4westdan

When the original BMW X5 was launched in 1999, it caused ripples to spread through the 4x4 market that took years to calm. “Hardcore” off-roaders - from the likes of Land Rover and Jeep - were one thing, but the X5 was a very different beast. Its on-road manners were unlike virtually any other Sports Utility Vehicle except, perhaps, the Range Rover (and that cost significantly more than the Beemer). One by one, the likes of Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Audi and even Land Rover came up with rivals to the X5. Now BMW have gone and brought out a new one…..

To be fair, the Discovery 3, Audi Q7 and the Mercedes GL-Class offer something the original X5 didn’t – the ability to seat 7. The new X5 addresses that, offering a third row of seats as an option (although the others all offer 7 seats as standard), but there’s a lot more to the new vehicle than just the extra seating. About the only thing the new X5 has in common with the old model is the fact that it’s still built in Spartanburg in South Carolina, alongside the Z4 coupe and roadster. The X5 is now bigger than before (to accommodate the extra seats) and offers a host of driver aids as standard equipment, although BMW have pulled off the trick of making it tough to tell the new car from the old (unless, of course, you park one of each alongside each other).

Offering double wishbone front suspension for the first time in a 4x4, the new X5 feels even better on-road than its predecessor. The standard-fit run-flat tyres don’t make as much noise as previous run-flats: we noticed a slight increase when we drove the car over some of South Carolina’s gravel back roads, but our biggest concern remains the fact that the chances of picking up a puncture are inevitably greater in an off-roader, so why did BMW take the risk of not packing a spare?

Just about the only other criticism of the car is its image. You can’t fail to have noticed that owning a large 4x4 is ever so slightly unfashionable these days; the old X5 also had a reputation for being a favourite of the infamous “footballer’s wife” (even though BMW figure say most X5s are bought by men aged 41-50). The 7-seat option should help with persuading a few more families to by an X5, but with only one trim level currently available (SE) and prices that start at £39,540, it’s a pricey vehicle. Three engines are available – a 3 litre petrol, a 3 litre turbodiesel and a 4.8 litre V8 – and fuel economy isn’t fantastic: the diesel will do 32.5mpg on the combined cycle, but the V8 manages just 22.6.

Despite the image, the fuel economy and the price, however, the new X5 is still the must-have large SUV if you plan to spend 99% of your time on-road. Cards on the table: if I had to choose between any of the rest of the BMW range or the equivalent Audi or Mercedes, I’d probably opt for the Audi almost every time. The exception would be the X5.