BMW X5 3.0d

Being politically correct

In the leisure vehicle business, political correctness dictates amongst other things that one should use one’s steed for its intended purpose and that one should be careful about conspicuous consumption – “should” being the operative word here. While we know that only 5% of all 4x4s ever smell a whiff of dust, the least one could do then is to least be environmentally correct along the way. There is no better way to make the journey than with diesel power.

Diesel technology has certainly come a long way of late. Not only have diesel engines always been very economical compared to similar sized petrol engines, but they are very powerful indeed and seem to run forever with the minimum of maintenance. While diesels certainly require their fair share of tender loving care in the workshop, they make outright good sense when taking longer term operating costs into consideration.

Concept and Styling

The X5 is an attractive vehicle by any standard, in execution, form and design immediately recognisable as a BMW. Expect more of the same design philosophy – in the X5 a pleasing mix between angular and smooth lines – in upcoming leisure vehicles from this manufacturer, the X3 one of them.

While the X5 is a leisure vehicle – BMW calls it an SAV, or Sports Activity Vehicle – it can be considered both a car and a 4x4, depending on your frame of reference. In fact, jury members of the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists’ Car of the Year committee considered the X5 enough of a “car” to warrant inclusion in the 2002 competition – mainly on the grounds that, although it has four wheel drive, it does not have a low range gearbox (like a Merc ML) and hence is not your typical offroader. The argument was that the X5 is a car (a particularly large and high one at that) which just happens to be driven by all four wheels.

The counter argument is that the X5 is indeed an offroader due to its four wheel drive capability, high ground clearance and SUV-style body configuration. BMW solves the problem by simply stating that the X5 is whatever its owner wants it to be and wants to use it for. So much for a good compromise and blurring the fine line existing between different market segments and niches these days…

Ambience and ergonomics

Inside and out, the X5 is typically BMW – “typical” meaning a generic dash and cockpit layout that BMW has over the years fine tuned to near perfection. Get behind the wheel of any BMW (with perhaps the exception of the next-gen 7-Series, which is extending all motoring boundaries in more ways than one) and you will be forgiven for not immediately knowing which model you have gotten into: the dash design, layout, switchgear and all odds and ends have earned their keep everywhere they are logically placed. While driving, nothing is left wanting and every conceivable usable item falls easily to hand, clearly marked and functional.

While the ergonomics is a model of perfection (in the X5 the dash slightly “flatter” than on the car lines), the ambiance in any BMW is always top class, exuding a feeling of quality, solidity and safety. The X5 is no exception, the only real difference between this model and other (yes, “lesser”) BMWs is that the driver has a commanding view of the road thanks to the ride height and high seating position.

Equipment

Again, BMW leaves nothing wanting. Included in the X5 mix of standard equipment – apart from the obvious climate control, powered everything and truly high-class sound system (something increasingly setting the German makes apart) – are electric adjustment for the front seats, CD-shuttle and a multi-function steering wheel. On a Merc ML, for instance, the latter – a valuable safety and convenience aid – is not available at all.

Accommodation and Space

In terms of interior space and comfort, the X5 is hard to beat – loads of leg, head, shoulder and luggage room (328 dm extendable to 1216 dm) means that a family of five and the pets can go a-holidaying without getting into each other’s hair. And if the trip is an extended one, there are always the standard roof racks and pre-wiring for hooking up a to hitch to make the journey a pleasant affair indeed.

Ride Integrity and Safety

In terms of accommodation and space, the X5 is certainly no better or worse off when compared to other SUVs. But there can be no doubt that it beats the competition in terms of ride quality. While the body roll and top-heavy feel can be intimidating at higher speeds in the twisties (with some understeer creeping in), driving this way is not what the X5 is about. Rather, it is a mega-comfortable long-distance runner in the executive saloon class.

The unibody construction ensures a taut, twist-free body floating atop gas shocks, double-joint springs and anti-roll bars (and a multi-axle at the rear), the whole thing pneumatically self-levelling to ensure adequate ground clearance for the odd offroad excursion.

And as is to expected, the X5 comes with more airbags than there are names for, ABS brakes with brake assist and brake force distribution, as well as DSC, BMW’s Dynamic Stability Control, the latter probably the most significant safety development after the seat belt and airbag.

Build Integrity

The taut body and exemplary built-in passive safety features makes the X5 one of the safest vehicles in its class, according to figures derived from the stringent Euro NCAP crash test assessment programme.

Performance and economy

While the 4.4-litre V8 has horrendous thirst, the 3-litre diesel version is by far the model of choice. Essentially the same 3-litre inline application as found in the 530d and 330d, in the X5 3.0d this high-tech marvel develops 135 KW and 410 Nm of torque (compared to the 3.0i’s 170 kW and 300 NM and the 4.4is 210 kW and 440 Nm). Dynamically, the diesel beats the petrol engines hand down, while consuming about 40% less fuel. The 4.4i V8 petrol engine consumes about 16 litres/100 km, the 3-litre petrol roughly 14 litres and the diesel just over 10 litres. If ever there was a case to go green, this is it…

Seriously, the torquey nature of the diesel engine makes it a please to drive at any speed and under any road condition, be it on or off the beaten track. There is no evidence of turbo lag, and while the standard automatic gearbox makes for relaxed and enjoyable cruising, shifting to Sport mode results in quicker gear reaction in full auto mode or the option of changing gears manually, but without a clutch. A flick of the wrist is all that is required for the next gear to be there in an instant. Lots of fun on the right road, and not to mention the high-pitched sound of the turbo whistle at full bore…

Conclusion

Compared to any other SUV or four wheel drive vehicle in this genre, the X5 is as good as it gets. It outshines the Merc ML if not stylistically, then at last dynamically and in terms of build quality and integrity, as well as equipment for the price. That sales figures for the X5 are higher than most other single (mainstream) model lines on the market today, bears testimony to the fact that BMW got it right once again and is giving motoring enthusiasts what they want and need – one of the allround best sets of wheels available today, albeit a price only the privileged could afford.