BMW X6 Review & Prices

The BMW X6 is a bit like Snapchat. When it first appeared, people wondered what the point was. Does anybody need a car that’s part SUV, part coupe? But like Snapchat, the X6 has defied the naysayers to prove quite popular.

This large coupe-style SUV has strong engines and seating for five. It’s a sleeker version of the BMW X5 and an alternative to the similarly-styled Mercedes GLE Coupe and Porsche Cayenne Coupe.

The X6 has been updated for 2024 but you still get the classic, chunky proportions that you expect from an off-roader, with a rakishly angled roof that echoes the sleek lines of a sports car. As is the trend in recent BMWs, the trademark ‘kidney’ grille is now enormous. It’s also available with illumination, to make it even more, er, eye-catching.

Inside the look and feel is very BMW X5, which is a good thing. It has an interesting design but functional button layout and everything feels extremely well put together. It also means you get BMW’s latest twin-screen infotainment system, which looks amazing although some functions are harder to use than before the latest update.

There are good and bad points to the X6’s space and practicality. Okay, so you’ll seat four adults just fine inside, but the X6 loses some rear headroom in the name of style compared with the X5, plus its middle seat is quite uncomfortable. The boot is smaller than an X5’s (and the Mercedes’ or Porsche’s) and a more awkward shape thanks to its sloping roofline. You’re paying a premium over the X5 for this, remember.

There’s a choice of petrol and diesel engines, but the highlight of the range is the performance-focused M60i. This twin-turbo V8 petrol has 530hp and a 0-62mph time of 4.3 seconds.

The X6M Competition gives you more power (625hp) for a 0-62mph time of 3.9 seconds. That’s staggering pace for a car of this size and weight, but it is even more expensive to run than the M60i and requires more compromise to comfort.

Even the entry-level engines are extremely strong, and given the diesel is the cheapest and most fuel-efficient of the range it makes the most sense. Whichever engine you choose, the X6 feels bulky but comfortable in town and more agile than it has any right to be on a country road given its size. On the motorway, it’s supremely comfy and quiet with the latest driver assistance tech available.

The BMW X6 is a mixed bag, then. It’s superb to drive, has a lovely cabin and an eye-candy infotainment system. You’re better off just spending less money on the more practical X5, though, unless you really prefer the X6’s styling and don’t need the space.

If that’s the case, you should check out the latest BMW X6 deals on Carwow to see how much money you can save. You can also browse the latest used BMW X6 stock, as well as other used BMWs. When the time comes, you can sell your current car through Carwow, too.

The X6 costs more than the equivalent X5, which is all but indistinguishable to drive and much more practical than the X6. As for similar cars, the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe starts from a higher price than the X6, while the Audi Q8 range is also slightly more money when comparing entry-level models.

Staggering performance, great handling and surprising comfort, but visibility isn’t great for town driving

In town

The high driving position ought to give a good view out. The trouble is the huge pillars front and rear restrict your view. It doesn’t help that there’s no wiper for the rear windscreen, so you can’t see very well out of the rear-view mirror on a wet day.

A clever automated parking system should take the strain out of finding a space for such a big car with iffy visibility, but in practice it’s not as clever as it’s cracked up to be. You’ll probably rely on the car’s sensors and cameras instead.

Although care is needed to pilot the X6 through city streets, the turning circle is reasonable by super-tanker SUV standards. It shrinks a little further if you have an X6 fitted with rear-axle steering.

Whichever model you go for, the X6 is quite firm over bumps but not bum-numbingly so – you can take the kids to school without bouncing their phones from their hands.

Every X6 has more than enough performance for nipping into gaps in traffic, so you don’t have to worry about going for the entry-level engines if you’re tempted by their better economy figures.

On the motorway

You’ll be up to the legal maximum in no time in any X6 – or well beyond it if you aren’t paying attention. These are all very fast cars.

For UK roads with a 70mph limit, there’s no sensible reason to look beyond the entry-level engines – the diesel in particular makes the smartest choice for long-distance driving. It will go much further between fuel stops than the thirstier V8 petrols.

Comfort improves at speed, with an excellent balance between soaking up bumps without becoming too wobbly like some luxury SUVs. Stick to the ‘comfort’ setting to keep the suspension supple.

There’s not much road or suspension noise on the motorway. Although there is a little bit of wind noise from around the door mirrors, it’s not enough to really disturb the peace.

On a twisty road

Big SUVs should not be this much fun on a country road. The X6 puts similarly sporty 4x4s in the shade with its agility, poise, and balance.

For maximum fun between the corners, the M60i and X6M Competition are mind-bendingly fast, so it’s just as well the brakes are strong enough to cope. In truth, every version of the X6 will please keen drivers, although the V8 cars are that bit more special.

We found it best to set the adaptive suspension to comfort, even with the other settings at their sportiest. That way you can enjoy rapid gearn changes and weighty steering with suspension that’s forgiving enough to cope with British B-roads.

Comfortable in the front, but there are compromises in the back and the boot

The X6’s driving position is super-comfy. Whether you are popping to the shops or driving halfway across the country, you should step out of the BMW without any aches or pains. There’s plenty of adjustment to the seat and wheel, so people of most shapes and sizes should be able to dial-in their ideal position. Electric adjustment of the driver’s seat is standard, as is heating.

There’s a decent-sized cubby under the armrest. The lid is split in two, opening on both sides which makes it easier for someone sitting in the back to reach in if they need to. There’s a USB port inside, too.

Ahead of the arm rest, you’ll find twin cupholders. On some versions they are heated for your morning coffee and chilled for a cold drink on your way home.

Big door bins have plenty of room for a large flask, although you may find the cupholders are big enough. Even the insides of the door bins are made of top-notch materials, underlining the sense of luxury in the X6’s cabin.

Space in the back seats

There’s lots of legroom in the back. Headroom isn’t too bad either, although there’s more in the X5 with its more conventional roofline.

It’s annoying that the bases of the front seats are so close to the floor, which makes it hard to slide your feet underneath. The floor itself is higher than you’d expect, pushing your knees up and giving less under-thigh support.

The middle seat is definitely the least comfortable. It’s more of a perch than a chair you sink into. We’ve found the back seats in the Audi Q8 to be more comfy.

On the other hand, fitting child seats using the supplied ISOFIX mounts is very easy, thanks in part to the wide-opening rear doors.

Boot space

If you want to load all the way to the roof, then the sloping shape of the X6 does eat into the available space.

Then again, when loading to the parcel shelf there’s a healthy 580-litre capacity. That’s some way off the 655 litres in a Mercedes GLE Coupe, mind you.

There’s a load lip to lift items over, which is a bit of pain given the boot floor is so high off the ground. With the optional air suspension fitted, the back of the car can be lowered to make this less of a problem.

You can fold the back seats down to make more space, although it’s odd that there are no remote release levers by the tailgate, so you have to reach in or walk around. There’s only a slight slope to the floor with the back seats lowered.

Superb quality and stunning infotainment, but there are a few usability frustrations

Before the 2024 update, the X6 was a pretty special car inside, and changes to the cabin have given it even more visual appeal.

The first thing to strike you is the twin-screen display. There’s one driver’s display and one infotainment screen, but BMW has cleverly designed them to seem like one big screen. If the high-end TV in your living room looks this good, you must have spent serious money.

The next thing is the sheer quality of the cabin. It’s almost impossible to find any surface that doesn’t look or feel upmarket. Even areas which most manufacturers neglect, such as the side of the transmission tunnel, are high quality. The headlining feels soft and expensive too. Is it normal to start rubbing the headlining? Probably not, but if that’s your thing you won’t be disappointed.

The cabin is stylish as well as beautifully made, with BMW’s usual driver-focus but with a high-tech look which makes the pre-update car’s cabin seem dated.

It’s not just that the materials are posh, they seem to have been screwed together to last for years and years to come. This is one solidly built car.

And yet… somewhere along the way some ease of use has been lost. You used to be able to adjust the distance to the car in front while using the adaptive cruise using buttons on the steering wheel. Now you have to wade through the touchscreen’s convoluted menus – not something you want to be doing at 70mph on the motorway.

The infotainment may look amazing, but it now includes the air conditioning controls. These were easier to use when there were separate physical buttons.

So, the cabin is stunning, and the twin-screens have huge showroom appeal. But in the quest for a clean and uncluttered design, BMW has made the car less easy to use.

The X6 is not the car to choose if you want rock-bottom emissions. Although some engines use mild-hybrid assistance to improve economy and reduce emissions, there are many SUVs with the greener credentials and lower tax bills.

For long-distance economy, there’s little need to look beyond the excellent 30d. This returns 39.8mpg according to the official figures and emits 187g/km of carbon dioxide. Even though it’s the most efficient model in the range, it’s still in the 37% band for benefit-in-kind tax – that’s as high as they go.

The more powerful 40d emits 191-199g/km depending on the exact spec, while the 40i emits 195-202g/km.

If you are seriously considering the M60i or X6M Competition, then you probably aren’t too worried about fuel bills or company car tax. The M Competition is the thirstiest of the lot, returning 22.2mpg and emitting 288g/km. If you use the performance, don’t be surprised to see fuel economy in the teens.

Every X6 is a country mile beyond the £40,000 Vehicle Excise Duty threshold. For private buyers, that means you have to pay extra in years two to six. That’s no different from the X6’s alternatives, so it’s unlikely to sway your decision one way or the other.

The safety experts at Euro NCAP haven’t tested the X6 specifically, but it’s really an X5 dressed for a night out. So, it’s fair to expect it to protect occupants just as well as that model in a crash.

The X5 scored the full five stars when tested in 2018. It earned an 89% rating for adult occupant protection, 85% for child occupants, 86% for pedestrian protection and 78% for its safety assistance systems.

Driver assistance features include the Driving Assistant Professional package, which has some extra features on top of the regular adaptive cruise control such as the ability to let the car take control in stop-start traffic. You also get self-parking tech, but it isn’t as clever as you’d hope. There’s also a Trailer Assistant for easier manoeuvres while pulling a caravan or horsebox.

BMW tends to be in the middle of the pack when it comes to owner satisfaction and reliability surveys. There’s quite some variation between different models.

The X6 is too niche to appear in many studies, but the X5 generally performs pretty well. There are reports of some issues with the bodywork, but otherwise the car is generally robust. We’d expect much the same of the similar X6.

If you want zero issues with your luxury SUV, though, take a closer look at the Lexus RX.