I really think that both options are very dependent on the weather where you are. Here in Central Texas winters can be pretty chilly but we rarely see temps below 20. The ONLY option that we wish we had ordered on our BTO 2001 X5 was the heated front seats. So we got them on our new 35d. But the rest of the cold weather package and the heated steering wheel is, to us, a waste of money and simply adds more electrical things to go wrong.

Note: the main unresolved issue with the E70 (all years and models) is the reports of the electrical system draining the battery so low the X5 won't start. One day everything seems OK, the next day the battery is dead. So IMO adding any electrical option you're not sure you really want is not a good idea.

Funf Dreisig