2024 BMW X6

The 2024 BMW X6 is the mid-cycle refresh of a car that first arrived in the USA as a 2019 model, and the changes are designed to improve its appearance, efficiency, and performance. In concept, it's essentially a less practical but more stylish X5 with a coupe-like profile, giving it less rear headroom and a smaller trunk. Similarly compromised rivals include the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, Audi Q8, and Porsche Cayenne Coupe. The X6 does a good job against them, but some of its premiumness is called into question by excellent but more affordable alternatives such as the Genesis GV80, which shows that style and value don't have to be mutually exclusive. The revamped 2024 X6 renews its onslaught on the coupe-styled mid-size crossover SUV market and hopes to win a few more buyers in the process. Judging by the merits of the package, it should succeed.

Pricing starts at $73,900 for the xDrive40i, while the M60i will cost you a lot more at $93,600. These prices are the 2024 BMW X6's MSRPs, and they don't include the destination fee, which BMW still manages to cap at $995 - lower than the vast majority of other automakers.

Big SUVs aren't meant to be caned around a race track, but a certain degree of athleticism is expected from one with the BMW roundel on the nose - even more so for one with a sleek coupe-like profile. The X6 sticks to the BMW playbook and is a pleasingly engaging drive, with high grip levels and excellent body control. Thankfully, even the base six-cylinder car handles and rides well, and with its newfound power, it gets to 60 mph in little over five seconds, so it's such a great package that you really don't need the expensive and very rapid V8. The base car gains the adaptive M Suspension this year, improving handling even further while maintaining decent ride quality - not something that can be said of the harsh X6 M. The M60i's agility and stability are also aided by the newly standard rear-axle steering. The M60i is a great car if you want your SUV to be sporty, but you pay a $20k premium for the privilege.

The X6 cannot be judged by conventional criteria, and in the cold light of day, it's not really good enough at what mid-size SUVs should be good at. An X5 is more practical, has a larger trunk, and is cheaper than the X6. But then coupe-styled SUVs don't exist to be practical; they exist to look stylish, and the proliferation of rivals proves that people want and buy them. Some automakers manage to marry the swoopy styling with more practicality in second-row space, such as the Audi Q8, but the Audi lacks some of that handling sharpness and cannot hope to match the BMW's fuel efficiency. For an all-round great coupe-style SUV that does most things well and is fun to drive, there is little to beat the X6 at the price, especially since even the base car is a wonderful drive - something that isn't always the case.

The base xDrive40i is the clear winner. It might be less powerful than the V8 M60i and lack that extra layer of maneuverability and handling sharpness imparted by the rear-axle steering, but the 2024 changes to this model have made the M60i all but obsolete in our view. With its new 375-hp engine, it's quick enough that you will no longer hanker for the V8, and now that the adaptive M Suspension is standard on this trim, it handles nearly as well as the V8 too. Add to that truly excellent fuel economy that puts the M60i in the shade and there's no doubt in our minds that you should save the $20k and take the six-cylinder xDrive40i.