2019 BMW X5 Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Obviously, no 2,250-kilogram crossover will perfectly mimic the experience of driving a sedan. It's simply too tall and too heavy. But BMW has focused the X5 on this goal, making that a point of purpose since the vehicle's inception. And the automaker has succeeded—so much so that the original was criticized for not being a better off-road performer. As it turns out, BMW was just a bit ahead of the rest of the field here, recognizing that people don’t really want to take their SUVs off-road, and they’d much rather have a smooth ride on the pavement than a few more degrees of articulation during a rock crawl.

Today’s X5 starts with a five-passenger layout that can be optionally expanded to seven. However, don’t expect much space in that third row. If seven-passenger seating is one of your core needs in a crossover, you’d be better served looking for a dedicated three-row option.

Power is provided by two turbocharged engines: a classic 3.0-litre, inline six-cylinder for the BMW X5 xDrive40i, or the X5 xDrive50i's 4.4-litre V8. Both are mated to the well-reviewed ZF eight-speed automatic, which operates flawlessly enough to make you forget that dual-clutch automatics even exist.

Starting with the xDrive40i, a base price of $71,500 will get you an all-wheel drive (AWD) drivetrain, adaptive LED headlights and fog lights, a panoramic sunroof, an adaptive suspension, 19-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, a leather-wrapped and power-adjustable steering wheel, faux-leather upholstery (heated front seats, surprisingly, are optional), a power liftgate, ambient lighting, and a digital gauge cluster with a 12.3-inch secondary touchscreen. The most economical version of the X5 comes with an impressive safety suite, though most features are optional: adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert are available. From there, it’s all about the packages.

Both the xDrive40i and the xDrive50i can be upgraded with a head-up display, a wireless charging pad, enhanced USB and Bluetooth connectivity, a rear-view camera with 3D view, gesture control for the infotainment system, and automatic parallel parking via Parking Assistant Plus. Soft-close doors, manual shades for the rear windows, remote engine start, and heated and cooled front cupholders are also available, as are a rear-seat entertainment system, an upgraded stereo, night-vision capability, and ventilated seats.

My week with the X5 was spent in an xDrive40i in Mineral White Metallic, fitted with the optional 20-inch wheels and M Sport brakes, two-axle air suspension, running boards, heated armrests and steering wheel, and a Harman Kardon stereo. The M Sport brakes are a great upgrade and look damn snazzy behind the wheels to boot.

If there’s one reason you should buy an X5, this is the section that should convince you. The buttery-smooth turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine that powers every xDrive40i sounds great and delivers consistent power. There’s no waiting for it to arrive. It's always there, especially if you keep the transmission in Sport driving mode.

And speaking of transmissions, the eight-speed, ZF-sourced automatic here does everything right. This year, it benefits from new software, wider gear ratios, and new torsion dampers for better efficiency and smoother changes. There are no stumbles in stop-and-go traffic like you’ll often get with smaller turbocharged engines mated to high-gear transmissions and dual-clutch automatics. Even better, it actually delivers on the estimated fuel economy of 11.7 litres per 100 kilometres in city driving, 9.1 highway, and 10.5 combined.

335 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque represent increased power specs of 35 and 30 for this powertrain, respectively. And though BMW claims 100 km/h will come in just 5.5 seconds, you can expect to get there a few tenths sooner than that. This is a fast vehicle, particularly considering it weighs more than two tons. But if it’s not fast enough, the xDrive50i’s twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 delivers 456 hp and 479 lb-ft—meaning you’ll hit 100 km/h in around 4.7 seconds.

That’s all very impressive, but we were more amazed by the ride. This new X5 is built on BMW’s Cluster Architecture platform, which can now be found in nearly every BMW as well as in the new Toyota Supra. It combines steel and aluminum with carbon fibre for all the usual reasons: more strength, less weight, and better performance. The standard X5 comes with a double-A-arm front- and multi-link rear suspension with adaptive dampers, but our tester came with the optional air suspension. The big upgrade here is that it now has adjustable airbags at all four corners of the suspension as opposed to just in the rear, as before. This means the X5 can be raised up to 4 cm higher than its base stance and lowered the same amount in the rear for easier cargo loading. And if you want a sportier look and feel—or better aerodynamics on the highway—you can lower it nearly 2.5 cm all around.

And while the adjustable height is nice, we were really impressed by the bump absorption. The X5 absolutely shocked us with how well it was able to deliver a smooth but still sporty ride, especially running on 20-inch run-flat tires. Things will only improve with the stock 19-inch wheels, and even more so if you ditch the run-flats.

Things have changed inside the X5. Its classic, understated design has been replaced by aggressive angles everywhere and dual 12.3-inch screens as a new home for the updated iDrive infotainment interface. It’s a nice design, but unless you splurge for some of the more expensive options, like the upgraded trim or the glass and ceramic buttons and switches, things can feel a little cheap compared to the competition. Even the entry-level Mercedes A-Class feels nicer.

We also had trouble getting comfortable in the seats, as if we were sitting on top of rather than in them, even with the thigh supports extended. We'd have liked them to be a bit wider, with more aggressive bolstering for the thighs. Core support was just fine, though we couldn’t get the lumbar supports in the right position to prevent cramps. And with the upgraded leather seats and no ventilation, the seats were hot, too. Both driver and passengers checked several times to make sure we didn’t accidentally leave the seat heaters on—and this was in April. We're just glad we weren't testing the X5 in July.

Space, however, was not an issue. There was plenty of head and legroom in the front and second row, even with two adults sitting tandem. The 960 litres in the trunk—expandable to 2,047 litres with the seats down—provided an easily accessible cargo area that was made even easier to access by the air suspension. With the touch of a button located right on the split rear tailgate—a feature that harkens back to the original X5’s Land Rover Range Rover origins—we were able to drop the rear of the car for easier loading. Don’t forget to look under the flat floor, either, as there is a ton of space hiding down there. And if you’re looking to tow, the X5 can handle up to 3,000 kilograms (6,600 pounds) when properly outfitted.

The available technology was our biggest disappointment with the X5. It seemed like the car was fighting us everywhere we turned: The gesture control works begrudgingly at best, the screens are customizable but not nearly as much so as the competition, and the voice controls are picky. We generally had no issues with the system, but one colleague, who has a very slight Swedish accent, couldn’t get the system to understand him at all. It was shockingly imprecise when he tried using it.

The updated iDrive interface isn’t bad by any means; we’ve just seen and used better at this point. It’s predictably daunting at first, but all in all, it's a well-designed system that just takes a little bit of time to learn to use. Our main frustration is with the steering wheel's controls, which seemed counterintuitive and took the longest to memorize.

The biggest issue we had was with the driving-assistance features, which offers what BMW refers to as “strong Level 2 autonomy.” If you choose them, the X5 can provide limited hands-off driving; it can maintain speed, brake, keep you in your lane, and even change lanes for you. The problem is, it’s not very good. To be clear, we're talking about only high-speed operation here. The stop-and-start traffic feature on its own is just lovely. It works without issue and makes situations where we’d normally be pulling our hair out completely tolerable. We can’t recommend it strongly enough. But at speed, things are different.

Keep in mind, we tested the X5 on smooth roads with clear, visible lines and perfect weather… and it still failed. The car wanders back and forth in the lane enough to make you seasick, it gets fooled by shadows, and one time it even tried following the car in front as it changed lanes. And if you try to give it a little input to mitigate all this overcorrection, it fights you pretty aggressively. We ended up just turning it off after nearly 500 kilometres of testing and struggling, because at that point it felt like a safety issue. For that reason, it’s a package we’d recommend leaving off your order list. The adaptive cruise is good enough for us.

There are other, fancier options you can add, like Parking Assistant Plus, which uses a surround-view camera and parking sensors for automatic parallel parking that works a treat. Personally, we still prefer to do own parallel parking, but the included 3D camera alone makes the package seem worth it. You can add a night-vision system for an enhanced view of warm life forms at night, and a rear-seat entertainment system. The Harman Kardon stereo provided excellent sound from its 12 speakers and 360 watts of power, especially considering how quiet the X5 was on the highway. But if that still isn’t enough, a Bowers & Wilkins Diamond surround sound system will get you 1,500 watts of power pumped through 20 speakers.

Take tech out of the equation, and there's still some safety news to be had. The X5 is part of the first round of BMWs to get the new brake-by-wire setup that is necessary for the semi-autonomous driving features. Thankfully, it’s not an abrupt transition from a traditional hydraulic setup, with a nearly natural feel that provided some unfamiliar feedback during only the last moments of braking, when the brakes could occasionally get briefly grabby.

A four-star rating from the US government’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is matched by four-star ratings in all frontal crash and rollover tests, though side crash tests all received five stars. The independent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) was kinder, naming the 2019 BMW X5 a Top Safety Pick+ and awarding it top scores in all tests.

In Canada, the X5 starts at $71,500 in new-car pricing, but if you want V8 power and all the trimmings, you can easily go over $100K. Thankfully, there are some obvious ways to save some money—and the semi-autonomous features are at the top of the list.

Its engine and transmission really set the X5 apart from the competition. Jump in a competitor's base trim and you’ll be greeted by an uninspired power plant, with the real power and performance hidden several thousand dollars up the lineup. With the X5, your only options are “good” and “great,” and even if you don’t spend a dollar beyond the base MSRP, you’ll be getting one of the best engine-and-transmission combos on the market today.

Note: Images show a US model.