2020 BMW X6 M50i Full Review | The Perfect Example of Form Over Function

So here we have it. The all new 2020 BMW X6 M50i. A bit of a wild card in the automotive game, if you ask me. See, the definition of a wild card is something whose influence is unpredictable or their quality is uncertain. Sure, you can read the specs on paper, but the influence from this concept was deftly unpredictable. The X6 began its life in 2008. Codenamed the E71. It was the first of its kind. Completely unconventional, completely impractical, but somehow very appealing. Because today, practically every luxury automaker offers some variant of a coupe suv. And by whatever marketing tactic they all agreed on, you always ended up paying more to get less, at least in terms of cargo space. For a really long time, I never understood it. Why would you spend so much money to get something so impractical? Why not just buy a truck or a wagon or a good old SUV and then get a sports car on the side? And then it dawned on me. This is every one of those cars rolled into one simple package, maybe minus the truck. And. And as silly as it sounds, it's arguably pretty attractive now. Not only because I'm an old man now and I have a kid, but I think I like it because it's no longer the athletic twin sister to the X5. It's become its own person. Different fender design, different tail lights. Even these added fake vents in the back tickle me. I don't know, it just doesn't feel like it's living in a shadow anymore. But cosmetics Aside, this new third generation G06 chassis car is an inch and a half longer than half an inch wider and just a t bit shorter. It's definitely not small by any means. It's classified as a mid sized SUV and the weight shows a touch over 5100 pounds. So I'm not going to expect it to handle like a Lotus. Anyway, let's go for a drive. The new X6 only has three real trims. The 40i, the big boy M, and of course, this M50i. Now, the biggest selling point for the M50 trim is BMW's newly revised 4.4 liter Twin Turbo V8. It now makes 523 brake horsepower and 553 pounds of torque. And even though it weighs over two and a half tons, it's still obnoxiously quick for something this heavy. My goodness, this thing is fast. I mean, the numbers don't lie either. 0 to 60 in 3.8 seconds, quarter mile happens in 12.3 at 113 mph. That is just as quick as the previous generation X6M. I wouldn't be surprised if BMW was doing that usual thing where it underrates the power figures, and I'm willing to bet it's actually probably close to 550 or 560 to crank. Power delivery is just as phenomenal because of the two turbos and the big displacement. You literally have torque all over the rev range. There's very little lag and this thing just loves to rev, especially especially when you drop it into sport. Plus it's amazingly responsive at that point. Another interesting tidbit is that the top speed is somewhere around 155 to 160 miles per hour. But in order to get that, you need to option the car with factory 21 or 22s. Otherwise the base 20s are factory limited to 130mph. And even if you don't plan on going faster than that, it's a wise choice to get the upgraded wheels because that just makes the car look much more complete. The base 20 inch rims kind of make it look like a bodybuilder who skipped leg day one too many times. You know what I'm talking about. Anyway, one of my favorite things about this car is the exhaust. Note, I know half of it is piped into the cabin via speakers and you can turn it off in the menu system. Normally I would, but it actually sounds kind of decent, especially considering this car has the acoustic glass option, which means I can't hear any of the glorious V8 out back unless I roll down all the windows. And even then it's not as pronounced as say, a amg, which is a little bit more angry and aggressive. I think this car would benefit from a pair of downpipes or something. Anyway, I'll probably just settle for the fake bosoms for now. It's hard for me to gauge the overall handling, steering and braking because I don't normally find myself in cars this heavy. The closest thing I can probably compare it to is the Tesla Model XP100D, and that feels like it handles a little bit better simply because all that battery weight gives it a really low center of gravity. This thing feels like it's got a little bit too much body roll for my taste. It probably would have helped if I optioned it with the dynamic handling package, which gives it four wheel steering speed for your sways and fancy M suspension, but that's another $2,600 option overall. If I hadn't driven the P100D or the X3M I'd probably be pretty impressed by this. I mean, at the end of the day, it can do the job. It just doesn't feel like it wants to do the job. The brakes on this car are huge, but for whatever reason, it still doesn't feel as good as that Tesla that we drove. It could be because that car has regenerative braking. And it's not that this car doesn't stop you properly, it does. It's more of an issue with the overall pedal feel. It's not as meaty or confidence I would like it to be. In normal street driving situations, it's gonna do just fine, obviously, but in a high performance or above highway speed situation, emergency braking get a little hairy. The worst part for me has got to be the steering. It's more truck like than sport suv. And that would be all fine and dandy, except it feels even less connected than the G63AMG that we drove. And that thing is heavy and supposedly less dynamic. On top of that, the electronically assisted steering is a far cry from what BMW's hydraulic steering used to be. And even in sport plus, it feels rather loose and uninspiring. Maybe the dynamic handling packs would have fixed all that, I don't know. Either way, this whole category is a pretty big letdown for me. But we kind of knew that going into it, right? The one saving grace is that the ride is actually rather compliant, even considering the fact that this car has 22s on it. Put it into comfort or adaptive and the car can pretty much eat up everything these New Jersey roads throw at it. It's not an S class, but I guess we do have to compromise something between ride and handling here. It stiffens up a little bit more in Sport plus, but it's mostly throttle and engine. Note it still remains plenty comfortable for daily driving, at least for me. But when you've had enough, just press this button here for massaging seats in. You'll be good to go again. At the end of the day, the question for me remains, with all this technology, added weight and fancy pants stuff, is it still engaging to drive? As a car enthusiast, in a way, I would say yes, as long as you understand the limits. And those limits are quite easy to reach. This car isn't setting any land speed records or lap times, but that doesn't mean it's not fun to drive. The engine and exhaust don't have a lot to do with it. Pair that with the properly tuned 8 speed speed ZF gearbox and you've got a car that responds quite well to driver inputs for something this big. You often forget that you're not in a German sports sedan until you need to take a technical corner. Not saying that it can't take a turn, just saying that when you do, something doesn't feel quite right. But as you push it, you can feel the torque vectoring kick in and high speed sweepers can be negotiated with relative ease. Whatever you do, I guarantee you put it into sport. Plus, mash the throttle and just watch this thing put a smile on your face. It definitely makes you want to drive, and as another review put it, it's the right amount of M. But let's switch gears a little and talk about some of the other important aspects of the vehicle, starting with the interior. The first thing you'll notice is the M badging everywhere. It's constantly dropping subtle hints about what this car is trying to be. The overall cockpit feels contemporary but basic. It borrows design cues from the M850 and it's identical to the X5. Carbon fiber trim and brushed aluminum populate the cabin. There's bits of piano black here and there, but it's not too distracting. The 12.3-inch digital dash and display are the obvious stars of the show. It's got iDrive 7, which is all new for 2020 and it's pretty intuitive. The system updates over the air, much like Tesla and uses satellite to deliver you lots of information, but no Internet browser. There's not much customization in the dash cluster besides color, so Audi and Mercedes beat it here, but the one screen it does have is seamlessly integrated. The problem with this generation of BMW digital dashes, as I've mentioned in past reviews, is that the gear change on the display often executes before the physical gear change, so it gives the illusion of lightning fast shifts. Not a bad thing, but sort of a cheap parlor trick if you ask me. The steering wheel is extra thick in typical BMW fashion and the overall feel is really positive. I don't prefer it for performance driving, but it's amazing for grand touring. The paddles are the same as the ones in the X3M, M850i and the M340i. Decent material, good feedback, but terrible positioning. This particular car has the executive package, which means I get a few fancy options like laser LED headlights, a heads up display that's crisp, clear and very adjustable. I just wish the tachometer here was better. The augmented reality is really neat, especially for drivers like my wife who aren't confident parking lots. Heated and cooled cup Holders are definitely a good option for those who like to put drinks in their car. Gesture control is still gimmicky. Doesn't always work reliably for me. In theory, the Sky Lounge moonroof with the LEDs is great to entertain my kid during nighttime drives, but in practice, I wish it was a little bit brighter. Seats are mediocre, comfortable, but not supportive. But as mentioned, it has a luxury seating package which gives you massaging seats. Sadly, they aren't as effective as the ones in a Range Rover or Mercedes, but they do okay if you just have a T shirt or sweater on. My favorite thing has got to be the driving assistance package, which gives you level three autonomy. And that's basically right about where Tesla's at. The back is where things get a little silly. I'm five' eleven and the rear headspace is okay, but anyone over six feet is gonna feel a little claustrophobic. It fits our rear facing baby seat comfortably, so that's good enough for me. Hands free trunk is pretty standard stuff these days, but it works more reliably than the one in the X3M. Sadly, there isn't really much cargo room back here to be useful besides groceries. But let's take a look at the exterior. And this is obviously completely subjective. It's weird because I never found the X6 attractive until now. In the beginning, we touched a little bit on the cosmetic bits. The new fender design, the fake vents on the super wide looking back end, the subtle quad exhaust hidden inside those big square tips, the extra large kidney grilles. Everything just looks more aggressive now. And I love it, especially in this color Riverside Blue metallic. For me, the X6 finally grew up. It has a tremendous amount of road presence from both the front and the rear. And while it's not beautiful in the typical sense of the word, and I've even heard one person relate it to a PT Cruiser. You either love it or you hate it. The best way that I can describe it is that it looks more like a fashion model that you see in a show or magazine and they look sort of eccentric or exotic. Some people will find that they look bizarre, but to others, the more you look, the more attracted to them you become. And I think the best way to put it is that the X6 is an acquired taste, much like a good bottle of scotch. But let's talk curb appeal. Normally, I would say that the X6 has a very modest curb appeal. And the fact that it's a BMW doesn't help because, well, when I see BMWs, I just see a German luxury car that leases extraordinarily well, but the XX M50 is a little different. In the past few weeks of driving, I've attracted an interesting amount of attention from what another reviewer, Sean Patel, would call M enthusiasts, and that has to be worth something. Couple that with the unusual design, shouty exhaust out and aggressive front end and you won't go unnoticed. Just don't expect to get parked out front with the G wagons and Ferraris. From a warranty standpoint, the BMW comes with four years and 50,000 miles, which is the standard these days for most European automakers. The one added thing they do give you is covered maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles, and that's convenient. In the modding realm, BMWs usually tend to excel, but for some reason the N63 platform just doesn't have the same aftermarket following as its 3.0L brethren. The parts are there, the selection is just a little less, and the cost is a little more. But when you do mod it, you better be prepared for tremendous power gain because there are people hitting 700 brake horsepower with just the tune and downpipes in the M850s. All this is fine and dandy, but let's talk price. This is the last major category and it's obviously a rather important one. The X6 750 starts at $86,000, but this particular car is pretty well optioned, so we're looking at 97.4 grand. So for just shy of $100,000, what are you really getting? Well, for starters, you're getting a car that's impressively quick, a good amount of luxury, pretty cool tech features and somewhat avant garde design. It's technically not a full M car, but its closest competitor from AMG is the GLE 63 Coupe, which starts at 113 grand. The Porsche Cayenne Coupe Turbo starts at 130 grand, and the Tesla Model X Performance ends up at around 113 grand as well. With the autonomy options. We can also throw Rover in there, but Even the Velar SV8 ends up around 95 to $100,000 with basic options. The closest rival is the Audi SQ8 at 89 grand starting, but it isn't available as of this video. Anyway, I think it's time we give every category a score and see where this car stacks up. Keep in mind that these numbers are relative to the segment that the car is in. Engine power delivery and exhaust Note gets a 9 out of 10, because what else is there in this segment that really gives you the same performance and sounds good doing it. Sure, it could sound a little bit better, but that's why I took off a point here. The Velar, SVA and amgs are the only better options for that. The transmission and paddles get an eight because the paddles are mediocre, but the gearbox itself is solid and really responsive. I appreciate the fact that BMW didn't really inject too many transmission farts in this car. Handling, steering and brakes unfortunately take a huge hit and get a 6 out of 10. Even though it handles well for its size, the steering lacks feedback and the brakes lack confidence, especially when you compare it to some of its competition. Like I said, it can do the job when you ask it to, it'll just do it without making you feel like it wants to ride. And suspension, on the other hand, get an 8 because while it's not G, Wagon or Lexus levels of comfort, it's rather good for being a performance offering. Still a bit stiff, but it is a sport suv. Cabin tech, interior and storage is where this car gets a little controversial. I'd have to give it an 8. While it doesn't scream luxury and the design isn't winning any awards, the materials are pretty good and the interface is intuitive. The optional technology available really gives it that extra edge as well. Driver engagement is probably a 7 for me. While it doesn't handle corners like the X3M, it does keep you focused on staying alive through turns as well as engaging you with a responsive powertrain and exhaust notes. Exterior design is, like I said, subjective, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It gets a 7 out of 10 here. It's not exactly stunning when you compare it to some of its competition, but it's like that girl who isn't really your type, but then you start dating her and realize that her personality really shines through. And that's kind of how this is it started to grow on me after a while. I'm having a hard time putting a solid number on curb value here. I constantly battle between a six or seven, but I think I'll give it a seven, mainly because it's a complete redesign that separates itself from the rest of the lineup. For the past few weeks, I've gotten more attention than I thought I would in a BMW in terms of aftermarket support and warranty. I tend to give BMWs a 10, but for this platform I really have to say 9 simply because the lack of support when you compare it to the B58 or the S58. Despite this platform being around the same amount of time. Price is probably a 10 because though it sits between two segments, the mid range performance and the top end performance, it's the most bang for buck when you compare it in either it really has no direct equal in sheer value. But if we really want to debate value for the same price, you can buy a C8 Corvette for the fun stuff and a Kia SUV for the family hauling. But honestly, where's the fun in that? Oh, and Smiles per gallon obviously gets the full five because I liked it enough to buy it. So with that said, the 2020 BMW X6 750i gets an overall score of 84. That's a solid B grade. It's the epitome of compromise car, and it's one that literally tries to do it all. But isn't that what the segment's all about? At the end of the day, if you're in the market for something with all these attributes, then the high performance midsize coupe SUV might be the answer for you. But you know what they say. Jack of all trades, Master of none. I hope you guys enjoyed this video. If you did, let me know by leaving a thumbs up and comment below. Stay tuned because the next thing on my list is to find out how fast this car does our half mile acceleration test. Also, don't forget to take a look at our merch store and support the channel. And if this is your first time here, check out some of my other stuff. I produce high quality cinematic car content, so if you like what you see, hit that subscribe button and ring that bell. Icon for new episodes every Thursday. Thanks for watching.