2008 BMW X5
Consumer Guide spent 15,048 miles behind the wheel of a 2008 BMW X5.

A driver can learn a lot about a vehicle in two weeks, and that’s typically how long the editors of Consumer Guide are given to evaluate a new vehicle. Sometimes, however, a manufacturer graciously grants us an extended look at one of their cars or trucks, which typically lasts between 6 months and a year. This allows us to evaluate vehicles during day-to-day living, long road trips, and four-season weather conditions. And, so it was with our yearlong test of a 2008 BMW X5, described here.

Our test vehicle was a 4.8i model with a 350-horsepower 4.8-liter V8 engine and 6-speed automatic transmission. All X5s have all-wheel drive without low-range gearing, traction control, an antiskid system with rollover sensors, and hill descent control. Standard safety features include front side airbags and curtain side airbags for the first two seating rows that will deploy in case of a rollover accident. Optional equipment on our X5 included a third-row seat, heated front seats and steering wheel, headlight washers, BMW Assist concierge service, a wireless cell phone link, auto-dimming mirrors, front and rear obstacle detection, navigation with voice recognition and traffic information, rearview camera, keyless entry and starting, iPod and USB Adapter, HD radio, and satellite radio.

One thing we learned during the X5’s time with us is that it’s not easy being a luxury SUV. You start out with two proletarian strikes against you: You’re conspicuously expensive, and you’re conspicuously fuel thirsty. Our extended-use BMW X5 never got past these hurdles with some members of the Consumer Guide staff.

At $64,070, our truck was certainly expensive, and at just under 16 mpg, our truck was a long distance away from frugal. Some of the Consumer Guide staff, however, celebrated the roomy, all-wheel-drive people mover with sports-car-like power and uncanny-for-a-truck handling prowess. Despite any reservations about the X5’s mission, there is one fact that is inarguable: Our extended-use truck performed flawlessly. No mechanical failures, no dislodged trim pieces, not even a flat tire.

The staff agreed that our X5’s 4.8-liter V8 was a paragon of power and polish. Several editors made note of the V8’s rewarding, purposeful exhaust note. Many were frustrated by the throttle’s peculiarly non-linear action, however. Launching the X5 from a stop required far too-much throttle-pedal travel; a situation made additionally frustrating by the throttle’s growing sensitivity towards the center of its travel.

Likewise, our X5’s brakes, which proved satisfyingly strong and reassuring, suffered from frustrating touchiness that made a chore of stop-and-go driving until accustomed to. No one had anything but praise for the X5’s steering and handling prowess. Inexplicably shod with 19-inch wheels and tires (as opposed to the 18-inch units listed on our truck’s Monroney sticker), our X5 took corners and highway on-ramps with poise normally associated with far smaller and lighter vehicles. Possibly more important was our X5’s outstanding performance in snow. Chicago got hammered by the white stuff this past year, and our X5 proved to be a paragon of grip, stability, and, ultimately, confidence in foul weather.

X5’s sportiness came at a price, however. Most of the staff grumbled about the X5’s ride quality. Though rarely harsh, the truck was prone to excessive side-to-side motion over anything other than smooth pavement. Likewise, even small road imperfections resulted in surprising up-and-down bobbing.

2008 BMW X5
The maligned iDrive system and odd transmission shifter in the 2008 BMW X5 took getting used to, but eventually drew some praise.

Despite the commotion outside, our test truck was impressively hushed inside. Apart from the aforementioned welcome burble from our truck’s engine, the X5’s cabin was a calm and neatly trimmed place from which to conduct the business of driving. A gray-on-gray décor theme proved a little stark to some of our editors, but most were impressed by the simple elegance, high quality materials, and general attention to detail found in the cabin. Our test truck proved sufficiently spacious, with ample room for four adults, though passengers over 6-feet tall felt cramped in back.

Countering the interior’s design simplicity was BMW’s much-maligned iDrive control system. Refined through the years since its introduction, iDrive is meant to centralize control of audio, climate, and other systems through a single rotary knob that is turned, tilted, and pressed to navigate its numerous functions.

Maybe we’ve finally given up complaining about iDrive, or it’s become simple enough to tolerate, but actual negative comments about the system were few. Those among us who spent the most time with the vehicle appreciated iDrive the most, noting that, due to the controller’s location forward of the armrest, it is no longer necessary to lift a hand to change radio stations, CD tracks, or iPod songs. Indeed, one tester noted that iDrive may be the easiest-to-use in-vehicle iPod control interface Consumer Guide has tested.

Test Car Specifications
Model: 4.8i

Engine: 350-horsepower 4.8-liter V8

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Total Miles Driven: 15,048

CG Observed Fuel Economy: 15.9 mpg

Base Price: $54,500

Major Options: Third-row seat, heated front seats and steering wheel, headlight washers, BMW Assist concierge service, wireless cell phone link, auto-dimming mirrors, front and rear obstacle detection, navigation with voice recognition and traffic information, rearview camera, keyless entry and starting, iPod and USB Adapter, HD radio, satellite radio.

Price As Tested: $64,070

Problems During Test: none
Another control item that drew both initial bewilderment and eventually some praise was the transmission shifter. Instead of sliding through a channel to the appropriate gear, the X5’s shifter is tapped into gear. Designed to save valuable console space, the stationary shifter seems odd at first, but quickly becomes second nature. Note that like iDrive, the tap shifter is quickly becoming common in BMW vehicles. While the cruise control, located on a steering-wheel stalk, drew praise for its simplicity, other controls drew fire for their tiny size and often-cryptic markings.

In the end, it was the drivers who spent the most time with the X5 that most appreciated it. Obviously a self-selecting group, the X5 appreciators among us found the busy ride a fair tradeoff for sharp handling. Ditto for the iDrive. Naysayers decried it as technology for the sake of technology, while other testers either endured it as the cost of driving a BMW, or genuinely appreciated the system’s operation.

Toward the end of its stay, our test truck began producing a whirring noise that seemed to come from the dashboard. Too quiet to hear in traffic, the noise went unnoticed by some editors and was never diagnosed.

The X5 is not for everyone. Its touchy throttle and brakes, busy ride, and unconventional control systems require attention and respect. Shoppers looking for a basic but luxurious SUV would be better served by Mercedes’ more conventional M-Class trucks, or the Lexus RX 350. Buyers who wish they could buy a BMW 3-Series--or some other high-end sports sedan--but need the passenger and cargo space of an SUV are the folks who would be best served by this vehicle.
04.16.2009