BMW X5 50i - A hell of a practicality beast….!!!!
So how we get to the X5 would not be a surprise. I was in the car buying or SUV buying mode. I wanted a practical and luxurious SUV. But wait, I forgot, to satiate my desire for speed, I needed impressive torque and power so that I can plunge in the traffic… (wheeeee...) I started test driving all the SUV’s that would fall in this category. The first SUV to try was a Jaguar F-Pace. Super impressive car, I must say. It felt so nimble and agile to drive. It was refined and had a great feeling to just be placed inside the car. But trying a car wouldn’t make sense when you want to have a practical SUV. Then I went and test drove a Range Rover Sport. The interiors were plush and comfy… The SUV had a great structure and bold symmetry… But once you start driving, it feels like a truck. It does not handle as a car. So the search started. I went and drove the Volvo XC90. Amazing looking car… The interiors were totally updated. The car was totally updated by Geely but one doubt stuck me. No what what you invest in you still get a Inline 4 cylinder engine. There were no options. Well, I tried some Japanese SUV’s afterwards. Lexus and Acura had some promising design and ship shape interiors but the cars lacked in power and handling. The Acura MDX had me all confused while driving. So it has two screens on the center console. One for A/C and music controls, the other for navigation etc. It got me all bemused. This led me to go to the German manufacturers. The first was VW Toureg on the list. Mainly because of it’s pricing and discounts. Car was good. Lacked feel and interiors were ancient. For the size of the car, the interior space was cramped up. Also, the engine lacked lustre. It had power but not when needed the most. It was not quick enough to take - off. This got me to VW’s other two brothers from different mothers. The Audi Q7 and the Porsche Cayenne. Q7, inspired awe. What work by the german group. The car had bountiful of updates. The dash, the design, the interiors, the technology. Handling was incredible. The car had all the details to the fit and finish. The drive was meticulous. This had to be one of my buying option. I mean, who wouldn’t want to get it. Then we have the more expensive sibling, the Cayenne. Another amazing vehicle from the stable. It was a little over my budget so I could only dream of it. The other german I tried was the Mercedes. It just got the new GL. As the brand, the car was ostentatious. Luxuriant looks from the outside, opulence from inside. What more to ask. Interiors updated. This was another of my top contender for buying. Then I went and checked some of the american SUV’s available in the market. My - o - my… they were amazing. I went and drove the Cadillac Escalade. It would spoil me. 22 way massage seats. Bose Premium audio. Colossal space inside. Monumental looks from the outside. I was in love with this SUV. It has all the screens for the back seats. Let me tell you one more thing. When it comes to active safety technology. No brand does it better than GM. They definitely are the pioneers in that stuff. I mean super cruise, lane departure… You name it and the car would have it. The only issue I had with the car was that it was exceeding my budget.
Well spending $60 grand had to capture other car makers as well before making an investment. So I went and test drove the Lincoln MKX. Again a superb SUV. Got all the gizmos like the Cadillac but it could not tow. Like I needed a car to tow my motorcycles and this would not tow more than 2,300 lbs that too if you have a special intercooler installed.
There was only one brand that I still had to check off my list. That was the BMW. I scheduled some appointments but was not able to go and test drive a BMW SUV… So here we go in the end. I went and drove the BMW X6 xdrive 35i with a 3.0l inline 6 engine. Uhmmm, ok but not great. Then I finally drove the BMW X5 xdrive 50i. This SUV was so effervescent. When I say effervescent, I mean the car had an appeal, it was so enthusiastic to drive. The pedal response was amazing. The twin turbo V8 sounded marvelous. The car had the oomph I was looking for. The throttle response was quick. No turbo lag as the small spool of turbo always kept the bigger one running.
MODEL OVERVIEW
BMW X5 x-Drive 50i
The first debuted X5, BMW dubbed it a Sports Activity Vehicle because of it’s impressive on-road ability and useful SUV body style.
The X5 was redesigned inside and out for 2014,with new powertrain options on the offering. With the luxury crossover segment now much more crowded than when the first X5 debuted, this better be good among the competition.
The BMW X5 M and X6 M models now have 567 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque from an improved 4.4-liter V-8 that’s mated to an eight-speed transmission. In 2016, the X5 XDrive40e Plug-In Hybrid was released with a 2.0-liter turbo-four and a 111-hp/184 lb-ft electric motor.
Why I’d Consider the X5 50i
The BMW X5 pleases consumers looking for a luxurious SUV with a choice of many engines options. But for me the 4.4l twin turbo engine stood apart. The engine has sufficient power and torque to make your hair standing. The twin turbo’s make sure you do not feel the lag. The 445 horsepower can be acknowledged easily. But where this engine really delivers with elan is in the torque department. It shells out 479 pound-feet at just 2,000 rpm and it keeps going right to 4,500 rpm, which is where the scuderia stallions start to switch from a canter to a gallop. Needless to say, it makes this heavy vehicle (all 2,336 kilograms of it!) very quick. It takes just 5.2 seconds to rip from rest to 100 kilometres an hour and it eclipses the more important 80 to 120 km/h passing move in 3.6 seconds. There are plenty of update options. I choose the “Executive Package” which includes everything except the M Suspension and 20” rims.
Apart from these, BMW has also made some inclusions such as the ‘Design Pure Experience’ package (interior and exterior) now standard, as well as the ‘Professional’ suspension package which brings Dynamic Performance Control and Dynamic Drive to the Dynamic Damper control and rear axle air suspension in the “Executive Package”.
After driving the BMW X5 xDrive 50i, I can easily applaud how impressive is the massive improvement in refinement. The combo of improved body control, better aerodynamics and sound-proofing plus that slick eight-speeder all adds-up to Rolls Royce-like quietness even at warp speeds.
The xDrive all-wheel-drive system powers all rear wheels under normal circumstances. However, by monitoring a number of inputs it instantly and seamlessly shuttles the power to the axle and wheel(s) with the best traction which can also be called a torque-vectoring mechanism. Throw on a good set of winter wellies and the X5 proved to be all but unstoppable. The ice storm in cold countries, the desert in middle east, that had entombed the X5 left the roads in a treacherous condition — part ice covered, part snow packed part in sand and all very slippery. The system remained unfazed by the conditions as it shuttled the power around with great effect. Only when taking liberties (goosing the gas on a takeoff) did I feel the wheels break traction momentarily before hooking up as the X5 blasted forth.
Big SUVs, pardon me Sport Activity Vehicles, typically do not turn my crank. Most are ponderous, and that’s being kind. The X5, especially when equipped with the M package, is something I could learn to live with very easily. It does all of the things a sports-ute should, but it also does so much more. It toed the line very nicely when this driver booted it, yet it remained entirely civilized in all the weird environmental conditions.
The Interior Of all the changes for the third-generation 2014 BMW X5, the interior design is the winner. New-design seats, new materials and outstanding ambient lighting (you can change colours) all play parts in delivering a standout look and feel.
Centre dash is the new 10.25-inch Control Display screen with black panel technology. The i drive center knob adds simplicity to operation.
The xDrive 50i as tested runs as standard the ‘Design Pure Executive package with Nappa leather (including full leather surfaces for the instrument panel), Mocha highlights and ‘Fineline Pure’ high-quality wood trim strips.
We like the updated instruments and steering wheel and, as usual, the driving position is top-notch.
Second row seats are spacious and split-fold 40:20:40 for load-carrying versatility. Cargo space is up to 650-litres (rear seat in-place) or 1870-litres (rear seat folded).
Third row seats are optional.
Exterior & Styling Same X5 proportions, same sporty on-road presence, the third generation models are true to the essence of X5 but also significantly different.
At the front, the hallmark BMW ‘kidney’ grille is stretched wide and the twin circular headlights feature flat bottoms and an overarching LED accent light. There’s also new air intakes and the X5 debut of BMW’s aerodynamic ‘Air Curtains’ which duct air into the front wheel arches and vents it outwards via side panel ‘Air Breathers’.
The latest X5 also debuts BMW’s rear ‘Aero Blades’ which work with the roof spoiler as part of the overall aero package.
At the rear is a two-section tailgate and new L-Shaped LED lights.
As part of the ‘Design Pure Experience’ package, our BMW X5 xDrive 50i ran brushed stainless steel underbody protection and some matt silver finishes.
Presence On The Road In a car packed with this much technology and performance, it’s a sensory overload every time you climb behind the wheel of the BMW X5 xDrive 50i and the twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 springs to life. You snick that stumpy gear lever into ‘D’ and the tell-tale burble from the exhausts provides a hint of the potential lurking under right foot.
Crack the whip and the xDrive 50i can erupt – acceleration is blistering as this 2175kgs large SUV whips through the ratios of that superb eight-speed automatic. All accompanied by the amazingly muted V8 doing its thing (noise intrusion is just enough for you to enjoy the twin-turbo’s audio).
Over our high-speed mountain roads test loop, the BMW X5 xDrive 50i was, as expected, simply brilliant with precision, balance and response you can’t believe from a full-size SUV. Perhaps the most impressive aspect was the steering – perfectly weighted at all speeds to provide the ideal amount of feedback.
Around town, that V8 was a helpful for freeway merging and all things considered the X5 does a good job of disguising its size.
Why I want to drive it No doubt about it, the BMW X5 is one of the world’s best SUVs. It remains just how you’d expect BMW to deliver an SUV – incredibly competent but with genuine sportiness about its driving dynamics.
And the new third generation lineup is better in every way but especially the interior – those new seats, modernised cockpit and all-round luxury represent major advances over the previous models.
