2023 & 2024 BMW X5 - Exclusive Ashburn New Car Discounts

The BMW X5 is a five- or seven-seat crossover SUV that excels in comfort, technology, and sophistication. It also offers agility and efficiency with all-wheel drive that?s standard in all but the base model; there?s an available plug-in hybrid with an all-electric range of 31 miles.

The X5 was redesigned in 2019, so for 2022 there are few changes. It loses wireless phone charging and some touchscreen functions, thanks to the global supply shortage of computer chips.

The available powertrains give the X5 the potential to be graceful or brutal, whatever your desires. There?s a turbo-6 with mild-hybrid technology; a plug-in hybrid inline-6 with a motor that enables that 31-mile electric range; or twin-turbo V-8s with three levels of performance. They range in horsepower from a perky 335 hp to an astonishing 617 hp, and in acceleration from 0-60 in a smart 5.3 seconds down to a jowl-twisting 3.8 seconds.

The xDrive40i with AWD is EPA rated at 21 mpg city, 25 highway, 23 combined, on premium fuel. The xDrive45e plug-in hybrid gets the equivalent of 50 mpg when its electric capability is used. The M50i, with a 4.4-liter V-8, gets 16/22/18 mpg. The high- and super-high-performance M and M Competition models get 13/18/15 mpg.

The NHTSA gives the X5 four stars overall. The IIHS gives it a Top Safety Pick; its standard headlights keep it from earning the ?+? designation.

Standard safety equipment includes automatic emergency braking and blind-spot monitors. An optional Driving Assistance Professional package adds adaptive cruise control, active lane control, and limited hands-free driving assistance at slow speeds; it costs $1,700, but BMW first requires the purchase of the $1,250 Premium package and $400 four-zone climate control. A surround-view camera system and parking assist cost another $800.

Model Lineup

Made in South Carolina, the X5 comes in five models.

The base sDrive 40i with front-wheel drive starts at a bit more than $60,000 and comes with synthetic leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, keyless start, heated front seats, a 12.3-inch screen (not a touchscreen) with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and 19-inch wheels with all-season run-flat tires.

At $65,000, the xDrive45e AWD plug-in hybrid has the same features, but more power and better fuel economy.

A jump to the V-8s entails a huge leap in price. The X5 M is about $107,000, while the X5 M Competition brings 17 more horsepower with bigger wheels for $116,300.

Fancy options include massaging seats and a split power liftgate.

The warranty is excellent: 4 years or 50,000 miles with 3 years/36,000 miles of scheduled maintenance.

Exterior

The styling is restrained compared to many crossovers nowadays, including some from BMW. The traditional twin-kidney grille rests over modest fascia and intakes, with gills on the side of the nose.

Black cladding over 19-inch wheels is softly rounded, and the rear quarter window blends so smoothly into the profile that?s almost invisible. There?s a rear spoiler and rectangular exhaust tips to suggest the X5?s ability to be sporty.

Interior

The luxurious cabin offers wood and aluminum on the instrument panel, to trim around the two 12.3-inch screens. Synthetic leather upholstery be optioned up for creamy Merino leather in several hues. The front buckets are sport seats with heat and good bolstering and thigh support. Optional multi-contour seats offer even more support, with adjustment in 20 directions.

The X5 has more than 37 inches of rear leg room, with almost enough room to seat three adults across the back bench. The optional third row can?t do that, but when it?s not in use the X5 has 33.9 cubic feet of cargo space. The second-row seat splits and folds 40/20/40, and when it?s folded there?s 72 cubic feet of storage room.

Driving Impressions

The sDrive40i with rear-wheel drive uses a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 making 335 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque, to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 5.3 seconds. With the towing package, it can pull a trailer weighing 7,200 pounds. It?s a marvelously smooth engine with muscular low-end power.

The xDrive45e plug-in hybrid uses that same engine with an electric motor for 389 hp total and 443 lb-ft of torque, to match that acceleration; it?s not faster despite the horsepower, because it weighs 780 more pounds. The lithium-ion battery pack is nearly three times as big as it was in 2020, now at 17.1 kwh. The two power systems blend perfectly together; you never feel a switch.

Every X5 has a sharp-shifting 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters.

The X5 grips the road well on its independent suspension and standard 19-inch all-season run-flat tires. Adaptive dampers adjust to road conditions and deliver a firm ride. An optional air suspension is softer and can lower the ride height for better aerodynamics at higher speeds or raise it up to 8.7 inches for dirt roads.

The X5 M is too stiff to be relaxing, with its adaptive dampers and 21-inch wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport summer tires. But it?s not meant to be relaxing, it?s meant to corner, and that it does, with active roll bars that keep it flat, and a differential that moves torque between the rear wheels to get the best grip.

Accelerating from a standing start to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds is a breathtaking experience. The 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 makes 600 hp, or 617 hp in the M Competition. A more reasonable version of that V-8 is the M50i?s 523 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. But ?more reasonable? is still 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds.

Final Word

The 2022 X5 is one of the brand?s best vehicles, with equal parts convenience, comfort, and performance. We?d spend $2,000 more for the xDrive45e plug-in hybrid and its lower emissions.

 

?by Sam Moses with driving impressions by The Car Connection