Tested: 2024 BMW X5 M60i Nicely Balances Performance and Comfort

In the case of the 2024 BMW X5 M60i, it's not hard to see why Bimmer pilots earn disrepute among car folk. When a large luxury SUV can deliver this much power this smoothly and consistently across the speedometer, it's not hard to overshoot your targeted velocity, nor is it difficult to keep pulling water from that well until flashing red and blue lights appear in the rearview. But raw motive force is only part of the appeal; this longtime favorite manages to do everything with grace, landing in the sweet spot between the need for speed and daily-driving compliance.

In these times of cylinder downsizing, there's comfort to be found under the X5 M60i's hood. The twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 hiding in there produces a meaty 523 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque, which in our testing was enough to shove this 5360-pound SUV to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. That puts it three-tenths ahead of the latest Porsche Cayenne S Coupe, which also rocks a V-8 (albeit one that makes just 468 ponies) and boasts a curb weight advantage of about 250 pounds. The BMW's still that far ahead at the quarter-mile mark, as well, which it reaches in 12.1 seconds at 113 mph.

But stoplight drags only cover a part of what makes the X5 M60i's powertrain so rewarding. Combined with a quick-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission, there's never a bad spot in the rev range; even though we found some response delay in our 4.7-second run between five and 60 mph, the X5 still outperformed the Cayenne S Coupe in all three of our passing tests. In commuting situations, it means the only thing standing between a late departure and an early arrival at the office is your tolerance for scofflaw behavior. And, again, the engine practically begs to push the envelope at any opportunity.

Thankfully, braking is equally strong, with stops from 70 mph taking 157 feet and from 100 mph needing 325 feet. Here, the Cayenne S Coupe has the Bimmer beat, but not by much, and that's to be expected given the mass delta. Fuel economy exceeds expectations, with the X5 achieving 24 mpg on our 75-mph highway test loop, 2 mpg higher than the EPA highway estimate.

The X5 M may still be the track star of the family, but the M60i has some pretty good moves around town. Handling is as flat as any other performance-oriented BMW, but the steering's quickness might catch a driver off guard, especially if their second vehicle is something a bit lazier; it's easy to dial in a bit too much angle and point the nose more severely than desired.