2014 BMW X5 50i M Sport
The third generation of BMW’s game-changing crossover has arrived, and it is an interesting contrast to its predecessors. In M Sport guise, riding on 20-inch wheels (smaller ones look lost in the new bodywork) it cuts an imposing figure, and the detailing is refined—perhaps too much so—on a vehicle that has grown in dimensions to distance itself from the X3.
Inside it is a big step on from the second-generation model (or my own first-gen X5), too, with beautifully rendered surfaces and mainly rich materials worthy of the price. It is more spacious too, a boon for larger occupants. Forget its optional third row, though—wait for the upcoming X7 instead. The iDrive infotainment system is the best in the business, the seats supremely comfortable and the heated, M Sport wheel a joy to hold.
There’s really no feel feeding back through it, but there’s commendable accuracy for a 5300-pound SUV, and the chassis it commands is staggering in its breadth of ability. One moment the (optional but essential) adjustable shocks are in Comfort and the X5’s gliding over the worst of Denver’s broken up excuses for roads, the next I’m in Sport+ and it tracks like a slot racer, with almost zero roll and fierce reactions.
This X5 is digital versus the older models’ organic feedback, but it is undeniably effective. Ironically, the new 50i is faster than its predecessors too (even the X5M), burning down 60mph in 4.3 seconds, all while making glorious noises and ripping off rapid-fire shifts through its eight speed gearbox. This big V8 Beemer drinks like a sailor just off the boat, but if fuel economy is important, get the diesel or ‘normal,’ six-cylinder 35i model.
BMW has been working hard to make its cars appeal to a wider audience, at the expense of feedback and response, and while purists may lament the loss of interaction through the steering wheel, the rest of us can embrace the wider range of aptitudes displayed by vehicles like this new X5.
EPA ratings: 14/22; 17mpg combined
Price as tested: $83,975
Here is what BMW has to say.
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