My new X5 35D Mini review and pics

[Drakos]

After 3 long months, my X5 finally showed up. It came equipped with pretty much every conceivable option except for Individual. I picked Monaco Blue with Camel interior. I think it is a nice combination and complements each other nicely. I must say that I am quite impressed with the fit and finish of the vehicle.

Impressions:

- Diesel is butter smooth and quiet. For some reason on the test drive of the vehicle at the dealer, it seemed to have more pep. Mind you I drive a slightly modded 335i also, so I'm kinda spoiled by the power

- i-drive is absolutely fantastic. I never had the liberty to try the old version, understanding that there were many complaints about it. The new gen i-drive is quick and very intuitive. I was able to navigate with ease. For anyone who ever contemplated getting the HUD, it is a great feature. I was expecting the projected image to be close up right above the dash. On the contrary, the image is shown to appear right at the end of the hood. Pretty cool optical illusion. The nav guidance and speedometer reading is fantastic and should be available in all cars IMO.

- Premium sound group is an absolute must!! This system absolutely pounds. Comparing to the audiophile package in the 335i, the system in the X5 is crisper, louder and completely thumps.

- Third row seating. If you can call it that. Chose this option for the odd occasion of toting around my parents. To fit, they might need to be amputated. Gonna take them out this weekend so this might be amusing.

- Handling and feel is typical BMW pleasure. An SUV that drives like a car is stellar in my books. I tried the tranny in ds mode and it works very much like my 335i. It feels a little more responsive and reduces some of the lag. Can hardly wait for a good tune solution.

Some disappointing notes:

- Rear entertainment system cannot be controlled from the i-drive. This is really inconvenient. If you have young kids sitting in the back, they better be good at operating a remote control for the dvd or else you are SOL. I think it is rediculous that you can't control the rear dvd from the i-drive. Nothing like having the dvd stuck on the menu or stopped and hearing your kids freak out. You will need to pull over just to navigate the dvd. No remote control. When I picked up the ride, I noticed there was no remote for the rear dvd. The salesman was not sure if it came with one, but I just verified that it does on the BMW website brochure. I'm sure this will be sorted out. Otherwise I have a useless dvd player in the back. For anyone considering getting this option on your X5, don't!! It is a complete waste of money. You can't control the rear system from the i-drive which to me is a total inconvenience and a safety hazzard.

- Little bit of effort required to put third row seats up and down. The second row seats must be moved and tilted forward slightly in order to put these seats up or down. Kinda hard when you have child seats anchored. The fold flat floor is nice, but does not offset the inconvenience.

- Storage compartments are a bit small. You can put a few items in the center and glove box, but don't expect a lot. Kinda disappointing when you consider how large the vehicle is. The center console is opened in 2 halves and while it looks cool, it becomes a pain in the ass when you try to get to anything. The side compartments on the door are fairly large but you have to reach right down to get to anything.

- No rear backup camera. Canadians get the shaft again!! Although I ordered this option for the factory order build, BMW decided that Canada was not important enough to have this option during a shortage in supply. This did not affect US customers and the cameras are only available to Canadians purchasing either the X5 M or 4.8. No eco rebate, no camera, and no focus on customer service. Sorry hehe, still a little ticked over those issues.

- Front license plate screwed on. Why the hell do they not make this option exclusive for the dealership to install during the pdi? The factory apparently installed this during build, not even caring where the car is being shipped to and if a front plate is required. Well, in Alberta a front plate is not required. Now you have a crappy front plate holder that when removed, have 4 holes drilled into the bumper. Stupidity if you ask me.

Despite some disappointments, overall I am very pleased with my purchase. The X5 is our new family vehicle and my wife's new ride.

Here are some quick pics from my Blackberry: