[byroncheung]

Originally Posted by SakhirM4

That's the problem in our society. People have been convinced that they need (must have) an SUV. There are many threads with people saying they are expecting there first baby so need to sell the M4/3. Why??? My wife and I raised a family and never owned an SUV or a van or a station wagon. Our largest car was a 1998 540i and we did just fine.

well every family has different needs. for instance an SUV like GL fits our needs well : family of 5 getting around comfortably with plenty of space for everyone, occasionally need the 2 extra back seats when travelling with parents / in-laws / friends, enough storage to go onto a ski trip with all our equipment and other stuff needed for the trips. if i have the money, sure, why not have the AMG / M version of it... do we "need (must have)" it? sure no. but same can be said has even having a sedan - you can rent / uber for all your needs. but that's not gonna be the best / most efficient experience...

i understand where you are coming from, everyone got bias from own experience. i for one don't understand why on earth anyone will get a mini-van instead of a GLS / X7

[fastboatster]

Originally Posted by corn18

I need a truck and a sports car. You should think like me.

Yeah, me too. And I want both of them to be made by BMW)

[JustChris]

Do we really need anymore than about 120Hp?

[DgjoX6M2016]

For me it's driving position. I like to be higher up. I also dislike climbing up and out of a car. I prefer to step out. So personal preference for SUV/SAV/C for me. Insofar as the M part, the M removes most of the traditional complaints for the segment...body roll, long brake times, wheezy performance: active suspension, 6 piston Brembo, 600hp. Checks all the boxes for me. One man's perspective.

[Alan l.]

Yes. Just because you decide to start a family doesn't have to mean you can't have fun driving anymore... Its hard to deny that an X5M is a excellent "do it all" package.

Alan

[thebmw]

Originally Posted by byroncheung

i for one don't understand why on earth anyone will get a mini-van instead of a GLS / X7

You should drive the new Chrysler Pacifica. Looking strictly at utility, it's far more spacious and far more practical than any SUV. When one realizes that it is 1/3 the price of the X7 and has all the tech features that any person realistically needs, there's really no reason not to buy it unless of course you're looking for a faster engine or slightly better handling. It does drive very much like a domestic car and yields quite impressive gas mileage for its size. I would say it's the best minivan on the market. Besides the stigma, I actually wonder why people buy SUVs over the Pacifica. BTW, this is coming from someone who drives manual only two door coupes year round.

In response to the original thread question, yes we do need X3M's and Grand Cherokee SRT's and all those fun toys because we're humans, we live once, and there's nothing wrong with having toys to reward us for our hard work.

[RVAGuy]

Originally Posted by thebmw

You should drive the new Chrysler Pacifica. Looking strictly at utility, it's far more spacious and far more practical than any SUV. When one realizes that it is 1/3 the price of the X7 and has all the tech features that any person realistically needs, there's really no reason not to buy it unless of course you're looking for a faster engine or slightly better handling. It does drive very much like a domestic car and yields quite impressive gas mileage for its size. I would say it's the best minivan on the market. Besides the stigma, I actually wonder why people buy SUVs over the Pacifica. BTW, this is coming from someone who drives manual only two door coupes year round.

In response to the original thread question, yes we do need X3M's and Grand Cherokee SRT's and all those fun toys because we're humans, we live once, and there's nothing wrong with having toys to reward us for our hard work.

I don’t want a nice practical utilitarian boring car and a second fun to drive “reward” car. I want them to be the same car.

[racerbruce]

Recently, I had two 3/4 in plywood sheets cut to 80 in L x 32 in W and transported them 50 miles to our daughter's apt to be placed under her new mattress (no box spring app); the 80 in length just barely fit in the floor area of our 14 Subaru Outback and it worked perfectly; we've loaded plants in the Outback from the local nursery - we've filled it with many other items; this is a very stable, safe (NHTSA score) vehicle with a 2.5 L boxer 4 cyl and CVT transmission and gets nearly 30 mpg highway; it is NOT exciting; it is NOT exhilarating.

When I strap on my 07 Z4MR....top-down....lowered w/Bilsteins/Eibach/RE Diablos/OZ Ultralelggeras....I feel like I'm in a race-kart and an inch off the tarmac; can I transport 80 in plywood sheets to my daughter? Load it with plants for our yard? Stuff it full of household items to give to the Goodwill?

Which vehicle is correct for me? Both.

[bkfastwagon]

Originally Posted by Alan l.

Yes. Just because you decide to start a family doesn't have to mean you can't have fun driving anymore... Its hard to deny that an X5M is a excellent "do it all" package.

Alan

To me, these "do it all" cars are just like all-season tires-- good at everything but not great at anything.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by bkfastwagon

To me, these "do it all" cars are just like all-season tires-- good at everything but not great at anything.

I agree. Although that's what people like...they don't have to sacrifice too much in any one category to have nice ride.

[thebmw]

Originally Posted by bkfastwagon

To me, these "do it all" cars are just like all-season tires-- good at everything but not great at anything.

Performance-wise, these cars are better than a lot of M cars (not SUVs) from just a few years ago (even better than a lot of super cars from the 2000's). They're more performance than 99% of people need! Nothing wrong with that, just saying that they are pretty great at the performance thing.

[Alan l.]

Originally Posted by bkfastwagon

To me, these "do it all" cars are just like all-season tires-- good at everything but not great at anything.

For some people these "good at everything" cars is better than your average minivan, jap suv which are good at nothing.

When I had my first kid I had a F10 550. When my second arrived I went into a X5M. Now that they are older (7 and 4) I went back into a smaller M3. It works fine for us BUT my wife likes the added safety of being in a larger, higher riding suv plus she misses the interior space. We're also an active family so we need to be able to get up to the mtns for snow sports during the winter. Again my M3 is fine for this (equipped with snow tires) but i'll have to admit having my old X5M during the winter just made everything easier. Those would kids would understand. Sometimes as a father you just have to "sacrifice" and make compromises to make everyone happy.

Alan

[GenXer]

Originally Posted by gio14

A luxury truck, I'm not seeing it and further more an M truck. That's blasphemy..or is it lol. Pretty sure I saw some concepts for a BMW truck, looked fairly odd and unproprtional.

Mercedes took a Nissan and slapped a Tri-star badge on the grill and called it a Mercedes X class truck. Since BMW is already working with Toyota, it's just a matter of time before a Tacoma or a Hi-Lux gets a roundel.

[GenXer]

I think the BMW truck is a lot further along than anyone expected.

[apexit]

Originally Posted by gio14

I don't necessarily think only sedans should be M's, personally didn't like the whole m performance route they were going. Was just thinking about the appeal. Absolutely your money buy n drive what u want. Was just thinking bout...who are you x3 x5 m competition man/woman. Did you buy it cause you can get your family stuff done in it and rip it up on your spare time, was it for the M badge or just cause you wanted the top of the line model. No judgment here just curious as I saw the main news feed article pop up on the x3m x3m competition package.

Considering an x3m to replace my m3 eventually. Always had sedans and always gave suv drivers crap (joking around) for driving them. Now with 2 kids and the m3 suspension taking its toll on my back and I'm getting pretty damn tired of the lumbar support digging into my thighs. Basically I want a more comfortable car but love the way my car drives, steers, and breaks. Basically I don't want to give up the sedan, From what I've seen the x3m is exactly what I want. Just a bit softer and more spacious.

[sethwas]

Originally Posted by gio14

Honest question do we really need an X3/X5M?

As a consumer purchase, if it sells, and makes the company that sells it money, then yes.

Seth

[bkfastwagon]

Originally Posted by sethwas

As a consumer purchase, if it sells, and makes the company that sells it money, then yes.

Seth

^this. Although I think BMW is taking it a bit too far with sticking M badge on every model. They are showing better restraint than MB and Audi though. I like how Porsche is keeping RS badge exclusive to 911s. Imagine Macan RS or Cayenne RS...they would sell a ton I'm sure but would lose support from their purist customers

[///MCollection]

I have an F85 x5m and my fiancé and I run M4 and m2c as daily drives.

The X5m was invested in as I hate to fly and hate boats so like driving abroad from the uk. (Channel tunnel is 35mins of fear)

We contemplated aston's, Porsche's etc and although it's my 4th x5 it feels special. It's such a lovely place to be with power for fun and safe overtakes, sure footed with pretty impressive brakes it also has great toys for long abroad trips.

You get to see a lot more than the traditional m cars and after 700 miles in one hit I didn't feel that broken. Other positives are big boot so you don't have to stress about what to leave behind.

It's the ideal compromise between a diesel x5 and an m car

[Humdizzle]

I'm hearing a lot of excuses as to why people get them:

- bad back
- my wife needs to drive it too
- kids
- I don't want to sit so low like a sports car
- need more space inside and I don't want or can't have two cars.
- need something that works in snow (you'd have to buy snow tires and wheels for an M3 or X3M anyway so...)


Its definitely a lot easier to justify 70k for an SUV that your wife can drive and you can haul kids in. Lot harder for a family to put 70k into a dedicated sports car that seats two and can only be used for fun.

[DC X3M40i]

It’s fun and practical. Can haul my wife and kids around. And when they are not around I can haul ass instead. High performance suvs are kind of a weird thing... but hey...people will buy them. At the end of the day bmw isn’t forcing these on people. THey have the x3 m40i. It’s all personal preference. I can’t do an m3 since my younger one gets car sick in sedans for whatever reason lol

[gizmo958]

Originally Posted by gio14

Honest question do we really need an X3/X5M?! And further more competition packages in these models? I mean the concept is pretty odd to me. Granted I don't have kids, I would assume these are mainly family cars. I was at m track days n rode in the x3m and x5m, fast, torquey, something about great lap time ....but it just felt wrong. I felt like I should have a full load of groceries n kids in the back. To each their own I guess. Maybe I'm not seeing the niche, drop the kids off then chuck it into M mode n rip it up? In that case the 4 door M3 would be my choice. Thoughts?

Originally Posted by gio14

Honest question do we really need an X3/X5M?! And further more competition packages in these models? I mean the concept is pretty odd to me. Granted I don't have kids, I would assume these are mainly family cars. I was at m track days n rode in the x3m and x5m, fast, torquey, something about great lap time ....but it just felt wrong. I felt like I should have a full load of groceries n kids in the back. To each their own I guess. Maybe I'm not seeing the niche, drop the kids off then chuck it into M mode n rip it up? In that case the 4 door M3 would be my choice. Thoughts?

We definitely need an x5m 👍

[Conissah]

Originally Posted by GenXer

Mercedes took a Nissan and slapped a Tri-star badge on the grill and called it a Mercedes X class truck. Since BMW is already working with Toyota, it's just a matter of time before a Tacoma or a Hi-Lux gets a roundel.

Holy s**t batman, this is a great point. I never thought about this. BMW, like any business, wants to sell more product to make more money. What sells the best in the US market, trucks! Interesting. Don't quite know if I'd ever consider a BMW truck, BUT an M division truck to rival the Raptor would actually be amazing to see.