M Buyers Guide
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BMW X6 M E71

BMW X6 M E71

2010 to 2014SUV CoupeM car

Guide Score 40Not for most buyers$5,046 a year to ownAbout 67th of 69
Best year
2014
Example asking
$8k to $24k
Prices near you
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Photo: M 93, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons

The short answer

The E71 X6 M was, with the X5 M, BMW M's first SUV and first all-wheel-drive car; it was the first of the two shown, at the 2009 New York auto show, and was sold here from 2010 to 2014, a year longer than the X5 M.

The score, part by part

40Guide Score for 2011Not for most buyersabout $5,046 a year to own
Place among the 69 generations
About 67th of 69, likely 56th to 69th
Likely score range
32 to 56
Confidence
Low
Acclaim
25 of 100
Chance of a bill over $10,000 in five years
32%

The seven parts and acclaim, 2011 model year

Heritage counts 14 of 100
1824% of it not measured
Engine counts 14 of 100
47
Drive feel counts 19 of 100
62
Analog connection counts 10 of 100
80
Weight counts 10 of 100
23
Long-term value not scored
not measured
Ownership counts 19 of 100
15
Acclaim counts 14 of 100
25

Each part is scored from 0 to 100 on a fixed outside scale. Acclaim comes from published expert lists, launch reviews and awards; the more acclaimed a car, the less its ownership cost counts in this all-time score (its dollars below are unchanged). A part marked not measured carries no weight for this car, and the others share its weight.

Long-term value, shown and not scored

No permitted price yet: we have not found three prices for this car from sources that allow this use.

Long-term value starts to count in the score once 75% of the 69 generations have permitted prices. Today 43 do.

The cost to own

About $5,046 a year to own ($3,304 to $7,521), about $25,230 over five years, bought at five years old or its own age if older, kept five years.

  1. Valve stem seals (S63): about $2,100 over five years, common (source)
  2. Fuel injector failure (S63): about $1,575 over five years, common (source)
  3. Rod bearing wear (S63, first version): about $1,500 over five years, possible

Expect about $3,300 to $7,500 a year; the bills that decide it are valve stem seals, fuel injector failure and rod bearing wear. Bought without receipts, about a 6 in 20 chance of more than $10,000 in repairs in five years. Ownership risk: high.

Guide Score method v5-final.14, an editorial score built only from permitted, sourced data. How it works.

S63 (first version)555 hpAWD6-speed automatic12 city, 17 hwy mpg

Colors it came in, most wanted first. Pick one to see the page in it.

Routine service a year, estimate
$800 to $1,600

Best year to buy

2014The best year to buy, reading 40 of 100, about $5,046 a year to own.

No logged change between model years sets it apart.

Years to think twice about

  • 2010: 37, 3 points below the 2014. About $5,272 a year to own against $5,046; chance of a bill over $10,000 in five years 38%.
  • If you can only find a 2010: it reads 37, 3 points below the 2014, at about $5,272 a year to own against $5,046. The parts that differ: ownership 12 against 15, engine 45 against 47. It is judged as bought at 16 years old, against 12 for the 2014.
  1. 201037think twice
  2. 201140$5,046 a year
  3. 201240$5,046 a year
  4. 201340$5,046 a year
  5. 201440best year

From our log of the changes between model years, each with its source. Only changes the score reads count as reasons; recalls BMW fixes for free, options and tuning notes do not. The cost a year is for a car bought at five years old, or its own age if older, kept five years. How the score works.

The longer answer

It has the same first version of the S63 twin-turbo V8, with 555 hp and 500 lb-ft, a six-speed automatic, xDrive with a torque-vectoring rear axle, Adaptive Drive and self-leveling rear air springs, and it seats four. There was one version.

This first S63 has a much worse record than the later ones: BMW issued bulletins, service actions and a warranty extension for its valve stem seals, injectors and crankcase vent line; hot-vee coolant leaks are well known, and failed turbos are a known risk.

Each is a four-figure bill on an SUV that now sells for about $10,000 to $25,000, so buy one with receipts for that work or price the work in.

What to look for. Receipts for valve stem seals, turbos, injectors and cooling work, a dealer check by VIN that the injector and crankcase vent line service actions, the auxiliary coolant pump recall and, on 2011 to 2014 cars, the front driveshaft recalls (16V-311 and 17V-138) are closed, no blue smoke on a cold start or hard acceleration, oil use you can live with, no wet oil or dried coolant on top of the engine or under the car, a pre-purchase inspection and fault-code scan by a shop that knows this engine, and a level stance with no suspension or Adaptive Drive warnings.

Holds value

  • Records of the engine work above
  • Melbourne Red or Monte Carlo Blue paint
  • Full Merino leather (Sakhir Orange, Mugello Red or Cinnamon)
  • The Driver Assistance Package
  • 2014 cars
  • Low documented mileage
  • Stock cars

Hurts resale

  • No records of engine work
  • Blue smoke or heavy oil use
  • Open service actions or recalls
  • Oil or coolant leaks
  • Warning lights
  • Tunes and exhaust modifications
  • Accident history
  • Suspension faults

What to do next

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Follow the X6 M

The M Index, once a month: any change to the X6 M's guide or score, with the reason, new recalls on M cars, and one thing to check before you buy.