Full Test: 2007 BMW X5 4.8i By Edmunds
03-21-07, 08:09 PM
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Full Test: 2007 BMW X5 4.8i By Edmunds
We're very lucky that the Germans are almost clueless about the sport-utility vehicle, otherwise we'd never have something as great to drive as the 2007 BMW X5 4.8i.
When the BMW X5 first came along in 2000, the Germans just took a BMW 5 Series and then creased, folded and stretched it until it looked like a sport-utility. They were so worried about making something that drove like a car instead of a truck that they were afraid to even call it a sport-utility. Naturally the X5 was such a big success that it helped double BMW's worldwide sales.
For the new-generation 2007 BMW X5 4.8i, the Germans have just gone straight ahead with their whole bodged-together formula for a midsize truck/tall wagon/extended-roof line thingie, and the result is more of everything — more space, more seats and more engine. Since "more" is the kind of thing Americans love, we're predicting more big success.
In the process, the new BMW X5 is also more like a sport-utility vehicle — and we mean that it in its nicest, most utilitarian sense.
Speed is useful, too
We really weren't that interested in carrying anything around with the new 2007 BMW X5 4.8i. Instead we hammered it around the track at BMW's Performance Center in Greenville, South Carolina, practically on the doorstep of the factory where the BMW X5 is made. We weaved through the slalom, slithered around a wet skid pad, and tried to lock up the tires in the brake test. In just 30 minutes, we knew everything that really mattered to us.
The new BMW X5 feels faster, sportier and more comfortable. In a word, better.
We drove it over the narrow roads in the hills of South Carolina, the kind of twisty terrain that's better suited to a BMW sports car or motorcycle than a 5,000-pound sport-utility, and the new-generation X5's abundant power, crisp handling, secure cornering grip and unwavering brakes easily prevailed.
It's just so simple, really. Now that the second-generation X5 has been creased, folded and stretched into something even taller and longer, even bigger and stronger, the BMW engineers have worked harder on its dynamic qualities, which is what they understand best.
And our testing proves to us that while the 2007 BMW X5 4.8i might have more utility, it's still the sportiest of sport-utes.
Bigger is better
Ever try to stuff 10 pounds of something into a 5-pound bag? An active lifestyle means nothing if you can't haul around all your stuff, and the first-gen X5 couldn't quite manage those proverbial extra 10 pounds, even if its 4.4-liter V8 did have plenty of power.
This is really what the 2007 BMW X5 is all about. Compared to the outgoing X5, the fully redesigned 2007 X5 is 7.4 inches longer, 2.0 inches taller and 2.3 inches wider. That's enough space to squeeze in three rows of seats for seven people. Unfortunately it also involves an extra 400 pounds.
While our particular test vehicle didn't have a third-row seat, we've turned ourselves into a human pretzel to try out the rear-most passenger space in another seven-passenger X5. We'll endorse BMW's recommendation that it should be restricted to those shorter than 5 feet 7. The third-row seat in the new X5 might pinch you a little, but even riding in the worst seat in the X5 is far from arduous, and only kids ever climb back there anyway.
When it comes right down to it, the extra space makes the 2007 BMW X5 4.8i more practical than a Porsche Cayenne, which is the BMW's primary rival in terms of size as well as personality.
Still a power game
You have to love any kind of vehicle where you get to sit behind BMW's largest, most powerful V8. Two years ago, we were going on and on about this 4.8-liter engine in the first-generation X5, and now BMW has been kind enough to make it standard equipment in the second-gen X5.
We have to admit that we could coax only a 7.0-second dash to 60 mph from the 350-horsepower, 4.8-liter V8, noticeably slower than the 6.4 seconds that BMW claims. Even so, this 7.0-second run matches that of the 390-hp Range Rover Sport and it's more than a second quicker than the 350-hp Audi Q7 can manage.
The 4.8-liter V8 also revs higher than before, and this helps the 5,052-pound X5 run the quarter-mile in 15.4 seconds at 91.3 mph, equaling the heavier Range Rover Sport and smoking both the Audi Q7 and the 300-hp Acura MDX.
More impressive than the raw numbers, though, is the 4.8-liter V8's smooth and linear rush of power — the very definition of effortless acceleration.
There's a new six-speed automatic transmission working with the V8, and BMW tells us the new gearbox has been engineered to provide even faster and smoother transitions from gear to gear. We didn't like the comparatively sluggish throttle response in the transmission's Comfort mode, while the Sport mode proved so slick and quick that we rarely bothered to manually slap the shift lever.
To set fast time of the day during our testing, we put the transmission in Manual mode, stomped on the go pedal, and waited for the automatic upshifts at redline. But to get the most enjoyment from the powertrain in daily traffic, we think you should just use Sport mode. With 350 pound-feet of torque, the 4.8-liter V8 is up to the challenge.
All four wheels of the X5 are driven with BMW's revamped xDrive, which normally sends 60 percent of engine torque to the rear wheels. xDrive adjusts torque delivery to help stabilize the chassis when its electronic sensors read that the tires at one end of the vehicle or the other might be losing traction.
Listen to the 'Ring
One of us who spent time in the 2007 BMW X5 ventured that it felt kind of Lexus-ified, as if the new package had shifted away from high-performance handling to ride comfort and passenger pampering. He's wrong.
BMW compared the 2007 BMW X5 against a first-generation model at the Nürburgring's famously challenging Nordschleife circuit. The winner? The new X5, by a margin of 10 seconds. Take that, Lexus boy.
Adaptive Drive is a part of the X5's optional sport package, which includes Active Roll Stabilization and Electronic Damping Control. Once we engaged the Sport button to firm up the suspension, we pushed the X5 as hard as we could and yet couldn't coax any noticeable body roll out of it. And even the test bullies on our staff couldn't make the X5 act like a clumsy sport-utility.
But the new X5 isn't above ride comfort and passenger pampering. In Comfort mode, the suspension displays a pleasing compromise between ride quality and handling control, while BMW's standard stability control system works unobtrusively, rather like white noise that's never meant to be noticed but masks all sorts of unpleasantness.
Our test vehicle had also been equipped with Active Steering. It feels weirdly over-assisted at first, but we soon found it very useful around town.
Active Steering certainly didn't hurt the performance of the 2007 BMW X5, as it ran through the cones at 62.9 mph, faster than the MDX, Q7 and Range Rover. The X5's brakes also excelled, stopping the 5,052-pound BMW from 60 mph in just 117 feet with no sign of fade even after repeated tests.
Your best pal...on pavement
The X5 never was — and still is not — a hard-core off-road machine. It doesn't have low-range gearing or high ground clearance, and it's meant only for all-weather travel on pavement. Yet whenever the 2007 BMW X5 can get a grip with its standard run-flat tires, it is supremely stable and secure.
Though it's taller and longer, bigger and stronger, the X5's stiffer body and upgraded suspension do their work in proper BMW style, muting the pavement's ripples and bumps but still providing the supple ride that's part of a premium SUV's appeal.
Just as before, the BMW X5 is a sport sedan in a different suit of clothes, but now it has some real utility. The new X5 doesn't feel any bigger than the old X5; it just feels better.
Engineering Editor Jason Kavanagh says:
Perspective can be problematic. I've never driven the previous-generation X5 so the only basis for comparison I have for the 2007 X5 4.8i is BMW sedans or sedan-based wagons.
Active Steering is available on many of those BMWs, and the X5 is the most sensible application for it. Maneuvering the large SUV around shopping carts is a cinch as the ratio quickens sharply at low speeds. Active Steering's artificial feel is a bummer, and I won't hold this BMW to a lower standard in this category just because it's an SUV.
Contrasting with the hyperActive Steering is the X5's forgetful transmission. Unlike the outstanding auto in the 335i, the X5's shift schedule could be caught out, and even bounced off the rev limiter in full auto mode. This only happened at full stomp, where the V8 moved this heavy (let's be honest here) wagon respectably.
What really works is the interior. Top-shelf materials and plenty of creature comforts make the X5 a delight to slip on. With a rear luggage area is plenty of versatile and decent clearance. The X5 works best as a ski tripper. Particularly with its heated steering wheel, which should be standard equipment in every car sold in sub-freezing areas.
Overall, it's a fine vehicle but does little that a 5 Series wagon couldn't do. And the 5er's less bulky size means you can get away with plain ol' excellent non-Active Steering.
When the BMW X5 first came along in 2000, the Germans just took a BMW 5 Series and then creased, folded and stretched it until it looked like a sport-utility. They were so worried about making something that drove like a car instead of a truck that they were afraid to even call it a sport-utility. Naturally the X5 was such a big success that it helped double BMW's worldwide sales.
For the new-generation 2007 BMW X5 4.8i, the Germans have just gone straight ahead with their whole bodged-together formula for a midsize truck/tall wagon/extended-roof line thingie, and the result is more of everything — more space, more seats and more engine. Since "more" is the kind of thing Americans love, we're predicting more big success.
In the process, the new BMW X5 is also more like a sport-utility vehicle — and we mean that it in its nicest, most utilitarian sense.
Speed is useful, too
We really weren't that interested in carrying anything around with the new 2007 BMW X5 4.8i. Instead we hammered it around the track at BMW's Performance Center in Greenville, South Carolina, practically on the doorstep of the factory where the BMW X5 is made. We weaved through the slalom, slithered around a wet skid pad, and tried to lock up the tires in the brake test. In just 30 minutes, we knew everything that really mattered to us.
The new BMW X5 feels faster, sportier and more comfortable. In a word, better.
We drove it over the narrow roads in the hills of South Carolina, the kind of twisty terrain that's better suited to a BMW sports car or motorcycle than a 5,000-pound sport-utility, and the new-generation X5's abundant power, crisp handling, secure cornering grip and unwavering brakes easily prevailed.
It's just so simple, really. Now that the second-generation X5 has been creased, folded and stretched into something even taller and longer, even bigger and stronger, the BMW engineers have worked harder on its dynamic qualities, which is what they understand best.
And our testing proves to us that while the 2007 BMW X5 4.8i might have more utility, it's still the sportiest of sport-utes.
Bigger is better
Ever try to stuff 10 pounds of something into a 5-pound bag? An active lifestyle means nothing if you can't haul around all your stuff, and the first-gen X5 couldn't quite manage those proverbial extra 10 pounds, even if its 4.4-liter V8 did have plenty of power.
This is really what the 2007 BMW X5 is all about. Compared to the outgoing X5, the fully redesigned 2007 X5 is 7.4 inches longer, 2.0 inches taller and 2.3 inches wider. That's enough space to squeeze in three rows of seats for seven people. Unfortunately it also involves an extra 400 pounds.
While our particular test vehicle didn't have a third-row seat, we've turned ourselves into a human pretzel to try out the rear-most passenger space in another seven-passenger X5. We'll endorse BMW's recommendation that it should be restricted to those shorter than 5 feet 7. The third-row seat in the new X5 might pinch you a little, but even riding in the worst seat in the X5 is far from arduous, and only kids ever climb back there anyway.
When it comes right down to it, the extra space makes the 2007 BMW X5 4.8i more practical than a Porsche Cayenne, which is the BMW's primary rival in terms of size as well as personality.
Still a power game
You have to love any kind of vehicle where you get to sit behind BMW's largest, most powerful V8. Two years ago, we were going on and on about this 4.8-liter engine in the first-generation X5, and now BMW has been kind enough to make it standard equipment in the second-gen X5.
We have to admit that we could coax only a 7.0-second dash to 60 mph from the 350-horsepower, 4.8-liter V8, noticeably slower than the 6.4 seconds that BMW claims. Even so, this 7.0-second run matches that of the 390-hp Range Rover Sport and it's more than a second quicker than the 350-hp Audi Q7 can manage.
The 4.8-liter V8 also revs higher than before, and this helps the 5,052-pound X5 run the quarter-mile in 15.4 seconds at 91.3 mph, equaling the heavier Range Rover Sport and smoking both the Audi Q7 and the 300-hp Acura MDX.
More impressive than the raw numbers, though, is the 4.8-liter V8's smooth and linear rush of power — the very definition of effortless acceleration.
There's a new six-speed automatic transmission working with the V8, and BMW tells us the new gearbox has been engineered to provide even faster and smoother transitions from gear to gear. We didn't like the comparatively sluggish throttle response in the transmission's Comfort mode, while the Sport mode proved so slick and quick that we rarely bothered to manually slap the shift lever.
To set fast time of the day during our testing, we put the transmission in Manual mode, stomped on the go pedal, and waited for the automatic upshifts at redline. But to get the most enjoyment from the powertrain in daily traffic, we think you should just use Sport mode. With 350 pound-feet of torque, the 4.8-liter V8 is up to the challenge.
All four wheels of the X5 are driven with BMW's revamped xDrive, which normally sends 60 percent of engine torque to the rear wheels. xDrive adjusts torque delivery to help stabilize the chassis when its electronic sensors read that the tires at one end of the vehicle or the other might be losing traction.
Listen to the 'Ring
One of us who spent time in the 2007 BMW X5 ventured that it felt kind of Lexus-ified, as if the new package had shifted away from high-performance handling to ride comfort and passenger pampering. He's wrong.
BMW compared the 2007 BMW X5 against a first-generation model at the Nürburgring's famously challenging Nordschleife circuit. The winner? The new X5, by a margin of 10 seconds. Take that, Lexus boy.
Adaptive Drive is a part of the X5's optional sport package, which includes Active Roll Stabilization and Electronic Damping Control. Once we engaged the Sport button to firm up the suspension, we pushed the X5 as hard as we could and yet couldn't coax any noticeable body roll out of it. And even the test bullies on our staff couldn't make the X5 act like a clumsy sport-utility.
But the new X5 isn't above ride comfort and passenger pampering. In Comfort mode, the suspension displays a pleasing compromise between ride quality and handling control, while BMW's standard stability control system works unobtrusively, rather like white noise that's never meant to be noticed but masks all sorts of unpleasantness.
Our test vehicle had also been equipped with Active Steering. It feels weirdly over-assisted at first, but we soon found it very useful around town.
Active Steering certainly didn't hurt the performance of the 2007 BMW X5, as it ran through the cones at 62.9 mph, faster than the MDX, Q7 and Range Rover. The X5's brakes also excelled, stopping the 5,052-pound BMW from 60 mph in just 117 feet with no sign of fade even after repeated tests.
Your best pal...on pavement
The X5 never was — and still is not — a hard-core off-road machine. It doesn't have low-range gearing or high ground clearance, and it's meant only for all-weather travel on pavement. Yet whenever the 2007 BMW X5 can get a grip with its standard run-flat tires, it is supremely stable and secure.
Though it's taller and longer, bigger and stronger, the X5's stiffer body and upgraded suspension do their work in proper BMW style, muting the pavement's ripples and bumps but still providing the supple ride that's part of a premium SUV's appeal.
Just as before, the BMW X5 is a sport sedan in a different suit of clothes, but now it has some real utility. The new X5 doesn't feel any bigger than the old X5; it just feels better.
Engineering Editor Jason Kavanagh says:
Perspective can be problematic. I've never driven the previous-generation X5 so the only basis for comparison I have for the 2007 X5 4.8i is BMW sedans or sedan-based wagons.
Active Steering is available on many of those BMWs, and the X5 is the most sensible application for it. Maneuvering the large SUV around shopping carts is a cinch as the ratio quickens sharply at low speeds. Active Steering's artificial feel is a bummer, and I won't hold this BMW to a lower standard in this category just because it's an SUV.
Contrasting with the hyperActive Steering is the X5's forgetful transmission. Unlike the outstanding auto in the 335i, the X5's shift schedule could be caught out, and even bounced off the rev limiter in full auto mode. This only happened at full stomp, where the V8 moved this heavy (let's be honest here) wagon respectably.
What really works is the interior. Top-shelf materials and plenty of creature comforts make the X5 a delight to slip on. With a rear luggage area is plenty of versatile and decent clearance. The X5 works best as a ski tripper. Particularly with its heated steering wheel, which should be standard equipment in every car sold in sub-freezing areas.
Overall, it's a fine vehicle but does little that a 5 Series wagon couldn't do. And the 5er's less bulky size means you can get away with plain ol' excellent non-Active Steering.
03-21-07, 09:26 PM
#3
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Not much of a truck person at all, but I think the new X5 looks absolutely killer!! 
This and the 3-series coupe are the only current Bimmers that actually look good IMO. The only thing about this SUV that puts a huge frown upon my face is its high price tag. Price seems to skyrocket once you add on a few options. At 70K, I'd much rather have a Range Rover. 
This and the 3-series coupe are the only current Bimmers that actually look good IMO. The only thing about this SUV that puts a huge frown upon my face is its high price tag. Price seems to skyrocket once you add on a few options. At 70K, I'd much rather have a Range Rover.
03-21-07, 09:50 PM
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I can't get my wife to even consider it (not that I would buy a first year car these days - especially a BMW). I asked her last night if she would consider test driving it - her comment back to me was "not if it drives like a BMW". I tell ya, some people just don't get it 
03-21-07, 10:23 PM
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Not much of a truck person at all, but I think the new X5 looks absolutely killer!! This and the 3-series coupe are the only current Bimmers that actually look good IMO. The only thing about this SUV that puts a huge frown upon my face is its high price tag. Price seems to skyrocket once you add on a few options. At 70K, I'd much rather have a Range Rover.
This and the 3-series coupe are the only current Bimmers that actually look good IMO. The only thing about this SUV that puts a huge frown upon my face is its high price tag. Price seems to skyrocket once you add on a few options. At 70K, I'd much rather have a Range Rover. I am with you. I absolutely love how the new X5 looks, and how it drives.
BMW did a phenomenon job with its driving dynamic for this truck. I was just simply amazed. It drives nicer, more stable, and less body roll than my IS350. Go figure.
It's just too bad that they priced it wrong. 63K for 3.0, and 73K for 4.8i decently loaded is just too expensive. I think for that reason, I have yet to see a single E70 X5 at where I live. It might be different for some area.
If BMW prices this X5 a little bit more competitive with GX, MDX, and ML, this one is a winner.
03-21-07, 11:25 PM
#6
I am with you. I absolutely love how the new X5 looks, and how it drives.
BMW did a phenomenon job with its driving dynamic for this truck. I was just simply amazed. It drives nicer, more stable, and less body roll than my IS350. Go figure.
It's just too bad that they priced it wrong. 63K for 3.0, and 73K for 4.8i decently loaded is just too expensive. I think for that reason, I have yet to see a single E70 X5 at where I live. It might be different for some area.
If BMW prices this X5 a little bit more competitive with GX, MDX, and ML, this one is a winner.
BMW did a phenomenon job with its driving dynamic for this truck. I was just simply amazed. It drives nicer, more stable, and less body roll than my IS350. Go figure.
It's just too bad that they priced it wrong. 63K for 3.0, and 73K for 4.8i decently loaded is just too expensive. I think for that reason, I have yet to see a single E70 X5 at where I live. It might be different for some area.
If BMW prices this X5 a little bit more competitive with GX, MDX, and ML, this one is a winner.
I like they have been only mildly redesigned, as it aged gracefully to begin with. I've seen a bunch of new X5s so far where I live in FL, but I live in retiree-ville where Lexus, BMW, or MB could stick their badge on a piece of poo and have a waiting list for it, so that might not say much for the X5 being priced too high.
I've never driven a 4.8 but if its handling is anything like the V6 I drove that would be amazing. For that price though the Range Rover vs. 4.8 would be really hard...
03-21-07, 11:27 PM
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03-22-07, 09:01 AM
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I can't get my wife to even consider it (not that I would buy a first year car these days - especially a BMW). I asked her last night if she would consider test driving it - her comment back to me was "not if it drives like a BMW". I tell ya, some people just don't get it
03-22-07, 09:12 AM
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It's not difficult to choose between a Range Rover and X5. Unless you really need serious off-road capability, the X5 is the one. It's like, you really want to drive an unreliable British product that's associated with Ford?
03-22-07, 09:40 AM
#10
V6? Are you talking about other cars or the X5? If X5 it's an inline-6
It's not difficult to choose between a Range Rover and X5. Unless you really need serious off-road capability, the X5 is the one. It's like, you really want to drive an unreliable British product that's associated with Ford?
It's not difficult to choose between a Range Rover and X5. Unless you really need serious off-road capability, the X5 is the one. It's like, you really want to drive an unreliable British product that's associated with Ford?
Would I want a powerful, and IMO, one of the classiest looking SUVs on the road? Yes...more than a 4.8 X5, maybe not but I'd still have trouble deciding. And I have seen the reliability stats, but its hit or miss. A friend of mine has had a Range Rover for almost 3 years now without any problems.
03-22-07, 12:29 PM
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03-22-07, 03:25 PM
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Bmw Sav's (X5,X3) will suprised many once one gets behind the wheel and drive them. The SUV look is just a camoflauge with these vehicles.. No body roll in corners, & the brakes are just phenomenal. The new X5 4.8 is just amazing.. I love the staggered wheels that come with it..Gives it a sporty menacing look to match the performance
X3 on the other hand was a differnt experience for me. I remember driving X3 a while back, and it wasnt for me. The ride quality was among the worst car I've driven. The interior quality wasn't up to per. There's no feeling of authority on the road when you are driving it. To me, X3 doesn't really make sense. I'd rather get 3 touring if I need to haul stuff around, or RX if i want something in that price range with a bit more utility. Things might have changed since they also updated X3. So I am not sure about the new 2007 X3s.
03-22-07, 03:26 PM
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I love the new X5. I think they have always been among the best looking luxury SUVs (better than our own GX and old LX).
I like they have been only mildly redesigned, as it aged gracefully to begin with. I've seen a bunch of new X5s so far where I live in FL, but I live in retiree-ville where Lexus, BMW, or MB could stick their badge on a piece of poo and have a waiting list for it, so that might not say much for the X5 being priced too high.
I've never driven a 4.8 but if its handling is anything like the V6 I drove that would be amazing. For that price though the Range Rover vs. 4.8 would be really hard...
I like they have been only mildly redesigned, as it aged gracefully to begin with. I've seen a bunch of new X5s so far where I live in FL, but I live in retiree-ville where Lexus, BMW, or MB could stick their badge on a piece of poo and have a waiting list for it, so that might not say much for the X5 being priced too high.
I've never driven a 4.8 but if its handling is anything like the V6 I drove that would be amazing. For that price though the Range Rover vs. 4.8 would be really hard...
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