BMW X6

X6 form factor
By giving the X6 its coupelike roofline -- literally the only visible thing differentiating it from the X5 -- BMW has also given the SUV poor visibility through the gun-slit rear window, which terminates about 4 feet off of the ground and nearly a foot ahead of the high rear bumper, making parking extremely difficult. The blind spots at the rear quarters are big enough to hide a beige 1998 Toyota Camry in -- I know because I nearly rolled over one during a highway lane change despite not one, but two over-the-shoulder and mirror checks. If BMW insists on building a car with such heinous behind-the-driver visibility, the optional rear camera should be standard, but isn't. And blind-spot monitoring isn't even available as an option on the X6. However, a sonar-based parking-distance controller is standard, displaying a graphical heat map of proximity to obstructions on the standard LCD.
The X6 has dramatically less rear-seat headroom than the X5, and total storage space behind the front seats is also down. There's still space enough to toss a bike back there without removing the front wheel, if you don't mind laying it on its side. But two bikes are out of the question. Combine that with the high load-in height and the awkward shape of the storage area and the X6 becomes the perfect SUV for people who don't want to help their friends move.

Posted in: BMW X6