2020 BMW X5

The new X5 draws air into its massive intakes from the front, offset by its grille and LED headlights that sort of take attention away the big BMW buck teeth. Sort of. 

Along the sides, the X5 is more reserved with a small pinch over the rear wheels that draws back to the 5-Series and other BMW sedans and coupes—a little. 

The two-piece tailgate is a look we hope BMW never abandons, it’s been an X5 signature since the first one rolled off the line in South Carolina two decades ago. 

BMW distinguishes the trim line with exterior bits: xLine gets satin aluminum trim and skirts with black wheel arches; M Sport get body-color wheel arches, a tweaked front bumper and unique wheels. 

Inside, the X5’s handsome cockpit gets the requisite number of screens (up to three, including a head-up display) for a luxury crossover. The finish is exquisite and fine, wrapped in metallic finishes, open pore wood, or high-gloss surfaces. (Just skip black, please.)

Synthetic leather upholstery is standard, although real hides are reasonably priced at about $1,000 and diversify the shades. For luxury buyers, we’d opt for the real things. 

The turbocharged inline-6 is rated at 340 hp and 330 pound-feet of torque that’s sent through an 8-speed automatic to rear or all four wheels. It hits 60 mph in 5.3 seconds and slices through traffic without a second thought. 

The V-8 is how you establish a pecking order in the neighborhood. Its twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 checks in at 456 hp and 479 lb-ft and propels the 2.5-ton SUV to 60 mph in a blur—just 4.6 seconds. It’s equipped with all-wheel drive as standard equipment in xDrive50i and M50i versions, the latter with a sport differential that is an answer to a question few people have asked. 

A plug-in hybrid X5 is coming to America, but not until next year. A turbodiesel X5 is unlikely to arrive in the U.S. again. 

All X5s ride on four-wheel independent suspensions with adaptive dampers, but some X5s get an air suspension that makes for a softer ride. It’s equipped with several packages, including a third row or off-road package. It can raise the X5 to 8.7 inches of ground clearance or lower it for more efficient cruising. When equipped with a tow package, the X5 can lug up to 7,209 pounds from its trailer hitch. 

Regardless of suspension, the X5 is comfortable and smooth on long hauls. M Sport versions add a “professional suspension” that’s tuned for sportier drives but we haven’t yet driven those models. 

By the numbers, the X5 measures 194.3 inches from nose to tail, 78.9 inches from side to side, and it rides atop a wheelbase that stretches 117.1 inches. 

The standard front seats in the X5 are comfortable and adjustable in eight directions, we’d be fine with them if multi-contour seats weren’t available. All X5s get standard heated front seats, which we appreciate, and cooled seats are available as an option. 

The spend-up multi-contour seats (standard on V-8 versions) offer more adjustability for riders in the front, up to 20 directions, and good leg support. 

Rear-seat riders don’t lose much either. There’s more than 37 inches of leg room in the back, made better by an upright seating position that corrects our posture like home-room teachers. The head room is good too, and the X5 is wide enough for three abreast without much fuss. The rear seats don’t recline, which we would appreciate, but four-zone climate control keeps us comfortable enough. 

Storage cubbies abound in the X5, including enough center console storage for tablets and phablets, purses and belt bags (Ed's note: We know a fanny pack when we see one), and plenty of bottles. Wireless smartphone chargers and wireless Apple CarPlay are the best of both worlds, and tuck smartphones away from restless fingers. 

BMW offers a third-row seat in inline-6 equipped X5s (that also don’t include the off-road package) but for anything other than very occasional use, we advise against them. The third row in the X7 is more spacious, and there are three-row crossovers available (without a BMW roundel, however) for less money. 

The X5 can hold 33.9 cubic feet of cargo space, 72.3 cubic feet with the second row folded forward. BMW still fits a split-folding tailgate to the X5’s rump. Neat. 

That federal score is head-scratcher. Few new cars earn similar ratings, and even fewer are from luxury brands. 

The IIHS has good things to say. It’s a Top Safety Pick+ when equipped with adaptive headlights found in some packages, or that cost $1,000 when bundled with a Premium Package. The IIHS gave the X5 top “Good” scores in all crash tests and rated its automatic emergency braking system “Superior” at avoiding forward crashes. The IIHS noted that the BMW’s standard automatic emergency braking system avoided forward crashes at 25 mph while the spend-up system only slowed the car by 23 mph. 

Outward vision in the X5 is a challenge—similar to all big SUVs—although parking sensors and a surround-view camera system can help considerably. The X5 can also be equipped with an automatic parking system, but it’s buried in camera menus that can make it challenging to find. 

Base versions want for little, so we don’t stray far for our value pick in the class. Every X5 gets 19-inch wheels, synthetic leather upholstery, active safety features (covered above), navigation, heated front seats, and a 12.3-inch touchscreen for infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. BMW’s standard bumper to bumper warranty is 4 years/50,000 miles with included maintenance for the first 3 years/36,000 miles, which is better than many of its competitors. 

We’d dab in a few key upgrades like 20-inch wheels ($600), metallic paint ($550), real leather upholstery ($1,450), and a convenience package that adds equipment such as four-zone climate control, wireless smartphone charging, satellite radio, and wireless CarPlay for $1,050. Active driving assistance is great, too—for $1,700 more, it’s a useful feature but requires that convenience package. For just over $65,000 (almost $67,000 with driver-assistance features), the X5 lives its best suburban life. 

Want to know how silly it gets? Hold your breath. The X5 M50i starts at more than $83,000 and doesn’t stay there long. It gets bigger brakes, a sport differential, an adaptive suspension, multi-contour seats, premium audio, and a wireless smartphone charger, and 20-inch wheels. All-in, the X5 M50i can cost about $99,000, which is temptingly close to the X5 M high-performance SUV that starts at $105,000. Why stop?

Rear-wheel-drive X5s manage slightly better fuel economy: 21/26/23 mpg. 

Swap in a V-8 between the X5’s shoulders and fuel economy sinks to 16/22/18 mpg in X5 xDrive50i and M50i versions. 

A plug-in hybrid X5 is due next year.