The new M era · XM G09
The BMW XM used: why it split opinion and what it really costs now
Few BMWs have been argued over like the XM. It sold slowly, it has lost value fast, and that makes a used one tempting. Here is the case against it, the case for it, and what our own numbers say a used one costs to own.
Why it split opinion
The XM was BMW M's first stand-alone model since the M1, and its first plug-in hybrid: a twin-turbo V8 with an electric motor, in a large SUV that weighs 6,062 lb in US form, the figure BMWBlog reported at its reveal. It went on sale here for 2023.
The arguments started at the reveal and have not stopped. Most of them are about the face: a very large kidney grille and split headlights on a tall body. Search for the XM and many of the suggestions that come up are about its looks.
The critics' case
The Autopian's Thomas Hundal called it “hideous, warthog-nosed, bloated” on the day it was shown. That is his view, put strongly.
In a TimesLIVE reader poll on BMW's big grilles, with the XM as the lead picture, 54.59 percent picked the ugly answer and 28.06 percent said they loved them. The readers chose themselves and no vote count was published, so it is a mood reading.
The Globe and Mail found its price “difficult to justify” in Canada, next to BMW's own X7 M60, which the paper said costs $90,000 less.
The case for
Jalopnik's Steven Ewing headlined his first drive “So good to drive, you won't care how it looks”, and wrote that “its wackiness is cohesive.”
The Globe and Mail praised its “impressive handling for a big machine.”
BMW never meant it for everyone. Frank van Meel, head of BMW M, told the same paper: “It's for very extroverted people.”
Our reading, labeled as opinion: both sides are describing the same car. It was built to be noticed, and being noticed means many people will dislike it. If you like how it looks, the critics do not change what it is like to own.
How many sold, and is BMW dropping it?
Few, by BMW standards. BMWBlog counted 2,315 US sales in 2023, a part year, and 1,974 in 2024, down 14.7 percent, which BMWBlog said made it the slowest selling BMW in the US that year, leaving aside a few run-out leftovers, behind even the Z4 (2,129). Auto123 reports 1,878 US sales in 2025 and 7,608 worldwide.
2023 and 2024 from BMWBlog; 2025 from Auto123.
To be fair to BMW, the XM was never planned as a volume car, and BMW said its global XM sales rose 16 percent in 2024. Auto123 then reported 2,816 sales worldwide in the first half of 2026, down 22.4 percent on the same half of 2025.
Its future is reported, not announced
BMW has given no end date for the XM and no word on a successor. Auto123 reported in August 2026 that no facelift test cars have been seen, and judged an electric successor highly unlikely. Treat that as reporting until BMW says otherwise.
How much value it has lost
More than most cars. These are the figures we could confirm by opening the pages ourselves on October 13, 2026. Valuation sites update often and measure from different starting points: Kelley Blue Book from its own used value three years ago, iSeeCars from the price new. Check them again on the day you buy.
54%
39.2%
iSeeCars also gives 59 percent after five years, against 64.1 percent for its class of large luxury hybrid SUVs. iSeeCars does not say how it gets a five-year figure; no XM is five years old yet, so our reading is that it is an estimate. Kelley Blue Book puts the 2023 XM in its “75-100% percentile for depreciation among all 2023 SUVs”, the opposite end from its top 10 percent, so in our reading among the steepest.
We do not have confirmed figures by version (XM, Label Red, XM Label), so we do not give any. For what sellers ask today, our XM guide shows example listings at $57k to $85k.
Why so steep? We found no study that separates looks from everything else. The XM was a $160,000-class plug-in hybrid (BMW USA gave a base price of $159,000 plus $995 destination) with low demand, and large luxury plug-in hybrids lose value fast across brands, as the iSeeCars class figure shows. Styling is one reason among several.
A used XM: bargain or risk?
Both, depending on the car. The steep fall means a lot of car for the money; the drivetrain is a V8 plug-in hybrid that is young and still being fixed by software. Our Guide Score for the XM is 57 out of 100 at its best model year (2026), with 69 for reliability, 52 for desirability and 53 for the drive.
57
69
$3,200
The known issues in our XM guide, costliest first:
- Cracked wheels and fast tire wear. About $3,200 at an independent shop.
- Carbon buildup on the intake valves (S68). About $1,000 at an independent shop.
- Hybrid drive faults and false warning lights. No out-of-warranty price in our guide yet.
- High-voltage battery cooling valves and battery electronics. No out-of-warranty price in our guide yet.
- Integrated brake unit recall (2023 and 2024 cars). Free (recall): a BMW dealer checks it by VIN.
- Active front anti-roll bar spring (2024 cars). No out-of-warranty price in our guide yet.
Running it is not cheap either. Our estimates for the XM: tires at $2,600 to $3,800 a set, a brake job at $2,500 to $4,200, and routine service at $500 to $1,200 a year.
Buy the warranty as much as the car
BMW USA's New Vehicle Limited Warranty runs 48 months or 50,000 miles. BMW USA says its plug-in hybrid high-voltage batteries carry 8 years and either 80,000 or 100,000 miles, depending on model and year, so check the car's own warranty book. Our guide also lists a 15-year warranty extension on the battery cooling valves for early cars, and several recalls; have a BMW dealer check each one by VIN.
Our view: a used XM with warranty left, every campaign done and a clean hybrid scan is a reasonable buy at a price that reflects the fall. One out of warranty, with warning lights that keep coming back, is a risk with no ceiling we can price.
XM or X5 M for the same money
The obvious cross-shop is BMW M's other big V8 SUV. Here are both, scored live by the same method as every car on the site.
| Score | XM G09 | X5 M F95 |
|---|---|---|
| Guide Score, best year 2026 for both | 57 | 59 |
| Desirability | 52 | 55 |
| Enthusiast | 53 | 57 |
| Reliability | 69 | 70 |
Example asking prices in our guides: XM $57k to $85k, X5 M $37k to $97k. Our X5 M guide notes that it too loses value fast.
The same estimates as each car's guide page.
XM
You want the rare one, you like how it looks, and some electric-only range suits your commute. Buy it with warranty left.
X5 M
You want a fast, familiar SUV without plug-in hybrid complexity, and with a longer record.
For the full side-by-side, see XM vs X5 M.
Where the critics and our numbers meet
The Guide Score has no line for looks, and none for weight as such. It scores what the market wants, what the car is like to drive, and what it costs to own. Looks reach it only through demand and standing, the way they reach a seller's price.
Even so, the XM, at 57, is the lowest scored M car of the current era, and its weakest part is desirability (52), held back by soft demand. Here the critics and our numbers broadly agree, for different reasons. That is no comment on the people who bought one and enjoy it.
Go deeper
- The new BMW M era, the cars on sale now and the ones coming
- XM G09 full guide
- X5 M F95 full guide
- XM vs X5 M, compared
Questions and answers
Why do so many people call the BMW XM ugly?
Mostly the face: a very large grille, split headlights and a tall, heavy-looking body. The Autopian's Thomas Hundal called it hideous at its 2022 reveal, and in a TimesLIVE reader poll on BMW's big grilles, with the XM as the lead picture, 54.59 percent chose the ugly answer. That poll was self-selected and published no vote count, so read it as a mood, not a survey.
Who likes the BMW XM?
BMW M aimed it at a narrow buyer. Its head, Frank van Meel, told The Globe and Mail it is for very extroverted people. Some road testers rated the drive highly: Jalopnik's Steven Ewing headlined his first drive "So good to drive, you won't care how it looks." Whether you agree is a matter of taste.
Is BMW discontinuing the XM?
Not officially. As of October 2026 BMW has given no end date and made no statement on a successor. Auto123 reported in August 2026 that no facelift test cars have been seen and judged an electric successor highly unlikely. That is reporting, not a BMW announcement.
How much value has the BMW XM lost?
A lot. As read on October 13, 2026, Kelley Blue Book says a 2023 XM has lost $70,881, or 54 percent, over the last three years, with a resale value of $59,700. That is measured from Kelley Blue Book's 2023 value of $130,581, not from the roughly $160,000 price new. iSeeCars, which measures from the price new, puts the loss at 39.2 percent after three years and 59 percent after five. iSeeCars does not say how it gets a five-year figure when no XM is five years old yet; our reading is that it is an estimate. These pages update often, so check them on the day you buy.
Is a used BMW XM a good buy?
It can be, with care. Our Guide Score for the XM is 57 out of 100 at its best model year (2026), with 69 for reliability, 52 for desirability and 53 for the drive. The costliest known fault in our guide: Cracked wheels and fast tire wear, at about $3,200. Buy one with factory warranty left and every recall and campaign done.
Should I buy an XM or an X5 M?
On our scores, the X5 M (59) edges the XM (57). The XM is the rarer, more visible car with a plug-in hybrid drive and some electric range; the X5 M is the more familiar performance SUV, with a longer record. Our compare page sets them side by side.
Sources
Quotes are short and named. Sales figures are as the outlets report them. Value figures were read on October 13, 2026, and change often. Scores, known issues, running costs and example prices come from our own guides and update with them.
- The Autopian, Thomas Hundal, on the XM's reveal (September 28, 2022)
- Jalopnik, Steven Ewing, XM first drive (March 17, 2023)
- The Globe and Mail, Matt Bubbers, XM review with Frank van Meel (March 20, 2023)
- BMW USA, the first-ever BMW XM (base price $159,000 plus $995 destination)
- BMWBlog, the XM's US curb weight (September 27, 2022)
- TimesLIVE reader poll on BMW's big grilles (October 20, 2022)
- BMWBlog, Horatiu Boeriu, XM US sales in 2023 and 2024 (January 5, 2025)
- BMW Group, BMW M's 2024 sales, with the XM's global growth (January 13, 2025)
- Auto123, Derek Boshouwers, XM sales in 2025 and 2026 and its future (August 20, 2026)
- Kelley Blue Book, 2023 BMW XM depreciation (read October 13, 2026)
- iSeeCars, BMW XM resale value (read October 13, 2026)
- BMW USA, the New Vehicle Limited Warranty (48 months or 50,000 miles)
- BMW USA, high-voltage battery warranty on plug-in hybrids