Is the 2024 BMW X6 M Competition a Good SUV? 5 Pros, 3 Cons
One of the more curious subcategories of new vehicles to emerge in recent years is the four-door “coupe” SUV. With a swooping fastback roofline instead of a more conventional boxy SUV profile, these offshoots offer neither the occupant room nor the utility of the designs they’re based on, yet they’re too large and heavy to have the sporty feel of a lighter coupe. But consumers have been snapping them up, and BMW has upped the ante with the new 2024 X6 M Competition.
Related: 2024 BMW X6 M Competition Review: Stop the Insanity
Topping the X6 range, the M Competition gets the full treatment from BMW’s in-house M performance division, with an upgraded suspension, more robust brakes, sticky performance tires and a whopping 617 horsepower. It adds up to a level of performance not expected in a big, five-seat SUV. The M Competition’s rivals include the equally over-the-top Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S.
Cars.com Detroit Bureau Chief Aaron Bragman spent a long weekend with the latest M-branded beast from BMW and came away impressed with its performance, but it also left him scratching his head a bit. Tap the link above for Bragman’s expert review; for a quicker rundown, read on for five things we like about the 2024 BMW X6 M Competition and three things we do not.
Things We Like
1. Turbos All Around
Opting for the M Competition flavor of the X6 gets you a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 with 617 hp and 553 pounds-feet of torque. Power comes on in a relentless rush and is enough to take this almost 5,500-pound SUV from 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds, according to BMW. If that’s too much, the X6 M60i gets a tamer version of the 4.4-liter with 523 hp, while the base X6 xDrive 40i trim gets a turbo 3.0-liter inline-six with 375 hp.
2. Make Mine M
Other mods to the M Competition include a sport dual exhaust system that can be set loud, an upgraded eight-speed automatic transmission with shorter gear ratios, and an electric motor within the 48-volt mild-hybrid system for added torque. It also gets full-time all-wheel-drive with an active limited-slip rear differential and a modified traction-control system to get all that power to the ground.
3. Multiple Modes
The M Competition’s electronic wizardry includes an array of settings to customize the suspension, brakes, throttle and transmission response for different types of driving conditions. Better still, two M buttons on the steering wheel can call up custom modes in an instant.
4. Surprising Agility
Thanks to its electronic suspension, abundant power, sticky tires and other upgrades, the X6 M Competition is remarkably agile for a big SUV. The way it can hustle through twisty sections of road is impressive, and a thick, chunky steering wheel with good feel and feedback helps make for an entertaining drive that belies the SUV’s size and weight.
5. Interior Quality
The M Competition’s front seats are comfortable and supportive, and they came swathed in upscale two-tone leather in our test car. Materials quality is excellent throughout the cabin and contributes to a contemporary, attractive look and feel (as would be expected of a BMW).
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Things We Don’t Like
1. Confounding Controls
BMW’s controls are often not the most user-friendly, and those in the X6 M Competition is no exception. The digital dash is vivid and dramatic to look at, but even basic functions like adjusting the cabin temperature can be challenging. The configurable digital dash is just as intimidating and frustrating, too. The bottom line is that the learning curve is steep, and everything is more distracting and complicated to use than necessary.
2. Light on Utility
The price of style is a cabin with a lot less room than the conventional X5 SUV on which the X6 is based. Backseat passengers pay a greater price in reduced legroom and headroom due to the X6’s swooping roofline, and cargo capacity takes a big hit and is more difficult to access due to a high liftover. That stylish profile also results in reduced visibility from a conventional SUV.
3. Pricey Performer
A base X6 xDrive 40i starts at around $75,000 (prices include destination), but stepping up to an M Competition comes at a considerable cost. Our test vehicle carried a lofty base price of just over $128,000, and that’s before a deep dive into the BMW option list brought the total to $147,260.
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