What makes a car a flop? Negative public perception can color things, but it’s far from conclusive. After all, the Chrysler PT Cruiser is frequently mocked, but Chrysler still sold a million of the things. Thankfully, sales data is unyielding, and it can paint a good picture of the winners and losers across the sales landscape. Case in point: BMW has published its annual U.S. sales figures for 2024, and one model seems to be shifting noticeably fewer units than the others. It’s a niche model, but it’s also one that should’ve been a successful concept to market. You can probably guess which.
Let’s start with the dead cars walking, vehicles that have exited production but still logged sales. The Mini Clubman wagon still managed to log an admirable 783 sales despite a heavily truncated 2025 run, an admirable figure, especially for a small wagon. I’m not sure if someone forgot a BMW i3 behind a dumpster or a stack of tires, but this beloved EV still logged a sale in 2024 despite officially bowing out after the 2021 model year. Bizarrely, someone managed to buy a brand new BMW 6 Series in 2024 despite the newest possible 6 Series in America being a 2019 model. Honorable mentions to all, but considering none of these vehicles are still in production, they aren’t the subject of this story.
Alright, so out of the sixteen different BMW nameplates and four Mini nameplates currently on sale in America, what do you reckon was the least-popular. The Mini Convertible is a good guess, seeing as the marketplace for subcompact convertibles with premium price tags is rather limited, but that’s not it. Actually, 2,208 of these drop-tops found homes across America in 2024, which means that more than two thousand Americans can take three of their friends along for bite-sized fun in the sun.
The Z4 Roadster is another good guess considering it’s less practical and more expensive than the Mini Convertible, yet surprisingly, it posted a 13.1 percent sales increase in 2024, shifting 2,129 units. The addition of an optional manual transmission on the straight-six M40i model likely helped spur sales, but still good showing.
No, the worst-selling BMW of 2024 that’s still in production is the XM, the often-mocked flagship SUV that, on paper at least, is a perplexing proposition. Just 1,974 of these road rhinos were sold last year, down 14.7 percent from 2023. Even setting styling, which is a matter of customer taste, aside, it’s not terribly hard to see why.
The first obvious potential reason is internal competition. If you want a fast midsized BMW SUV, the X5 M Competition is already right there. Not only does it feature the same engine as the XM, just without the hybrid system, it’s actually quicker than the standard XM too. BMW claims zero-to-60 mph in 3.7 seconds for the X5 M compared to zero-to-60 mph in 4.1 seconds for a standard XM. Plus, at a starting price of $128,375 including freight, the X5 M is $33,300 cheaper than the $161,675 XM.
Of course, the X5 M Competition isn’t the only fast BMW SUV in the stable that may threaten XM sales. For the sort of connoisseur of the marque who’d spend well over $100,000 on an exclusive BMW SUV to match the rest of their fleet, the Alpina nameplate holds just as much cachet as M. Think of Alpina as an AMG-like tuning company for BMWs, except its focus is on building superior road cars above any track pretences. With that in mind, the $153,395 Alpina XB7 is even rarer than the XM, less expensive than the XM, and yes, quicker than the base BMW XM. It’s a baller move that doesn’t scream how special it is, you really have to know to know.
The XM is aimed at a very slim segment of the market seeking outrageous ostentatiousness to go with upscale appointments, and while the M brand has cachet, other brands have more. Take the Mercedes-AMG G63, for example. Sure, at $188,050 to start, it costs more than an XM, but it’s also the default ride of the rich and famous, and it’s historically enjoyed strong resale value. Like a Rolex Daytona, it’s not the most expensive thing on the market but everyone knows what it’s worth and what it means. Perhaps as a result, Mercedes-Benz sold 3,868 G-Class SUVs…in the fourth quarter of 2024. Full-year sales figures? A whopping 10,987 units.
At the same time, if you want a powerful, brash SUV, you could also buy American. Maybe something that weighs as much as a moon, with proper off-road hardware and one of the biggest names of the bling era. I’m talking about the GMC Hummer EV SUV. A tri-motor 3X trim of one of these suckers stickers for a comparably reasonable $106,945 yet guess what? Even though it won’t have the high-speed capability or be tuned for handling like the BMW XM, it still waxes the regular XM and can keep up with the high-output XM Label to 60 MPH, with a manufacturer-quoted zero-to-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds. Oh, and you can also get it as a pickup truck. Between both body styles, GMC sold 13,993 Hummer EVs in 2024, more than six times as many units as the BMW XM.
The BMW XM isn’t just selling badly for a BMW, it’s selling badly for a six-figure luxury SUV. A Motorsport division flagship is a great opportunity, and a flagship SUV can be a great cash cow, but it seems that BMW hasn’t hit either target with what it ended up building.
(Photo credits: BMW, Mercedes-Benz, GMC)
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That Z4 looks really good in green.
It’s ugly and expensive, so no real surprise here. As others have noted I’ve seen a couple in real life and they’re still ugly in person, not just photos.
Uglier in person!
Whoever these trucks are for, they’re not people I would want to hang out with, so the less sold the better.
I don’t get jazzed up over any crossover, so when one appears on the market with a big ugly snout and a giant price tag, you might imagine my reaction would be less than favorable.
This is one of those vehicles that I tried to give a chance in person but GODDAMN is it hideous in person too.
When these 20k in 2028 with some miles on em I’ll snag one just to mess around with. I’m happy to mess around with any car if my total cost of owenership after selling it on is under 2k.
1,974 people have even worse taste than I thought.
I saw one in the flesh (and flesh and flesh) at Road Atlanta in 2023. It’s as ugly as it is big, and it’s very, very big. IIRC the wheels are 26″.
It’s getting to the point where I have to hipster-qualify that I ever liked any BMWs, because I definitely do not like them now.
It wasn’t that long ago that “I’m a BMW fan” meant pretty clearly that you were an enthusiast. Now if you say it it’s just as likely to be interpreted as “I’m a social media influencer living way beyond their means please give me attention”. Sad times….
It’s pretty easy to tell the difference. Unless it’s their winter beater/tow beast in addition to an *actual* BMW, if their BMW’s model starts with “X” they are likely just a wanker. But I find “Performance SUV” to be a complete and utter oxymoron anyway.
I love my two 2011 BMWs, but this company is SOOO dead to me now.
Never-ending story, I think.
When the E46 came out, people maligned it as too far down the cushy path of “keeping up with the Jones'”, and not for car people.
Then the E90 came out – and similar comments were made that it was for the sales guy who wanted to show off the roundel when visiting clients, and not for car people.
Then the F30 was for people who were too angry for Audi, but didn’t really like cars.
blah blah blah.
Yet BMW continues to sell cars.
To a very different demographic. It’s all new money now, stealth wealth either holds on to their cars or buys Porsches these days. You can’t really buy a ‘subtle’ BMW anymore, they all look like a comedic Roblox interpretation of an actual Bimmer.
The likelihood is that these were not sold, but were leased at very, very attractive rates.
The only one I’ve seen was also in Atlanta. Everyone there has a G-Class so I guess someone wanted to stand out.
Unpopular Opinion. The Hummer EV has really grown on me and of all the SUVs you mentioned in the article, is the only one I find appealing. Yes, I love anything that’s fast and sounds good (mercedes AMG) but it’s ultimately never going to be my choice to drop 100K new on.
The Hummer, while still being just as unlikely to drop 100K on, just seems more fun. I appreciate it because it’s unapologetic for what it is. Its a Hummer first and foremost. It’s not an EV that’s trying to save the world. It’s an EV because it allows the Hummer to exist but the design remained true to it’s intent. It’s Big, boxy, has off-road tires. Screw efficiency, “I’m a Hummer” amd i can’t help but love that.
We almost pulled the trigger on the Hummer EV, it’s ridiculous and I love it. Just I wanted the truck and my wife wanted the SUV and ultimately the dealership gave a screamer of a lease on a lyriq which is heaps more lux on the inside even if it doesn’t have the Hummer’s “presence”
Really not an SUV guy (I’m a wagon nerd) but there are some SUVs that I can’t help but love like the Escalade, G wagon and yes Hummer EV.
I love outrageous “fuck you” mobiles just as much as any other enthusiast, but the Hummer EV has a massive problem in the most literal sense- it has way, way too much mass. It weighs 9000 fucking pounds- 2500 more than the original ICE Hummer which was already a tank in virtually every sense of the word and tt’s starting to border on de-armored MRAP territory.
Mass is the enemy of virtually everything fun in a car, and while heavy cars can be fun there’s heavy like a M-series BMW, and then heavy like a rotting-whale-carcass-on-the-beach. The Hummer EVs I’ve seen in the wild all look like they fall into the latter category, just watching them scuttle around you can tell they are like 50% more massive than even the giant pickups they swarm with.
Vehicles with clear intent and purpose nowadays are so rare. It’s why I unironically like the hummer EV because it completely embodies what a Hummer is
I’d own one of these . . . if the price was about half.
That said, it always seems odd to me that this is marketed under the M brand. Yes, it’s got heaps of power, but it’s enormous and most of the reviews I’ve read say the performance doesn’t live up to brand expectations. It’s the 2nd car designed exclusively by the M brand . . . I guess that says more about how the M brand has evolved since the M1 than anything else.
But why? The X5 does much the same thing and looks way more… normal. Is it the interior? Or the drivetrain? Or do you actually like how it looks? I’m genuinely curious.
It looks like Porsche hasn’t broken it out yet, but I’d be curious what the Cayenne did, especially the >$150K versions (GTS, Turbo/S/Hybrid/GT). I doubt they break it out, but that’s probably another reason not to get an ugly BMW.
I consider myself a casual XM enjoyer. I know it’s the antithesis to everything that BMW has ever been, etc., but it’s just so stupid that I can’t help but like it in a guilty pleasure sort of way. It’s a perfect distillation of every single 20’s automotive trend.
My hot take is that they’ll actually end up being somewhat sought after once they’ve reached the bottom of their depreciation curve.
I don’t think that take is particularly hot. We sickos love the weird shit, and the XM will inevitably get canceled sooner rather than later so it’ll have scarcity going for it. It’s also a V8, and the BMW PHEV system with the V8s returns mid 20s combined fuel economy in practice when operating as a hybrid which is absolutely insane when you put it in context.
Do I think they’ll be valuable? Not necessarily. But I think there will be a subset of enthusiasts that are into them. They’ll show up on the auction sites in a few years and have more bidders than you’d think based on how they’ve been received. That’s kind of what I see happening here.
1000% in 5-10 years there will be a forgotten classics or unloved beast or whatever segment on The Autopian about how we were wrong about the XM lol.
Some geniuses are swapping Tesla batteries into BMW XMs
I don’t think it will enjoy much popularity out of its warranty period.
In the end it’s another overpowered SUV, just with a little extra ugly. By the time one is cheap enough to purchase for a laugh, the costs of keeping it alive will wipe that smile right off the buyer’s face.
Methinks the XM looks a million times better than the iX.
Granted, low baseline and all.
Walter White will be driving one with battered bodywork and a clapped-out traction battery to his dead-end job teaching chemistry to AI algorithms in the 2052 reboot of Breaking Bad.
That’s how I feel about the Hooydonk/Bangle E65 7er, but I understand that I am part of a stark minority so I’d reckon sympathies toward the X///M would be far fewer. But what do I know, maybe in the CUV-pilled future everyone will start simping for ‘vintage crossovers’ for as vile as they are.
I actually saw an XM a couple weeks ago. It’s not for me but, you can’t miss it, it certainly has presence. I just feel like it leans towards the Cybertruck “bad” presence end of the spectrum.
I have to agree. There are a few of them near me, and they still catch my eye every time I see one. They look best in dark colors so you can’t see the grill as much.
I was just about to ask if anyone has seen one in the real world, as I haven’t, and if they look as bad in real life as they do in the photos? If it falls into the same bracket as the Cybertruck, I’m going to take that as a “yes”.
I’ve seen one. It was at night, and it looked okay to good from behind because of all the fancy LED wizardry. From the front it all kind of falls apart…and it just gives off try hard vibes, if that makes sense. Like “I’m incredibly rich but also incredibly insecure please notice me PLEASE NOTICE ME AND TELL ME I’M A BIG STRONG SUCCESSFUL MAN!”
Ah, hence the Cybertruck-like vibes. Got it. Thanks!
Ah, so this is the equivalent of gas station boner pills in BMW form. That makes sense.
Its potential buyers would be better served by spending $150,000 on a diamond encrusted codpiece. It will have the same effect and not depreciate as much.
Basically every BMW is gas station boner pills in BMW form.
“I’m not sure if someone forgot a BMW i3 behind a dumpster or a stack of tires, but this beloved EV still logged a sale in 2024 despite officially bowing out after the 2021 model year“
…I’m assuming someone got David a very nice wedding present. Congrats! Anyway the XM is an abomination in the eyes of god and I’m thrilled that it’s been such a flop. It’s a microcosm of how far BMW has fallen in pursuit of the conspicuous consumption crowd and the Chinese market where I’m sure a rolling anus on wheels with a dollar signs painted all over it would be a hot seller.
Dumb car that is bad and expensive doesn’t sell, more at 6. I will say that the XM is going to make for some true hilarity when it winds up on buy here pay here lots in 3 years though. I’m excited to see one rolling on a donut spare that’s been decked out with Autozone accessories and ground effects.
They seem to be losing somewhere around $70K in one year of depreciation. That’s like … almost half the value. 😮
I look forward to the inevitable “$15,000 used luxury car shootouts” with them in 10 years. I’m sure the Throttle House boys will have a blast.
That’s becoming the standard for “luxury” brand flagships. Especially EVs… The Audi E-tron GT seems to be losing around 50-70% of it’s value in ~1-2 years. But part of that is the pace of EV improvement quickly makes practically-new models obsolete.
The E Tron GTs are even worse because their range is atrocious. It wasn’t competitive when they launched and it’s even less so now. For the same price or less you can get a Model S or Lucid Air that have 3-400 miles of real world range or an E Tron GT that will be lucky to get 200 in actual driving.
It sucks because they’re nice looking cars and they’re Taycans underneath so they apparently drive quite well for an EV. But that thing was DOA. If you just want a luxurious urban commuter and don’t mind the size and weight they’re an intriguing buy at like $50,000 but with how bad non supercharger EV infrastructure is you’re just not going to be able to road trip in one.
I think the bigger issue is you can also get a Taycan used in the 50k range and who is choosing the Audi over the Porsche? I thought they were way over priced from the get go.
Honestly…they’re not losing enough imo. I still see them listed lightly used for 90-110k. If it was closer to 60k I might have actually considered one for my wife.
Hmmm, give it two years and I might buy one. 50k for a gently used example doesn’t seem too bad, after all you’re not the one who has to look at it’s hideous mug when you’re in the driver’s seat.
Then unload it before the warranty expires, obviously.
That’s the trick for sure. I lurked on the E-tron GT forums and sm pages for a few months and the problems with these are varied, wide-ranging, and repeated. Entire HVAC systems needing replaced, with the car in the shop for months. Car bricking itself in your driveway, or worse, randomly at a stoplight. Then, after a flatbed ride to the dealer, a system reset or simple update and it’s “fine”. With these cars it’s either completely worry free, or a disaster.. not much in between. It was easy to find E-trons for sale with branded titles that had been lemon-law’d (hint: they’re the really cheap ones out of warranty). I’d likely lease a performance EV like this, rather than buy, for all the reasons above and more.
Fallen too far, methinks. The X///M sells best in the U.S.A. and Germany, China would rather keep their saloons and MPVs.