I think sport package is the real deal. It's not just wheels, its the 3-spoke steering wheel, sport seats (Which are great), and the sport suspension. Of course if you never drive aggressively, you'd think the X5 handles well even without the sport pack. But if you relish throwing a 2.5 ton SUV (SAV) into a corner and pushing it to its absolute limits......the sport pack is a must. Plus it controls all of that V8 power a bit better!