X3/X4 [Official] The All-New 2014 BMW X4

[klier]

Not bad this one..

 

[martinbo]

(Im)practically hideous. The only reason to buy this over an X3 is because you're mad.

 

[Deckhook]

Not bad this one..

Is there anything that BMW make that you dislike?

The X4 is as ugly as sin, another niche product where looks and practicality come very far down the list of priorities.

 

[klier]

Is there anything that BMW make that you dislike?

The X4 is as ugly as sin, another niche product where looks and practicality come very far down the list of priorities.

Go to mama, she is making dinner and then it's time for bed.

 

[EnI]

(Im)practically hideous. The only reason to buy this over an X3 is because you're mad.

So, why are people buying eg sedans over wagons? Or 2dr coupes over sedans? Or 2dr coupes over 4dr/5dr coupes? Since when compared to each other as stated - the former choices sound impractical & people who buy them are obviously mad. Really?


People preferences are diverse. And in mid-class segmetn BMW now offers tons of products to pick from. Isn't that wonderful? 3er Sedan, 3er Touring, 3er GT, 4er Coupe, 4er Cabrio, 4er GranCoupe, Z4, X3 and X4.

9 models. Soon 10 - when 2er Gran Tourer arrives.

10 models ... 6 of them (2er Gran Tourer, 3er Touring, 3er GT, 4er GC, X3, X4) are 5dr vehicles with tail gate.
6/10 BMW vehicles in mid-class are 5dr vehicles with tail gates!!! 3/10 are 2dr cars. And only 1/10 is a classic 4dr - a classic sedan.

 

[SCOTT27]

Maybe this might change your opinion? Thanks to Benny @ BimmerToday.

 

[Bucketslash11]

So, why are people buying eg sedans over wagons? Or 2dr coupes over sedans? Or 2dr coupes over 4dr/5dr coupes? Since when compared to each other as stated - the former choices sound impractical & people who buy them are obviously mad. Really?l

because they have different needs, if you plan to drift a 3 series, you don't buy the estate because you wont need it, if you need a familycar, you buy an estate, if you want a good practical car with 4WD, you buy a SUV, if you want a car that handles well, you buy a sportscar (Z4)

the X6 and X4 are neither of those things and scores decently bad at all those points, it's placed in a pointless market

 

[Deckhook]

Go to mama, she is making dinner and then it's time for bed.

I wish I could, she has been dead this past 28 yrs. Jokes aside if you still have your parents then treasure them.

 

[SCOTT27]

because they have different needs, if you plan to drift a 3 series, you don't buy the estate because you wont need it, if you need a familycar, you buy an estate, if you want a good practical car with 4WD, you buy a SUV, if you want a car that handles well, you buy a sportscar (Z4)

the X6 and X4 are neither of those things and scores decently bad at all those points, it's placed in a pointless market

The X4 and X6 are where we find the market today. Customers want more crossovers and more SUVs. We are now 260,000 units of the BMW X6 sold since its market launch in 2008. That is where we are and that is why you cannot ignore demands for an X4 , a vehicle for most would be more accessible financially than an X6.
The X4 is not the last of its kind as witnessed by Mercedes-Benz's concept Coupe SUV and other manufacturers.

There is much more to come including Porsche with a Cayenne Coupe. As well as Lamborghini and the Urus.
This is what customers want and anybody would be foolish to ignore how lucrative the segment is thanks to the positioning of the BMW X6.
The next few years will be interesting on how will gain the most market share.

 

[EnI]

because they have different needs, if you plan to drift a 3 series, you don't buy the estate because you wont need it, if you need a familycar, you buy an estate, if you want a good practical car with 4WD, you buy a SUV, if you want a car that handles well, you buy a sportscar (Z4)

the X6 and X4 are neither of those things and scores decently bad at all those points, it's placed in a pointless market

Tell that to all those hundreds of thousands of people who have bought X6 in all those years, and tens of thousands of those who have already placed orders on X4.

So, there are obviously approx 300,000 "mad" people out there ...

You stated you needs & preferences & views ... Obviously at least 300,000 people (or even more if we count those who bought second hand X6s) disagree with you ... and they obviously have different needs & preferences than you do.

 

[Bucketslash11]

The X4 and X6 are where we find the market today. Customers want more crossovers and more SUVs. We are now 260,000 units of the BMW X6 sold since its market launch in 2008. That is where we are and that is why you cannot ignore demands for an X4 , a vehicle for most would be more accessible financially than an X6.
The X4 is not the last of its kind as witnessed by Mercedes-Benz's concept Coupe SUV and other manufacturers.

There is much more to come including Porsche with a Cayenne Coupe. As well as Lamborghini and the Urus.
This is what customers want and anybody would be foolish to ignore how lucrative the segment is thanks to the positioning of the BMW X6.
The next few years will be interesting on how will gain the most market share.

i can agree about the financial and how the market has shifted towards crossovers, but i still don't get the point of this market as the necessities are covered better by other models in the line-up

i can accept the CLS niche, the CLA is questionable (was it necessery to shrink a CLS?) however i still can't understand why they would eneter the market covered by other cars in their line-up too (same for porsche)

the urus on the other hand will be interesting, will it be faster than the cayenne?

 

[EnI]

^

YOU don't understand but 300,000+ people obviously do ... Go figure!

 

[Bucketslash11]

Tell that to all those hundreds of thousands of people who have bought X6 in all those years, and tens of thousands of those who have already placed orders on X4.

So, there are obviously approx 300,000 "mad" people out there ...

You stated you needs & preferences & views ... Obviously at least 300,000 people (or even more if we count those who bought second hand X6s) disagree with you ... and they obviously have different needs & preferences than you do.

i think you missed the point slightly, i'm questioning necessity, let me put it into perspective for you:
you want a practical SUV: X5
you want a sporty car with a big boot: 5-series touring
you want a SUV with equal boot: X3 (550ltr vs 570ltr, seats up)

you see, the necessities are covered by the X3, X5 or 5-series in terms of practicality

 

[EnI]

As I said: you don't get it (the SAC). Don't bother. You are obviously not a potential & targeted customer. Let it go. And ... live & let live.

I don't understand people who question the products (that sell well) they don't get & need ... And trying to convince others such products are "unnecessary" and "useless". If you don't need it, just don't bother ... Why even spending time on thinking about it?

 

[martinbo]

So, why are people buying eg sedans over wagons?

Because they don't have a Labrador and sedans are cheaper.

Or 2dr coupes over sedans?

Because 2 dr coupes traditionally engender sportier, more stylish and more exclusive connotations with their particular clientele. They enable designers greater creative scope to pen a beautiful form and a result these customers are prepared to accept the diminished practicality as a justifiable compromise.

Or 2dr coupes over 4dr/5dr coupes?

Ditto - the four door coupe carries a best-of-both-worlds image that, whilst exclusive when viewed against its sedan siblings, lacks the outright cachet of a true 2dr coupe.

Since when compared to each other as stated - the former choices sound impractical & people who buy them are obviously mad. Really?

Your statement indicates that you missed the fun in my word play... read it as: Less practical plus practically hideous. Not to mention the fact that it's also significantly more expensive.

People preferences are diverse.

Agreed.

And in mid-class segment BMW now offers tons of products to pick from. Isn't that wonderful?

It is wonderful, and, even more wonderful to be a car fan and be able to say some cars are just daft.

3er Sedan,

Bread and butter business machine; gets 1 to 4 people from A to B as efficiently as possible.

3er Touring,

All of the on-tarmac efficiency of the above with added utility volume - the car I would own instead of my sedan if only BMW would bring it to this country. I don't even have a Labrador but the two Pugs would love it.

3er GT,

Meritorious in that it offers easier ingress and egress via its "Just Height" (that's an old 90's Subaru Forester catchphrase) elevation coupled with LWB legroom that otherwise results in ungainly sedan proportions which would not find favour anywhere outside of the Chinese domestic market.

4er Coupe,

Very pretty coupe - see above.

4er Cabrio,

Almost as pretty coupe and that's before you put the top down for that unique wind-in-the-hair experience.

4er GranCoupe,

Still reasonably pretty - though borderline cynical - coupe with added 4 door practicality.

Z4,

Two seater sportscar/roadster on separate platform to 3er - not relevant in this discussion.

X3

Lifestyle SUV with the most capacious cabin/cargo volume, dirt-road capable ground clearance and that all-so-popular raised driving vantage point. More than acceptable two-box utilitarian proportions - actually a good looking vehicle.

and X4.

It's just not pretty, the concessions in practicality do not yield endearing proportions - the back wheels look like they belong on a shopping trolley and there's far too much mass at the rear to look elegantly sporty (i.e. like a coupe does). So, in my opinion (and after all this is the point of a car forum), I feel that anyone who wants to spend more on a vehicle which is clearly less in every respect - unless going for ugly just for the sake of being different is rational - is wasting money just for the sake of it. No disrespect whatsoever to any X4 potential owners but this being a car forum you have to expect people to question the rationale behind this particular, and seemingly without merit, vehicle. Again, just my view on this...

9 models. Soon 10 - when 2er Gran Tourer arrives.

10 models ... 6 of them (2er Gran Tourer, 3er Touring, 3er GT, 4er GC, X3, X4) are 5dr vehicles with tail gate.
6/10 BMW vehicles in mid-class are 5dr vehicles with tail gates!!! 3/10 are 2dr cars. And only 1/10 is a classic 4dr - a classic sedan.

I have no issue whatsoever with a liftback / five door configuration. Macan pulls of the impractically sporting SUV theme off far better. Why? Because the little shit actually looks great.

 

[braaf]

^Martin while i agree with most of the things you say i disagree on the Macan front. I love Porsche but for me the Macan is a Cayenne love child gone wrong. X4 gets my thumbs up.

 

[martinbo]

^Martin while i agree with most of the things you say i disagree on the Macan front. I love Porsche but for me the Macan is a Cayenne love child gone wrong. X4 gets my thumbs up.

No problem from my side braaf - I put it in there to balance out the ultimate subjectivity of my opinion on styling. My opinion on the X4's looks ascribes to a certain - let's say more traditional - viewpoint on automobile forms is all...

If you like that X4 then Bob's your uncle mate.

Always did think you were a little nuts...

 

[braaf]

Always did think you were a little nuts...

Lol, thanks Martin, my wife thinks so too.

 

[Sank_ch]

Maybe this might change your opinion? Thanks to Benny @ BimmerToday.

Hi Scott27, replace the black color with your sophisto grey, and that exactly what I will receive in August

 

[SCOTT27]

Hi Scott27, replace the black color with your sophisto grey, and that exactly what I will receive in August

Excellent. Congratulations. I need to go out and drive one for myself but it seems the press quite like it. You are in a very good and unique position to provide an answer to the debate that has recently took place in this thread.

Why are you buying an X4 over an X3? What has been the decision in your choice?