Thanks for the info. I guess my confusion comes because in the pics I've seen of the '07 X5 interior, there's a button marked SPORT just below the new shifter (which I really like, by the way), which suggested to me that "sport mode" was something that could be turned on and off.

The BMW salesman who was with me during the test-drive knew less about the vehicle than I did (thanks to my following this forum and my hunting the Internet for reviews, etc.) because he told me that since the dealership only had 2 demos which had just arrived, the 3.0 & 4.8 -- neither with the sport package or navigation, that all the salespeople were still learning.

I'll tell ya, I really wish BMW would've supplied the dealerships with a version of the X5 with the sport package so I could compare the rides. Without the option, the ride is very smooth; but with the option, at least looks-wise, the X5 really stands out. Hmm, to wait or not to wait to compare before I plop down the down.......