Quote:
Originally Posted by upsidedownfunnel
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan l.
I agree and I'm sure BMW knows that. There's a market for both models because for most an X5M is just too much car to be able to take advantage of on a public road commuting to work. When i had my F85 sure it was fast as hell but honestly I had no roads in my area where i could put the pedal to the floor for more than a few seconds before I would be putting myself or someone else in danger. A slightly dialed back version (M50i) would be a good middle ground for most and there will always be people that need the best of the best with the money to support it which the X5M satisfies.
|
Eh, I dunno. Even most people who buy an M3/M4 don't do much more than occasional track driving at most. Most are just commuter cars or mid-life crisis cars. People just want the top trim car. For more expensive cars, it's actually fairly common to see the M model than the base versions like the 6 or 8 series. The M doesn't actually cost that much more so if you're already spending in the neighborhood of $100k, why not just get the model you can show off to your neighbors right? This is an X5. Very very few people will take it to a track regardless. Mainly because they simply never have been to one or never intended on it, but also because people who do go to a track don't really want to waste their track days driving a boat.
Look at this thing, it's a "competition" model with things like seat massagers. These badges have basically lost any real meaning. They just basically now mean "this car's magazine review will impress you and it costs more". And I'm not saying it's not an awesome car. If I made twice as much money as I do now, I'd definitely consider it has my wife's family hauler. But I'd never take it to the track. |
With you 100% ... it's a fun toy, but serves no more purpose than an X5 40i. The 50i will tow better than 40i with more power but moving to the X5M is just to show off or because you have a taste for shiny things... I personally like shiny things (shiny=best available that I can afford).
The M50i is definitely a beast and will definitely appeal to people who have driven M cars, realize they compromise comfort on the street (where the X5 will live) and want something similarly as quick at a red light but far more comfortable to cruise in. I'm speculating a little bc I haven't driven the new ones but i imagine that's how it'll be.. again.
If I were to get an X5 today .. it'd probably be X5 50i because it's the most bang for the buck imo. If the extra fluff is valuable to you, maybe you'd disagree... although I'll probably just see what the lease rates are doing when I go to buy in a few months.