Globe & Mail – Even with iDrive, BMW’s X5 is a winner
If you’re in the “What, me worry about money?” category and you choose to drive a SUV, you have all sorts of options and, properly loaded up, any one of them can set you back something well north of $80,000.
If you really pile on the options, plug in the raciest engine, check off the fanciest gadgets, the final tab out the door might top $100,000.
Of course, no one needs to spend that much on an up-town SUV. And the bargain of the whole bunch has to be the Acura MDX, aimed squarely at the BMW X5, which is the subject of this test.
The X5 may be about 100 mm taller than the Acura, giving it a bigger, bulkier profile, but the two models are almost exactly the same length. And both models aspire to be the world’s sportiest SUV with three-row seating — the Acura’s seats being standard, the Bimmer’s an extra $1,500.
Loaded to the max, the MDX is $61,900, exactly what you’ll pay for a base X5 with much less stuff and an inline six-cylinder engine. The point is, be sure to test-drive an MDX if you’re considering buying an X5.
If money is no object, the Bimmer would be my pick. If money does matter, the MDX is more than a happy compromise.
A third option with three-row seating is Volvo’s XC 90. With the Yamaha V-8, it’s a stunner. Seven-seat XC 90s start at $56,895. The Cadillac SRX also fits in this group, starting at $76,490.
That’s the competition for the X5 which, for the record, looks great, handles terrifically well and delivers impressive acceleration (with the 4.8i).
On the other hand, and to be up front about things, the rear-most seats in the X5 are absurdly cramped, the V-8-powered 4.8i comes with a steep price (starting at $73,500), and there is no getting away from that irritating iDrive controller thing.
As performance SUVs go, the X5 is great. For 2007, the handling has been improved, the interior is much better and some of the high-tech features are really something else. Just to be clear here, if I’m spending your money, I’d buy it and somehow learn to live with iDrive. BMW owners tell me they eventually get used to it.
The iDrive thingie aside, BMW hit the right notes with the X5’s first total makeover since its introduction in 2000. Yes, the new ‘07 version looks a lot like the old one, but it’s more than 150 mm longer and some 50 mm wider. The extra room went to adding cargo space and those optional third-row seats in back. The sporty X5 is now family-friendly.
Meanwhile, even as BMW upped the practicality quotient, the engineers also focused on making the X5 a better handling package. The chassis was stiffened and the front/rear weight distribution is now almost exactly 50/50 if you go with a V-8 engine. Just like a sport car.
The X5 now comes with double-wishbone, multi-link front suspension and a redesigned rear suspension. All good. That setup, the longer wheelbase (2,933 mm) and a wider track (1,644 mm) make for better handling on dry pavement.
The off-road capabilities have not been compromised, the BMW people say, and I’m willing to believe them. I have to, as I didn’t take my tester off-road.
I like the X5’s muscular, athletic feel, though I suspect some would call the ride harsh. The chunky steering wheel sits solidly in your hands and connects to precise responses. The seat puts you in an excellent driving position. Visibility is better than before because this X5 is about 50 mm taller than the old one. You sit up high, looking down on the world.
Drive hard into a corner and the suspension holds just so. An array of electronic gizmos go further to keep everything under control: available active steering, active roll stabilization, electronic damping control, and standard electronically controlled all-wheel drive.
No-charge safety gear includes antilock brakes, stability control, traction control and hill-descent control, as well as front, side and head airbags.
The X5’s ride and handling is impressive, given it’s quite a porker. With the 260-hp inline six-cylinder, it weighs in at 2,200 kg; with the 360-hp, all-aluminum V-8, the scale hits 2,360 kg.
Despite the heft, 0-100 km/h sprints in the V-8 come in at about 6.5 seconds. Fast.
Both engines are mated with a lightning-quick, six-speed automatic transmission, which BMW says shifts gears 50-per-cent faster than a conventional automatic. When you put the transmission in manual mode, there’s virtually no lag time between when you push the lever and when the shift occurs. It’s good, but the MDX’s shifts are smoother.
Like other auto makers, but particularly the German ones, electronics are taking over. The X5’s “key” is a rectangular plug-like device. You stick it in the dash and start the engine by pushing a button. The X5’s shift lever is also electronic and button-pushing is called for to get into Park. The brake is also set by pushing a button.
The cabin is great, from the quality of the leather upholstery to front cup holders big enough to hold a half-litre pop bottle. Both front and back seats have adequate leg, shoulder and head room. The second- and third-row seats fold down flat to create a big hauling space.
The downside? In a word, iDrive. It is far from intuitive to use, but works okay once you figure it out. BMW stubbornly insists iDrive is not needlessly complicated, but experience says otherwise.
I’ve driven enough iDrive-equipped BMWs to have mastered this “simple” technology, but I still dislike it. Other vehicles allow drivers to find a radio station, plug in a navigation destination and manage the climate control with much, much less fuss.
The X5, like so many other BMWs, is good enough in so many ways it compensates for the baggage of iDrive. Sure, you need to study the fat owner’s manual to use it properly, but the payoff is the pleasure of steering around in a dynamic, stylish SUV.
JEREMY CATO
From Thursday’s Globe and Mail
