HEELS ON WHEELS: 2009 BMW X5 iDRIVE35d REVIEW
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HEELS ON WHEELS
By Katrina Ramser
San Francisco Bureau
The Auto Channel
INTRO TO THE X5 VEHICLE
The BMW X5 is now equipped with a mean 3.0-liter inline twin-turbo diesel engine featuring the horsepower of a V8 but with the fuel efficiency of a 4-cylinder at 22-mpg driving. This is the X3's bigger brother and can fit up to seven passengers with an optional third row. Nothing quite says prestige and performance like an SAV (Sport Activity Vehicle – the company created this category or acronym).
I drove a 2009 BMW X5 with the iDrive35d trim and the all-new 265-horsepower 3.0-liter diesel engine with Blue Performance Exhaust technology. Base price was at $51,200 including stellar standards such as the xDrive (BMW's all-wheel drive system), Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Hill Decent Control (HDC), auto-leveling Xenon headlights, panoramic moonroof and a CD/MP3 player.
Holy Smokes can this ride get expensive! A $1,250 Cold Weather Package (heated steering wheel, front and rear seats); $3,200 Premium Package (automatic tailgate, universal garage door opener, lumbar support); and a $2,600 Technology Package (rear-view camera, park distance control, navigation) came on my ride – but the bill runs on, from $300 running boards to $1,700 third-row seating. With all the optional packages, total vehicle price soared to $68,320. But if you're a vehicle regular, it's to be expected – and frankly the cost is worth the drive.
HEELS ON WHEELS REVIEW CRITERIA
Stylish But Comfortable Results: You'll experience an altitude change with the first-and-second row positioning. The Sand-Beige Nevada leather, lumbar support and 10-way power seating is a divine combination. Look elsewhere for a comfortable third row (cramped or an otherwise forgettable option). An Acura-like Controller works like a mouse but the distance between the navigation screen and the Controller in the bottom center console is too far. The moonroof is a panoramic one, but creates a terrible baffling sound during freeway driving that cannot be stopped unless you partially close it. The remote automatic liftgate sans a one-touch closing button built into the top should be standard on all SUVs or CUVs.
Reliability & Safety Factor: BMW offers such standard features as DSC, anti-lock disc brakes, brake fade and drying, start-off assist, Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), driver front and passenger airbag restraint system (SRS) and a head protection system (HPS), and a tire pressure monitor. Government ratings give 5-star performance in frontal and side crash for all rows (4-stars for rollover). BMW offers a 4 year/50,000 mile maintenance program and unlimited warranty.
Cost Issues: The X5 comes in three trims with the following base prices: xDrive30i ($47,500), xDrive35d ($51,200) and xDrive48i ($56,200).
Activity & Performance Ability: You couldn't hit the acceleration with a soft touch if you tried. There's a spooling effect going on with the engine, meaning an ever-slight pause or windup followed by an intense lurch forward. Driving a BMW engine is really like no other. The xDrive stands for BMW's "intelligent all-wheel drive system"; this means although all there is a rear-wheel bias with grip, power is automatically sent to the tire with the strongest traction in bad driving conditions. In comparison to the other choices I think the best choice is the X5 (iDrive35d). There is no need for more horsepower or otherwise known as the 350-horsepower 4.8-liter V8 engine xDrive48i that gets just 19-mpg highway driving; nor the smaller 260-horsepower 3.0-liter inline 6-cylinder engine that gets 21-mpg highway driving.
The Green Concern: The X5 iDrive 35d diesel gets 19-city/26-highway driving for an average that lands between 20-22mpg (my experience). The Blue Performance Exhaust technology on the diesel represents a fancy way of saying BMW engineers have found a clever way to filter harmful emissions. The EPA however has given the X5 lukewarm scores in this category (and for a clever diesel).
FINAL PARTING WORDS
©2009 Katrina Ramser
