Day 1 impressions of the new X5 50i...

[C's Bimmer]

Today has finally come to an end and what a great day it was! We picked up the new X5 50i around 1pm and after letting the wife drive it around for most of the early afternoon (it is her car after all ), I dropped her off at home and took it out myself to really get see what this thing was all about. What a blast! I was fortunate enough to attend the BMW Performance Driving School down in SC last year, so from driving the M's to driving the X's, I've been given the opportunity to see what these cars can really do at their limit. However, I never realized how much fun this thing would be for normal, everyday driving. Love it!

Coming from a 2009 4.8 Sport, the difference is night and day. We don't even miss our old X5 one bit -- even my wife said this shortly after leaving the dealership. For me, my main concern would be if it would satisfy me enough to leave my NA V10 at home. Although it will be a tough decision each weekend, it does! I still prefer my M over the X when driving solo, but knowing that we can take this new truck on family getaways with the kids and I'll enjoy driving it, makes me really happy. I love the paddle shifters too -- took long enough for BMW to get this right! Although some might think this is minor, I live off my SMG paddles on the M, so this is the only way I'm used to driving the cars. So awesome!

The Evolve tune will be completed in 2 weeks and I'm really looking forward to seeing how much more I'm going to love this new addition to the family.

Thanks BMW!

Cheers!