BMW X5 SUV | Crossover

DESCRIPTION

Pros:

Generous amounts of available power
Nimble handling and good ride quality
Standard all-wheel drive
Steady at speeds way beyond legal
Improved fuel economy

Cons:

Top of its class in price
Unintuitive iDrive controls

Ruling: The 2011 BMW X5 delivers especially sporty driving performance for an SUV. Boasting available seating for seven and numerous high-tech features, the 2011 X5 offers superior driving dynamics and a plush interior.

The refreshed 2011 BMW X5 is available in four trim levels: xDrive35i, xDrive35i Premium, xDrive35i Sport Activity and xDrive50i. The xDrive35i variants get a single-turbo 300-hp 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine, while the xDrive50i boasts a 400-hp 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8; both engines are mated to an eight-speed Sport automatic transmission with Steptronic manual shift mode.

Best fuel economy is with the xDrive35d model outfitted with the 265 hp twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter 6-cylinder diesel engine. EPA estimates the X5 diesel can get up to 19 mpg in city and 26 mpg on the highway.

The xDrive all-wheel drive system is standard

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-1 of 1

[Dec 18, 2010]

chrisx5d

Model Reviewed: x5d

Strength:

lots of power, quality of interior,quality of ride,navigation,bluetooth,fuel economy,

Weakness:

remote only opens the tail gate, if only it could close it too!

2011 x5d, ordered it with the nav pkg, sports pkg with the 20",premium pkg. coming from 2008 328xi the ride quality is the same if not better in the x5, only on just my 2nd tank of diesel and I'm already getting better fuel ecomomy than the 328xi. currently it's giving me 13.0L/100km,this is all city driving, haven't gone on the hwy yet. Interior feels very well put together, materials used doesn't feel or look cheap. When driving the vehicle it feels very solid and well planted on the road, currently I have snow tires on(not run flats) but it doesn't feel any different than when I had the 20" run flats on, some people have compliants about the rough ride of the run flats, I personally don't feel the difference, it just might be how the suspension is set up. Back up camera works great, as for the side view and bird's eye view cameras, I still haven't gotten used to yet, personally I can do without the extra 4 cameras but it's included in the pkg so I had no choice. still have a 2008 mdx, you can't compare the 2 vehicles, they are completely different cars. The drive, fit and finish of the x5 is far superior, that would also explain the big gap in the price of both vehicles. mdx is a pig on gas, with 30,000km it's getting 15L/100km. I have no complaints about the i-drive, maybe because the 2011 is equipt with the latest generation i-drive it's pretty user friendly. All in all I'm completely satified with my purchase.

Similar Products Used:

2004 lexus rx330, 2008 acura mdx

OVERALL RATING	4	★★★★★ ★★★★★

VALUE RATING	4	★★★★★ ★★★★★