Ummm…I suppose a six footer may have headroom. Someone who is 6′1″ (like me) does not. My head literally hits the ceiling, which has never happened to me in any other Sport-utility anything…ever. The back seats may be comfortable for about 60 seconds, but the backs are concave, so that any longer than a few minutes and your back starts to hurt and you start feeling like quadimodo. Also, if you’re able to enjoy the the adult rides at amusement parks, you probably won’t be amused by how little leg room there is in the front seats even when they are moved as far back as they can go. I am usually a Bimmer fan, but this car is humongous on the outside and TINY on the inside. I’m glad my roommate bought it before I did, so I didn’t have to be the one to regret it.

The detractors just don’t get the marketing genius of BMW. I am a Porsche fan and the Cayenne has been a favorite of mine, with the ability to go off road and still have some excellent qualities of a sports car. The BMW X6 would be a sports SUV that would be cutting into the market of the Range Rover Sport with performance second only to the Cayenne turbo in the V8 category. You can’t compare the BMW X6 to any of the Japanese utility cars, Lexus, Honda, or up and comers like the Hyundai SUV’s. They are not performance driven autos, as the Germans have produced. The Japanese and Koreans have produced practical trouble free autos, which is a beauty unto itself, though they don’t have performance and handling perfected as the Germans. At least in the Sports SUV’s yet.

As for gas mileage, the Germans will catch up with the rest of the field as soon as diesel, hydrogen and other alternative fuels come to the mass commercial market in the U. S. Gas mileage of 12-16 mpg is not an issue yet, and may not be with buyers in this class of cars even at $200 a barrel for oil.

The ability to move four in a sports SUV is acceptable, though the typical golf equipment for two, snowboards, surfboards, with the rear seats folded down may be the ideal set up in the BMW X6. You may not fit your Marshall stacks and rock band equipment easily in the trunk, but there might be enough room for a lead guitarist’s gear. The lack of rear visibility is always important, and BMW designers failed in this aspect. They need to upgrade the next year’s models with better window views to the rear.

The remarkable ability for the BMW X6 V8 Twin Turbo to go head to head with the Porsche Cayenne Turbo is simply amazing. Styling points still goes to the Cayenne, though the BMW X6 comes very close in performance. The Porsche Cayenne Turbo still wins with regards to storage space because the BMW X6 is a coupe. At the end of the day, can the BMW SUV beat the Porsche SUV in handling? I think…………..NOT.

Of course for the people who still insist on buying new every two or three years, it’s going to get way more expensive.

I think this concept best works for someone like me who keeps a vehicle 200K miles regardless of how long that takes. I’m someone who doesn’t mind driving a 12 year old vehicle if it is well maintained inside and out and if it is reliable.

If I drive 15K miles a year and divide my time equally among 3 vehicles that is only 60K miles in twelve years. Nice resale condition too. Works even better if I buy 30K miles used cars.

Downsides: if you think new cars are much better than their 5 year old cousins then you will not be happy using this method. If you think the newest technology is the most green technology you won’t be happy. I don’t worry about either.

You’ll be paying insurance on three vehicles vs one. The questions is will the higher resale value or long life of the vehicles offset this cost. These standby vehicles get ugly fast if they aren’t garaged. They also need rubber parts sooner (mileage wise) b/c the old hoses will start to dry rot after a decade or two.

FWIW We use the three vehicle “method”. Wife drives the 34 mpg convertible. I drive the CUV on a much shorter commute and we have a van on standby.

After a long enough duration marketing studies are effective. People with money tend to be the most insecure human beings, especially the newly wealthy. Don’t you think luxury goods makers have figured this out? These types of people need wealth and huge phalic symbols because nothing else about their character is interesting or attractive. This is where these cars really shine. Nothing is more predictable than this evolution. As we progess through a media filled information age these people need more and more ego accessories as hundreds of comparisons are made daily via tv, movies, or a day at the mall. I wonder how many shallow marriages these cars save yearly.

“Real” men drive a sports car for fun, a family car with a family, and get a truck when absolutely necessary. Oh and ladies, you want an armored car? you’d do much better spending 70k on driving lessons. You want to look attractive? Lose the car, a few pounds, and learn how to be more courteous and confident.

And what exactly was BMW doing during WW2?

Baking cupcakes?

I’m sure they would have been the fastest and best performing cupcakes of the 1940s, but…

Money. The X6 is simply way too much money for what they offer. This vehicle will be compared with others that sell for $10,000+ less in the marketplace, and they will lose that debate.

The problems BMWs possess regarding their styling, image, purchasers and dealers are insurmountable in my book. Moreover, how may purchases of BMW are based on their engineering? Sadly, it would appear, very few…

A colleague recently “upgraded” a 3-series to a “better” 3-series. Upon asked why, he responded that it was a “better” vehicle, as it had a sunroof, PDC, different rims and metallic paint. He neglected to add that he had changed from a gas/petrol to a diesel version. I think that encapsulates my view on the subject.

You completely missed the point. Skip it. I concede… I am totally uninformed, BMWs are all fantastic and everything else sucks.

those are all undisputable facts that lead most people who are using their brains for logic thinking in the direction of other cars.

the X6 looks (I think that most of you who have seen one live agree with me that there is a hell of a difference between a 2 dimensional one and one in 3D) quality, driving performance and a likely low production volume stopped me from signing up for another cayenne. can’t wait to get my new X6!

….and oh, the likes of 911s and 460s are unfortunately not big enough for the kids to fit in.

I think that BMW are arrogant too. In fact, that is my biggest beef with them. I just imported a BMW to Canada and had to actually deal with their arrogance full force. However, they still make a great product. My father in law avoids BMW for that reason. He is worth big cake, but the snots at BMW don’t seem to want to treat him with a iota of respect, so he says, screw BMW. But since I like to drive their products, and see that they do things differently and often better, I am not prepared to let their attitudes prevent me from enjoying their product. I have to live with the car, I don’t live with the service adviser and sales staff at BMW.

I read an article in Bimmer magazine this year where Tom Purves (BMW NA Pres) actually defended their arrogance!!! How’s that for arrogance!

BTW I don’t think BMW do everything right. They don’t have an answer to the Audi A8 for example. But the Audi A8 was built to blow people away. On the other hand the new Audi A4 is still mostly a FWD car. It is not in the same class as a 3 Series. The E60 5er is not as good as the E39 in many respects. Etc Etc.

I talk to my brother quite a bit about the auto business because he is in it. He worked for BMW a few years back and in spite of working for their competition, he still thinks that they have a design and engineering ethic that other manufacturers are going to have a hard time to replicate. Without that ethic, leading will be hard.

In spite of the repeated comments about BMW just trying to raise profits with X6 products, BMW need products like the X6 to share the immense developmental costs of products like the new X5.

I don’t even have a car right now. Spending a lot of time in rentals that way…

gsp: the problem with BMW is that the company and its products have a tendency to appear arrogant, mean, callous. (On good days Clarkson uses the expression “soul-less”, on bad days he calls them SS staff cars). My opinion doesn’t matter, but for me the X6 is the ultimate yuppiemobile: a SUV that wants to get ahead, but doesn’t want to schlep. Your post, with its upper-case lettering and its insult against a fellow commentator, sounds exactly like what a BMW fan might write.

To compare these two companies shows you know little about BMW.

I will give a few oddball examples of where BMW build a good car:

1. Engines. I don’t need to say more here.
2. Door hinges. Beefy, solid, safe.
3. Wheel rims. 15 year old rims are still driving around here in Canada with no damage due to salt. Other manufacturers, Toyota, Honda, Audi… corrosion all over.
4. Fiber optic bus system to each wheel computer in the X5 with Adaptive Drive. Only car on the market with this system right now. All cars will have this in the future.
5. Xenon lights. Try driving at night without them once you have had them. Now they have been around for years, and BMW still install the best OEM lights.
6. Aluminum suspension parts. Costs more to design and build. Works better.
7. 50/50 weight distribution, RWD. For years, and now finally everybody else is getting on board.

If somebody can give more than vague “i hate the way they look” or “they got their branding all wrong” comments about what is wrong with BMW it would be of great interest to me.

Now a BMW does cost more. I am willing to pay more for the way they do things. I also would rather own a Swiss watch than a Jap watch. Some of the Jap watches are technically superior to Swiss watches but they don’t have the whole package. Why is that? And this is the crux of my arguement here:

BMW STILL LEAD EVEN THOUGH OTHER MANUFACTURERS ARE GETTING VERY CLOSE. BUT THE FOLLOWERS DON’T HAVE IT IN THEMSELVES TO PICK UP AND LEAD THE INDUSTRY THEMSELVES.
THEY WILL TAKE YEARS TO LEARN HOW TO DO SO. LIKE ALL DYNASTY EXAMPLES BMW WILL FALL. BUT WE ARE A LONG WAY FOR THAT POINT YET.

The Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme used to be the standard in the 70s and early 80s. GM sold a bunch in the 70s and 80s and everyone emulated them. BMWs are today’s Cutlasses. Mostly tacky styling, overwrought and disjointed details, undeveloped technology, and almost universally disliked by those who choose not to own them. Not a good marketing strategy.

As for British TV shows, I like the domestic version of The Office a little bit better than the British one. Both are hilarious though.

That has often been my complaint about imported cars (mostly by Ford and GM). Once they “adjust” them for the US market they often lack what made them great in the home market. Now they are too heavy, content removed (Euro-market lighting for example), too slow with the extra US builk added, etc.

BMW is one of those car companies that generally still have a good product even after conforming to the DOT regs. There is style and performance left. There are exceptions I’m sure.

Would be happier if all cars and all TV was available in the USA at no extra cost. Let the market forces determine which one languish and which ones prosper. I’m sure folks would quickly point out the cars unsafe for mere mortals to drive and our TV parental controls would improve.

I’ll take a big dose of Brit or Aussie TV (famiyl friendly of course) with both a new and old Fiat 500 in the garage – and they’ll fit too.

That’s a good point. And why Top Gear is such a great show on the BBC but probably won’t work too well on NBC.

I think of the magazines as being caught between a rock and a hard place. They have to cater to their advertisers and they have to cater to their readers. Whatever the case I see the whole establishment as as a herd of “sheeple” following each other around.

The benefit of the web forums like this one is that there is two way communication and for the most part everyone gets heard. Here too there is sometimes a herd mentality but the situation is inherently much better than with magazines.

I like the BMW SUV very much. I would rather have the body style on a car chassis with AWD instead. Not Volvo or Subbie style jacked up wagons but just a normal car with AWD. We don’t have deep snow here in TN so I realize this limits it’s usefulness with some customers.

I like their attention to detail but like with any car based SUV it is going to suffer from compromises – traction vs road manners vs clearance, weight vs performance, etc. BMW like some of the other car manufacturers do a very good job getting the most out of every category.

I definitely like this much more than the body on frame domestic style SUVs.

BMW are more often right than wrong. This is the BMW stab at a new market. I think that they will make it a new market.

Our preconceptions about cars do not always make sense. A three box car, from a practical sense, makes no sense at all. The future of cars is a combination of the two box style.

Like it or lump it, but this is the future guys. (But maybe not soooo big!)