Considering what the X5 is suppose to be, a luxury SAV, it's mildly irritating that one must go to some trouble and cost to put things back in that they have cost reduced after purchasing it. Do I really need a gas cylinder to keep the rear floor lid raised? No, but on a $60,000 vehicle it is not an unreasonable expectation.

Do I really need the emergency roof closing tool/handle? Probably not, but for $9 I'm going to order one just to have handy if the roof won't close and it starts to rain.

Again, minor points, but I'm not sure the little bit of money BMW is saving is worth it, considering the irritation it causes some small portion of their customers. I'm pretty sure that the emergency roof crank, gas cylinder, and read switchable reading lights can't amount to more than $75 or so of extra cost to BMW NA. I don't think an extra $75 would have made a difference in my purchase decision, but these minor irritations might dampen my enthusiasm a little bit when talking to other people about how much I like my new BMW.

Again, minor items, but is it really worth the few bucks of cost savings?

P.S. Yes, I've been in some of those cost reduction meetings many years ago when I worked for a auto company for five years out of college. I remember discussions about taking a small plastic chrome emblem off the inside door trim to save 50 cents per vehicle, taking one screw out of the windshield chrome trim, so that it was held in place with 7 screws instead of 8, etc. But I'd like to think BMW is a bit different when it comes to those decisions.