2009 BMW X5 - Review

BMW’s X5 was one of the first to prove that a truck could dance through the twisties and reward an enthusiastic driver. It was a practical, four-season people mover that drove like a proper Bimmer. Granted, that first-generation “Sports Activity Vehicle,” which debuted in 1999, also was a bit firm in the suspenders and lacked the cavernous cargo area of more traditional SUVs. And so the second-generation X5 attempts to address those ills with a more compliant, yet still taut suspension and nearly eight inches of added length to accommodate an optional third row of seats. While the addition of the X5 xDrive35d and its 265-hp, 3.0-liter turbo-diesel is the primary change for 2009—stay tuned for more on that model—we decided to take another look at the top-level xDrive48i outfitted with BMW’s 350-hp, 4.8-liter V-8.

Performance is Relative, Even for a BMW

The last V-8 X5 we evaluated was similar to this particular example, albeit slightly less expensive due to the lack of the $3700 Sport package found on our tester. While this model rolled on 19-inch all-season rubber versus the 20-inch summer-tire option, the addition of BMW’s Electronic Damping Control suspension and sport seats/steering wheel made tossing around the 5200-lb behemoth rather pleasant. The feel from the helm is reminiscent of that in our long-term X6 xDrive50i, yet the absence of the X6’s torque-vectoring rear axle and twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8—both of which we expect to migrate to the X5 relatively soon—make the seven-seater a mite less playful, and slower.

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