BMW X5

A great combination of muscle and practicality

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SUVs like this have a reputation of being more suburban utility vehicle than sport utility vehicle, but I was interested gaining a more holistic view of its capabilities.Owner: Stuart

My wife and I bought this car to replace a diesel powered Range Rover product that we had no end of issues with and so when its warranty expired we decided that we had to get rid of it. The BMW X5 had been a vehicle that we had desired for some time but we couldn’t afford a new one, with some extensive research we managed to locate a low km , one owner vehicle for a reasonable and affordable price, and so a Sophisto Grey xDrive 35i joined our garage. We specifically targeted a non-diesel powered version due to the issues we had experienced with the Range Rover plus hearing more and more issues with DPF’s, EGR’s, EGR coolers, DEF injectors and exhaust systems with more and more manufacturers. We realised that we would compromise fuel economy a little but concluded that the 3 litre turbo petrol in the 35i was quite fuel efficient and after taking one for a test drive we were hooked, it was a bit of a rocket-ship, we were most impressed with its acceleration and smooth performance, the gear changes were silky smooth and the ride was even better than the Range Rover which we thought could not be surpassed. When I did some research I was amazed to see that it was even quicker than our 8th Gen Honda Civic Type-R, who would have thought, from a large 5-seater SUV. The X5 also has a beautiful induction roar when you accelerate that I never tire of hearing, its predominantly my wife’s every day driver, I drive a Mercedes Benz GLA250 to and from work which is quite a nice little jigger and has pretty good performance, especially in SPORT mode, but after driving the X5 it feels slow. We love the white plush leather seats , however they are a bit of a pain to keep clean, Our model has the 2 Screens on the back of the front seat headrests for DVDs and TV, we don’t really use it but recently we picked my sister up from the airport, she gets car sick so we sat her in the front passenger seat , so my wife got in the rear and watched TV all the way home, can you believe it, you can even watch TV, its only when you are exposed to these prestige cars you realise how good they are and why they cost what they cost. Another feature we love is the 360deg Camera vision when parking, plus the car is so intelligent, when we went on a dirt road, it automatically detected the road surface and decided that the 360 deg vision might be helpful and automatically popped it up on the screen for us, its smarter than we realise and we are still learning about all of its bells and whistles. The navigation system is superb and easy to use plus the sound system is pretty darn good too. So far, (approx. 9 mths of ownership) we have had trouble free motoring except for a slight knocking sound in the front end that gradually got worse, it turned out to be the bushes in the lower control arms needed replacing, this is a relatively expensive repair because you can’t change just the bushes you have to replace the whole control arm, it can be made more affordable due to aftermarket parts being significantly cheaper than those with a BMW stamp on them, and really is a wear and tear item for a 6 year old vehicle, with about 60,000 kms on the clock. The F15 X5, whilst not a bad looking vehicle was initially not as pleasing to the eye as the model it replaced (E70) but it has grown on me, it looks better with the M-Sport packs wheels and wheel arch extensions, but a Porsche Macan will always look better in my opinion. Overall I just love every time I get in this car and drive it, the combination of silky smooth ride, silky smooth gear changes, surprising acceleration performance for such a large vehicle and amazing handling, again for a large SUV, combined with the great induction roar on acceleration, just brings a smile to my face and makes me wonder how it could ever be improved upon, maybe a Porsche Macan can, I haven’t driven one so won’t know, but until that day comes , I’m more than content with this car and hope to enjoy it for many years to come.

This is the 3rd X5 we have purchased. The prior 2 were the F15 first gen and updated model. The last X5 we had for 4 years and it proved to be a reliable family car. Therefore decided to give the G01 model a go. The new car is a 30D with M-sport pack, 7 seat, air suspension. The new car with the M-sport bodykit looks even more aggressive than the previous model if that is even possible. It is definitely wider. The air suspension has completely transformed the X5 from the previous model (Msport suspension). There is no vibration through the steering wheel, it hugs the road and the body roll is extraordinarily well controlled for such a massive vehicle. But the way it rides on 22" wheels (part of the performance pack) is amazing. It feels like it's on 18" wheels instead. The sport exhaust (performance pack) gives a deeper grumbly tone. I suspect some of it may be synthesised but whereas in the previous model the engine was muted, the G01 sounds more meaty. The automatic split tailgate is great for shopping (can be programmed for either top or both) and now you can finally wiggle your foot under the bumper to open the tailgate (though it's a bit temperamental) The colour choice is slightly better than the usual whites, blacks and silvers from before. We went blue this time and the metallic finish looks great. The detailer who has a keen eye for paint imperfections noted the paint condition was actually one of the best he has seen. The comfort seats are 10 steps above the sport seats in the F15 and they are adjustable in every way possible (including lumbar). The front seats are heated and cooled (Indulgence pack) while the rear are heated. THe front also have a massage feature which is great. Seating in the rear is much better than before with the kids (15 and 13) nothing more comfortable seats and a lot more leg room. Not sure about the exact measurements in comparison with the F15. The quality of the finish is also impeccable especially with the stitching of Marino leather in the seats. The front dash is fully digital and easy to read, HUD is in full colour and shows speed limits (it registers speed signs). The larger center screen is touch activated and extremely clear to read. The wireless charger in the centre console works well as does connectivity with Iphones and Android phones. Apple Carplay is available but sadly Android Auto isn't. There is however a screen mirroring feature (not touch sensitive) so you can use google maps as mirrored from your Android phone though it only takes up part of the screen. The X5 is optioned with the HK upgraded which sounds even better than the F15 with HK. I think there may be a new speaker system in the doors. 4 zone (option) air climate takes care of the rear passengers with ducts in the floor and side pillar. As part of the Indulgence pack there are heated and cooled cup holders up front and the heated feature works really well. Engine is smooth and feels more agile than the F15 especially in sport mode. The Eco Pro and Sport modes are now more adjustable (engine, transmission, suspension can all be adjusted from comfort to Sport). As noted, the exhaust note is great with the sport exhaust. Fuel consumption has been 10.5 L/100km but that's all city driving. Transmission, as in previous model, is silky smooth (unless you're in Sport). The M-sport pack adds bigger front brakes and blue callipers. No issues so far with reliability but I would really hope not for the price. Which brings me to the elephant in the room. While the X5 starting price isn't horrid, options can add up rapidly. Specifically the Indulgence pack (as name suggests) is a $9K option. And if you get 7 seats you NEED to option the air suspension. However, even without 7 seats the AIR SUSPENSION is a must. You can add close to 50% of the cost of the car in options if you're not careful. Overall however, the G01 is absolutely a step up in the evolution of the X5. Probably the biggest so far. The handling and driving is in another world. I would definitely recommend the X5 but care with options. If you need adult sized 3rd row , I would look at the X7. For me that car is too big and the extra 400kg dulls the performance.

Our journey with plug in hybrid electric vehicles stared with the purchase of an Audi A3 e-tron early in 2016. We loved its smoothness, refinement and the convenience of being able to charge the car from home. The A3 e-tron was a great car, but as we transitioned into our early retirement phase, we wanted to do more driving holidays and needed a bigger car and one that could swallow up long distances in comfort. Out went our A3 and in came the BMW X5 40e. There have been many reviews of the X5, so I thought I would focus this review on the hybrid drivetrain and my experiences with its efficiency. With some people concerned about the range of purely electric vehicles and long-distance remote travel, we may see greater interest in PHEVs while charging infrastructure develops. The X5 40e has a 180kW/350Nm four-cylinder 2.0 litre petrol engine teamed with an 83kW/250Nm electric motor which is housed within the ZF 8 speed transmission. The hybrid power plant is a little ripper and has a combined power of 230 kW/450 Nm which I’ve found to be totally adequate for safe overtaking and accelerating to freeway speeds. The claimed 0-100 Km/h time is 6.8 seconds. The Li-ion battery has a capacity of 9 kW and is located beneath the rear cargo area. Given the X5 40e is a full time 4WD SUV weighing in at 2.3 tonnes, it’s never going to win top prize in the efficiency stakes. Electric range is only around 28 km, a little more in hotter months and down to 25 km in colder months. While this doesn’t sound like much, I would estimate that 90% of the total distance I travel within the Melbourne metropolitan area is done purely in electric mode, and what a pleasure it is. I can float along in smooth silence at highway speeds and the experience is utterly relaxing apart from other road users and meal delivery scooters. The X5 40e offers configurability of driving and regeneration modes, however the maximum coasting regenerative braking level is mild and one-foot driving via the throttle only is not safely possible. It would have been great if BMW could have used the paddle shifters to allow the level of regeneration to be adjusted instead of gears, as I never use the shifters for manual gear changes. Accelerating in electric mode is smooth and gear changes are pretty much imperceptible. Transition between the regenerative and disc braking is managed well, however braking at parking speeds is not as progressive or smooth as I would like. BMW and ZF have managed the integration between the ICE and electric motor superbly and engagement of the ICE is smooth and mostly un-noticeable apart from the rev counter and engine din. Even with an apparently depleted battery, the ICE and electric motor/generator are always working. The control system leaves a percentage of the battery available for heavy acceleration (say overtaking) and then recharges the battery via the ICE or regenerative braking. The start-stop function works well in this configuration of car as the electric motor normally takes on the initial inertia and then the ICE cuts in – great for parking and heavy start-stop traffic. The start-stop function is aggressive and will shut down the ICE and engage the ICE engine clutch even at highway speeds within one to two seconds after backing off the throttle. At a steady 100 km/h the ICE revs at 1500 rpm and is inaudible above the low levels of wind and road noise. This is a really refined cruiser. OK, so just how much petrol does the X5 40e use? Well, it’s theoretically possible to use the X5 40e continually within the metropolitan area using no petrol at all and this has pretty much been my experience. This obviously assumes short distance trips and access to charging facilities or a 240 V wall socket. When travelling in town with a depleted battery, the 40e will use between 8.5-9 L/100 km, more if you’re a leadfoot. We live in an inner bayside suburb of Melbourne and have an 8.3 kW solar array on our roof. We purchase 100% green power, but only need to do so during the winter quarter, the costs of which are more than covered from the credits we earn during warmer months (yes, we do get sun in Melbourne!). We mostly charge the car during the day and I’ve installed a diverter which only charges the car when there’s enough solar generation. The 40e can charge at a maximum of 3.5 kW and a minimum of 1.5 kW – this lower level is handy when charging from solar during winter months when solar output is lower (with a commensurate increase in charging time). On the open road the benefit of a plug-in hybrid is diminished. Despite that, I’ve found the X5 40e to be remarkably fuel efficient, more so when travelling through mountainous country. We travel regularly from Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast and on a recent trip the X5 40e consumed 7.6 L/100 km over 3,800 kms. On the same trip with a trailer in tow we recorded 8.6 L/100 km. Good figures in my opinion. On a holiday to Kangaroo Island the X5 40e consumed 7 L/100 km over 2,400 kms, but we had the benefit of charging when on the Island. It’s interesting to see how the hybrid powerplant works in the hills. On a stretch of the Princes Highway between Buchen and Mallacoota the road partly travels through large and long winding hills. On this stretch of road, the X5 40e with a depleted battery at the start of the trip covered 143 kms with 24% of the distance covered (about 34 km) using regenerated electric power at an average fuel consumption of 7.8 L/100 km. The X5 40e has two trip computers, one which records over a maximum distance of 10,000Kms. Average fuel consumption over the first 10,000 kms was 5.9 L/100 km and over the second 10,000 kms it was 7.7 L/100 km. It’s currently sitting at an average of 6.2 L/100 km. The simple logic here is that the more time the car is in suburbia, the lower the figure and the more time it’s on the open road, the higher the figure. The X5 40e has an 85 L tank and will cover over 1,000 km on the open road assuming travel at highway speeds. It also has a 2700 kg towing capacity. One area that has concerned me with the X5 40e is the ride quality on run flat tyres (RFTs). Many of the X5 40es I looked at came with the M-Sports pack and 20-inch wheels. While the M-Sports pack is visually appealing, I found the ride compliance over sharp bumps to be out of character with the refinement and size of the vehicle. I was fortunate to locate a X5 40e with 19-inch wheels and found the ride quality better - this was the car I ultimately purchased. I subsequently acquired a set of X5 18-inch wheels with RFTs and the ride quality improved further. On the trip to Kangaroo Island however, I found the 18-inch wheels and RFTs did not work well on corrugated, unmade roads - just not enough compliance and too much jarring through the vehicle. I subsequently replaced the 18-inch RFTs with the same make of tyre (Pirelli Scorpion Verde), but a non RFT and I’m in ride quality heaven! I now float over those rough inland roads between Melbourne and Queensland and I haven’t noticed any deterioration in the handling of the car (though the car is a little tail heavy). As a downside, I now carry a can of goo and compressor and on longer trips I carry a full-sized spare wheel – which consumes a fair slab of the rear cargo space if I’m not towing the trailer. Touch wood, no flats… yet. The X5 40e is well optioned and the leather dash looks superb. All the driving aids work really well – radar cruise, lane departure warning, blind spot sensors, parking sensors and all-round cameras. Tech integration works seamlessly, and I’ve found the voice recognition to be fantastic. Visibility from the driver’s seat is excellent and I like the fact that the car is not massive, but big enough to handle country roads confidently. In terms of improvements, some would say a bigger battery for greater electric range would be ideal. Oddly, in my own case, a larger battery with (say) a 50 km range would only offer marginal consumption benefits and you wouldn’t want it to come at the impost of greater weight. Perhaps as the energy density of batteries improves, this might be feasible. It would have been great if the engineers could have incorporated the battery underneath the centre of the vehicle as opposed to locating it underneath the rear cargo area as this has made the X5 40e a tad tail heavy. Overall, I’m delighted with my X5 40e. It’s travelled almost 35,000 kms now and has been faultless. With my ‘special tyres’, the X5 40e is a super quiet and refined vehicle and a superb long-distance cruiser. I love the fact that I can drive it at home using my solar generation for next to nothing, tow a trailer when necessary and swallow up large distances in serene comfort. It feels safe and solid and it’s a nice place to sit in. Is it the perfect car, most likely not for everyone, but it just might be perfect for me.