I'm not an SUV guy and probably never will be, but after two months and 1400 miles, I have to say..this is one sweet ride.

Basically, we got the X5 for its three rows of seating. I have a two-year-old and it's nice to not have to bend to get her in and out of the car like we did with our old 3-series wagon. My back thanks me every day. Anyway, on to the good stuff.

The engine's smooth as silk - we have the 3.0 liter - and really seems to have loosened up after the break-in period. I can leave it in "D" and it has plenty of poke now...at first, it seemed like there was no power there at all. The transmission really does adapt to my driving habits. The Sport and Manual settings totally wake the engine up. There's a lot of power here, especially in the upper rev range. Cruising in triple digits (briefly!) is no problem at all.

The luxury and quality of the interior is seductive. Beautifully made all around. I like little details like the door handles being slightly tilted outward so your hand slips into it - that takes some thought.

I ordered the Active Steering with Sport Package and don't regret it at all. It makes the vehicle very easy to maneuver in tight spaces and almost eliminates body roll. Uncanny.

I also have the Premium Audio and feel it's worth it. The system does justice to well-engineered music but also exposes bad recordings. You'll most notice it for the cleanliness and crispness of the sound.

That's all I can think of now, but the whole package is really well put together. I'm enjoying it a lot!