The BMW X6 is not for everybody, but it’s sweet, expensive and perfect for the right occasion.

BMW

The world doesn’t need the 2008 BMW X6, a new crossover that grafts a graceful sports car body onto an SUV’s tall-boy chassis.

Of course, the world didn’t need Mrs. Fields to create more than a dozen variations on the chocolate chip cookie, either. Aren’t you glad she did?

The 2008 BMW X6 is sweet, expensive and perfect for the right occasion. Like Debbi Fields’ $109.99 cookie and brownie gift basket, it’s not for everybody, but the world is a brighter place for its presence.

The new X6, a swoopy four-seat, four-door, all-wheel drive SUV, is not meant for Jeep-style off-road excursions. Nor is it meant to replace a minivan, the raison d’etre of most crossovers. It comes from the specialty case in the bakery, alongside the macadamia nut white chocolate cookies that are too rich for most tastes.

For the customer with a sweet tooth for BMW style and performance in a taller, all-wheel drive package, though, the X6 is the dish.

Prices for the 2008 BMW X6 start at $52,500 for a 35i model with a twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine that provides 300 horsepower. The X6 50i comes with a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 that produces 400 horsepower and has a base price of $63,000. All prices exclude destination charges.

All X6s come with all-wheel drive and a performance-tuned, six-speed automatic transmission.

I tested an extremely well-equipped X6 35i with a $63,845 sticker price. BMW predicts most X6 buyers will forgo some of the options on the car I tested and spend about $57,000.

The X6 35i competes with sporty crossovers such as the $47,995 Acura MDX, $42,350 Infiniti FX35, $46,400 V6 Porsche Cayenne and $39,300 Volkswagen Touareg 2.

The X6’s price puts it at the high end of that group. The gap narrows when you equip the others to match the BMW, and the X6’s style, performance and comfort justify the premium.

The 2009 Infiniti FX is the X6’s most direct competitor, largely because both make no apologies for putting head-turning looks and sporty character ahead of SUV mundanities such as off-road ability and interior volume.

The X6 and FX both have dynamite looks, but the X6 provides its passengers with a bit more comfort, largely because of extra shoulder room that creates a spacious feeling. The BMW’s back seat holds two in comfort, but a center console with cup holders and storage space precludes a third passenger. The FX’s narrow back seat will hold three, but barely. The BMW has slightly more cargo space behind the back seat, but the trunk lip is a bit high, making it awkward to load heavy cargo or reach items that roll against the seat backs.

The X6’s interior is attractive and functional, with a handsome mix of black soft-touch materials, leather and low-gloss trim.

The sound system’s high- and low-end response left a bit to be desired, though. Despite the X6’s price, the one I tested had only a line-in jack for iPods. BMW’s USB port, which allows full access to all the iPod’s features, is optional.

The X6 also should have grab handles to make it easier for people to climb in and out of the tall vehicle. The X6 comes with all the safety features you’d expect at this price: antilock brakes, electronic stability control, and curtain and front-seat side air bags.

The shifter, which resembles a computer joystick, also needs some work. It requires you to push fore and aft for drive, reverse and neutral, press a button on the top for park and squeeze another button on the side to leave park. The process never grew intuitive during a week of driving.

Unlike Jaguar’s nifty and simple new rotary shifter, BMW’s latest attempt to reinvent the shifter requires you to move the control through three planes. Simple is better.

The shifter’s location between the driver and the cup holders in the front console was also problematic. I nudged the shifter a number of times while reaching for a cup, accidentally shifting into neutral at highway speed once.

That was the only quibble I could find about driving the X6, however. The twin-turbo straight-six revs fast and smoothly to its redline, providing excellent acceleration.

BMW developed its turbochargers to provide maximum power over a wide range of engine speeds, and the 3.0-liter generates its maximum 300 pound-feet of torque from 1,400 r.p.m. to 5,000 r.p.m. That gives the X6 the instant-gratification throttle response once available only from big V8s.

By comparison, the FX35’s 3.5-liter V-6 generates 269 pound-feet at 4,800 r.p.m., and the FX50’s 5.0-liter V-8 doesn’t hit its 369 pound-feet peak torque until 4,400 r.p.m.

The turbo V-8 in the BMW X6 50i, incidentally, kicks out 450 pound-feet from 1,750 r.p.m.

The EPA rates the X6 35i’s fuel economy at 15 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway. That compares with 15 city/20 highway for the MDX, 16/21 for the FX35, 14/20 for the V-6 Cayenne and 14/19 for the V-6 Touareg 2. All five SUVS require or recommend premium gasoline.

The X6 is quiet and rock-steady at high speed, with nicely tuned speed-variable power steering and big, capable brakes. The SUV delivers the fun and feel of a sport coupe through twisting mountain roads and absorbs bumps admirably in city construction zones.

BMW’s electronically controlled xDrive all-wheel drive system is programmed for maximum performance and roadholding.

All that comfort and technology comes wrapped in a 192-inch-long body that flows beautifully from its sculpted hood and front fenders through a sloping roof to a high, short-deck rear.

The X6 is by far BMW’s best-looking SUV yet, and its front styling provides a glimpse of the looks of the new 7-series sedan to be unveiled this year.

The X6’s wide C-pillars and high deck severely reduce rear visibility, however. Vision straight behind the vehicle is fine, and the big sideview mirrors allow for secure lane changes, but backing out of a parking space is not a task for the meek.

That problem is exacerbated by the fact that the rear-video system starts very slowly when you turn the car on.

The software’s start-up process and product-liability disclaimer for the navigation system can wait. Not backing into a Geo Metro in the parking lot at Borders is Job One.

In spite of far too many close calls in parking lots, however, the X6 won me over with its unique and lovely looks, comfort and performance.

It’s the best SUV BMW has built yet, and it’s the standard to beat for other luxury-sport crossovers.2008 BMW X6 35i

Vehicle type: All-wheel drive four-passenger sport SUV

Base price: $52,500 excluding destination charges

As tested: $63,845

Standard equipment: Antilock brakes with brake assist and electronic brake distribution; electronic stability control; front-seat side air bags; curtain air bags; hill-descent control; Xenon adaptive headlights with auto-leveling and corona headlight rings; AM/FM/single-disc in-dash CD stereo with MP3 compatibility and auxiliary input, 12 speakers including two subwoofers; 10-way power adjustable front seats; memory for driver’s seat, mirrors and steering wheel; power sunroof; front and rear ultrasonic parking assist; power locks and windows; temporary spare tire.

Options: Heated steering wheel; ski bag; heated front seats; retractable headlight washers; universal garage door opener; compass; auto-dimming mirrors; lumbar support; adaptive drive handling system; 20-inch wheels with performance tires; shadowline trim; anthracite leather; rear-view camera; navigation system; keyless entry and push-button start; four-zone climate control; high-definition radio; one-year subscription to Sirius satellite radio.

Specifications as tested:

Engine: 3.0-liter DOHC variable-timing 24-valve twin-turbo direct-injected straight-six

Power: 300 horsepower at 5,800 rpm, 300 pound-feet of torque at 1,400-5,000 rpm

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Fuel economy: 15 m.p.g. city/20 mpg highway

Wheelbase: 115.5 inches

Length: 192.0 inches

Width: 59.9 inches

Height: 66.5 inches

Curb weight: 4,894 pounds

Where assembled: Spartanburg, S.C.

Comparative base prices:

V-6 all-wheel drive models with automatic transmission, not including destination charges

Acura MDX with sport and entertainment packages: $47,995

Infiniti FX35: $42,350

Porsche Cayenne: $46,400

Volkswagen Touareg 2: $39,300