Its Biggest Flaw Isn’t Its Looks

I’ve always wanted to defend the BMW XM. Instinctively, whenever a car comes out that gets widely mixed-to-negative reviews, my first flaming desire is to defend it. Sometimes, this works in my favor. Other times, it does not.

After years of telling myself, “Well, it’s probably fine,” I finally bit the bullet and drove the XM. Unfortunately, I can’t say my desire to defend it worked out in my favor—at least, not for the most part.

• Great Interior
• Excellent Handling
• Unlimited Power

• Back-Breaking Suspension
• High Price
• The Looks

We All Know What It Looks Like

Photo by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

Whatever can be said about the BMW XM’s exterior styling has already been said to death. It’s obviously not a good-looking car. But how much should that really define a car’s entire personality?

Besides, it’s not like the XM is some massive departure from what BMW has been designing over the past decade. We (not me) still complain about the M3’s grille. But with the arrival of Neue Klasse, it’s almost as if the XM looks tame compared with the rest of the lineup.

More importantly, the XM actually has a pretty good stance from the rear. Frozen Tanzanite Blue is probably the best color for it, too. And the absence of the orange or gold trim available on this Label model helps soften the visual blow, at least a little.

We (not me) still complain about the M3’s grille. But with the arrival of Neue Klasse, it’s almost as if the XM looks tame compared with the rest of the lineup.

Of course, that begs the question: What Even Is ‘Label,’ Anyway?

When BMW first introduced Label, it was the higher-performing version of the XM, with extra horsepower and a handful of other visual and performance upgrades. Think of it as the “M” version of the XM (the XMM?), if that makes sense.

Now that BMW has dropped the regular XM, the XM Label is the only version you can buy. And because Label is now the only trim, the XM carries a $160,000 starting price. Our tester came to $163,275 with destination included. Not cheap.

The Best BMW Interior In A Minute

Photo by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

Label or not, the BMW XM racks up points inside. Outside of Alpina, this might be the best modern BMW interior out there. Yes, putting the HVAC controls on the screen made me roll my eyes, and the weird geometric cutout where a sunroof should be makes the rear seats surprisingly dark. But those are minor complaints.

It has a brown-and-blue interior, for Christ’s sake. That’s great.

The seats are comfortable, and they heat, cool, and massage you. The cupholders can chill your drinks. And despite sharing a steering wheel with a 3 Series, pretty much everything within reach feels like it belongs in a $160,000 car.

Yes, the throw pillows for the rear seats are unnecessary. But if you’re short and stack both of them underneath you, you can sit a little more upright. You can thank my grandmother for that tip.

Actual Effort Went Into This

Photo by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

The BMW XM Label is powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 plug-in hybrid. It’s the same basic powertrain found in the new M5, but unlike the M5 and its “puny” 717 horsepower, the XM gets a whopping 738 hp. That makes it the most powerful road-going BMW ever built.

Think about that, enthusiasts.

The XM reaches 60 miles per hour in 3.6 seconds and keeps going until it hits a limited 155. With the M Driver’s Package, that limit rises to 180 mph. Power is sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed Steptronic automatic. Hate it all you want, but the XM can haul.

Fuel economy, despite the plug-in hybrid powertrain, isn’t great at 12 miles per gallon city and 27 highway. That makes a 6.2-liter Yukon look good. It eats miles once you get past 70 mph, and you’ll have to spend a hundred bucks or so to fill the tank. That said, if you’re primarily doing highway driving and don’t have a lead foot, you can get into the mid-20-mpg range.

Photos by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

Photos by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

Here’s another thing you probably weren’t expecting me to say: The BMW XM drives well.

Yes, it’s a big SUV, and you feel that, but this thing barely flinches when you throw it into a corner at immense speed. The all-wheel-drive system keeps it nicely planted, and despite its size, the XM feels remarkably composed when you’re pushing it.

In my tester, the button for the extra-loud exhaust turns on every time I start the car. That’s both really funny, given that it only kicks in at around 10 mph thanks to the battery, and really annoying because the car immediately gets loud every time you fire it up. It’s part of the memory system and can be turned off, but I kept it on for the laughs.

BMW clearly designed this car to perform far beyond what a vehicle of its size would realistically need to do. That would be great if not for one major problem: The XM has an awful ride.

What Happened to the Suspension?

Photo by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

Yes, this is where the XM falls apart.

Obviously, it’s an M car. If you’ve ever been in a BMW M car, you know how stiff they can be. I’m not asking BMW to change what M means. But before we go any further, it’s important to understand what the XM is trying to be.

The XM is the first standalone BMW M car since the M1 in the 1970s. However, unlike the M1, the XM shares a little too much with another big, powerful, mid-size BMW SUV: the X5 M.

That interior I mentioned earlier is great, but much of it is found in the X5 M. The XM has slightly better seats, but the carbon fiber and M badging are all available on a vehicle that’s roughly the same size and costs $35,000 less.

Obviously, it’s an M car. If you’ve ever been in a BMW M car, you know how stiff they can be.

With the powertrain, BMW is clearly positioning the XM as a rival to the Lamborghini Urus, Aston Martin DBX, and Porsche Cayenne GT. That’s all well and good. I don’t think it’s a bad idea to enter that market. But every one of those vehicles has some sort of softer suspension setting.

I don’t need Rolls-Royce Cullinan levels of comfort; I just want something that makes the XM comfortable to drive on normal roads. Is that really too much to ask?

It’s especially frustrating because BMW slapped Label onto this model, a trim name that has never existed on another BMW. Why isn’t Label synonymous with “here’s 50 extra horsepower and, while we’re at it, a suspension setting from an Alpina XB7?”

The BMW XM should be a mile-crushing GT SUV. That’s where it should shine, and in some areas, it does. Again: It’s an excellent place to sit, but driving this thing across the Cross Bronx Expressway damages both my back and my heart.

The Verdict: I Wish I Liked This More

Photo by: Zander Sutton | Motor1

I’ll end with this: BMW is allegedly planning to axe the XM due to declining sales. That makes me sad. Not because I’m in love with the car, but because I think the XM was a bit of a missed opportunity.

It has the performance part down to a science. And despite its sublime interior, it never quite reaches the true flagship status that its competition has achieved.

The BMW XM starts at $159,600. To BMW’s credit, there isn’t much you can do to increase the price. Every exterior color, wheel choice, and interior color can be added at no additional cost. The only paid option is the $2,500 M Driver’s Package. As mentioned earlier, our tester came to $163,250 with destination, which is $32,250 more than the starting MSRP of the BMW X5 M, the XM’s closest stablemate.

Call it the looks. Call it the price. But I’ll call it the suspension.

If BMW had taken the time to focus on ride quality, I would feel vindicated. Partly because my back would feel better, and partly because I could finally tell everyone that the XM is a great car.

Instead, the ride remains unchanged, and I can’t give the XM the seal of approval I so desperately wanted to give it.

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