The Sports Activity Coupe – SAC for short – moniker is BMW’s way of describing their lineup of fastback-touting SUVs. The BMW X6 is the company’s longest-running model, and its overall success eventually spawned an X4 and X2 model – the former of which will be leaving production in mid-2025. Despite being the brand’s SAC genesis, the BMW X6 tends to attract a lot of ire. We think that’s a little unfair, because there are, in fact, some pretty good reasons to pick up a BMW X6 instead of something more mainstream.
The X6 is Interesting to Look At
While yes, the BMW X6 is principally defined by a polarizing rear three-quarters design that you’ll either love or hate, it’s also a way to stand out from more pedestrian-looking SUVs. Looking at you, there, X5. We also find the sloping fastback design a lot less polarizing than the X7’s split-headlight front fascia. The X6 boasts a nice balance of old-school BMW – like a classic kidney grille – and edgy, perhaps overdone, new-school design.
Though the same can be said for the X5, we feel that good-looking SUVs are getting harder and harder to find these days, whether you’re sticking only to BMW or other automakers. The few handsome ones deserve recognition. Even better, the X6 comes standard with M Sport design details, which perfectly complements the more aggressive hatch design.
The X6 Has More Standard Features Than the X5
As we just mentioned, the X6 already comes with M Sport goodies that you’d have to pay extra for on the X5. That includes unique 20-inch wheels, more aggressive body work, Shadowline exterior trim, and a nicer steering wheel. The Adaptive M Suspension is unlocked, too. The X6 also comes only with xDrive all-wheel drive, as any half-competent SUV should. Another upcharge for X5 buyers. That makes for added usability in off-road situations (if you dare) and some added peace of mind in inclement weather, too.
These standard features certainly help alleviate one of the more valid sticking points critics of the X6 have, which is the price. The X6 is more expensive than the X5, but an M Sport- and xDrive-equipped X5 sets you back $71,350 – less than $4,000 away from the standard X6 xDrive40i.
The X6 M Competition Still Rips
We’re specifically talking about the twin-turbo V8-powered X6 M Competition, but the point kind of stands true for the whole X6 lineup. The X6 – like the X5 – still offers exceptional performance for an SUV. The physics-defying nature of the super SUV is still something special when you’re behind the wheel, and the X6 doesn’t shake any of that charm. We do wish that the X6 had a hybrid offering to rival the X5 xDrive50e. But, hey, nobody’s perfect.
On the performance note, it’s also important to remember that there’s an objectively more egregious misappropriation in BMW’s own “Sports Activity Coupe” lineup. The BMW XM is an SUV with fans few and far between. It offers inferior performance compared to the X6 M Competition and costs almost $30,000 more.
Buying the X6 – much like buying almost any vehicle above a base Corolla – is ultimately an emotional decision rather than a logical one. Though its higher price tag and reduced cargo space might not make a lot of sense to you, we think it probably gets a bad rap that’s hardly due. Especially with elephants – literally and figuratively – in the room like the XM. The X6 debuted in 2008, making it a model that’s turning 20 years old in just a few years – it’s time to make it feel like part of the family.
