X6 compared to X5?

[batmanken]

what's the difference on the X6 other than the different exterior shape compared to the X5? does it drive way different than the X5? for the ppl that got the X6, what's the reason you went for it over the X5? I'm actually a huge fan of the previous generation X6, always wanted one and drool over the X6 M when I see one. New X6 design when I first saw it was a bit of a disappointment but it's starting to grow on me.

[Ray knight]

I'm still mixed about the X6. The X5 is pretty much the same but more useful and i think personally its better looking. The X6 looks more like a car with a lift kit. I guess thats the idea behind it. They are pretty popular around here. I'm still trying to like it but the squashed rear quarter throws me off. Now the 5 series and 6 series cars are more different. Same platform but the 6 is lower, more styled and smaller interior. Also the interior is different than the 5 series. The X6 however besides the seats, appears to have the same interior as the X5. So like i said, i just don't understand it. Its for the looks i guess. Some people really love it but its not for everyone.

[MattBianco]

X5 is more practical (roomy). X6 more fun and sporty.

[Taran.J]

X6 is for the guys who wanted a 5 series but the wife said no. Then let him go to the BMW showroom alone with the checkbook and the thought of "I'll teach her a lesson, SA what's your most outlandish X6 on the lot today?"

I went for the X5 for practicality and style. Form over function in stock form.

[ocman]

I tried to like the x6 (last gen and new one) I just couldn't do it. There is something about the x6 that other people like. X5 is just more practical.

[Bimar]

Above what's been said, X6 more for individuality and show appeal, always loved th X6 but due the size could not get there, but you never know new one the interior is wow! Yet to see one in the flesh to make a final conclusion.

[senoromar]

I liked the X6 until i sat in the back seat once and my head was near the roof. Like the Dos Equis guy says, I may not use the back seat much but when I do, it better be roomy and comfortable.

[Barbja]

My last car was an E71 X6 and I currently own an F16 X6. I have also owned an E70 X5 and an E53 X5. I had adaptive drive on the 70/71 and DHP on the F16. As you can see, I come from a breadth of practical real world experience of the X5+ (non M) line.

I loved my E53 and my E71 was even better. I moved out of my E70 35d to the E71 after only 1y. Coming out of the E53, the E70 just drove too 'big' for me. Also that 35d on a 6 speed xmission was absolutely horrendous for my driving style and daily routes.

Exterior:

First, commenting on the external styling is kind of pointless. It's very polarizing. I love it. If you are considering the car, you at least like it. Personally, I like the side view of the E71 better, but the front view of the F16 is better, especially when cloaked in its MSport garb.

Handling:

On the E71, Dynamic Performance Control (DPC/torque vectoring rear differential) was standard. It was not available on the E70 at all. The E71 was an all-around better handling car than the E70 by what I think is a wide margin. Since DPC is optional on both the F15 and F16 now, that handling difference gap is reduced but not closed. The shape of the car and its lower center of gravity makes the F16 seem more like a car that is smaller than its size. Not so much on the X5 front there.

Interior:

In the front, the E70 and E71 were exactly the same except: leather knee pads instead of wood trim on the center console, the windshield is raked farther forward making it closer to your face, and the seating position is a little lower. Those differences hold over to the F15/F16. However in the US, the F16 gets the added benefit of the LCD instrument panel (which is awesome!).

The F16 rear passenger compartment is improved over the E71. Everyone that I've transported in the back of my F16 has commented on the extra comfiness back there. The tallest that I've transported is only 5'10" though so YMMV. If you look at the dimensions provided by BMW, the rear head room of the F16 is exactly the same as the F15 and the leg room is better. The F16 is better than the E70 in both regards. I was tempted to take a nap when I sat back there for the first time.

Cargo space:

Being a packing Nazi, I know exactly how much stuff that I can cram into the back of a car. I almost never pack anything over the top of the back seats in any car because of the rear view being restricted. I was able to pack exactly the same amount of stuff in exactly the same configuration in my E70 and E71 (and more than my E53). This means that the space under the cargo cover is exactly the same. Having never packed an F15, I cannot do a valid comparison there, but my F16 holds the same amount of stuff as my E71. The only thing that I wasn't able to transport in my E71 that I wanted to was a TV in the upright position. To be fair, I wasn't able to do that in any of the Xs that I've owned. Besides the obvious luggage, I've transported rocks (so much that it made the car handle different), mulch, furniture, coolers, bikes, giant Costco runs, plywood (it has to be trimmed for width though, just like the X5s), full-length 2x4s and PVC pipe, etc. If you are a person that regularly transports stuff over the cargo cover extending all the way back to the hatch, you won't be happy with the cargo space. If not, you'll most likely be ok with it.

Downfalls:

One thing that I can come up with that is irksome is that the view from the rear view mirror is restricted. The F16 is even worse than the E71. You can see what you need to though (see whats directly behind you). I've adjusted by relying more on my side mirrors. That adjustment on my part has resulted in my having way less close calls in my E71 than in any car I've ever owned. I haven't owned my F16 long enough to say that the same holds true there, but with the added benefit of blind spot warning, I think I'll do better.

That's enough for a super-long post. If you have any Qs about anything, ask away.

[Bimar]

Originally Posted by Barbja

My last car was an E71 X6 and I currently own an F16 X6. I have also owned an E70 X5 and an E53 X5. I had adaptive drive on the 70/71 and DHP on the F16. As you can see, I come from a breadth of practical real world experience of the X5+ (non M) line.

I loved my E53 and my E71 was even better. I moved out of my E70 35d to the E71 after only 1y. Coming out of the E53, the E70 just drove too 'big' for me. Also that 35d on a 6 speed xmission was absolutely horrendous for my driving style and daily routes.

Exterior:

First, commenting on the external styling is kind of pointless. It's very polarizing. I love it. If you are considering the car, you at least like it. Personally, I like the side view of the E71 better, but the front view of the F16 is better, especially when cloaked in its MSport garb.

Handling:

On the E71, Dynamic Performance Control (DPC/torque vectoring rear differential) was standard. It was not available on the E70 at all. The E71 was an all-around better handling car than the E70 by what I think is a wide margin. Since DPC is optional on both the F15 and F16 now, that handling difference gap is reduced but not closed. The shape of the car and its lower center of gravity makes the F16 seem more like a car that is smaller than its size. Not so much on the X5 front there.

Interior:

In the front, the E70 and E71 were exactly the same except: leather knee pads instead of wood trim on the center console, the windshield is raked farther forward making it closer to your face, and the seating position is a little lower. Those differences hold over to the F15/F16. However in the US, the F16 gets the added benefit of the LCD instrument panel (which is awesome!).

The F16 rear passenger compartment is improved over the E71. Everyone that I've transported in the back of my F16 has commented on the extra comfiness back there. The tallest that I've transported is only 5'10" though so YMMV. If you look at the dimensions provided by BMW, the rear head room of the F16 is exactly the same as the F15 and the leg room is better. The F16 is better than the E70 in both regards. I was tempted to take a nap when I sat back there for the first time.

Cargo space:

Being a packing Nazi, I know exactly how much stuff that I can cram into the back of a car. I almost never pack anything over the top of the back seats in any car because of the rear view being restricted. I was able to pack exactly the same amount of stuff in exactly the same configuration in my E70 and E71 (and more than my E53). This means that the space under the cargo cover is exactly the same. Having never packed an F15, I cannot do a valid comparison there, but my F16 holds the same amount of stuff as my E71. The only thing that I wasn't able to transport in my E71 that I wanted to was a TV in the upright position. To be fair, I wasn't able to do that in any of the Xs that I've owned. Besides the obvious luggage, I've transported rocks (so much that it made the car handle different), mulch, furniture, coolers, bikes, giant Costco runs, plywood (it has to be trimmed for width though, just like the X5s), full-length 2x4s and PVC pipe, etc. If you are a person that regularly transports stuff over the cargo cover extending all the way back to the hatch, you won't be happy with the cargo space. If not, you'll most likely be ok with it.

Downfalls:

One thing that I can come up with that is irksome is that the view from the rear view mirror is restricted. The F16 is even worse than the E71. You can see what you need to though (see whats directly behind you). I've adjusted by relying more on my side mirrors. That adjustment on my part has resulted in my having way less close calls in my E71 than in any car I've ever owned. I haven't owned my F16 long enough to say that the same holds true there, but with the added benefit of blind spot warning, I think I'll do better.

That's enough for a super-long post. If you have any Qs about anything, ask away.

Very comprehensive, thanks for sharing

[jtd]

Originally Posted by Barbja

The shape of the car and its lower center of gravity makes the F16 seem more like a car that is smaller than its size. Not so much on the X5 front there.

I can't agree with this..

X6 F16 have Ground clearance 212 mm
X5 F15 have Ground clearance 208 mm

This means that more lower center of gravity and all the benefits of this have X5 F15

[Bimar]

Originally Posted by jtd

I can't agree with this..

X6 F16 have Ground clearance 212 mm
X5 F15 have Ground clearance 208 mm

This means that more lower center of gravity and all the benefits of this have X5 F15

Not necessarily the X6 is not as tall as the X5 at least from the pics I have seen plus width, mass and length also play into the mix too.

[Wing Co]

Originally Posted by X4guy

Not necessarily the X6 is not as tall as the X5 at least from the pics I have seen plus width, mass and length also play into the mix too.

X4guy - nice posts thanks very much. On the 19th Jan I'm going from 245BHP E70 to 381BHP F16 and mainly because of the more sporty (different) looks of the X6 - the F15 would have been too similar to the E70 and I need to feel and see the difference given the £ expenditure! I did consider a RRS, but the power is too low and technology below the E70 - switching on and off the heated seats was unbelievable.

[Bimar]

Originally Posted by Wing Co

X4guy - nice posts thanks very much. On the 19th Jan I'm going from 245BHP E70 to 381BHP F16 and mainly because of the more sporty (different) looks of the X6 - the F15 would have been too similar to the E70 and I need to feel and see the difference given the £ expenditure! I did consider a RRS, but the power is too low and technology below the E70 - switching on and off the heated seats was unbelievable.

That's a big jump, good you didn't waste on RRS, also this month my dealer is getting in the F16 in excited to see space especially rear for in the X4 it's more than the E71 head room,my passengers always surprised. Once I drive may consider the upgrade if worth it.

[Wing Co]

I have sat in a few in the Dutch BMW showrooms and the rear seems comparable to my E70, albeit to achieve this they appear to have angled the seat a bit. To be honest 245bhp would have been enough, but why not go the whole Hogg! I drive in Germany quite a bit and when it is safe 245bhp is occasionally not enough as it stops around an indicated 145mph (actual 132)! Acceleration is so linear on the E70, thanks to the superb 8 speed gearbox, that 70+ acceleration can also appear a little nuted (the Speedo indicates differently). The M50D is going to be quite different unlocks and especially performance.

[jtd]

If you like big jump you should go to the 50i from 30d

[Wing Co]

Originally Posted by jtd

If you like big jump you should go to the 50i from 30d

Don't forget we're in Europe and diesel is King with the price of fuel! Also there is a nice feel to a big diesel with instant surge from low revs. Selling a V8 in a few years after ownership would be a very different proposition to a diesel. Some car manufacturers have even stopped marketing petrol models in some of their cars - I think VW with the Passat in the UK.

[jtd]

If price of the 50i and 50d and fuel petrol and diesel would be the same, you still would get 50d ?

[Wing Co]

Originally Posted by jtd

If price of the 50i and 50d and fuel petrol and diesel would be the same, you still would get 50d ?

I think that the performance difference is negligible for most and for drivers like me the torque of the diesel is more accessible with the added advantage of considerably more mpg. I can also only drive fast in Germany, in The Netherlands it is slower paced and limits observed so diesel it is. Annual tax is much higher for the petrol and depreciation higher as well. Around 50% of new UK cars are diesel and when buying large second hand cars it will be much higher hardly anyone wants a new or used petrol 4x4 or large saloon/estate car. I assume it is why BMW and Audi have developed these high bhp diesels.

[Barbja]

My E71 was a 35i and although I truly wanted a 50i in my next car, I stuck with the 35i for my F16. I hope I don't regret it. Seems like a good choice so far; I'm getting <14mpg on the couple of tanks that I've gone through so far. This is on par with my E71. I do a awful lot of short distance city driving.

I think I'm toning to install a race chip to compensate the throttle lag that I'm experiencing. It's vexing.

[Robio]

Originally Posted by Taran.J

X6 is for the guys who wanted a 5 series but the wife said no. Then let him go to the BMW showroom alone with the checkbook and the thought of "I'll teach her a lesson, SA what's your most outlandish X6 on the lot today?"

I went for the X5 for practicality and style. Form over function in stock form.

LOL!!!

RR

[Robio]

Originally Posted by jtd

If you like big jump you should go to the 50i from 30d

I'm actually thinking about that. I went from a 550 to the x5d and I'm missing that gitty-up.

RR

[Wing Co]

Originally Posted by Taran.J

X6 is for the guys who wanted a 5 series but the wife said no. Then let him go to the BMW showroom alone with the checkbook and the thought of "I'll teach her a lesson, SA what's your most outlandish X6 on the lot today?"

I went for the X5 for practicality and style. Form over function in stock form.

Originally I wanted a metallic white, red leather M3, but my wife said NO - it looks just like a 3 Series. So looked at new X5 - just modern version of our E70, looked at RRS - very nice, but low BHP and technology and as you say I thought I'll have a X6, but make it an M5Od (with red leather for extra effect - roll on 19 Jan)...!!!!!