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      05-10-2008, 11:52 AM   #1
Suzie's Dad
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Driving impressions

Got my hands on a 35i with sport package and 20-inch wheels for a couple of hours yesterday. It has 13,000 km on the odometer, so is well run in and could be thrashed.

First impressions:

Man those comfort seats are good! They adjust every which way and fit just perfectly, both me and my much smaller wife. For $1,000 Cdn, I don't know why anybody would pass on them. A must, probably the best seats I have ever sat in.

Some of the controls make me wonder whether BMW doesn't occasionally make changes for the sake of change rather than because there is any particular improvement. The gear shift, for example, clicks and moves back to its home position. That makes sense on a 7-series where it is located on the steering column and there is restricted space, but it is no better than a traditional P-R-N-D lever on the center console. And the turn signals also click-and-return. A gentle tap and they flash three times. A harder tap and they stay on; to cancel them, click them gently again in the same direction. I can live with both these controls, but I have to ask myself why BMW changed them.

Whether you like iDrive or not, the screen still washes out in sunlight. If you are wearing polarized sunglasses, you have to remove them to see anything.

The car was white with black interior and that strange is-it-aluminum-or-is-it-carbon-fiber trim. What it is is black plastic with swirl marks on it, but I'm not sure what they are trying to look like. I didn't like it but the dealer does.

Road feel:

Power with the 35i engine is surprisingly good for such a heavy vehicle, but a tad less than I would like. Surprisingly, there is noticeable turbo lag -- not offensive, but it's there. When you hit the gas there is a delay of maybe half a second before anything happens. I have never read of this in the TT six, so wasn't expecting it. I think you'd get used to it very quickly, though.

The standard steering is typically BMW: direct, pleasant, good road feel. I didn't get a chance to drive one with active steering, so I can't comment on that. The wheel is the right size and feel but a tad boring visually, IMO. It needs a little trim on it, or something to add pizazz -- you spend half your time in the car looking at it, after all.

I threw it around just a little on a curvy stretch of road, but there was too much traffic to really learn anything about the suspension or iDrive's DPC feature. It certainly felt stable enough -- a little firmer than my stock-suspension X5, but not enough to be any less comfortable. I also run 20-inch wheels and mine tramline more in longitudinal grooves in the road; maybe I need to get my alignment checked.

Brakes are typically BMW: good initial bite followed by confidence-inspiring stopping. Push-button parking brake. I liked the Hold function; when you leave it on, the car doesn't creep forward if you take your foot off the brake when you come to a halt, but sits like a standard transmission car until you push on the gas pedal again.

The automatic gearbox is excellent in both normal and sport modes, but I wasn't greatly impressed with the paddles. There seems to be a noticeable lag before the gear change, unlike in my daughter's VW GTI in which changes are crisp and instant. I have heard that BMW will be offering a twin-clutch manumatic like VW/Audi's; it can't come too soon.

In general, the X6 felt like a well-suspended X5 with a bit more power. It is certainly a wee bit more sporty, but not dramatically different.

Other things:

We are obviously going to have to get used to Pontiac Aztec comments; I got two in two hours! But almost every BMW driver I encountered just had to get closer for a good look. One made barfing signs and one gave a huge thumbs up, so I guess this vehicle definitely polarizes people.

A lot has been written about how the automatic tailgate can be programmed to stop part way up if you park in a low garage. What I haven't seen written is that the manual tailgate can be adjusted to do exactly the same thing.

My demo car was white. I really don't think the color suits the X6. Outside the dealership was a VR model with tan interior and dark bamboo wood trim. Now you're talking! There was also a black-and-black model, which looks pretty sharp.

Luggage space really is fine unless you need to transport tall items like bikes. From the window down, it is the same as the X5, so I don't understand a lot of the complaints that have been written.

Finally, it's the same old story: My dealer said he really couldn't understand my desire for one of these until he got four of them in. "Y'know", he said, "This thing is really growing on me." Me too.

The bad news is that I have decided to be sensible and wait for the 2009s. The TT V8 is brand new; I'd like for BMW to have a few months to sort out all the bugs before I get one. I don't care for the idea of taking possession of a 2008 model in September, even if I do plan to keep it for a long time. Plans can change. And while at the dealership I sat in (a) a Bentley with full leather including dash; (b) an Aston Martin with full leather including dash; and (c) a 650 Cabriolet with full leather including dash, and decided that I definitely and absolutely must have that! Enough that I can wait.

Conclusion: It is hard to imagine how anybody could not like driving the X6.

Last edited by Suzie's Dad; 05-11-2008 at 10:09 AM..
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      05-10-2008, 12:29 PM   #2
John
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damn... i want one
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      05-11-2008, 03:18 AM   #3
e36er
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would you mind if i ask you which dealer ship you went to?

i am also located in western canada and am trying to buy a x6 35i instead of c63 amg...as i do lots of hwy driving during winter time.

i don't wanna risk my life over AMG name tag...

i just wanted to pick the car up asap so if you could let me know which dealership you've visited, i would be really appreciated.

thank you.


oh, it was very pleasant to read your review.

it was very helpful. thanks again.
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      05-11-2008, 04:03 AM   #4
Deda
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Nice rewiew...good work!!
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