2007 BMW X5 Road and Track Test

[LeMansX5]

An SUV that can Out-Handle a 3-Series?

Its my last lap of the BMW performance driving center test track. Ive been going hard for about the last three hours memorizing the track, learning the abilities of my vehicle. I come flying onto the straight, slapping the shifter back twice as I hit the 6,500 rpm redline. I leave my braking for the last corner as late as I dare, smacking the electronic shifter forward twice to enter the corner in 2nd. The engine gives off an acoustically pleasing, electronically induced throttle blip for each gear down shifted. I lift off the brake as the back end gets light, and then I can feel all the electronics and hydraulics taking effect, trying exceptionally hard to keep the vehicle in the straightest line possible. Yes, I have the DSC turned off so I can get the wheel spin Im looking for, but this doesnt stop the adjustable dampers and active sway bars from working overtime to make up for its absence. Then the variable xDrive AWD system begins to compensate power to all four wheels in a final attempt to keep me honest.

But I have a couple tricks up my sleeve and once I settle into a very slight over steering drift, I then dab my left foot on the brake and hammer the throttle to hold the drift through the racing line. Im out of the corner feeling quite proud of myself... Ive finally overcome all the engineers hard work by taking the newest Bimmer to its absolute limit. I then exit the track where a BMW performance driving instructor flags me down before heading for the parking lot. "Wow, your really giving it hard to that X5 man!" Thats when reality smacked me across the face and I realized I was driving an SUV, and not what could have easily been mistaken for as a 5 Series sedan. No, the vehicle I was giving an absolute flogging too was actually a soccer moms chariot.

Entering Spartanburg South Carolina one thing becomes quickly apparent, there seems to be a lot of Bimmers around. Being a southern American state, I half expected to be surrounded by Detroit muscle and full-size pickup trucks with gun racks in their rear windows. Of course, Spartanburg is BMWs U.S. plant location, hence all the BMWs everywhere, a location the German automaker chose for the North American launch of its all-new X5.

When BMW unveils a new vehicle, chances are good it wont just make minor upgrades to improve the product amongst its industry rivals. No, BMW is the manufacturer that every competitor looks to when deciding where their products should be heading. So it came as no surprise that the brands execs, designers and engineers carpet bombed me with the improvements made to the new 2007 X5. I could have talked to engineers for days on end, learning about all the work that has been injected into it.

Like so many BMWs before it, the Bavarians have turned the X5 into the most technologically advanced SUV on the market in order to keep a couple of steps ahead of the crowd. Thats just what Germans love to do, no? I could easily write a five thousand word essay of the attention to detail spent on technological enhancements to the vehicles many luxury and convenience appointments, but Ill try to keep it short and to the point.
DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) and the xDrive AWD system is carried over from other BMW models. AdaptiveDrive which includes electro-hydraulically controlled sway bars, adaptive dampers and active steering has also been implemented. This system senses and adjusts suspension and steering components when drivers get aggressive. When the tires begin to loose traction, camber, steering angle, dampening and sway forces are all electronically adjusted every 0.1 seconds to give all wheels maximum grip on the road.

When stepping inside a BMW, the interior styling and materials always exude class and refinement. The new X5 is skinned with high-grade leathers, as well as authentic aluminum and walnut trim. The shifter is well placed and a good fat steering wheel gives great feel of the road and chassis. You can always count on a BMW interior to be a perfect mix between luxury and sport, and the new X5 does not disappoint.

The biggest change from last years X5 is the addition of third row seating, thanks to an increase by 7.4 inches in length and 2.4 inches in width. Folded flat into the rear, two additional seats can be flipped up to accommodate two extra children, or small adults depending on the length of travel. However, to use the seats the parcel shelf must be removed from the vehicle as there is no real storage space for the shelfs retractor. This becomes a problem when on the road if picking up people on the fly.

The second row seats are still as spacious and comfortable as usual and rear passengers are treated to their own DVD system, with audio and navigation displayed on an 8-inch screen located in the center console.

What would a BMW be without the infamous iDrive system? In the new X5, the improved system makes things less complicated with the addition of "favorite function" buttons in a separate console below the climate control. These buttons contain stored information the driver frequently uses, and can be accessed without scrolling through the entire iDrive system. To help keep a drivers eyes on the road, a touch sensitive feature is employed that displays the favorites menu on screen by simply grazing your finger over the buttons. You then pick the favourite you want by pressing the button the computer senses under your finger. Whew, pretty high-tech stuff.

Its good to see that all the technology doesnt stop at the chassis and interior, not to mention the engine that benefits from several ground breaking innovations such as VALVTRONIC intake induction. Both the 3.0- and 4.8-liter engines use this valvetrain instead of throttle bodies to control the amount of air-fuel mixture injected into the combustion chamber. This improves fuel economy and emission as well as enhancing throttle response. Magnesium alloys have also been incorporated in the crank case and other areas to make the new engine 22 pounds lighter. Other improvements include the use of 4-into-1 exhaust manifolds and BMWs VANOS variable valve timing, upping the engines performance.

Pumping out 355 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque, the 4.8-liter V8 can push the 4,949 pound beast from 0 to 60 mph in just 6.4 seconds. All well and good in the performance sport ute segment, but as you may have guessed by my opening paragraph the X5 is even more about cornering. With xDrive AWD and tires that nearly rival a Corvette for the size of their contact patch, its no wonder the X5 will beat a 328i through the slalom. Its center of gravity has been lowered, and extensive weight-saving materials from the engine have made their way to the chassis. Like I said before, the X5 drives more like a 5-Series than a top-heavy SUV.

Ive never been a real fan of automatic gearboxes with manual shifting options, but with such transmissions flooding the market these days it seems as if Im in the minority. Most automakers like to use the push up to up-shift, and pull down to downshift layout, which sounds simple enough overall, but Im used to the competition equivalent that uses the cars g-forces to dictate the shifting direction. Well, BMW, keeping to its sporting heritage, has employed the same idea to its shift-by-wire unit, which I found much easier to operate thanks to a better, sportier feel.

With sporting pretensions in mind its best we just face the facts, this is a BMW X5 and the closest its going to get to being driven off-road will be the crushed granite of a meticulously landscaped gravel driveway. No, the X5 is not going to rival a Jeep Cherokee for creating its own road through a forest, but this is not to say that the sleek German cant get dirt under its fingernails. Sure the older X5 had troubles getting through all but the shallowest water crossings, but the 07 has decent exit and entry angles that will get you down most anything that was once considered a road. Creating your own roads? Leave that to Land Rovers and Jeeps, or Porsches Cayenne.

The old X5 (or SAV as BMW likes to call it) seems to still look good now, despite its age. So I was pleased to see that the new X5 pays homage to its predecessor. The designers added just enough newness to the look to modernize it to the flamed surface brand image BMW is currently employing, but didnt take it quite as far as it did the 5-Series. While Mercedes is all about elegance, all BMWs have a sport inspired luxury feel to them, and in the case of the X5 this aggressive nature gives it a more planted and meaner stance than any ML. Moldings on the front and rear bumpers, as well as along the rocker panels and fenders give BMWs new ute an almost adventurous look, and, I should add, will help protect the X5s good looks if someone does get a little too adventurous. Very cool looking LED taillights are incorporated into the rear, and the fog lights in the front bumper turn with the steering to illuminate around corners.

From a safety front, torsional rigidity has been increased by 15 percent, improving crash protection and reducing NVH levels, plus the X5 also benefits from a new steering rack, with optional Active Steering. The electronic aids include stability and traction control, of course, as well as cornering brake control, automatic differential brake, trailer stability control and more, all linked together with FlexRay high-speed data transmission.
As noted above, the X5 corners and rides like no other SUV, with sticky Michelin rubber that heats up nicely and feels the road beautifully for such a large vehicle. The xDrive AWD system combines with a bevy of electronic driver aids for stable and neutral cornering with little sign of body roll, and grip galore. During especially aggressive maneuvers the X5 would understeer with the DSC on and even more so with it off. Only with a hard flick and left foot braking will the back end step out, however, BWM has designed the dynamics to be safer for the average driver, so its tendency to understeer is a good thing. On things note, being that BMW prides itself on biasing is vehicles towards sport rather than comfort, I would like to see the AWD torque distribution and damper settings feature a sport setting as well. This would allow those who want to toss an X5 around a backcountry road or the track, the ability to do so; something that can be done with other BMWs.

This brings me back to the realization that, yes, its an SUV, and yes, it would likely handle itself quite well during a track day if needed. The X5 changes my perceptions of what an SUV is capable of, but as much as Im impressed, it just doesnt seem right somehow.

Source: http://car-reviews.automobile.com/BM...ack-test/2140/

[Bo knows X]

Great find and fantastic endorsement for the new X5 !

[ChristopherM3]

Ahhhh.............I can't wait to drive one.

[josejb70]

Where did this appear? It is FULL OF TYPOS!

[cue03]

I wonder if it really drives/handles better than the outgoing 4.8is...hmm.. any thoughts on that? I am leaning towards the 4.8is. Doesn't the 4.8is blip the throttle on downshifts also?

Curtis

[Denalio]

I think he googled it.

[rayxi]

I might have to go down to the dealer and take a test drive.

Originally Posted by josejb70

Where did this appear? It is FULL OF TYPOS!

The link to the source is at the bottom of the post. It's missing some apostrophe's in the contractions. No big deal but sub par for a published article.

[E61Silver]

It looks great, glad I lease, in another two years I will be getting it.

[E61Silver]

Do any of the members have the new x5 on order?

I can't wait until some member posts actual personal photos.

I wonder if the rear seat backs adjust up and down like the current model.

It seems like that was a way to provide more cargo space but with the larger X5 they may not need that solution?