When BMW first showed the X5 at the very end of the last decade, many enthusiasts thought the sky was falling. How could this sacred manufacturer of fine sporting cars even think about building big, heavy, and cumbersome SUVs? In 2001, this magazine spent a year with the first-generation X5 to see whether those doubters' worries had any merit. It turned out that most of us loved the X5's ride and handling and were impressed by its winter traction and towing ability. Still, we felt the SUV needed more cargo space, and we whined a little about its $54,500 price, deeming it too expensive considering it didn't include optional features such as heated seats and a navigation system. Overall, we enjoyed our year with that first X5, concluding that BMW had managed to combine its traditional virtues-an athletic chassis, good steering, and high-performance powertrains-with some, but not all, of the utility we expected in an SUV. Apparently, others agreed. Some 580,000 worldwide sales later, BMW released the second-generation X5.
This time, we didn't skimp on the options, outfitting our top-spec 4.8i with about $12,000 in extras. Its staggering as-tested price was $67,225, but there'd be no complaints about lack of equipment in this X5. We opted for the V-8 model rather than the base in-line six because the X5's exterior dimensions have grown, bringing along a weight increase of more than 400 pounds. The wheelbase jumps by a significant 4.5 inches, and length is up by 7.4 inches. Consequently, we got what we asked for; cargo space is now up by fifteen percent. The growth also allowed BMW to fit a third-row seat-a first for any of the company's vehicles.
Even with the extra space and weight, the X5 still drove like a BMW-albeit a big and heavy one. The 350-hp, V-8-equipped SUV was equally at home dusting cars from a stoplight as it was towing a racing car to the track. West Coast editor Jason Cammisa towed a loaded, 5000-pound trailer plus some 1000 pounds in the X5's cargo hold and was blown away by the BMW's stability and power.
Associate editor Sam Smith also was impressed with the X5's sports-car-like demeanor. "An hour on Kentucky back roads over Christmastime convinced me: Large dimensions, questionable reliability, and porcine curb weight? Who cares? This thing hauls."
The X5 impressed us even more when the snow fell. Thank BMW's xDrive all-wheel-drive system. "If all four-wheel-drive systems were like this, I would no longer pine for rear-wheel drive," penned Cammisa. "It's a drift machine. The system sends just enough power forward to make sure you don't spin-but the slide never ends. It is absolutely marvelous." ...next page >>