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What is it?
The X5 evolved. Evolution is the key word behind the new X5. Given the success of the previous model, that’s probably not surprising. The basic look is quite familiar: it still has a little ducktail on the tailgate and exhausts that poke from the rear bumper, while the front bumper still has that silly chunk of dark grey plastic masquerading as a nudge bar.
The proportions are different, though. The new car is 5cm taller and 6cm wider than before, but it’s an overall length increase that most changes its character. The new X5 is nearly 20cm longer than before, with 15cm of that going straight into the wheelbase, allowing the option of a third row of seats.
There are neat touches, too. It’s handsome, with some new-style BMW styling etched into a familiar shape. But it’s not just the styling that’s evolutionary. The formula’s much the same as well. Despite the size increase, the X5 remains an executive SUV. Believe it or not, it’s even more road-oriented than the first-generation X5.
What's it like?
Lovely to drive, even though the V8 version that we tested weighs 2400kg and feels all of that. It’s a solid thing that barrels down the road with authority. The longer wheelbase improves the ride quality and smothers road imperfections deftly. It’s particularly impressive given that the standard wheels are 18-inchers on run-flat tyres. High-speed stability is also excellent - the X5 feels more like a large saloon than an SUV.
For the first time since 1961, a BMW that gets double wishbone front suspension (the rear is an evolution of the old aluminium four-link). BMW coyly says that the new suspension reduces understeer, but it’s a sticky question for the company, given that it has put so much emphasis on struts for the past 40 years. How do you say the new system’s better without putting a downer on the rest of the range? Don’t be surprised to find double wishbones on other BMWs in future.
Whatever the justification, it works brilliantly. On narrow, rain-soaked roads around the Spartanburg factory in South Carolina USA, it should have been challenged. But even without the optional Sport package (electronic dampers, trick anti-roll bars, 19-inch wheels), the X5 can be placed accurately. Throw it into tight corners and the front bites with unexpected tenacity. It’s remarkable, and through curved transitions it is easy to build a flow with it - there’s little disconcerting weight transfer. Ultimately, it’s the front that breaks loose first, but the overall feel is impressively neutral. Roll resistance is probably best in class, and the steering is excellent – linear, accurate and with good feel.
So far we’ve only driven the 4.8-litre V8, which gets a standard six-speed automatic ZF gearbox. It’s good for 0-60mph in 6.4sec – only 0.3sec down on the old 4.8iS, despite a near-200kg weight increase.
But the X5 always handled well, and always had enough power. The real change is in what the new dimensions mean. The X5’s interior is handsome and comfortable, with a particularly good driving position that is halfway between that of a Land Rover Discovery and a ‘real’ BMW, and loads of space in the front and back.
The materials used in the cabin are first rate and the fit and finish on our test car was top notch. The only two sour notes are on the centre console, where both iDrive and a fussy, over-designed gearlever have found a home (BMW says it gives more centre console space, but we’re inclined to think it’s weirdness for its own sake), and in the boot. Yes, it’s (just) larger than that of a 5-series Touring, but with it comes an unfortunate necessity of market demand: two optional seats in the boot. They’re little more than scale models of rear seats, and even BMW says no one over 5ft 5in tall should use them. In truth, no human should, and because they don’t have Isofix attachments they are, in a word, useless. And at $1200 in the US (that’s more than £600 in our money) they’re not cheap.
Should I buy one?
If you want a people-mover, look elsewhere. But if you want an SUV that excels in all parameters that matter to enthusiast drivers, the X5 is again in a class of its own.
Re: Autocar drives the E70 X5f -
10-25-2006, 03:21 PM
Yep.
I told you!
Just wait to see comparison tests. Especially Road behaviour, steering, handling, ride quality categories.
Btw, another review - ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Preview:
Quote:
Pumping out 355 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque, the 4.8-liter V8 can push the 4,949 pound beast from 0 to 60 mph in just 6.4 seconds. All well and good in the performance sport ute segment, but as you may have guessed by my opening paragraph the X5 is even more about cornering. With xDrive AWD and tires that nearly rival a Corvette for the size of their contact patch, its no wonder the X5 will beat a 328i through the slalom. Its center of gravity has been lowered, and extensive weight-saving materials from the engine have made their way to the chassis. Like I said before, the X5 drives more like a 5-Series than a top-heavy SUV.
Luxury abounds. From the satisfying fragrance and texture of the leather interior, to the real wood trim and perfectly fitted carpets, the entire vehicle shouts quality and exclusivity. Even the base audio system, with its 12 speakers and 240 watts of power is better than most vehicles' premium units. In contrast, the X5's premium unit features 16 speakers, with two sub-woofers, digital signal processing, and sounds like you're sitting right next to Pavarotti, Pink Floyd or Metric's Emily Haines fighting her own personal war, depending on your musical tastes, of course.
Hours spent negotiating the curves of Callahan Mountain Road and Mine Mountain road, all wet with rain, and dappled with fallen autumn leaves, enable you to revisit a time when you first discovered the sheer pleasure of driving.
Requests by the driver for ever-increasing levels of steering, braking and acceleration are almost instantly delivered by the X5, and without the slightest complaint. Does it have limits? I didn't find them: the chassis is that rigid; the electronics that sophisticated. With the vehicle's electronic stability systems operating, it may be impossible to put the X5 into a skid or slide, even on the very wet surfaces we encountered in rainy South Carolina. Of course, if you take a corner way too fast, you're going to off the road, but the overall impression when driving the X5 is of driving a thoroughbred European sports sedan.
But even though it handles like a European sedan, the X5 is very much tuned to the American market. True, the sports suspension is firm, but it's certainly not harsh. And the standard suspension gives a comfortable ride, without sacrificing sharp handling.
The BMW X5 is, after all, a technical treat that seemingly defies physics in some cases. Does a truck have any business driving this well?
"Don't think of it as a truck," suggests Tom Purves, BMW America's CEO, "Think of it as a performance machine."
Edmunds Inside Line - First Drive -
10-31-2006, 07:17 AM
My aren't you pretty!
My favorite BMW interior at the moment.
But as Tom Purves would surely point out, utility was never really the point of the X5. It still isn't. The goal was to build a premium SUV-like thing that handles like a BMW. With more luxury, surer handling and just a pinch of additional utility, the new X5 remains atop that niche — whatever you call it.
Re: E70 X5 test drives & reviews -
10-31-2006, 08:21 AM
Quote:
If the original X5 had a major fault, it was its sometimes flinty ride. But the '07 model barrels down the highway with the stability and serenity of a large luxury sedan. And it hasn't traded any of its signature handling prowess for this improved comfort. In fact, the X5 handles brilliantly. The narrow, rain-soaked roads we drove should have made driving this 5335-pound SUV feel like riding a pig wearing roller blades. Yet, even without the optional sport package, we could place the X5 with surprising accuracy. The front end bites with unexpected tenacity and will hold its line without correction. It's easy to flow smoothly through transitions without the disconcerting weight transfers normally associated with SUVs. How much of this can be attributed to the new double-wishbone front suspension (the first non-strut front on a BMW since 1961), we cannot say.
The interior is a new design and is handsome and comfortable, with a particularly nice driving position — halfway between a Land Rover LR3 and a BMW sedan. The materials are of excellent quality and the craftsmanship is top-notch. Every bit the premium ride, the X5's new 7 Series-style interior is easily the best in its class. Rear-seat legroom is excellent.
This thing really blows the ML out of the water in my book. Mercedes had better come up with a ML450/550 quick along with some interior modifications ala the CLS/S/SL.
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