Great SUV
Tim Wilson , 02/13/2018
xDrive35i 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A)
52 of 55 people found this review helpful
I read some of the reviews that were complaining about their X5. I suspect some of these are fake as we love our X5. Engine is smooth and powerful and gives respectable mileage for an SUV. Ride is firmer than other SUVs but that’s the reason why you bought a BMW. The sportiness of the X5 makes it fun to drive and useful as well. Doesn’t have a third row but we didn’t need one. Cargo area is what you see. Interior is what I would call spartan luxury. Surfaces are nice but not the soft leather feel like some cars. More of a sturdy feel to the surfaces. I don’t have any complaints about this car and I’d buy it again in a heartbeat.
Enjoyable car. Lease it to avoid worrying
MrT, 08/06/2018
xDrive35i 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A)
40 of 45 people found this review helpful
I have been leasing this car for 1.5 years and I have 16,000 miles on it (about 65% highway, 35% city driving). WHY LEASING? I wanted to buy, but everyone told me that I am crazy and that BMWs tend to have lots of problems as soon as the warranties expire. Is that true? Perhaps not and I am sure how one drives them and cares for them has a lot to do with the issue, but I felt uncomfortable and so I got a high-mileage lease which costs me a lot, true be told. A professional at Honda, during a conversation we had (my second car is a Honda) told me that "BMW will last, but maintenance does not come cheap!" That is the real issue: does one want to be stuck in expensive maintenance? Each of us has his or her own answer to this. IS IT REALLY THE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE? No. Period. Perhaps, if one gets the X5 M, but the 6-cylinder X5 with 300 hp and 4700 lb of weight is just good for 0-60mph in 6 seconds. Nobody gets overly impressed by that. Visibility is good, but not great and even maniacs who drive in and out of lanes have to pay a lot of attention. Sure, in Sport Mode, it is on the fun side, I will admit to that and on occasions I hit the canyons around here and push it and have fun, but for everyday use it is not a dream come true. IS IT COMFORTABLE? The basic seats for me are ugly and as uncomfortable as they get. In fact, my Honda's seats are more comfortable! However I upgraded the seats to the next level (cannot do the top trim as they only come in ivory white which I do not like for my daily ride) and things improved more than a bit. The rear seats are not bad at all for rear seats, however. Quite good. DOES IT HANDLE WELL? Yes, it does. That I must admit.. Even at 90mph or more on canyons, the car has an excellent behavior for such heavy vehicle. I have the Dynamic handling package as well though. OPTIONS. That is the best part about purchasing or leasing a BMW, i.e. most is customizable a la carte unlike other brands in the same segment. EXPENSIVE TO OWN? As it is a lease and I am under warranty, no. But fuel economy, while good for the segment, is nothing to brag about. I am getting on average 22 mpg. I can get 26mpg on highway alone (mine is the 4 wheel drive model), however in city driving I feel like I want to cry. I am lucky if I get 17 mpg, probably 16 mpg more like it. WOULD I BUY/LEASE IT AGAIN? Tough. Leasing is not my thing, I like the cars to be mine and keep them forever. The warranty program for me is weak. I would like 6 years or 100k miles. If a brand does not do that, to me it means they do not believe in their vehicles as I would like them to. That is at the of the day, my real issue: I am ok to pay more for a vehicle but, if I take care of it, it should hardly ever have any issue. Like my Honda CR-V, 21 years together, 303k miles on it and never a major issue. Fun is good, but reliability is very desirable as well. HOW WAS IT DEALING WITH BMW DEALERS? Pleasant, surprisingly very pleasant. I am confident that it varies from dealer to dealer, but my experience was A+. I did rent the car for 4 days before purchasing so I knew how it drives, the positives and the negatives and all I had to do was to select the options I needed/wanted and deal on price. Mine was custom ordered as I am picky on colors and combinations of interiors/exteriors, but dealer worked with me and never rushed me. WHAT DO I REALLY THINK THE 6 cylinder X5 needs? Either to lose some weight or gain another 50 hp (without fuel consumption go higher), then it would be near perfect. Brakes could be a bit more powerful too. Stopping this vehicle in tight spaces, is not a breeze. On 405 Freeway, there was an accident in the car pool lane and I was traveling on it... I kept a reasonable distance, but with the delays in braking.. I came within inches of hitting the car in front. Downhill braking always does not feel very powerful. Other than that, so far thumbs up.
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50i does not disappoint
DNJ, 02/19/2018
xDrive50i 4dr SUV AWD (4.4L 8cyl Turbo 8A)
32 of 36 people found this review helpful
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.
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Read this first before you buy.
I.B, 07/15/2017
sDrive35i 4dr SUV (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A)
53 of 79 people found this review helpful
Pros: Nice looking, nice navigation, sound system, automatic headlights are nice, especially if you drive a lot on rural or less busy roads like myself. If there is any traffic on the highway they will not activate. Cons: - Biggest disappointment for my 72K car is the engine. Base engine is barely adequate. The 6 cylinder engine will struggle to move the car. I have never had a car that goes over 6000 RPM to the red zone every time I merge to the highway. Do not expect sporty performance. - LED headlight are cool looking, have whiter shade than HIDs, and they may last longer but they are not any brighter than HIDs on other cars. They are not worth the extra money. - The hand break does not engage well. The car will always roll down a few inches after stopping the engine, even in park and engaging the hand break. I park on slightly steep drive and I never with this issue. - The electric shift knob is not precise. You will not feel the shifts. It does not have the secure click like in my Mercedes. I must take my eyes off the road to make sure I am in the right gear, or I will be revving the engine in neutral, or moving when I was supposed to be in neutral. - The button that activate and deactivate auto shut off when stopped is too small and too close to ignition. The problem is that they are both hidden under the steering wheel, you may push both with your thumb if you do not look and then you would have the engine shutoff unexpectedly on the first stop. - The A/C is very weak. I never had to put the A/C on MAX cold in any car before and I do not like strong A/C. It might be fine if you live in the northern states. I live in the south and the A/C will only be fine on cooler days. On hot days, exactly when you need it, it will take 30-minute highway drive on MAX cold to cool off the car. - The blind spot monitor only works on relatively high speed, I believe something like 30 miles/hr. It is not useful in busy slower traffic. - The seats are not comfortable. I have the higher-end seats they can be adjusted in many ways. I can never find them comfortable. - There is a front camera which I was excited to see. I thought it would help to see what is right in front when you park. It is absolutely useless. It will show exactly what you normally see ahead of you without leaning forward. You will not be able to view anything below to hood level. - Would not recommend low profile tires. Easy to scratch rims, very stiff ride.Not comfortable.
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BMW has lost its way IMHO
JS, 02/26/2020
xDrive35i 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo 8A)
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
I’ve had a BMW in my driveway since 1983. Back then, BMW value was fantastic. The drive and the fit and finish were 2nd to none. It was an easy decision to be a BMW loyalist. It was well worth the high price. For the past 15 years ... not the case. The steering and handling is so light. I feel absolutely no handling feedback. To me, it’s so bad that I don’t like driving it on the parkway. I leased it for 3 years ... and its going back soon with 12k miles total. Before this X5 I had a 2014, which I felt the same way about. That car was returned with about the same mileage. I’ve spoken to the shop foreman of my dealership about it. He explained that it’s all about moving from hydraulic steering to electric steering. He said it’s necessary for the new ancillary electrical systems (auto pilot, lane veering, etc). He said they are not going back, so you have to get used to it. I get that part ... but I hate it. Why does Porsche handle so much better ? If steering is electric, why can’t they provide options that the driver can select ? I once read that BMW reported that they have ‘overwhelming feedback that this is how their customers want their cars to drive.’ I’m sorry ... but I don’t believe that. They may be selling cars to a larger customer base now, but they have abandoned their core customer base. The people who loves (loved) the ultimate driving machine. The end result .... when this lease is done in 2 months, for the first time in 37 years, I will not be getting a BMW.
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