LIKES
- Split power liftgate
- Plug-in hybrid option
- Each powertrain is a winner
- Lovely interior
- Sumptuous options
DISLIKES
- No touchscreen
- Expensive Ms
- Most packages require other packages
- Third row is a pinch
- Digital instrument cluster is a missed opportunity
BUYING TIP
The 2022 BMW X5 represents the brand’s center, with equal parts comfort, convenience, and performance.
What kind of vehicle is the 2022 BMW X5? What does it compare to?
The X5 is a sport-utility vehicle that can seat up to seven passengers, but five would better appreciate the luxurious ride. It competes with luxury SUV stalwarts such as the Mercedes-Benz GLE and with newcomers such as the Genesis GV80.
Is the 2022 BMW X5 a good SUV?
The X5 has usurped the 5-Series and 3-Series as the best BMW. It balances comfort with agility, technology with sophistication, performance with efficiency, at least with the xDrive45e. Purists might decry the BMW they came up with, but the X5’s features, comfort, and quality satisfy what most shoppers want out of a luxury SUV, earning a TCC Rating of 7.2 out of 10.
What's new for the 2022 BMW X5?
Redesigned for 2019, the 2022 BMW X5 stays relatively the same except for the lack of wireless smartphone charging and touchscreen functionality due to the chip shortage, at least early in the model year cycle. Operators can still use voice commands, the console controller, and steering wheel controls to navigate the infotainment. They’ll also get a $500 credit until the widespread issue is resolved.
Otherwise, the X5 blends into the luxury SUV landscape, neither bodacious nor bland. That’s not a bad thing compared to the caricatures other automakers—and BMW—are designing to stand out. The classic window kink, twin kidney grille, and rectangular exhaust finishers remain, and air intakes suggest the sportiness belied by its conservative body. That tone gets lifted inside, with warm leathers and grades of wood trim befitting a whiskey-tinged den.
The hardest part about shopping for an X5 is deciding on the engine, if it should be a turbo-6 mild-hybrid, an inline-6 paired with a motor, or a twin-turbo V-8 tuned three ways. They’re all good and at the least, the base 335-hp sDrive40i goes from 0-60 mph in 5.3 seconds, same as the 389-hp xDrive45e plug-in hybrid that has a 30-mile electric range. At best, the 617-hp M Competition launches to 60 in 3.8 seconds. Yet, the X5 can be as graceful as nasty, and with all-wheel drive on all but the base model, it grips in all the right corners.
In most models, i.e. not the Ms, the X5 balances comfort and sport equally. Standard sport bucket seats with power adjustment come heated and supported on the sides and thighs. The rear seat has plenty of leg room, but the optional third row is best left for cargo instead of people. The split power liftgate never gets old.
The comfort is balanced with assurances such as standard automatic emergency braking, but the NHTSA found frontal crash protection to be lacking, whereas the IIHS rated it a Top Safety Pick.
How much does the 2022 BMW X5 cost?
Sold in five ways, the X5 SUV ranges in price from $60,000 to nearly $120,000 with the blistering X5 M Competition. At $65,000, the X5 xDrive45e plug-in hybrid might be the best value, costing only $2,000 more than the xDrive40i and having the same feature set, more horsepower, and better efficiency.
Where is the 2022 BMW X5 made?
In Spartanburg, South Carolina, along with BMW’s other crossover SUVs.
Styling
Neither daring nor dull, the X5 looks best inside.
Is the X5 a good-looking car?
The X5 reflects a tamer design direction than the latest buck-toothed Bimmers gnawing down roadways. It’s attractive if not alluring, and the interior best embodies the understated design. It earns a point inside and out for a 7.
If the X5 were a body type at the gym, it would be the bod that always looks fit without trying too hard. Gentle black cladding rounds over 19-inch wheels and the rear quarter window blends in so artfully it’s almost unnoticeable until compared to the misalignments of other automakers. An integrated rear roof spoiler intimates the sportiness suggested down low by dual rectangular exhaust finishers. The front fascia could be an exercise in restraint and proportion compared to the newest BMW designs. The classic twin kidney grille fits into the broader SUV real estate, and the sport factor appears down low as it does in back, with air intakes and side gills.
Performance
The X5 can’t help but be a performance SUV.
Three engines tuned five ways means there’s an X5 for any driving style, as long as that style prefers robust acceleration and surefooted handling. We do, and award even the base sDrive40i a point for each of those attributes to a 7. Any of the three M variants would earn at least another point.
Is the X5 4WD?
The base sDrive40i is rear-wheel drive. The five other X5 options have all-wheel drive standard.
If sport is the most desired trait, then the X5 M’s suspension upgrades might appeal to you, but it’s a bit too stiff for our tastes. The adjustable dampers and 21-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires would rather skip than soak pavement seams, but the active roll bars button down the corners to limit body roll and the sport differential sends torque to the rear wheels for the most grip.
How fast is the X5?
In any form, it’s quick, but the M variants hit 60 mph in 3.8 seconds on account of a breathtaking 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8. It makes 600 hp or 617 hp in Competition models. The most accessible version of the V-8 comes in the M50i, where it makes 523 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. That gets it to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds.
The xDrive45e plug-in hybrid gets there as quick, even though a 3.0-liter inline-6 is supplemented by an electric motor that makes 389 hp total and 443 lb-ft. Output is much improved over the 2020 xDrive45e thanks to a larger lithium-ion battery pack that nearly triples in size, from 6.8 kwh to 17.1 kwh. The bigger battery pack and extra weight of the hybrid system (the xDrive45e weighs 5,646 lb, compared to 4,863 for the xDrive40i) numbs some of that prodigious power. The engine and transmission sandwich the motor, and power delivery between the two is smooth and unnoticeable, unless you’re looking for it.
Comfort & Quality
The X5 could seat seven people, but five would better appreciate the lovely seats and spacious cabin.
American made with American proportions, the X5 demonstrates that BMW can craft opulent interiors with every bit of comfort as Mercedes-Benz. Unlike the GLE, however, the X5 seats up to seven passengers, though the X7 does it better. The blend of comfort for five, roominess in front and back, and overall craftsmanship earns it a 9.
Power heated seats come standard up front, and the sport buckets bolster the sides and cushion the thighs. The available multi-contour seats with 20-way power fit forms even better, and add leather, cooling, and massaging. If you think a heated steering wheel is a must-have, it comes bundled with heated armrests you never knew you needed.
That Climate Comfort package also heats the rear seats, and gives rear passengers their own climate panel. Rear leg room stretches out to more than 37 inches, and three teens can fit across but anyone who’s lived longer might value their space more than the middle passenger.
Safety
The X5 earned mixed results in crash testing.
How safe is the X5?
The IIHS bestowed its second-highest honor on the X5 with a Top Safety Pick, but the NHTSA dinged it with a four-star rating due to imperfect front crash results. It’s unusual but not unheard of for the two agencies to disagree, but it neutralizes the point earned from the IIHS on our scale. Decent standard features and a slew of cleverly priced options restore two points to a 7.
The IIHS only found fault with the X5’s standard headlights, not its crash avoidance technology or its structure. The X5 comes with adaptive LED headlights and taillights, automatic high beams, automatic emergency braking, and blind-spot monitors. Don’t be fooled by the $1,700 Driving Assistance Professional package; it adds adaptive cruise control, active lane control, and limited hands-free driving at low speeds, but the package requires the $1,250 Premium package and $400 four-zone climate control.
Features
The X5 comes loaded with features that keep it at the top of the luxury class.
The 2022 X5 starts just over $60,000 and includes 19-inch wheels with all-season run-flat tires, synthetic leather upholstery, panoramic sunroof, keyless start, power front seats that are heated, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and 12.3-inch no-touch screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The excellent standard features are complemented by even better options, such as massaging seats and a split power liftgate, a good infotainment system even without touch capability, and a superlative 4-year/50,000-mile warranty that includes 3 years/36,000 miles of scheduled maintenance. It’s a 9, missing a perfect 10 on our scale because it is not a luxury value.
Which X5 should I buy?
How much is a fully loaded X5?
For all the power and hardly any compromise, step into the X5 M for about $107,000. To squeeze out 17 hp more on larger 22-inch bi-color wheels, it’ll cost another $9,300 for the X5 M Competition. The $2,600 Executive Package adds heated and cooled cupholders as well as massaging seats to get the price to $120,000.
Fuel Economy
A plug-in hybrid option counters the gas guzzling M models.
Is the X5 good on gas?
It can be. The xDrive40i gets an EPA rating of 21 mpg city, 25 highway, 23 combined, which is good for a 4 here. The X5 requires premium gas.
The xDrive45e plug-in hybrid can go 31 miles without using any gas at all, which is a win around town. With motor and engine power, it gets the equivalent of 50 mpg. On gas alone, it gets 20 mpg combined.
0 comments:
Post a Comment