|
Disclaimer: I am not a professional car reviewer but I do love performance SUVs and have had lots of seat time with many different brands. Porsche cayenne turbo, Audi RSQ8, BMW X5 M50i, Jeep grand Cherokee trackhawk, AMG G63, BMW X5M competition which I currently own and will make a lot of comparisons to for reference.
I was able to see and test drive it this past weekend and here are my thoughts. I initially disliked the entire exterior of the vehicle but it started to grow on me while looking at videos and images online. When I saw it in person I can tell you it stands out and when parked next to other BMW SUV’s it makes the others look outdated. In order of likes, I love the front end, (the large glowing grille, shaped hood, split headlights), then side profile, and rear end was my least favorite as proportions were not to my liking (large rear glass, thin rear lights, and vertical quad exhausts just looked weird). No matter what your opinion about the looks are there is no denying it has street presence. It is lower in height than I expected and stance was very wide when looking from front and the rear. I think they could have done a better job with the 23 inch wheels and I did not like the gold trim in person at all.
The front interior looked like my X5M competition I currently drive except with updated IDrive 8 and large curved display and less buttons. I was pleased to see they included carbon fiber shifters but the wheel is exactly the same as in my current vehicle as is much of the center console from cup holders back to armrest. The area near the HUD had an interesting architecture which I liked a lot better and personally don’t mind having less buttons as it is cleaner look and I predict all cars will eventually have large screens so there is no real going back. I know people complain about lack of buttons with IDrive 8 but it’s so easy to use voice assistant in place of the buttons. I also liked the matte carbon over the glossy carbon I currently have, no fingerprints! Front seats felt the same as X5M but front cabin space seemed more spacious than X5. I do wish headrests were more comfortable like in the X5 M50i and they gave it the steering wheel from the new 7 series. Also at this price everything should be covered in leather but the pillar between front and rear door below the seat belt is hard plastic instead of leather which should be there in a car this price.
The rear seats are so so so comfortable and much softer than the front seats. The rear seat leather appearance wraps around to the door and theme is continued to back pockets of front seats. Initially, I thought the lounge theme was a gimmick but I have to say in my driving position at 6 feet tall the back seat is a nice place to be. Tons of headroom and legroom, I am almost able to straighten my legs in the back with my feet under front seats. Feels almost reclined when sitting back there even though seat backs and bottom are not adjustable. Best part is leather that wraps around to door. When you put your head between headrest and door area I could almost fall asleep because it is so soft. I also liked the side pillar right next to my head as it gives an almost limo like feeling. Geometric headliner is nice but panoramic sunroof should have been an option or better yet rear fold down TV screen from 7 series should be an option as well. I also wish they had the LCD screens in the rear armrests in the 7 series as this is the halo car. Also massage in rear seats. The rear cargo area with seats up is smaller than my X5 because the floor of cargo area is higher. I can’t believe that there are no buttons in the rear to fold down and return the rear seats back up in the rear cargo area for the price we are paying! The geometric roof theme is continued onto the inside of the rear hatch which is a nice touch. There is a hard cargo cover that can be removed but no storage for cover is present in the car. You have to leave it at home. There also is no spare tire area but mobility kit is nicely tucked away behind a cover on left hand side. There is also a small hard cover attached to rear hatch so when the door is closed it provides complete privacy for storage in rear. There are two bright led light strips on left and right side of rear cargo area under rails that hold hard cargo cover up which are nice. The bag containing the charging cables is nice and can be attached to right side so it slides less in cargo area.
On start up in sport mode, cold start is loud. Louder than my X5M competition. I feel the X5M exhaust is neutered but the XM has a proper roar, not too loud or obnoxious but makes you curious enough to turn your head if nearby. But by default, the XM starts in electric mode so my neighbors will be appreciative. Driving in sport mode, the suspension appeared stiffer than my X5M but not as stiff as X3M and I liked it (but I like stiff suspensions). Corners well for a 6000 pound SUV as it remains flatter than I ever thought it could around the bends. It just feels more planted. The pedal was not as light as my X5M, feels more powerful, and throttle response is improved compared to X5M in hybrid mode as there is less turbo lag and more instant response due to electric motor. Shifts felt more sharper than my X5M believe it or not and there are backfires present when lifting off pedal after acceleration which is not present in my X5M. Turning radius is same or maybe even better due to rear wheel steering and I have to say it doesn’t feel that much heavier than my X5M even though it clearly is a larger and heavier vehicle. When I’m in all electric mode, it is quiet and has more instant torque than I thought existed. Driving around town it fits then bill. Biggest negative about the drive is when in electric mode and you have to quickly accelerate by pushing pedal through kickdown, there is a long delay before the V8 kicks in like you would feel with a long turbo lag. Also once it does kick in the transition between electric to hybrid is not smooth and somewhat unrefined and rough.
Overall, I was not a fan but now I am a fan. Is it perfect? No and no performance SUV I have driven is. But the XM is more good than bad in my opinion. I heard they are producing about 1000 worldwide and I do believe there are 1000 people like me in this world who will buy it….as for holding value like other competitors like G wagon or urus, I don’t think it will but time will tell…..
|