2008 BMW X5 Review

Specifications

It may only be in its second generation, but BMW’s X5 luxury Sport Activity Vehicle has taken the market by storm. Since it rolled into dealerships in 1999 as a year 2000 model, it has earned numerous accolades for setting safety benchmarks and for bringing BMW’s much lauded on-road performance to the world of sport utility vehicles. In the process, it has sold over 600,000 units worldwide, making it one of the most popular premium SUVs ever. For an encore, BMW has given the X5 a complete makeover, growing it in all directions for more interior space, and also now offering it with two engines for more power and better efficiency.

Just by looking at it, the ‘08 model - which was revamped for the 2007 model year - is unmistakably X5. Sure its exterior is more athletic and more toned, but it still embraces the supple lines and sultry curves that made the first generation so popular. Certain aspects of the original were tweaked to build on its BMW image; it’s got the first-generation X5’s duck-tail tailgate and matte-black outlined bumpers. In addition, its twin-kidney grille has grown in size and might be the biggest yet seen on a BMW. I guess it’s a matter of proportions – the new X5 is longer by about 7.9 inches and taller by 2.0 inches. It’s also grown in width by about 2.4 inches. This gives the upgraded SUV a burlier, huskier appearance than before.

Also, the X5 comes with your choice of two engines: a 3.0L inline-six with 260 horsepower and 225 lb-ft of torque, or if you’re into V8 power there’s a 32-valve DOHC 4.8-liter mill that produces 350 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. This engine provides a substantial gain of 35 horsepower and 26 lb-ft of torque over the old 4.4-liter V8, and makes quite a noise when you step on the throttle. With the announcement of the X5’s new sporty brother, the X6, I do wonder if its engine lineup will be carried over to the X5 for 2009. By the way, the X6’s engine choices include a 300 horsepower 3.0-liter twin-turbo I-6 with 300 lb-ft of torque, and as an upgrade a 400 horsepower twin-turbocharged V8 with 450 lb-ft of torque.

Along with the X5’s slightly less enticing engine lineup comes a new chassis and body structure that makes for one heck of a ride. The X5 features a new front double wishbone suspension, which incidentally is the first BMW to sport this layout since the ‘60s. BMW cites improvements in handling, and indeed I felt them – whether I was driving to and from work, around town or on the highway, the suspension setup delivered a firm yet flexible driving experience that’s nothing shy of sporty. In addition, my tester’s V8 engine was never short on power; drive one of these and you’ll never be left at the back of the pack, as it offers up a 0-60 mph time of 6.4 seconds.

The X5 also features a new six-speed ZF automatic transmission that boasts an increased threshold of torque converter lock-up. What this means is that the X5 4.8i shifts its gears faster, and can deliver 50-percent better response times. This equates to a gearbox that better responds to the manual mode, and one that kicks down quicker. While it’s very rare that I need to get anywhere near as fast as the X5 is capable of going, the smoothness of its shift action is most impressive. What’s more, all X5s feature this gearbox as standard equipment; the old manual transmission has been phased out for good. In place of a standard gearshift lever, the X5 features a new electronically controlled joystick with a separate integrated “park” button. It also gains an electrically operated parking brake.


Besides the new engine, suspension and transmission, the X5’s cabin has also grown significantly. It feels more open and spacious. Most of the gains I spoke about in the second paragraph have to do with the integration of a third row of seats. Yes, it’s true – this is the first seven-seat BMW ever. While that optional third row isn’t necessarily suited to adults or tall teens, it’s handy to have around when shuttling kids, or in an emergency. Access to the third row isn’t optimal, but the struggle was definitely worth it in BMW’s eyes, and I’m going to bet a lot of owners have this feature on their cars. I mean, who wouldn’t have fun climbing all over the premium leather seats? Ok, you don’t have to answer that one. With that third row up, there’s still 21.9 cubic feet of cargo space available, but fold all three rows down and there’s an impressive 61.8 cubic feet of space for garage sales or what-have-you.

While the back seats are fun to climb around in, the most fun happens up front in the driver’s seat. Being behind the wheel not only means having excellent visibility, ultra comfortable seats and the iDrive system, it also brings feelings of safety and reassurance as it’s one of the safest crossover’s out there - and yes, it is a crossover more than an SUV, as its unibody design is car-based. Both it and its predecessor earned top marks across the board in IIHS’ crash tests and the latest version has been given a Top Safety Pick award. For 2008, BMW has bumped up the safety equipment to include active head restraints as standard equipment. And, on a non-safety related note, the X5 now offers a premium 16-speaker sound system developed by harman/kardon for your ears’ enjoyment.

BMW describes the X5’s new Active Steering and Adaptive Drive technologies as features that improve the driving experience, but I like to think of them as safety enhancers. True, they do make every drive more exciting, but the combination of anti-roll stabilization and a steering ratio that’s custom-tailored to every driving speed makes for perfectly crisp turning, even in emergencies. Chances are you won’t really feel it working unless you really, really try. The computer does it all on its own. It’s pretty amazing. It also makes for an extremely sturdy vehicle, not only at slow speeds, but especially while driving quickly. The Active Steering can also be felt when parking or driving at slower speeds. It takes less than 2 full rotations of the wheel to get the wheels to turn from lock to lock, so less effort is required. It’s also handy as it makes parking this rather large vehicle a breeze. And if parallel parking isn’t your forte, the backup camera comes to the rescue. The X5 also comes standard with four-wheel disc brakes, ABS, brake force distribution, brake assist, and cornering brake control; a few extra safety features to give piece of mind. That said, safety features that help to avoid crashes are the best sort of safety features out there. Still, a full assortment of airbags deliver excellent passive resistance to injury, while parents will find the inclusion of second row LATCH fasteners helpful for locking down child safety seats.

Oh, and we absolutely can’t forget about BMW’s xDrive all wheel drive system. The German brand is legendary for their rear-wheel drive cars, but xDrive is a masterpiece nevertheless. It’s capable of shifting torque from its standard state of 40/60 front to rear up to 100/0 or 0/100 depending on the road conditions, the amount of steering and the amount of acceleration. xDrive is fed info from multiple streams including DSC stability control, to ensure perfect corners, no matter the road condition. Like the new turbocharged engines that are available on the X6, will BMW’s latest AWD advancement, Dynamic Performance Control which shifts power between the left and right wheels on the rear axle, be available on the X5 down the road? We’d like to think so.

I could really get used to driving the X5 as a daily driver, with the exception of one thing – the rising price of fuel. Around my parts, it seems as if the average price for a gallon of liquid gold is hovering around the $4.25 mark… and that’s just for regular unleaded, which the X5 won’t touch! Now, I won’t be complaining once I come back from Europe this summer, where fuel is priced higher still, but I’m complaining now! It doesn’t help the cause when the X5 uses an estimated 14 mpg in the city and 19 mpg on the highway, but just the same, some will find it a nominal price to pay for an amazing luxury vehicle. Later this year, BMW will offer the X5 with a twin-turbo six-cylinder diesel engine, which should answer my complaints. Expect to see many more of these SAVs on the road when this much more efficient alternative arrives.

Overall, BMW’s X5 4.8i is as good as any X5 has ever been, and better than most competitor’s crossover offerings, living up to the much lauded BMW roundel.