BMW X6 xDrive50i

We’re trying out a new feature wherein you tell us what you want to know about the cars we drive. The first Ask C/D specimen is our long-term X6, a car that poses its own set of questions as to why it exists and how it drives as well as it does.

Questions have been collected, and our answers are below.

Questions from Redwood:

• How tall of a person can fit in the back seat?
We put someone 6’4” back there, and he didn’t complain. We put someone 6′7″ back there and he did. We asked someone 6′5″ to get back there, but he was busy. So 6′4″ and maybe a little taller.

• What kind of real world mileage does it get?
In our fake world of free gas, lead feet, and urban commutes, we are getting 15 mpg with the twin-turbo V-8. But one staffer who took it on a 4000-mile trip to Colorado saw more than 19 mpg indicated by the onboard computer, and that still included occasional forays into triple-digit speeds.

• Does it have the cooled seats and if so, how effective are they?
It does. They’ll curb back and gluteal sweat on the hottest days and are cold enough that we have actually used them on settings lower than high—a rarity with lesser-performing units. However, they still fall below the best from Ford and GM in the cooled-seat hierarchy.

• If you’ve driven the xDrive35i version, how do they compare? Is the V-8 version that much better?
The inline-six is competent, but feels a little strained at times hauling around the hefty X6. No such concerns with the V-8, but both are startlingly agile and graceful.

Question from Adam Mull:

•  Why does it exist?
No doubt it is an exercise by BMW engineers to prove that it doesn’t matter what they build, it will be perform awesomely. We look forward to further verifying this hypothesis with the second project in this series, the 5-series GT.

Question from Dan George:

•  How in the world can BMW design something that looks similar to a Pontiac Aztec? See answer above.

Question from Samual:

•  How many bodies (human) could fit in the rear cargo area? Intact or dismembered.
We’re assuming the rear seat is up and occupied. Dismembered figures depend on how finely chopped the bodies are. If they are processed into a slurry, figure on eight or so. Intact bodies will be more compact if you fold them. We’d say at least four. Also, if you prop them up and put hats and sunglasses on them, you can belt your bodies in and chauffeur them around like live passengers.

Question from Bazi:

•  Would you drive an X5 or X6 for the daily driver/everyday practicality????
No. Why would we drive an SUV daily? If someone else is paying, though, of course we would. We love our long-term X6.

Question from Dan:

•  Do you guys think this car will sell well even though it really fills no niche whatsoever?
Nothing is selling well right now, and pointless luxury SUVs are moving particularly slowly. When the economy recovers, though, in a country that loves SUVs and believes more powerful is more better, the X6 will sell.

Read more about our experience with the X6 so far: 2008 BMW X6 xDrive50i – Long-Term Road Test Update