Thanks for sharing your experience. Your comment regarding the driving experience is "virtually identical" creates doubts in my mind as to why spend another couple grand to get something which does not have a great deal of difference.

I too test drove w/ and w/o Sports Package on the 4.8i and I found the difference staggering.. the Sports Package version drove every bit as nice as a 5 series.. true BMW form. It was the 1st option I checked off on when I ordered the car.

You won't get anyone that has spent the $ to get the adaptive drive say it is not worth it.. you just need to way up the cost and also take a test drive and make a decision.. if money was no object I would have got it... and then I would be telling you that you have to get it !!! ;)

Soon.! Hopefully end of next week although no ETA from Dealer .. it was offloaded from the ship yesterday. I am awaiting an install cost for the towbar.. but I am assuming they haven't done any so I am not going to get them to train on my car which should speed delivery a little bit !!

Hi, when they trim the back bumper bar to fit the towbar make sure they cut out the least amount of plastic and then get them to put some trim around it.

It will propbaly take about 10 working days before the dealer gets the X5.

My pleasure! However, there is still no substitute for experiencing it yourself (especially considering the various configs available in each global market....). And once again, the sport mode of the adaptive drive was great, it was just the "comfort setting" that felt like crap, IMO. I couldn't tell any difference from the regular sport suspension vs. adaptive drive sport though...therefore, for me, it would have been paying whatever $s for a button I would never press, LOL..

Also, the marketing situation in the U.S. confuses me....apparently, you can't get the sport pkg. without the adaptive drive...strange, since the adaptive drive suspension cancels out the sport suspension here in Canada (and I assume, in the U.S. as well).... or does the U.S. have a stand alone sport suspension option you can order without taking the whole sport Pkg.?
One of the best things about the U.S. market (from what I've read on this site) is that active steering is a stand alone option, so your not forced to take it if you want to go with the adaptive. And of course...those comfort/ventilated seats...don't get me started again, LOL!

Yup...here is the US, the Sport Package comes with Adaptive Drive. There is no stand alone sports suspension option.

Normal x5 is ok. x5 with adaptive drive has a limo ride with brilliant handling too. One of the options that is actualy worth the cash.

I assume that's why there is such a staggering difference reported by most Drivers in the U.S. in terms of Adaptive drive Vs. non Adaptive drive X5s.....it's because the non Adaptive drive X5 has no sport suspension what-so-ever.....so the ride can't come close to the Adaptives' sport mode!

In this case, I would then say for sure, go for the Adaptive drive if you live in the U.S. (and assuming the above information is accurate...). Just don't expect a typically tight, BMW-like ride without the Sport mode engaged!

The "Sport Package" is not a sport suspension...it is wheels, headliner, window trim, etc.

EDIT:
from the BMW site-

Sport Package

• 19 x 9.0 Star Spoke (Style 212) light-alloy wheels, and 255/50R-19 run-flat all-season tires
• 10-way power front sport seats with 2-way manual thigh support adjustment, and memory system for driver's seat, steering wheel and outside mirrors
• 3-spoke power tilt/telescopic leather-wrapped multi function sport steering wheel
• Adaptive Drive: includes Active Roll Stabilization and Electronic Dampening Control
• Anthracite headliner
• Shadowline Trim