2009 BMW X5 User Reviews

Pros

famouse BMW breaks and handling

Cons

overweight, choppy ride, extremely rough, not comfortable at all

I should not have purchased one. I will drive it for couple more months and trade it for something else. Definitely not another SAV from BMW.

I actually rely a lot on this SUV and it has proved its worth. I've driven the thing about 7 or 8 times from the Bay Area to Los Angeles in a 6 week time-span and for so much punishment I've dealt the car, maintaining it has actually been simple, a oil change here, a tune-up there. Besides the mileage, the car is able to maintain its performance remarkably well no matter how hard you push it and I-% isn't exactly the smoothest freeway to drive on. It may be a little heavy, but a full tank can get you close to 500 miles using a range meter. The complaints I've been hearing from other owners such as sluggishness, weight, lack of horsepower hasn't really been an issue with me. Of course my driving conditions differ from them. Holds up great in bad weather too....read morehide

Pros

Impressive 350 horsepower 4.8 liter V8, sporty ride, luxurious

Cons

14-19mpg, ride is too tough, somewhat loud interior, competitor of ML550 and Cayenne S or not?

I tested the 2009 BMW X5 xDrive48i just a week ago. It has its ups and downs. Let's start with the ups. The 09 BMW X5 xDrive48i comes with a standard 350 horsepower 4.8 liter V8. That's even MORE powerful than the Mercedes-Benz GL450 full-size SUV, with a very disappointing 335 horsepower 4.5 liter V8. This big engine allows for a sporty ride - a 0 to 60mph run of 6.4 seconds. That's equivalent to the Cayenne S's run of 6.4 seconds. Not only is the X5 considerably sporty and quite powerful, but it's also luxurious. Standard features of the base X5 include a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel w/ radio controls, air conditioning w/ dual-zone automatic climate controls, 6-disc CD changer, power front seats, and leather upholstery. But the X5 xDrive48i adds on remote engine start, heated front seats, power sunroof, tri-zone climate controls, and premium sound. But the xDrive48i also has some downs, which includes the EPA estimated 14mpg in the city and 19mpg on the highway. I thought that BMW's low-emissions goal would get the xDrive48i's fuel economy to reach 16mpg city and 20mpg highway, but I also consider the fact that BMW's big engine might not allow that. I found in both the base X5's and xDrive48i's that the ride was very firm. The car feels a little bit too much like a high-performance SUV, and not quite enough as a mix of power and luxury, as that is BMW's goal for the xDrive48i. I also found out pretty quickly that the X5's interior is pretty noisy. You can sure hear that V8 yelling "Let's go!", which makes conversations slightly more difficult. The last down is competition. Is the 350 horsepower 4.8 liter V8 worthy enough to compete with the Cayenne S's 385 horsepower 4.8 liter V8? Is the X5's engine worthy enough to compete with the Mercedes ML550's 382 horsepower 5.5 liter V8? So, the X5 is powerful, sporty, and luxurious. It's also gas-eating, hard to drive, loud, and weak (compared to its competitors). The 87% that the X5 gets is a reasonable score, and we think that BMW will work on the downs more effectively in the future....read morehide

Pros

sufficient power, great looks, overall solid car, acceleration, brakes, solid feel

Cons

idrive is a little confusing at first but ive grown to love it

this is a steller car that feels solid. i love this car it drives like a 5 series sedan while having the utilities of an SUV this car feels good on the road and has a sense of power and pride. i am very satisfied with my bmw. it has a great comfortable ride and great seats, third row is a litlle small but sufficient on the rare occasions i use. the seats are heavenly and the controls are intuitive. it feels and looks like a solid beamer....read morehide

Pros

GREAT CAR, I LOVE IT

Cons

NOTHING

I bought my x5 a month ago, everything was fine. I heard before that the X5 has the IIHS top safety pick award, so i was already in the mood of getting it. when i first looked at a black on black X5 it blew me away. After i purchased my car i went on a trip to the mountains. As i was coming back the it started to snow and the road was alredy frozen. Well, as i was coming down the mountain wirh my family, there was a big turn coming ahead. As I made the turn all of a sudden we see this car coming at us, the driver could not control the car. I couldnt turn away because on my right were the mountains. So the car was sliding at at least 40 MPH and it hit on the left side of my X5. All the air bags were popped open. My kids were saved becuase if it wasnt for the side curtain air bag millions of pieces of glass were going to be smashed into us. After the big hit, I saw that everyone was okay. I wanted to get out of the car, and guess what THE DOORS WOULD OPEN!!!!! The whole left side was smashed and the doors still worked fine. I think this is the best car out there, it is worth all the money. That car is the reason that i am here today....read morehide

Pros

Strong brakes and sporty suspension

Cons

No passing power on the freeway

I was paying too much attention to the brakes, handling and the susupenion of the X5 when I test drove it. I overlooked on other important aspects. One of them is the basic standard equipment. who would have thought that a BMW does not come with auto dimming rearview mirror?????? I now learned that it is part of a package. Well, I bought one without it and the sales man didnt even tell me. The other item is the privacy glass-well, mine has none. And yet, my car comes standard with self latching tailgate, alpine 12 speakers stereo inclding 2 subwoofers, xenon headlights, run-flat tires...... But the most important of all, the weight and the horsepower. The small 3Liter engine would have been fine in Europe and Asia where they have tiny streets and freeways. But not here in the U.S.. The X5 feels like an elephant going up a 45 degree slope. It is so unresponsive, you feel all 5000 ponnds from the steering wheel. It's worst when you are in a parking lot or have to do a three point turns. The steering is too stiff even with power steering. All and all, this is a 5000 pound beast that cant keep up in the freeways....read morehide

Pros

0.9% interest rate but that's about it.

Cons

It is extremely heavy and extremely sluggish.

The X5 is too heavy and the 3.0 engine that comes with it is too small. I bought it because of the 0.9 % interest rate. I really regreted my decision. I just cant drive a car that doesnt feel like moving. I will sell it after Christmas.

Pros

Free maintenance but actually the consumers pay for them.

Cons

Stiff and choppy ride. Heavy,heavy, heavy, heavy and sluggish

Other than having a smooth engine and transmission the car is too heavy and slow. you constantly have to rev the engine to get just a little bit more speed. Being a $50K vehicle, this is unacceptable.

Pros

The heaviest in its class!!!

Cons

1000 pounds overweight!!!!

Don't let the BMW 0.9% interest rate fools you. The car is not just overweight, it is half a ton heavier. I bought my 3.0 back in October. It is so heavy, I do not let anyone else in it. I dont even carry cargo. I removed the spare tire and jack tools to lighten the car. At least 40 pounds. I removed the fatory battery and connet it to a small portable battery to reduce the weight of the car. I will not take this car for any long trip or go up to mountains. The inexcusable small size engine can't keep up with 5000 pounds. I am doing my research on purchasing a different vehicle. As soon as I found one, I will retire it at Car Max. If you are interested in the X5, please make serveral test drives over a few weeks. You should try some of your test drives during rush hours on the freeways and local streets to feel the power of the car. Better yet, bring three people with you and some cargos. this way, you can drive the car when it is fully loaded. You will see what I mean by too heavy and lack of horsepower....read morehide

Pros

Brakes, Steering, big sunroof, i-drive, service plan, beautiful vehicle

Cons

sluggish power, leg room in back seat

I have had this car for about a month and it is one of the nicest luxury SUV's out there in terms of style and options. The 3.0 engine is a bit sluggish and I find myself using the sport mode for passing and for a more rapid take off. I have a toddler in a car seat and his feet are kicking the back of the front seat if the seat is all the way back. I like the steering and the brakes. The tech package is a nice package to include as you get nav and hands free blue tooth....read morehide