When I have to make short trips in any of our cars, I turn the heat off and use only the seat heaters. Less heat removed from the cooling system= quicker coolant warm-up= quicker warm-up of the oil at the oil cooler (paradoxically) since the water temp is always up to operating spec faster than the oil.

X5's have oil coolers right? I've always done this in my Prelude and never thought about finding out if the X5 even has an oil cooler until it just struck me now.

What exactly does this mean? I didnt get it

Many modern vehicles do not have places to install a 120 volt immersion heater in the engine water jacket. An alternative is to use an external, stick-on silicone pad heater on the bottom of the oil pan. These heat the oil instead of the engine block, and aid in starting in extreme cold. There are lots of different makes and wattages available. Here is one sample supplier:

Wolverine Engine Oil Heaters - FAQ's