If I only had $45,000

Author's Rating:

Pros: Handling, Refinement, Handling, all the right sounds and smells.

Cons: Price for what you get.

Handling And Control:

The Bottom Line: 
For the financially able, it is unparalleled from a driving standpoint. An excellent value it is not.

Author's Review
In the current SUV market, any observer can see that there is a distinct trend toward vehicles that are half minivan and half SUV. This is because the general public now associates minivans with commonality and many drivers are also fond of the added strength and utility of many SUVs. The other half is that many buyers formerly placed at the top of the generic sedan market or the bottom of the luxury-car market (read: BMW 3-Series and Lexus ES300) refuse to be seen in a “weenie” little minivan and hence require a vehicle of similar size without the stigma. Of particular interest is the $35-40,000 range because of its current status as the “hot” market, with many new vehicles spanning the gap between the Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer and the Chrysler Town & Country.

A recent and stunning addition to this segment is the BMW X5. The new Bimmer is revolutionary in that it looks like an SUV, drives like a 530i and accommodates more than a 530i Touring. Like its direct competitors the Acura MDX and Mercedes-Benz ML320, the X5 3.0i starts with a palette of amenities and sophistication and adds to it the proper style and performance. However, where the X5 excels so dramatically is in the handling department.

A week ago, I was given the opportunity to sample one of these magnificent creatures (X5 3.0i Sport) and was left dumbfounded. The road manners were very comparable to a BMW 5-Series or a Lexus GS, as they were direct and precise with the correct amount of damping without being vague. The big Bimmer turns with confidence and extracts but a minor toll for whacking the largest of potholes. From an acceleration standpoint, the BMW fairs very well for it smallest-in-class displacement, and while it does make you pay for the performance at the pump with deep gearing for highway cruising, the penalty is simply monetary in terms of fuel consumption, there is no undue intrusion of road or engine noise that one might find annoying. Braking is typical BMW again, solid, easy to modulate and usually shedding speed faster than you expect.

From an accommodation standpoint, the BMW is a little tighter inside than the Acura or the MB due to its length (vs. the Acura) and its rear roofline (vs. the MB). This is an issue for some, and there will not be a 3rd row seat in the X5, ever. The quality of the interior is on par with its sedan siblings and is most definitely a huge part of the BMW’s advantage vs. the Mercedes, which in my mind is a bit sterile and cold. The textures in the X5 are all inviting and colors are deep and warm. With an eye toward functional aesthetics, BMW gives away a little to the Acura with some vague or too-small controls, but otherwise everything is where you’d expect it and works how you expect it to.

The major strike against the X5 is the price, while it offers a degree of refinement and performance that cannot be equaled in this class; it also commands a hefty premium. When a buyer starts to add options, things get hairy. The standard manual is my transmission of choice, but many buyers will shock at the $1400 automatic trans and the $1500+ premium package. The only bargain on the order sheet is the sport package, but then you get to replace 18” tires when the time comes and that won’t be very much fun.

In all the BMW X5 offers the Luxury SUV market segment some thing it has never seen before in the performance categories, but is a loser on the dollar side, its only saving grace being all service inside the warranty period is included in the vehicle price. As the Economy continues to slow (as it will) the X5 will trail the Acura in sales due simply to the price factor, until we get to that point, the X5 will be the vehicle of choice for those concerned, unless they need a third-row seat.