Used 2017 BMW X5 xDrive50i 4dr SUV AWD (4.4L 8cyl Turbo 8A) Consumer Reviews

50i does not disappoint

I thought I needed the bigger engine. No one NEEDS an SUV with this much power. I find I rarely have the opportunity to use it. Even merging, if I floor it, it's so ferocious I let up on the right foot. With the eight speed transmission, manual shifting mode is not something I utilize much. In sport mode, the computer delivers flawless downshifts. I've owned an X1 35i and 335xi. This SUV is tons faster than either of those very quick cars. Power aside, this car is extremely poised on the road. The ride is the best I've owned, loads better than my new get Volvo xc90 (without air suspension). Steering is numb but in every day driving, I actually appreciate not having to work to turn the wheel. It is a bit scary accelerating in a corner with such little feedback. The car never wanders on the straights, though. Interior quality is the best I've owned in the BMW. I did get the extended leather upgrade. My X1 has some cheap plastics on the pillars and doors. Not the X5 50. Everything feels top notch. I've not had any unwanted noises or noticed anything that doesn't quite fit together right (unlike my volvo xc90). Back seat space is great. I fit my three kids back there just fine. There is more than enough space in the boot, in my opinion. Tech is the sore spot for me. Yes, this car has blind spot and pedestrian detection. The cross traffic detection is just not that handy. You have to be looking at the display for the flashing yellow. There is no audible or tactile feed back so if you are just backing up and not paying attention to the center display, it's pretty useless. Also, really BMW? Not including auto-cruise control at this price point is just stupid. My X5 doesn't have that option. Still, the idrive interface is easy to use. I really appreciate the knob now that my wife has an xc90 where everything is touch. There is touch too which really helps with entering addresses. I think the writing feature on the dial is a gimmick. I never use it. I have the standard harmon kardon sound system. It's just fine. However, my wife has the B&A system on her XC 90 and it does not disappoint. I think it would be worth the extra $$$. Handling is great with xdrive. I live in MN. I put pirelli winter tires on the spare rims I got with the car (mine was optioned with the 21" M wheels with pirelli p zeros). Compared to my wife's new xc90 with all season tires, there is a definite difference with stopping and starting. Turning is better in the volvo. The car is more rear wheel biased and xdrive doesn't really help much when turning in snow at least compared to my experiences in other all wheel vehicles. Bottom line: if you are getting an $80,000 plus BMW you probably do care what others think. In the 50i, you know you are going to leave the Q7 and CayenneS drivers in your wake (most cars really). It's very satisfying moving such a large vehicle with such ridiculous acceleration.