BMW of Nashville

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Walk Around

The BMW X6 is in a class by itself. That's not a value judgment. It really is in a class by itself. There are no other raised four-door coupe/SUVs on the market.

The X6 shares its basic architecture with the X5 SUV (or SAV for Sports Activity Vehicle in BMW parlance), but it is modified for the X6. The wheelbase is the same, but the X6 is about two inches wider and the rear track is 2.2 inches wider. The X6's coupe-like body design also makes it three inches shorter than the X5. The X6's raised ride height (with a ground clearance of 8.5 inches) means it is classified as a truck.

On the road, the X6 has a definite presence. For starters, there's the twin-kidney BMW grille. The X6 differs from the X5 and announces its performance character with lots of front end cooling. A small mesh grille is located beneath the twin kidney grilles and a larger lower air intake, also with a mesh grille, is found along the bottom of the front fascia. More noticeable are two massive air intakes that house round fog lights located beneath the cat's eye-style headlights.

It's from the side that the X6 makes its biggest statement. If you would only see the X6 from the beltline down, you'd think it's an SUV. After all, the wheelwells house massive tires, yet the wheel openings are so massive that there is plenty of air around the tires. It's the greenhouse, however, that defines the vehicle. The roof reaches the peak of its height just behind the windshield and steadily slopes down to the rear end where it culminates in a built-in spoiler. When viewed from the rear, this spoiler is part of the hatchback and it resembles the high trunk that debuted on the 7 Series.

The rear view shows a wide, rounded shape. It doesn't look quite like a sports car, though, because the rear end is fairly tall and chunky, not sleek and slim like a BMW 6 Series or Porsche 911. Nonetheless, like a sports car, the high rear end and sloped roof give the X6 the look of a predator hunched and ready to attack.

Interior

2008 BMW X6

The overall ambience of the BMW X6 cabin is decidedly upscale. Just about every BMW has a nice, if somewhat staid, interior, but the X6 is more luxurious than most of the line. Soft-touch surfaces abound and the few plastics that are to be found are solid and tastefully finished. The dash is padded on the xDrive35i model, and is even nicer on the xDrive50i, as it is covered in leather. Real wood trim is used throughout.

The driver grips a substantial steering wheel with aluminum shift paddles and looks upon a hooded instrument cluster that features a prominent speedometer and tachometer. Outlined in silver, the gauges feature black faces with white numbers and needles. Inset and shrouded, the gauges are easy to read, as is the digital trip computer information that is displayed between the two gauges. The trip computer information is accessed through a button on the turn signal stalk.

To the driver's right is the center stack, which features an 8.8-inch screen that displays the navigation map (when navigation is ordered) and other functions of BMW's iDrive control system. Below the screen are two vents, a set of climate control buttons, and the radio controls. The radio controls are set low, and we had to momentarily take our eyes off the road to adjust the radio. Standard steering wheel controls help here, though. BMW also provided eight programmable buttons so specific radio stations, navigation destinations, and telephone numbers can be accessed instantly.

iDrive is controlled via a round aluminum knob and Menu button that both fall easily to hand on the center console. This system controls navigation, communication, climate, and entertainment functions. The iDrive system can require several steps to perform various functions, making tasks like finding a new radio station overly complicated, but we've found that it becomes easier once you get used to it.

The center console also features two cupholders covered by a shade in front of the shift knob, a small cubby to hold items such as change or a cell phone, and a deep console bin that is padded in leather on top. Knee pads on either side of the center console help keep passengers from banging their knees when the driver decides to charge hard into turns.

The driver's seating position is high like that of an SUV. There is plenty of head and leg room and the multi-adjustable seats should allow anyone to find a comfortable driving position. The front passenger has good room, too, but a long-legged colleague noted that the footwell's limited leg room meant he had to put the seat farther back than usual. Visibility to the rear is blocked by the sloped roofline, but the large mirrors help make up for that with a good view to the sides and rear.

The rear seat is fairly comfortable, though it only has seating for two, which leaves a lot of hip and shoulder room. Head room is generally good, though it starts to go away if you lean back or are quite tall. Leg room is good until the front seats are moved more than halfway back. Occupants in back have a handy center tray with two cupholders and a shallow tray with a rubberized bottom for holding small items. Getting in and out of the back is a little tough, as the door openings are small, requiring occupants to twist their ankles and turn sideways to slide in and out. Generally, the rear seat makes the X6 comfortable for four adults.

For cargo, the rear seat folds down 60/40 to create a mostly flat load floor. A pass-through for skis and other long items can be loaded without restricting passenger capacity. With the seats up, there is 25.6 cubic feet of cargo space, about the same as your average hatchback. That's appropriate because the X6 really is a hatchback. With the seats down, there's 59.7 cubic feet of cargo room, which is about the same as a 5 Series wagon. The rear hatch lifts in one piece, but the load floor is rather high and the coupe-like roof limits the height of packages

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