the day though, or even at the beginning of it, nearly 2.8 tonnes was a mad amount of bulk to manage. There had to be a compromise somewhere and that turned out to be in ride quality which was somewhat closer to ‘acceptable’ than ‘plush’ on the comfort gauge. To discourage – or to be more accurate, ban – liberty-taking with this amount of power and weight BMW didn’t give you the normal M car option of a driftalicious two-wheel drive mode. There was a ‘4WD Sport’ mode in the xDrive menu that bumped up the rear-biasing of the permanent all-wheel drive system. There was also ’4WD Sand’, presumably to appeal to Middle East or US Midwest owners, along with the usual Comfort, Sport, and Sport Plus modes for the drivetrain and chassis. Steering and braking were independently configurable to Sport or Sport Plus.

Braking on steel discs was mighty, but there was a recall for loss of power assistance after owners were reporting short but unexpected lunges forward just when they thought their car was coming to a halt. In addition there were several ESC (electronic stability control) related recalls in 2023 and 2024 that affected a range of BMWs, including the XM. At least one owner experienced ‘shaking’ at 60mph along with illumination of the rollover, chassis and improper steering warning lights. Some owners who experienced cracks in their 23-inch XM wheel rims were quoted over £2,000 per replacement wheel by BMW dealers. A loss of coating on those rims was noticed too, as was a not altogether surprising appetite for tyres.

Overall, despite the occasional nobbliness of the ride, diehard M fans predictably judged the XM’s balance to be tipped more towards comfort than control, a sensation magnified by the high level of noise insulation and by its blunter responses compared to other M cars like the X6M or X5M. However, if you weren’t troubled by brand expectations and you could live with the dynamic limitations determined by physics, chances are you would be perfectly content with your XM. A tech service bulletin was put out to rectify rattling from the front suspension that we think was down to a batch of out-of-spec electronic ARBs.

BODYWORK

The X7-sized XM was not a small vehicle. In fact at just over two metres it was the widest BMW ever. That was never going to be a problem in Dubai, or in the US where the average parking space was 2.75 metres wide, but UK motorists dealing with 2.4 metre wide spaces would only have 20cm clearance on either side of that, or less on one side if you weren’t perfectly central. Even if you were svelte enough to snake your way in and out of the cabin without contacting other cars with your door, owners of those other cars – almost all of them worth a fraction of your XM – might not be so careful.

Then you had the huge front grilles. In fairness, the initial furore at this new BMW look seemed to die down into a kind of resigned acceptance followed by (some might say) a state of mind approaching appreciation. If you needed positive affirmation of your place in life an XM would see you right. There was never any doubt about the car’s presence on the road when it hauled up into a peasant’s rearview mirror, or uncertainty as to who might have made it.

If you were doing the hauling up to an XM from behind, you might question the functionality of the rear ‘diffusers’ which seemed more about promoting a tough guy look than with reducing drag. This suspicion was reinforced by angular bodywork that never used a conventional curve when some short, rounded-off straight sections could do the same job. One concession to those hating flush-fitting door handles, a present and future bane of many motorists’ lives, was the provision of physical sticky-out ones.

Large expanses of sheet metal were balanced up by large areas of glass, so there was no sense of claustrophobia in an XM, but the driver’s view out of the back window wasn’t so great. BMW roundels appeared in the top corners of that rear glass panel, evoking the twin tailgate badges of the M1. In early 2024 there was a recall of 267 XMs by BMW North America for tailgate panels that could potentially remove themselves from the mounting structure, evoking the detachable panels of SD1 Rovers.

There have been complaints about wind noise emanating from the slightly weird-looking ‘fork style’ door mirrors. BMW’s warranty solution was to add extra pieces of sound insulation in that area, but cars that were given that treatment apparently showed no improvement. One enterprising American owner taped off his mirror housings and found that the wind noise went away immediately. After replacing the housings with more conventional X5/X7 items he had no more issues.

Most XM 4.4s sold in the UK came in sober paint variations on a blue, black or grey theme, but you could liven things up by specifying a beltline slash in a contrasting colour and/or (if for some reason you thought the BMW’s identity was somehow insufficiently obvious) a contrasting grille trim. The wheel centres emblazoned with ‘BMW’ rather than the roundels you might have expected were supposed to self-right in Rolls-Royce style, but we’ve seen pics of them upside down so who knows.

INTERIOR

The ‘M Lounge’ interior was described by BMW as the ultimate blend of sportiness and luxury. Certainly there was no shortage of luxurious, well put together materials extending up to the headlining that featured a tri-colour Hans Zimmer startup light and sound show and a prismatic motif that you might have noticed on the doorhandles on your way in. An M steering wheel, carbon gear paddles and dash trims, alloy pedals, tricolour M stitching everywhere, M kickplates and wingback seats with illuminated XM badges in the headrests all played their part in projecting that sport/luxury image.

The standard spec included wireless charging, heated/cooled cupholders, head-up display and tons of internal storage, but Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound was an option, which was kind of cheeky considering the car’s price. Accommodation for rear passengers was brilliant though, with masses of head and leg room, deep, comfy reclining seats with a through-loading flap and leather that curved around to meet the doors. Full climate controls and a raft of comms connections in the front seat backs made it a highly practical zone for not just one or two but three fully grown adults. The boot held 527 litres with the third row down, a bit less than a Urus but enough for most as long as you didn’t mind the waist-height (but flat) load bay.

Access to all vehicle information and to most driving controls was through a large curved widescreen. There have been reports of crashes and some owners noticed a tendency for the audio volume to crank up to an unseemly level after their CarPlay music had been interrupted by an incoming call or text message.

There was a recall for a potential failure of the front passenger side knee airbag. A small number of owners have had the shroud atop the steering column come adrift. Some have reported rattling from dry hinges in the rear armrest area and from the rear seat vents.

PH VERDICT

The XM wasn’t really designed for everyday UK use. Its size and grandeur made it more suited for markets where space outside the car wasn’t in such short supply as it often seems to be here. With those markets in mind, plus the PR ‘shock and awe’ of four-figure Nm torque numbers in the Label (Red), BMW obviously thought that equally lofty price tags were justifiable.

Whether it all felt like £150k’s worth of luxury was the big question. At this price level a new kind of brand expectation hoves into view. The M brand undoubtedly has charisma, but ultimately it’s still part of BMW, which, unlike Aston or Bentley, is and presumably always will be a mainstream brand. That will impose a limit on how favourably cars like the XM can be perceived. The recent growth in sales of equally burly but far cheaper EVs from less starry brands has made BMW’s pricing strategy look a bit threadbare. You do wonder how early adopters in the UK who paid cash for their XMs might be feeling about the BMW brand now.

In reality, there won’t be many people in that category, but as ‘new’ transitions into ‘used’ the absurdity of BMW’s pricing means that even with the entirely predictable cliff-drop depreciation still working hard in the buyer’s favour the current entry price of £63k (Sept 2026) still looks high. In case you haven’t checked Porsche Taycan values recently, they are now easily available for under £29k. Admittedly Taycans don’t have IC engines, but from a servicing/maintenance POV that’s a point in their favour. £63k for an M-badged ICE car is almost certainly going to represent a smaller percentage of your total outgoings (including running costs) than the £29k or less that you might spend on a Taycan.

The most affordable 4.4 XM for sale on PH Classifieds at the time of writing in September 2026 was this early (2023) 48,000-miler at £63,999. Throw another £5k or so into the pot to halve that mileage and also knock a year off its age with this car but in that case you’ll need to be on board with the potentially disturbing concept of orange upholstery. At the top end of the XM price range you’ll find the odd dealer asking up to £95k for a 4.4, but realistically you don’t need to spend more than £85k for a late (’25) low miler. Unless it’s a 738hp Label Red of course, in which case you’ll be looking at a very small selection of cars advertised at something in between £105k and £108k. That seems like a hefty premium for a remap, some model-unique colours and a not-so-limited limited production run of 500.

See every BMW XM for sale