![]() This tester had covered just under 10,000 km (around 6,200 miles) and there was already plenty of damage on it. or until you take a cloth and wipe the entire thing.īut wiping and wiping grease off these glossy surfaces is really one chore too many, I think, and not only that, but it’s also prone to scratching. Why does BMW put glossy plastic there? On the buttons that you frequently press, no less? Sure, it looks cool for like two seconds, but once you prod any of the buttons, a fingerprint record of that will remain there forever. The X5 also came with glossy wood trim on the dash, as well as glossy plastic in and around the new infotainment island (as BMW calls it) that also houses the aforementioned crystal gear selector. From an ergonomic standpoint, it’s not great, but boy does it look nice, particularly at night, as you’ll undoubtedly notice in the plethora of night shots I took of its interior. ![]() ![]() There you can try to press it with your palm or contort your hand around it to press it with one of your fingers or your thumb. However, even though I consider myself a person who likes simple, not fussy design choices that overcomplicate, I actually quite like both the look and feel of this rather unique gear selector. It kicks up before the rear door handle and then goes straight through the center of it - it’s a very interesting design choice that really works in this context and adds some much needed flair to the vehicle’s side and three quarter views.Īnd, they don’t get any more detailed than the Swarovski crystal automatic gearbox selector level that I’m sure many will consider too much. Moving back to the side profile of the car, I must admit that I was really won over by the upward kink in the crease that runs along the vehicle’s side. As it currently stands, it’s a bit too van-like, plus that rear light cluster design looks exactly like on the old-gen Kia Sorento. However, the rear end is just a bit too plain and slab-sided - maybe it could have used a bit more fasback body style DNA from the X6 to make it look more muscular and planted. There is a bit more road noise than I anticipated on the highway, the large wheels probably contributing to that.And, for the most part, it is a more pleasant visual presence than the outgoing model. Although the car manages to stay surprisingly flat through the corners, I found myself falling out of my seat due to the tall center of gravity and lack of side bolsters. I had a chance to sample a car with the optional air suspension, which allows the driver to feel the road imperfections without sacrificing too much comfort. The base suspension is a double-wishbone axle in the front with a five-link axle in the rear, while self-leveling air suspension is optional. The car is easy to place on a back road (once you turn off the steering assist) and is among the most enjoyable BMW models I've driven recently. Yet it's still lovely from behind the wheel.īMW steering is often heavy, but the X5's is extremely light - almost too light - but I'm sure the upcoming X5 M will take care of that complaint. While I'd struggle to call it the ultimate driving machine, the X5 wasn't really designed with pure driving pleasure in mind. Sadly, neither diesel engine will be offered in the US. ![]() The M50d looks particularly intriguing thanks to its quad-turbocharged inline-six producing 400 hp and 560 lb-ft of torque. Both were present at the launch event, but only European journalists were allowed to get their paws on them. In 2020, BMW will also add a plug-in hybrid variant called the xDrive45e iPerformance, which will pair two electric motors with an inline-six to produce 394 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque and 50 miles of electric range.īMW will also offer a pair of diesel engines in Europe in the xDrive30d and M50d trims. All of that extra grunt comes at a cost: the xDrive50i model starts at a whopping $76,745. There will also be an optional xDrive50i trim for the US market only, which is powered by a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 pumping out 462 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. In the US, the base trim level is the xDrive40i, which is powered by a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six (B58) producing 340 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque mated to an eight-speed automatic. The X5 doesn't come cheap - that being said, you do get a lot for your money.
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