BMW XM vs Lexus LX600

What's the difference?

It’s pretty obvious the XM is designed to impress people with big wallets and an appetite for a techy experience that’s also not without a few green credentials. The ability to motor around as a fully-electric vehicle for up to 80km or so is a big plus and the electric-ballroom interior vibe is hard to ignore, as well.

But from our perspective, the full-fat, twin-turbo V8, while offering startling performance, is perhaps a lost opportunity to follow some of BMW’s competitors into the engine-downsizing space. Then again, when you floor the throttle and 2700kg hurtles forward like a big dog on a short chain, you can see where BMW is coming from.

Perhaps the biggest letdown is the ride quality – or lack of it. While it’s understandable BMW wanted the most dynamic version of the XM it could manage, the end result plays against the vehicle’s otherwise long suit of hyper-luxury. Doubtless, BMW would argue that to soften the chassis would have been to introduce a chink into a no-compromise product. But, perhaps, sometimes a sensible compromise is the way forward.

There's absolutely no doubting the new LX's off-road credentials, nor the fact that it takes luxury SUVs to new heights in the four-seat Ultra Luxury model. Do you need a massaging chair and a foot-stool to get to your camping site? Probably not, but globally, there's a distinct market for that sort of decadence.

Closer to the other end of the LX line-up, however, there's a fair bit of cross-over in price and luxury terms with the Lexus' close cousin, the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series. That suggests there might be a LandCruiser that will do the same job for a little less money and, if that's the case, then the LX loses a little relevance, particularly the petrol-engined version here in Australia. Until, that is, you take into account buyers for whom the Lexus badge infers the bank-vault solidity and prestige that the brand has worked so hard to establish. Which is another way of saying; it all comes down to where you stand on the politics of envy.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

There’s nothing subtle about the way the XM looks. It probably pulls up just short of brutalist (or maybe not) but even those who find its slabs and angles attractive have to admit that it’s bold.

The now-trademark giant nostrils set the mood and the rest of the exterior suggests some kind of armoured transport for presidents rather than wheels for the school run. Doubtless, this will hardly be seen as a fault by those in the market for such a thing.

The real surprise here is that the XM does not share a bodyshell with any other production BMW. Sure, the V8 petrol engine and wheelbase are common to other BMW and M models, but the sheet metal is the XM’s and the XM’s alone. That in itself, is quite a statement of intent.

Perhaps the most left-field design element is the way the LX can, depending on trim level, be configured in terms of its seating. In the past, we’ve seen plenty of SUVs available with a choice of five- or seven-seat layouts, but the LX is the first time we’ve seen seating choices range from seven- to five- to four-seat layouts. If nothing else, it illustrates the breadth of applications a modern luxury SUV is expected to cover.

Those who use their four-wheel drive SUVs off-road will also note the shift back to six-stud wheel hubs. Toyota’s (and Lexus’) move to five-stud wheels a few years ago suddenly made the vehicle’s wheels incompatible with owner’s existing caravans and trailers.

The new LX has also become a committed subscriber to the engine-downsizing theory of modern vehicle design. While the previous model was available with a 4.5-litre turbo-diesel and a massive 5.7-litre petrol, the new engine capacities of 3.3 litres for the diesel and 3.5 litres for the petrol represent major philosophy changes. Both the new engines are now V6s, rather than the previous V8 layouts.

And to give the new car a James Bond moment, all models bar the entry-level version feature a fingerprint sensor to control the starter button function. Q would be pleased.

Given the vast exterior dimensions and a weighbridge ticket the wrong side of 2700kg, it may come as a surprise to learn that the XM is strictly a five-seater with not even an optional third row.

That said, the uber-SUV Lexus LX in flagship, Ultra Luxury, trim offers just four seats in deference to the VIP clientele it’s pitched at, but also comes complete with reclining rear seats and a passenger’s side footrest which the XM can’t match.

Staying in the rear seat, there’s lots of legroom and plenty of space under the front chairs for feet. A lot of that is down to the wheelbase the XM shares with the BMW X7, and even behind a tall driver, there’s lots of space. In fact, compared with a BMW X5, there’s a full 150mm of extra legroom.

The pew itself flows into the door trims for a lounge effect which looks great with the contrasting light-coloured trim, and the centre arm-rest folds down to reveal a pair of cupholders. Extra storage space can be found in fold-out pockets in the rear of each front seat which also house a small, lidded panel that opens to reveal USB ports and power sockets. Dual-zone climate controls are also part of the rear-seat experience.

The gee-whizz stuff hasn’t been ignored, either, and the prismatic roof lining is nothing if not a talking point. But would a panoramic sunroof have been of more value to many buyers? The ambient lighting is a nice touch, too.

Up front, the view is dominated by the giant, twin curved animated dashboards. They deliver information and lots of it, to the point where it can almost seem a bit overwhelming.

The head-up display helps simplify things, but there’s absolutely no doubt there’s a lot going on in this cabin. Again, this is modern luxury motoring, but it remains that the menu system will take time to learn, even if the touchscreen function gives you an option on how you control things.

Multi-adjustable front seats are part of the deal and there’s an M-spec steering wheel which is heated. And although it features plenty of buttons, isn’t as daunting perhaps as the multi-spoked equivalent in some high-end AMGs of late.

The stereo system is also worthy of a mention, being a Bowers & Wilkins unit with roof mounted speakers and no less than 1500 watts of power. Digital radio is part of the package.

Even though it doesn’t offer a seven-seat option, luggage space in the rear of the XM is hardly class-leading. Cargo volume with rear seat up is 527L and 1820L with it folded.

Much of the wheelbase is devoted to rear-seat stretching room and although the batteries for the electric motor are positioned under the rear seat, the floor of the cargo area seems quite high.

The practicality of each variant of the new LX is dependent entirely on how many people you need to move. The base-model version has seven seats with a two-three-two layout, while the Sport Luxury and F Sport feature five conventional seats in two rows.

The Ultra Luxury’s four individual seats obviously make it the variant of choice for the buyer who doesn’t need the extra seats, but clearly limit its appeal for families. But if luxury is your aim, the rear passenger seat in particular is the one to be in as it can be configured to offer up to a metre of legroom and even features a footrest when the front passenger’s seat is moved all the way forward. Both rear seats are also heated and cooled and reclinable to an angle that NASA has calculated offers the maximum support for the human body.

Vents in the rear seat area allow for an air-shower (of cool air over the passengers) or an air-curtain (a blanket of warm air at shoulder height).

The seven-seat versions have a third row of seats that folds flat into the floor (a major improvement over the old fold-up third row) and the second row folds and tumbles into the footwell. There’s a 220-volt outlet in the luggage compartment, too.

Cargo space is slightly less than the old model, but with second and third row seats folded, the LX has cargo space of up to 1871L.

The single-piece tailgate of the new Lexus won’t win as many friends as the old, split tailgate design which formed an impromptu kitchen bench or covered picnic seat. But the single rubber seal of the new design may be an advantage in keeping dust out on outback roads.

Much has been made of the Toyota LandCruiser’s $90K starting price in LC300 form, so it will come as no surprise to learn the new LX is likewise bold when it comes to the sticker on the windscreen.

The range kicks off in seven-seat form with the entry level LX600 (petrol) and LX500d (diesel) priced at $152,300 and $148,800 respectively. Of course, at these price points, entry-level is a relative term, and the list of standard features is a long one, indeed.

Lexus has gone for a tech-heavy look and feel here, with a 12.3-inch main display, a 7.0-inch lower screen as well as 8.0-inch multi-function display screen and even a colour head-up display for the driver. Lexus’ latest generation multi-media system is used, but may require some familiarisation for some owners.

The entry-level car also gets 20-inch alloy wheels, heated and powered front seats, leather-accented upholstery, a premium 25-speaker stereo system, LED headlights and active height control of the suspension via hydraulically-adjustable dampers.

Lexus has also fitted 'Multi-Terrain Select' and 'Multi-Terrain Monitor 2' to allow for different types of terrain and grip conditions as well as giving the driver a 360-dgeree camera’s-eye view of the track and the vehicle crossing it.

If that’s not enough, Lexus also offers what it calls an 'Enhancement Pack' which adds 22-inch alloy wheels, a sunroof and a kick-sensor tailgate for an extra $5500.

The next step up the LX ladder is the Sports Luxury model with a price-tag of $165,800.

For the extra money, you get a premium leather covering for the seats, and the front seats become heated and ventilated. There’s also a heated steering wheel, a cool box (much appreciated in Australia) a split rear-seat entertainment system and specific trim including timber veneer.

The new F Sport is next and adds not just more equipment but more capacity to the car’s off-road aspirations. That’s down to a Torsen rear differential which is torque-sensing in the way it distributes drive to each rear tyre, as well as performance dampers at each corner.

Dark exterior accents and a mesh grille help justify the F sport’s sticker of $171,800, as do interior touches such as seats with extra bolstering and some aluminium trim accents.

Which brings us to the headline act, the Ultra Luxury, which represents a huge price jump to $210,800. As well as extra equipment such as a rear touchscreen for climate control, wireless device charging, the Ultra Luxury is designed as a vehicle where the owner is more likely to be in the rear seat rather than the driver’s seat.

A strict four-seater, the vehicle has a pair of plush rear bucket seats (Lexus calls them captain’s chairs) which recline a full 48 degrees and feature a massage function. The passenger’s rear seat even runs to an ottoman and the entire cabin is trimmed in plush, quilted leather. Surely, with this layout, Lexus has achieved peak oligarch.

Here’s where the XM starts to justify its price-tag. While the use of an electric motor to boost a petrol engine has allowed some manufacturers to reduce the capacity of the latter, no such restraint has been shown for the XM. Instead, it gets the full 4.4-litre, twice turbocharged V8 that we’ve come to know and love from this brand.

It’s not that this is the engine’s first date with hybrid technology, but the mild hybrids that have come before it can’t match the XM for sheer brutality when both power units are unleashed.

The petrol V8 can muster up 360kW and 650Nm which, when boosted by the electric motor, jumps to a total of 480kW (combined) and 800Nm.

While the petrol engine drives through an eight-speed torque-converter automatic, the electric motor also drives through the transmission, an arrangement that is a bit different to some hybrids which use the petrol engine for the rear axle and the electric motor to drive the front wheels.

Of course, the requirement for the XM to feature permanent all-wheel drive, regardless of what power unit is running at the time, forces this layout.

Speaking of all-wheel drive, The XM’s version of BMW’s 'xDrive' layout has been specifically tuned for this vehicle and includes torque vectoring as well as a limited-slip rear differential.

The system has the ability to vary the torque split front to rear, with the default rear-bias giving a more sporting feel on good surfaces. An active rear differential also helps give the car a rear-drive feel.

As well as modes for 'Hybrid', 'Electric' and 'eControl' modes, the XM sticks with the M tradition of offering two M buttons which can be configured to set the parameters for steering, driveline, chassis and, in the case of the hybrid XM, the degree of braking regeneration offered.

Four-wheel steering is also part of the XM’s repertoire and, interestingly, there’s no air suspension here; just conventional steel springs.

But it does feature an electrically-adjusted anti-roll bar system which aims to strike a happy medium between what the driver wants and the road conditions demand.

While the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series is a diesel-only proposition, the Lexus LX takes a broader view of what its buyers will want in such a vehicle.

As a result, there’s a choice of petrol or diesel power for the LX range, with both engines covering all variants apart from one. To add weight to the theory that the Ultra Luxury model is for people for whom fuel costs really don’t matter, it’s available only as a petrol vehicle.

The turbo-diesel engine is the 3.3-litre V6 twin-turbo unit we see in the 300 Series. It’s unusual in that it uses hot-side-in technology where the exhaust system and turbochargers live inside the vee of the engine, rather than hanging off each side as is much more common. Lexus claims greater efficiency from this layout with less plumbing between the cylinder head and turbo units as well as a more compact design.

Outputs for the turbo-diesel are 227kW of power, with an impressive 700Nm of torque produced anywhere between 1600 and 2600rpm, which is where the engine will spend most of its operating life.

The petrol engine is also a V6 and also twin-turbocharged. It measures 3.5 litres and, again, features a design that allows a smaller capacity engine to exceed the outputs of the physically larger, previous model. To that extent, it makes 305kW of power and 650Nm of torque; both impressive figures.

There’s only one transmission available on the LX, and that’s a 10-speed conventional automatic. To compliment that rugged, ladder-chassis design, the LX also has a transfer-case with proper off-road gear ratios. This is what gives the vehicle its rock-crawling and river-crossing abilities, while permanent four-wheel drive and the Multi-Terrain Select system mean no-fuss operation.

A 25.7kWh lithium-ion battery provides the power for the electric drive. It’s mounted under the rear seat and can produce a purely electric range of between 82 and 88km (based on WLPT test protocols).

Charge time from a conventional wall-box is said to be about four hours but, interestingly, the XM has no provision for DC fast-charging.

Fuel consumption (combined cycle) is an EV-typical 2.7 litres per 100km, which equates to a low 61g/km of CO2.

Once you’ve depleted the battery on a highway journey, expect the petrol V8 to consumer somewhere between eight and nine litres per 100km at cruising speed.

Using EV mode means zero-emission operation but, as with any electric car, how the power is generated to recharge it determines its real-world green-ness.

Much has been made of the new LandCruiser’s fuel-tank reduction to its new total of 110 litres. The LX follows suit with an 80-litre main tank and 30-litre auxiliary tank, but it’s worth remembering the improved efficiency of the new drivelines will maintain the range to a useful total. The base-model diesel version also misses out of the second tank for an 80-litre total.

Toyota claims a combined figure of 8.9 litres per 100km for the diesel and 12.1 litres for the petrol. On the open road, both variants will get pretty close to those targets (even though they’re a combined urban-highway figure) so the touring range remains useful and better than 1000km for the turbo-diesel with the twin tanks.

While any M car is supposed to be rapid and dynamic, it’s also true that the over-arching perception of big SUVs is that they’re comfortable and plush. None of which explains the ride in the XM.

Regardless of how you fiddle with the settings, the ride is always brittle. Those big tyres with their minimal sidewall somehow manage to find every crack and join in the road, and it’s these sharp-edged imperfections that thump through to the cabin the most vocally.

It’s enough to make you wonder who this car is going to appeal to. Will it take to race tracks? Almost certainly not. So the whole point of these suspension settings might be a bit lost on some people.

Performance, meanwhile, is insanely rapid for something that could pass as a bulk carrier. The biggest giveaway to the mass is the transmission’s earnest attempts to keep everything moving by feeling a bit hyperactive on downshifts.

Using the ratios is always going to be the strategy, but with all that torque, maybe it’d be nice sometimes for the trans to hang on to a taller gear and let the boost blow it towards the next corner.

The sound track? Polarising. Even if it doesn’t convince you that Hans Zimmer (who developed the various electronically-synthesised noises the XM makes) should stick to winning Oscars, the augmented sounds are background noise rather than the main event here.

Even the petrol V8’s naturally stirring backing vocals have been electronically tweaked with debatable results.

That said, it’s nice to have something to listen to that isn’t the insistent tyre roar which becomes even louder on coarse-chip surfaces.

Steering effort is light but there’s not a lot of feedback in terms of actual feel. In fact, it’s borderline detached and only the sheer speed of the rack confers any athleticism.

Also, the rear steering seems to come in a few milli-seconds after the front has started to turn. And for all that all-wheel-steering agility, this is never a car that shrinks around you.

Lexus surprised us a bit with its choice of test roads for the LX’s launch. As well as some twisty bitumen which might not, on the surface, have seemed the most LX-friendly terrain, the launch also threw in some steep if not otherwise too taxing off-road work.

The steep downhill section highlighted the fact that the LX has probably the best hill-descent control we’ve sampled. Not only is it simple to use with speed variation via the rotary knob that otherwise controls the drive modes, it’s also consistent and doesn’t stumble or lock-up wheels and bang brake calipers intermittently.

The second surprise was how well 2.6 tonnes of luxury off-road SUV handled the winding blacktop. It’s no performance-oriented SUV with its live rear axle and off-road-worthy suspension settings, but it can be hustled along in a pretty tidy manner if you concentrate and keep it flowing.

Beyond that, it was pretty civilised at everything else, too, and although it’s not a compact vehicle by any means, the cameras and sensors ensure that it’s not too much of a brain-teaser to park.

The LX seems to have slightly better noise suppression than the LandCruiser on which it’s based and the diesel version doesn’t seem quite as vocal under load. That said, it’s still very quiet and when rolling along at highway speeds and low engine revs, even the diesel is tomb-like in its silence.

But the petrol is next-level refined. There’s a small degree of engine raspiness when you rev the petrol V6 hard (and you won’t mistake it for a V8) but it’s a sophisticated soundtrack and, at a steady throttle, the petrol LX is even more silent.

The two engines have vastly different torque curves, but the 10-speed transmission is so on top of things that it can tailor its shift-pattern to make the absolute most of whatever torque and power are being produced. You can just feel the transmission holding a gear a little longer when the driver dials up max thrust, but in the interests of getting a heavy vehicle moving swiftly, using a clever transmission is the smart, modern way to do it.

Steering is a fraction light to be completely tactile, but that’s a function of the off-road abilities, and we’re pleased to report that the turning circle is very good given the exterior dimensions and makes tight city work much easier.

The shift paddles are, ironically, likely to be of most benefit when off-road and it’s here that the LX lays the SUV pretenders to waste. With low-ratio gears in the transfer case and that clever 10-speed, the LX will climb up some amazing places. It’s fair to say that, like all good off-roaders, you’ll run out of brave pills before the LX runs out of talent.

And while the suspension does a good job off-road, the live rear-axle and independent front suspension also combine pretty well on the blacktop. There’s some initial thump on pattery bumps that are felt more than heard. But as the bumps get bigger, the LX gets even better at dispatching them.

The variable ride height feels like air-suspension but is actually a clever hydraulic adjustment to the dampers to increase their length and, therefore jack the vehicle up for off-roading. Strangely, the ride seems to become a fraction firmer (and we mean a fraction) as the height cranks up, but most owners will never notice it.

What they will notice is the composure that the LX has in most settings. No, it’s not the fastest or tidiest handling SUV out there, but it’s well beyond good enough. And off-road? Very, very little is likely to touch it.

Lexus’ latest safety innovations have made it on to the new LX, and as well as the now-usual driver aids and passive safety gear, there are fitments such as an autonomous braking system that can identify cyclists in daylight hours and pedestrians any time of the day or night.

There’s also intersection turn-assist which minimizes the chances of a crash when turning across oncoming traffic, as well as emergency steering-assist to help with fast inputs in a crash-avoidance situation.

The adaptive cruise-control now also features curve-speed reduction if the car thinks a corner is being tackled at too high a velocity. Along with that is road-sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, tyre-pressure monitoring, 10 airbags (12 in the Ultra Luxury) and Multi-Terrain Monitoring which allows for a transparent on-screen outline of the car, allowing the driver to see what’s around and even underneath the vehicle.

Like a lot of manufacturers, BMW knows consumers can be leery of EV tech when it comes to the cost of battery replacement. So, as well as the five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty on the whole vehicle, there’s also eight years or 160,000km of cover for the high-voltage battery.

Servicing intervals are based on how the car has been used and it will inform the owner when a service is required.

A servicing package is included in the purchase price and BMW even throws in three years of roadside assistance.

Lexus Australia recently upgraded its factory warranty to five years/unlimited kilometres (up from three years). That’s better, but by no means a real advantage over most of its competition.

Capped price servicing is available at $595 per service for the first three years. The catch there is that servicing is every six months or 10,000km, an area in which Lexus trails its main competitors.