My requirements when buying a new vehicle were the following....

Had to be 4wd or AWD
Had to be faster than most of the stupid little rice cars on the road (anywhere around 14 sec. 1/4 mile and a decent pull to 110 makes me feel comfortable)
Had to have navigation
Had to be comfortable
Had to be able to tow
Had to be able to drive in the snow (needed a little ground clearance)
and the number one requirement...
HAD TO BE FUN TO DRIVE.

This TRUCK handles better than an american sports car, and the ride is not TOO harsh. The steering is tight, and the suspension is PERFECT. It's not so rough as to where you can't hit potholes and feel your back crushing, and it's perfect enough to swerve around the potholes at the last second without feeling like you are going to lose control or tip over. My 4.4 X5 with sports package seems a little harder to steer over a friends 3.0 X5 though.