2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS vs 2019 BMW X5

The BMW X5 redefined SUVs 20 years ago, leaning into the idea that you could have truck form and car function all in one package. In fact, BMW branded the original X5 as an SAV—a Sports Activity Vehicle—to help emphasize the fact that it drove as well as the company's famous sport sedans. And while that claim was a bit of an overreach, the original X5 did outperform its luxury SUV competitors on the road.

Now in its fourth generation, BMW’s midsize crossover continues to deliver on that two-decade-old promise: The X5 delivers car-like handling in an SUV form. And while the 2019 X5 stretches 2.5 centimetres longer, 7.5 centimetres wider, and 2.5 centimetres taller than last year's model, you’d have to look closely to notice the differences. Most obvious is a new and bigger kidney grille with active shutters. It has already received flak for being “comically large,” though in our opinion, it seems proportional to the rest of the vehicle—enough to make us wonder if the grilles on previous iterations of the X5 were too small. Inside, you’ll find a redesigned interior with an updated version of the iDrive system and a suite of Level 2 autonomous technology that unfortunately leaves a lot to be desired. But that shouldn’t dissuade you from BMW’s revolutionary recreational vehicle, because there’s still a lot to love.