2008 BMW X5 Review

There's a downside to this emphasis on sporty driving dynamics, to be sure. The X5 features full-time all-wheel drive, but it has no low range and rides closer to the ground than many SUVs. Its AWD system usually sends most of the engine's torque to the rear wheels, promoting the sporty driving feel. It can shift engine power almost instantaneously, and it's a valuable aid in a snow storm or on sloppy pavement. But we'd keep the X5 on the road or at worst on gravel or smooth dirt roads. And more than its relative lack of back-woods capability, the X5's sporting character brings with it some qualities that may not be appreciated in everyday driving.

Strong, satisfying engines have always been a key part of the BMW formula, and those in the X5 are new for 2008. The V8 in the X5 4.8i gets a displacement increase from 4.4 to 4.8 liters, delivering 350 horsepower and 350 pound feet of torque. The inline six-cylinder in the X5 3.0si shares its 3.0-liter displacement with its predecessor, but it starts with an all-new design and adds advanced features like a magnesium-alloy engine block. Horsepower increases by 35 to 260, with peak torque at 220 pound-feet. Both engines add technology intended to improve fuel efficiency and reduce the amount of power required to operate accessories like the power-steering pump and air-conditioning compressor. And both are matched to a more efficient six-speed automatic transmission.

The X5 4.8i we tested was extremely quick to take off, in spite of its substantial 5,300-pound curb weight, with torque coming in a smooth, steady wave. (Torque is that force that you feel when accelerating from intersections.) You won't find an engine that delivers its power more evenly than BMW's V8. Acceleration builds quickly when you step on the gas, regardless of how fast you're already going, but it's never rough or intrusive. Deep dips on the gas pedal generate a distant growl that reminds a driver of the capability under the hood, but the growl doesn't intrude on conversations or create more vibration inside the X5. The 4.8i V8 makes the X5 as smooth as any luxury SUV for freeway travel, and quieter than many.

It also makes the X5 feel quicker than competitors such as the Lexus RX or LX or Audi Q7. We'd wager that it's the quickest vehicle in the class, with the exception of the Porsche Cayenne S and Turbo models. The X5's speed is emphasized by its quick-reacting gas pedal, which is tuned for pavement driving, while those in many competitors have more pedal travel for more precise modulation off road. Some drivers may find the X5's sensitive throttle annoying during a stop-and-go commute after a long, stressful day.

The X5 3.0si isn't as absolutely quick as the 4.8i, but its inline six-cylinder engine feels just as responsive. In some respects it feels lighter, perhaps more spry, than the big V8. BMW's inline-6 is almost as smooth as the V8, with even power across its rev range, and in typical driving it doesn't leave us craving more power. The 3.0si should also deliver better mileage than the V8.

The EPA rates the X5 4.8i at 14/19 mpg City/Highway, though we haven't done that well in different tests over varying circumstances. The 3.0si improves to an EPA-rated 15/21 mpg City/Highway, but you can still do much better with sedans that deliver comparable acceleration. By the official ratings, you can also find better mileage in comparably sized SUVs and crossovers.

Braking performance matches the sporty character of the engines. Yes, this big sport-utility dips forward more prominently than BMW's sedans might under hard braking, but it absolutely does not lack impressive stopping power. In typical daily rounds, we never came close to exploiting the stopping potential built into the X5. Moreover, the electronic controls allow a driver to maintain full steering control in full-panic stops. The electronics also help keep the X5 balanced when braking hard through a turn, and they now include a feature that compensates for brake fade as the brakes heat up with heavy use. Yet like the throttle, the brake pedal can feel a bit sensitive. It might require some practice to modulate for smooth, even stops.

The front suspension breaks with BMW's 45-year tradition of familiar strut design by adding an extra pivot point in the lower control arms. This change is significant to the typical buyer because it plays to the X5's stock-in-trade among luxury SUVs: its exceptional on-road driving dynamics.

How exceptional? On familiar, low-traffic stretches of curving roadway, we can get the typical SUV right up to the point where its tires will lose consistent grip and its mass is ready to slide. We couldn't safely get near the limits of the X5 on public roads because its limits come at speeds too high for public welfare. It will handle bends that leave Lexus SUVs plowing like tractors, or where the Mercedes ML and Volvo XC90 are leaning toward the outside of the curve like used-up Marathon taxis. The optional 19-inch wheels and high-performance tires grip pavement tenaciously, and the level of stick seems more impressive given the high seating position of the driver. The X5 is a sport-utility for Germany's famed Nurburgring racing circuit, and we suspect BMW engineers spent a lot of time on the Nurburgring tuning it.

In short, the X5 lives up to BMW's well-earned reputation for great handling vehicles. Its on-pavement potential exceeds whatever the vast majority of drivers are likely to exploit, and its strength might be the very reason some buyers should consider a slightly less capable competitor. The emphasis on performance is the source of its compromises as daily transportation.

Ride quality is firm. It's not obtrusively stiff, in our view, but certainly stiffer than competitors, and probably less comfortable than many buyers want for the handling payoff. The standard steering is heavy at low speeds, surprisingly so, while the optional Active Steering brings issues and cost even-well healed buyers may not need. Factor in those sensitive gas and brake gas pedals, and you might end up with more aggravation than a hockey dad or soccer mom needs.

It's almost as if BMW has gone overboard trying to turn a tall, heavy SUV into a sporting, exhilarating BMW. This BMW-building process seems to take a bigger toll than it does in a sedan, measured by how the improved dynamics detract from the X5's performance in the daily tasks most drivers undertake. Put another way, the X5 may lack the integrity of the typical BMW sedan. In this vehicle, the various bits that add up to sporting driving dynamics seem to be just that: bits, somewhat disjointed, without the holistic, organic quality that characterizes a 3 Series or 5 Series sedan.

The six-speed automatic contributes to this effect. In fairly aggressive driving, it works well, with firm, satisfying upshifts and quick kickdown shifts when you slam the accelerator at 45 mph. But with light-throttle operation, through suburbia or winding into a subdivision, the transmission can be less then smooth. At times it feels rough or balky in its gear selection, almost clunky. BMW's electronic gear selector doesn't help much, either, requiring familiarity to use efficiently.

The gearchange is a tall, oblong device that reminds us of the paddle control for a video game. There's a button on top to release or engage Park; Drive or Reverse come with a quick flick fore or aft. There's also a separate slot for sequential manual shifting. That's the only improvement in the design, and it fits into the fun/livability conflict throughout the X5.

When the driver wants to shift manually, it works great, changing gears immediately with a quick movement of the wrist, up or down. But this definitely is not a shifter you want to rest your hand on when its set in Drive and you're profiling or going with the flow around town. Even during a moderately hard stop, the momentum and weight of the hand will slide the selector into neutral, and you may not even know it. At a stoplight you might even engage Park inadvertently. When the light turns green, you'll wonder why you're not going anywhere, then scramble in embarrassment to figure it out.