The BMW X5 manages to do a rare thing for a large SUV: be both comfortable and fun to drive. It’s a shame about the fake engine noise and lack of Android Auto, though.
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There aren’t many cars that can do what the BMW X5 can do: it’s like a roomy, comfortable hot hatch on stilts. It’s genuinely enjoyable to drive, much more so than alternatives such as the Audi Q7 and Mercedes GLE.
If you want to get something closer, you’ll need to head to a Porsche Cayenne, but that’s a bit like a 100-metre sprinter at a marathon – it isn’t quite as comfortable or practical for families over long distances.
The BMW X5 has them very much licked on the luxury front, though. Everywhere you prod there’s leather or soft-touch plastic, from the top of the dashboard to the door tops. Sure, the overall design is slightly more conservative than that of a Mercedes GLE, but for some, that’ll be a good thing.
And in the centre of the dashboard sits one of the best infotainment systems available in any car. BMW’s iDrive continues to be a doddle to navigate and is still comprises a rotary controller with menu shortcut buttons between the front seats and a 12.3-inch screen, which can be controlled using the controller, via touch or by voice.
But BMW isn’t done there – also standard is another 12.3-inch screen behind the steering wheel acting at the driver’s instruments. It’s clear, crisp and easily configurable. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now available too.
Another important factor in a large luxury SUV is space and the BMW X5 offers plenty of it. Those in the front will have no complaints and the driver gets a supportive seat with full electric adjustment and a memory function.
There’s plenty of space in the back seats, as well – two tall adults will sit comfortably behind those in the front, while a third won’t be sounding off on a long journey either.
Porsche, Land Rover, Mercedes and Audi all make very good large SUVs, but the X5 is the best all-rounder for us.
There are six engine choices when buying a BMW X5, starting with a 3.0-litre six-cylinder 40i petrol. Top of the petrol range is the 450hp 4.4-litre V8 M50i, which is genuinely eye-opening.
The diesels begin with the six-cylinder 30d, while the 40d is a more powerful version of the same six-cylinder engine. At the top of the range sits the M50d – another diesel of the same size as the 30d, but with, wait for it, four turbochargers. There is also a plug-in hybrid version of the X5, called the 45e.
If you spend most of your time in town then go for the 40i petrol, or the 45e plug-in hybrid should you have home charging and want to run your X5 through work. Otherwise, the 30d diesel is more fuel-efficient at a cruise so go for that if you’re often travelling across the UK or Europe.
In town, the BMW X5, despite its size, isn’t daunting to manoeuvre thanks to good visibility for the driver through its tall wide windows and standard front and rear parking sensors. In fact, BMW includes its Parking Assistant, which will steer the car into a space for you and you can add rear-wheel steering as an option for better low-speed manoeuvrability.
It’s a comfortable experience, too; the X5’s standard adaptive air suspension does a good job of soaking up ruts, potholes and broken Tarmac in its most comfortable setting. That said, the M50d’s non-air suspension and firmer settings (in the name of going around corners more quickly) isn’t as comfy when the going gets rough.
On twisty country roads, the BMW X5 steers with precision and on its standard suspension handles well – particularly in its firmer setting. The M50d gets that firmer suspension, clever active anti-roll bars which prop the X5 up even more effectively through bends and a special sport differential for better deployment of power to the road, so feels even more agile to drive.
But, calm things down to a cruise on the motorway, and all three engines are quiet, while wind and road noise are kept to a minimum, although the latter is heard most in the M50s with its bigger standard alloy wheels.
There are slightly more spacious seven-seaters with slightly bigger boots, but truth-be-told the BMW X5 will provide all the space a family is likely to need and more.
Boot (seats up)
500 - 650 litres
Boot (seats down)
1,720 - 1,870 litres
A couple of lanky adults sat in the front of a BMW X5 will have all the space they could need. There’s a huge amount of head room and leg room, while electric front seats come as standard on all X5s.
The driver’s seat goes a long way down for a sportier position or nice and high if you need help peering over the steering wheel, while the steering wheel itself adjusts over a wide range too. However, it’s surprising to see that lumbar adjustment requires adding an option, which seem stingy at this price.
Access to the back seats is very good: the X5’s high roofline means you don’t have to duck in and its wheel arch doesn’t get in the way. It’s a nice height from the ground so no stepping up or down, and as such, getting a baby seat in is simple. The Isofix points are also easy to find when your child is kicking off.
Once you’re sat in the rear seats there’s a massive amount of room. Knee room, head room, foot room are all superb, even for tall adults and even with another tall adult sat in front. In fact, three adults across the back won’t complain too much, either. The middle seat is quite wide, isn’t too pronounced and the space in the middle floor is relatively flat. You can’t recline the outer seat backs, but they’re already reclined a bit so it’s no biggie and the rear seats are extremely comfortable.
The X5’s rear windows are also nice and deep for good visibility, and on the backs of the front seats it’s possible to add USB sockets, as well as slots for a variety of attachments, such as tablet holders or coat hangers.
There’s also the option to add seven seats, which is fairly pricey, but also adds electrically sliding and reclining middle seats in order to provide access to the rearmost set. It’s a tight squeeze in there, though, so they’re best reserved for kids, or adults on very short journeys.
You won’t be short of places to put your odds and sods inside the BMW X5. The front door bins will take a big bottle of water, there’s storage space in a cubby to right of the steering wheel and the armrest cubby is generous with good USB ports and slot so cable doesn’t get snagged.
The front cupholders will take a large cup of coffee no problem, and they’re heated and cooled (as an option) for the first time on an X5, so you can bring along your Cappuccino and frappuccino at the same time. Only the glovebox is a little disappointing in size.
In the back you get cupholders in the central armrest which are a good size and are revealed by pressing a button. Behind them is a large flat cubby but your smartphone or small tablet.
The rear door bins are as generous as the front set and the seat pockets are so sturdy the feel like they’d hold a slab of granite.
Like its interior space, the BMW X5’s boot is very generous. OK, so an Audi Q7’s boot is about 15% bigger with the rear seats in place, but in reality, a family will have all the room they need. You’ll have no problem getting three large suitcases inside, a pushchair or a couple of sets of golf clubs.
Every X5 comes with an electric split tailgate which opens in two sections. That’s great if the boot is full and you need to grab something out, and also great for sitting on at posh country horse events. You can also lower the X5’s air suspension to help make it easy to sit down or lift heavy objects inside.
Inside the boot is large and square in shape and the tonneau cover is easy to reach and nice and light, clicking out using a button and clicking back in extremely easily. There’s a nice amount of storage beneath the boot floor, too, and lots of nice features including hooks to hang bags off, solid tie down tethers at the back and a 12v socket.
The rear seat fold in a useful 40:20:40 split using buttons located just inside the boot on either side. Once down they lie almost flat, too, which together with the lack of boot lip means sliding long items such as bike inside and to the front seatbacks is easy work.
If you enjoy your driving, the BMW X5 will satisfy you more than most alternatives. However, it can feel a little firm with the wrong wheels and tyres and the petrol is a thirsty option.
There are three engine choices when buying a BMW X5, starting with a 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol with 340hp called the 40i. It’s smooth, quick and makes the best sound when you rev it hard, and you’ll need to rev it more than the diesels to access its best performance. It’s also rather thirsty, managing an official fuel consumption of just 33.2mpg. However, in reality, it’ll likely be in the high twenties.
The diesels begin with the 365hp 30d which’ll likely be the best selling X5 and is our favourite of the bunch. It has more torque than the 40i, so pulls harder from low revs, yet will manage more miles to the gallon for a longer range between fill-ups. Officially it’ll return an impressive 47.1mpg, although expect that figure to be in the high thirties in reality.
At the top of the range sits the M50d – a diesel of the same size as the 30d, but with, wait for it, four turbochargers. That means 400hp and even more torque, resulting in a 0-62mph time of just 5.2 seconds. Not bad for a cumbersome large SUV.
All X5s come with all-wheel drive and a brilliant eight-speed automatic gearbox that is both smooth in Auto mode, yet responsive when you take control using the wheel-mounted paddles.
If there’s one complaint, it’s that, on all engines, BMW has chosen to pump in fake engine sound into the cabin in a bid to make it sound sportier. In truth, it just isn’t that convincing.
In town, the BMW X5, despite its size, isn’t daunting to manoeuvre thanks to good visibility for the driver through its tall wide windows and standard front and rear parking sensors. In fact, BMW includes its Parking Assistant, which will steer the car into a space for you and you can add rear-wheel steering as an option for better low-speed manoeuvrability.
It’s a comfortable experience, too; the X5’s standard adaptive air suspension does a good job of soaking up ruts, potholes and broken Tarmac in its most comfortable setting. That said, the M50d’s non-air suspension and firmer settings (in the name of going around corners more quickly) isn’t as comfy when the going get’s rough. Cars with large alloy wheels and run-flat tyres are also less cosseting.
But in twisty country roads, the BMW X5 continues to excel. It steers with precision and on its standard suspension handles well – particularly in its firmer setting. The M50d gets that firmer suspension, clever active anti-roll bars which prop the X5 up even more effectively through bends and a special sport differential for better deployment of power to the road, so feels even more agile to drive.
But, calm things down to a cruise on the motorway, and all three engines are quiet, while wind and road noise are kept to a minimum, although the latter is heard most in the M50s with its bigger standard alloy wheels.
Most won’t need to, but the BMW X5 will also handle fairly arduous off-road driving. It can be raised 40mm higher using its air suspension for better ground clearance as standard, or if you want to get really serious, adding BMW’s optional xOffroad pack brings four off-road driving modes, a lockable rear differential and underbody protection. However adding this does mean you can’t then add sixth and seventh seats.
What's it like inside?
The BMW X5 isn’t cheap, but then it feels anything-but inside. You’re also getting one of the best infotainment systems money can buy, so you certainly won’t feel hard-done.
*Please contact the dealer for a personalised quote, including terms and conditions. Quote is subject to dealer requirements, including status and availability. Illustrations are based on personal contract hire, 9 month upfront fee, 48 month term and 8000 miles annually, VAT included.
