2023 BMW XM Review // The Most Overpriced Car Of The Decade
2023 BMW XM Review // The Most Overpriced Car Of The Decade
The 2023 BMW XM ($159,000 starting in the US, $245,580 starting in Canada) is the biggest, heaviest, and most powerful M car that BMW has ever put to market. It also comes with the largest starting price of any BMW in history. But with that price comes a hybrid-powered twin-turbo V8, which packs a mighty 644 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. It also boasts an undeniable road presence and has adaptive suspension as standard. But is it able to handle its over 6000 lb curb weight? And does it come with all the tech, luxuries, and design one might expect from a top-of-the-line flagship? Thomas and James investigate! We hope you enjoy the episode. Subscribe!
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Editor: Daniel Mason
Sound: Harrison Dickson and Daniel Mason
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#BMW #XM #SUV
Content
0.06 -> foreign
4.31 -> [Music]
14.9 -> [Music]
34.67 -> [Music]
45.62 -> [Music]
55.11 -> [Music]
59.879 -> thank you
72.78 -> [Music]
78.07 -> [Music]
84.06 -> you're watching throttle Hess I'm Thomas
88.439 -> and I'm James
91.86 -> and this
93.36 -> is the ultimate big daddy top of the
96.42 -> line flagship
98.4 -> the BMW XL
104.759 -> the first pure M only model since the
109.02 -> legendary M1 which would mean that you
112.56 -> would assume this is a serious
114.18 -> underground off the books project from
116.82 -> the Motorsport focused M division it
119.34 -> would mean that this should be born from
121.32 -> the same molten fires that Forge Race
123.899 -> Cars it should represent the heart of
126.84 -> performance in the BMW brand and be a
129.72 -> beacon of pure driving pleasure and
132.66 -> since it's the XM it should be the
135.42 -> fastest and best driving SUV that BMW
138.599 -> has ever made
140.879 -> it already plays host to a few
143.099 -> guaranteed superlatives it has the most
145.98 -> expensive starting price of any BMW on
149.4 -> sale it's also not just the most
151.44 -> powerful SUV they've ever made but the
154.02 -> most powerful M car ever made although
156.9 -> the difference here is it's hybrid Tech
159.3 -> and size mean that this is also heaviest
162.12 -> car BMW have ever made with a curb
165.06 -> weight of over six thousand pounds
171.38 -> [Applause]
174.98 -> we do car reviews track tests and quite
179.22 -> a lot of messing about so subscribe hit
181.98 -> the Bell
183.76 -> [Music]
186.84 -> alright so yes the XM
190.14 -> is heavy but when you give something a
192.48 -> 4.4 liter twin turbo V8 and then almost
196.5 -> 200 horsepower of hybrid assistance it
199.739 -> should be able to Boogie
204.84 -> foreign
211.08 -> it's not a slow vehicle but
214.08 -> it's not a 60 claimed by BMW is 4.1
218.04 -> seconds and the moment you start to
220.26 -> compare that to the other super SUVs it
224.94 -> starts to fall very short in fact the
227.7 -> numbers don't quite make sense in my
229.799 -> head because we've driven 4.4 liter twin
233.159 -> turbo V8 from BMW and they've easily
236.099 -> been able to make over 600 horsepower on
238.92 -> internal combustion alone so if this has
241.98 -> that engine and electric assistance
245.58 -> why is the total number not 700 or 800
249.9 -> horsepower
251.58 -> and the fact that it's not
253.98 -> makes me a little bit worried
257.359 -> or at least it would except something
260.699 -> more monstrous This Way Comes because
264.36 -> this is a base XM BMW are bringing out a
268.02 -> red label XM
272.16 -> no apparently it's a label red I guess
274.8 -> Johnny Walker had an issue with red
276.78 -> label but yeah the Red Label No Label
279.72 -> red gets way more power than this so
282.419 -> what did I say the naught to 60 was of
283.979 -> this claimed by BMW 4.1 and the x5m
287.58 -> competition is 3.7
289.62 -> yeah the label red
291.9 -> 3.9
294.84 -> wait that's worse
296.47 -> [Music]
298.8 -> and yes knowing BMW the XM can beat its
302.34 -> claimed Time by a few tenths but then so
305.16 -> can the x5m and x6m competition which
309.12 -> both still outpace it
312.84 -> and the bad news is it's way more
315.3 -> expensive than those the shifts
317.42 -> [Music]
318.96 -> not that quick and I've got it in the
321.06 -> most aggressive setting so it does that
322.38 -> little shove just to make it a bit more
323.88 -> exciting the sound it makes
327.3 -> synthetic I mean it's adding electric
329.88 -> sound as well to try and make up for
332.4 -> that
333.66 -> hybrid thing that's going on but really
336 -> it sounds incredibly stifled
340.44 -> it does do some pops and bangs and
342.419 -> rumbles on the overrun
351.66 -> but in the cabin
354.479 -> this feels like a toned down version of
357.479 -> an x5m competition or an x6m competition
360.02 -> and this is just an XM
363 -> I wanted it to to not blow me away but
367.38 -> just be
369.479 -> the ultimate to be a superlative but
371.88 -> from a power train perspective
374.34 -> it's just it's not superlative at all so
377.22 -> I'm wondering if they've done
378.36 -> superlative stuff elsewhere
387.24 -> one of the beauties of being on a car
389.46 -> launch is that you get to break bread
392.22 -> with the engineers that actually made it
394.5 -> so last night over fajitas I poked in
396.9 -> prodded some engineers
398.58 -> and got into the nitty-gritty of what's
400.319 -> actually underneath the XM turns out
402.06 -> it's kind of an x5m it's been lengthened
406.08 -> and the spaces have made of the chassis
407.46 -> for the batteries but other than that
409.259 -> the suspension components the setup coil
412.62 -> springs instead of air Springs is all
414.36 -> shared between the XM and the x5m so
417.72 -> underneath it's kind of just the next
419.52 -> five with a few minor differences
422.3 -> [Applause]
424.52 -> controlling a 6
426.96 -> 000 pound SUV isn't easy so all the
429.72 -> systems that control the way that this
431.699 -> thing leans in the corners are more
433.8 -> powerful now that is the active
435.9 -> anti-roll bars in the dampers and a cool
438.539 -> feature is that in the sportier modes of
441.479 -> the chassis it can actually strengthen
443.28 -> the rear of the car in terms of
444.84 -> anti-roll more than the front it's like
447 -> adding a stiff anti-roll bar to the back
449.52 -> of a hot hatch makes the thing rotate
452.22 -> more in the corners not that you really
454.68 -> care about that because you're not
457.62 -> really driving this thing around Canyon
459.419 -> roads or on a track are you what you're
460.919 -> going to do is you're going to try and
461.88 -> commute to work with it and if you do
464.16 -> that and you put it in the softest mode
466.08 -> that you possibly can find you'll
467.819 -> realize that the ride is not that good
471.18 -> it controls its body better than the X7
474.18 -> that we drove and it's not as side to
476.699 -> side jiggly as an x5m competition but it
480.18 -> still crashes over bumps
482.46 -> in a really unique way it's like there's
484.68 -> a subwoofer attached to each wheel and
487.139 -> each time one of those goes over a crack
488.58 -> you get a thunk in your skull it feels
491.94 -> like the tire pressures are really high
493.259 -> except we checked and they're not
497.039 -> but forget all that you didn't buy this
498.9 -> for comfort you bought it because it's a
500.34 -> sports SUV so you put everything in
502.08 -> Sport Plus and you have the sharpest
504.479 -> shift modes that you can possibly find
506.58 -> so it gives the car an unnecessary shock
509.52 -> under a shift and you realize that the
512.339 -> suspension can't handle that either
514.8 -> it just kind of bounces back and forth
517.08 -> on the shift in a really unpleasant way
519.12 -> so then you should take it out of the
520.979 -> harshest shift mode and you take it out
522.899 -> of Sport Plus and just put it in sport
524.58 -> for the chassis and drivetrain
526.8 -> and it's fine
528.839 -> it can deal with a Canyon Road it can
531.12 -> deal with Corners around the city or an
533.399 -> on-ramp or an off-ramp
535.86 -> it does the job of being
538.32 -> a big BMW SUV but I'm not sure that it
541.14 -> does the job of an M car so it's an XM
544.08 -> in the sense that you know you see a
545.88 -> sign no littering and there's an X over
547.74 -> littering it's not an XM it's an X over
550.98 -> The M
555.24 -> so you put it this way this car isn't
557.22 -> like a disaster to drive it's not
558.98 -> objectively bad it's just unnecessary
562.019 -> and very expensive for how it drives
564.48 -> compared to how we know other BMW M SUVs
569.16 -> can drive and perform so the appeal must
572.1 -> be on the outside right
576.21 -> [Music]
578.459 -> okay yeah so it's almost I don't
581.22 -> understand this car yeah I didn't either
583.2 -> actually until I found this in the trunk
586.32 -> oh god um check this out
591.72 -> yeah
593.1 -> yeah of course now I get it
596.22 -> this
597.72 -> this is the bag that holds the charging
599.76 -> cable for the car I also think it holds
601.56 -> the truth to the code that tells you
603.839 -> everything you need to know it literally
605.459 -> it's gold gold it's just it's like a
608.7 -> designer like I hate that I like Louis
610.38 -> Vuitton
612.54 -> and it's Tethered to the car by an m
615.72 -> strapped yeah yeah yeah all right well
618.959 -> why don't we uh all right stay 10 feet
621.48 -> away from that for a minute yeah let's
622.74 -> just talk about this because
624.6 -> we give BMW a lot of crap for styling
627.36 -> choices yes yes right quite a lot and
629.58 -> this is I think when they marketed this
631.32 -> they said it was like the most
633.44 -> unapologetically styled
635.76 -> vehicle that they've ever made
638.36 -> unapologetically no Sorry's here okay
642 -> um interesting but funny enough I don't
644.16 -> hate it I was gonna say other than the
646.8 -> fact that they've done the thing again
648.12 -> they are drawing attention to the grill
650.459 -> with this really bright light bar around
653.22 -> the outside I don't actually mind the
656.22 -> front end of this car well you can
657.54 -> customize this so this is kind of this
659.22 -> is obviously a stormtrooper look yes and
661.32 -> it's like blacked out but yeah you can
663.12 -> get this in like a kind of a bronze you
664.68 -> can get a bronze yeah and then you can
666.959 -> get this in like some blues this again
669 -> this is kind of its own its own spec
671.459 -> especially with this black line here and
673.5 -> I'm not sure how I feel about the black
674.579 -> line the point is is that looks like
676.32 -> it's ready for college football
677.959 -> I don't normally dip into American
680.1 -> cliches but I feel like that's what they
681.72 -> find their eyes for the Sun so they
684.24 -> the thing with this car is that they
685.5 -> seem to be very focused when they talk
688.019 -> to us about it and you know what it
690.06 -> looks like and this the image of it
692.339 -> there's four extroverts we've been told
694.32 -> several times it's for extroverts
695.76 -> extroverts for the brave you can get
697.2 -> gold wheels as well whoa it's like four
699.66 -> grand in Canada in isolation yeah I love
703.019 -> the gold badge with the black I think do
706.62 -> I wish they'd save that for some a
708.12 -> different vehicle yes yes but I do like
710.88 -> it does look like the ultimate form of
712.68 -> that badge like the highest level most
714.48 -> elite it does in the in based on what
716.82 -> you're saying it should imply that this
717.959 -> would be the highest level X and
719.64 -> therefore the highest level M yes is it
722.04 -> either of those
724.079 -> no it's not no not even cool the engine
727.8 -> kind of looks cool right sure
734.519 -> yeah that's not bad
736.38 -> but like anyway
738.86 -> I'm not sure that the buyer of this car
741.06 -> is ever going to open that hood Thomas
742.5 -> is upset because M cars or the mfats and
745.98 -> stuff they used to have an M2
747.48 -> competition had a carbon fiber
750.12 -> reinforced plastic strut brace strip
752.7 -> brace and it was stunning it was so cool
755.1 -> and now every MCO or the new M cars
757.32 -> nothing has anything that looks like
758.64 -> that in the end the engine bay is not
759.779 -> exciting anymore but you're right the
761.04 -> owners are not gonna they're just not
762.24 -> going to open it I do think that this is
764.88 -> one of the best versions of the split
766.86 -> headlights yep it really works with this
768.959 -> design no it's cool all of this is fine
771.42 -> honestly the proportions of the whole
773.22 -> vehicle are actually quite good I think
775.139 -> I think it extends Just a Touch Too Much
777.18 -> Too Much like if it was a bit more okay
778.74 -> but then it's the long wheelbase it's
780.42 -> what you want but then come on back here
781.92 -> for just a second so that we can rinse
783.42 -> the rear end of this car where is the
785.16 -> badge where did it go well that's what
786.66 -> happened you rinsed it too hard
789.8 -> actually it's a deal yes this is the
792.779 -> best in the back but yeah and they've
794.339 -> also gone Lexus with these vertical tail
796.32 -> yeah well they're trying to Brand This
798.48 -> the XM right that's the brand it's its
802.86 -> own thing right so why put it on this
804.899 -> anyway let's just go look at the
806.22 -> interior of the car okay
808.68 -> pressed
810.62 -> okay I just want to put some color on
813.06 -> that comment about how it's not the
814.32 -> ultimate X because we've gone through
815.94 -> the M stuff and we've I feel like we've
818.399 -> yeah kind of already established yeah so
821.399 -> why is it not the ultimate SUV and
825.3 -> primarily because it's not that
827.16 -> different to the other X's so just
829.079 -> nothing's ultimate in here right this
831.36 -> looks this you know this hasn't got the
833.1 -> eye stuff like The IX is a very
834.66 -> different looking cabin yes it feels
836.459 -> futuristic and different in artsy and it
838.38 -> has and it has that speaker system which
839.94 -> blows your mind yes this is the upgraded
841.8 -> bowels and Wilkins for this it's fine it
843.36 -> doesn't come close no the bass coming
845.22 -> from the the reverberations from the
847.26 -> tires is actually more Bassy than the
848.76 -> sound system anyway
850.26 -> um it is very nice in here obviously
852.54 -> like we have to say that yes BMW build
854.339 -> quality is right up there with Audi now
856.68 -> yeah and it but this just isn't that
859.019 -> different from a three series or an X5
861.899 -> or it doesn't it doesn't bring anything
863.519 -> new there are available more exciting
866.339 -> interior colors than this yes this is
868.139 -> the base this is this is quite simple
869.7 -> this is just the black leather interior
871.079 -> it does get more exciting and even in
872.94 -> this one we do get this really neat
874.92 -> headliner but no sun sunroof yeah it's a
878.339 -> bit strange this this does look
880.199 -> beautiful at night with the blue it does
882.66 -> to the ceiling what what a swimming pool
884.519 -> does in a nice like yeah exactly yeah
887.339 -> and you can change the ambient lighting
888.779 -> colors and it like reflects off of like
890.339 -> it's a really beautiful piece of design
891.839 -> and when you're sitting back there and
893.82 -> you're looking at it it does feel like a
895.86 -> pretty special interior but I'm not sure
897.66 -> that it feels like a hundred thousand
900.72 -> Canadian dollars more than an X5
902.519 -> interior no do I mean x5m x5m X5
906.12 -> interior you're looking at almost two
908.1 -> hundred thousand dollars
909.74 -> like if here's the thing if they had
912.3 -> done the big 7 Series screen yes and the
915.6 -> I actually mean the TV the TV that comes
917.82 -> down and The IX level crazy new
920.279 -> futuristic look with the ultimate sound
922.5 -> system yes then that would have made
924.779 -> sense so you were very comfortable back
926.639 -> there oh the seats are very comfortable
927.72 -> they're quite soft that's the real
928.98 -> Lounge the rear Lounge soft seats loads
931.8 -> of room I kind of like that they've
933.24 -> optimized rather than one of being one
934.62 -> of those SUVs where they quickly shove a
936.18 -> third row into say three row seating
937.68 -> yeah it's actually just a super spacious
939.48 -> background it's just a spacious
940.62 -> background and they lean into that and
941.94 -> that's fine I don't have a problem with
942.959 -> that like that's that's a good choice
944.16 -> but I still question
946.1 -> it feels like they used they cashed in
948.6 -> on like the M bit to make it not super
951.899 -> luxurious in here yeah they're like but
953.82 -> it's an m so clearly it has to be like
955.44 -> sport buckets yeah like M buttons look
957.18 -> at this look at this door card it's
960.199 -> Audi A4 has a nicer door card it does or
963.48 -> like you think about an LS the LS 500 is
966.18 -> that the new yep that thing has like the
968.279 -> twilled art fabric which looks amazing
970.68 -> and that costs less well just look at
972.36 -> the IX interior yeah like it's just so
974.88 -> cool looking I know otherwise the rest
977.699 -> of this is is is fine I will say that I
981.54 -> was borderline okay with the new systems
984.54 -> that BMW is using for how to select your
987 -> M modes because like the M modes change
988.8 -> kind of the gauge cluster and like the
990.24 -> traction control and the safety settings
991.44 -> and you've got these M1 and M2 buttons
993.72 -> which will coincide with the setup
995.16 -> button so you can program them to do the
997.079 -> different things individually you're
998.459 -> saying we just you just got used to I
999.72 -> just got used to that and then we've
1000.8 -> swapped in this m hybrid button because
1002.66 -> this is the hybrid so when you click
1004.579 -> that it takes you to these controls
1006.56 -> which I talked about a little bit before
1008.66 -> but the combination of that with all the
1011.6 -> other stuff I cannot comprehend no which
1014.36 -> is funny because when we see we sit in
1015.8 -> the seven series and some of the new
1017.24 -> buttons they've done you complemented
1018.98 -> which is the sandwich buttons yeah that
1020.72 -> takes you to this the burgers they're
1023.839 -> not called sandwiches someone hasn't had
1026.24 -> lunch in England we call them sandwiches
1028.28 -> actually that's not true in England
1029.419 -> we're much more generous with the word
1030.74 -> burger oh well you guys call it chicken
1032.66 -> sandwich in England it's chicken burger
1035 -> yeah these are the facts that you need
1037.04 -> listen it's not a perfect cabin I've
1039.079 -> even had to customize it a little bit
1040.52 -> okay there's yeah like there's there's a
1043.64 -> few issues with this system it's a bit
1045.14 -> laggy and we discovered for some reason
1046.76 -> that the volume knob has a slow ratio so
1050.78 -> you have to turn it a lot a lot like a
1052.64 -> lot a lot a lot but that's okay yeah we
1054.32 -> just well I've come up with a fix yeah
1055.94 -> you just grab that you just
1059.679 -> perfect I see that only did a culture of
1062.179 -> the way
1063.08 -> I didn't even do it
1066.679 -> you have to turn it look up look at how
1068.96 -> much I have to turn it luckily what is
1072.14 -> actually happening right luckily there's
1074.179 -> gesture controls which are way far I can
1076.039 -> fight you you can fight
1078.5 -> um yeah okay the string that's in there
1080.6 -> forever turns out string theory is a lie
1082.28 -> because this didn't work
1083.799 -> I'm not a scientist but I'm pretty sure
1085.7 -> that was strength but seriously though
1087.2 -> with jokes aside for some reason the
1088.94 -> volume not be so slow to turn the volume
1090.44 -> up you have to literally spin it yeah
1092.48 -> it's so strange anyway the rest of it's
1095.48 -> fine
1096.86 -> um it's just a nice BMW SUV it doesn't
1099.62 -> push the envelope no in any way no only
1103.34 -> only one could argue in the powertrain
1106.58 -> with the electric stuff but yes that's
1108.5 -> the next step but that doesn't feel it
1111.5 -> doesn't feel that incredible no
1113.84 -> you know what I think I have a solution
1116.48 -> come on over here just a second come on
1120.08 -> okay so I realized this while I was
1121.76 -> driving it yeah
1123.2 -> based on what we know about BMW right I
1125.84 -> hope that rubs off me too
1136.36 -> X8 and 70E that's what this is yeah that
1140.9 -> makes more sense yeah
1142.64 -> you know what though that's probably
1143.9 -> going to be harder to Market yeah it
1146.12 -> would
1147.32 -> oh
1150.74 -> okay listen the gigantic curb weight the
1154.58 -> harsh ride the slow transmission the
1157.94 -> underwhelming cabin and the inferior
1160.76 -> acceleration numbers of the XM and its
1163.64 -> high price tag all make it seem like a
1167.539 -> bad deal
1170.12 -> uh James yeah where's the rest huh like
1174.919 -> where's the rest of it it seems like a
1176.48 -> bad deal but oh no that wasn't yeah I
1179.539 -> was finished it's a bad deal
1181.7 -> oh
1183.86 -> thanks for watching
1189.02 -> James yeah you know how much this costs
1191 -> right
1192.08 -> yeah too much yeah yeah let me see if I
1194.539 -> can make it worth your money okay I'm
1196.22 -> gonna make some changes you're worth 250
1198.2 -> yeah you tell me if you think it's worth
1199.4 -> 250 Grand the end okay so take this car
1201.38 -> as it is I don't mind the way it looks
1202.7 -> whatever okay lower it a little bit okay
1205.22 -> give it cup twos fully commit to the m
1207.26 -> stuff okay yeah yeah now get rid of the
1210.44 -> hybrid system You're Gonna Lose what
1212 -> it's like 750 pounds almost a thousand
1215.059 -> pounds whatever yeah tune it to 750
1217.22 -> horsepower
1218.419 -> okay okay and warranty it whatever
1221.679 -> yeah it's gonna be quick give it the the
1223.94 -> shouty exhaust from the the the previous
1226.88 -> M3 okay the like obnoxious one yeah yeah
1229.82 -> okay inside Let's Go full luxury so give
1232.82 -> it the IX interior
1234.62 -> right give it the the amazing sounds
1236.84 -> with the amazing sound system and all
1238.16 -> the cool Futures and stuff give it the
1239.6 -> fold down screen from the seven series
1241.1 -> no I know if it's the foot X the
1242.539 -> ultimate X exactly Chuck in the uh
1245 -> carbon buckets oh yes
1247.76 -> there you go yeah right so now you've
1249.98 -> got a full insane luxury like futuristic
1253.039 -> looking ins Flagship interior and proper
1256.1 -> M performance a little bit lighter you
1258.26 -> know like commit to the stiffness don't
1260.299 -> go halfway if you're feeling nuts why
1262.28 -> don't you put the BMW badge back on as
1265.039 -> well
1266.299 -> I already did
1270.62 -> there you go
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xalL0sR2F9o