For me, it's really a choice between what will provide the best driving experience, combined with the best fuel mileage and reliability. I don't think any of them are a clear winner on all fronts, but the BMW is a clear winner on the driving test (second place for fuel economy). I don't know about the woman's car thing; I see plenty of soccer Moms in X5's as well. It is clear that the RX is aimed at an older demographic as well as someone who is looking for a luxury ride as opposed to a sporty ride. I'm going to drive one on Saturday anyway as part of my research. I'll report back (for those interested). :)

Having owned a RX 350 next to my X5 (RX was my wife's) my opinion is that the RX is not comparable to the X5. The RX is much smaller in everything (I am 6'5"): the seats, the legroom, the headroom, the luggage compartment. Plus the RX drives like a minivan (strange seating/steering wheel position, it feels unnatural). Maybe this is because it is based on a Camry.

Does this make it a woman's car? If you drive them both and subsequently cannot tell the difference between them then you probably are a woman... ;)

FYI: I would NOT trickle charge my car in any climate. Cars are tested in worse than Arctic circle conditions and are designed to take extreme cold

FYI 2: check on real life mileage on the RX hybrid. According to user fora on the internet it is barely better than the gasoline version in real life. EPA MPGS #s seem to overstate hybrid real life MPG and understate diesel real life MPG

Having had a RX350, the X5 is better in every way except for gas mileage (4.8i). I have rattles but also had rattles in my RX.

When my lease is up at the end of the year, I'm also considering the diesel as a replacement.

[QUOTE=Herr Bauhaus]Having owned a RX 350 next to my X5 (RX was my wife's) my opinion is that the RX is not comparable to the X5. The RX is much smaller in everything (I am 6'5"): the seats, the legroom, the headroom, the luggage compartment. Plus the RX drives like a minivan (strange seating/steering wheel position, it feels unnatural). Maybe this is because it is based on a Camry.

You are 100% correct. The RX drives like a minivan version of the Camry.

Well I guess there is a lot of luck in all this, but my last four BMWs (over 15 years) have been faultlessly reliable. The only Ford I have had (company car, not a purchase) makes my 18-year old Range Rover (still a daily driver) look like a paragon of reliability.

My last BMW was exceptional as well. I leased it new (1999 540iA) with sport package. I liked it so much, I would look for an excuse to drive it. I drove it until 2006 and then turned it in. I had a need to haul a 2 horse gooseneck trailer (show jumping) so I leased a 2004 Dodge 2500 with a cummins diesel. Great for towing, but not a "driver's" car. Also, no heat in the winter. the horse, truck and trailer are all gone, replaced by a wife and by now a 2 year old child. My wife drives a Honda Accord (she thought that was too expensive, compared to a Civic - I talked her into it) and another sedan doesn't really help us with utility. the plan was to get a mid size SUV that could pull a trailer for the Sea Doo, Sailboat and utility trailer (infrequent use).

I really like the X5, but it doesn't grab me the way my old 5 series did. I guess when I look at spending upwards of $75,000 I want that old feeling back. Times have changed though (with a family now) so I have to adjust to the compromise in a SUV. Of course, the BMW wins in this category, hands down.

Does anyone fit small children in the 3rd row, or should I skip this option as useless?

grover

I've used the third row occasionally. Kids will be fine. For trips under 2 hours, I've had people under 5'6" who said they were comfortable. Although I don't use it much, it is great to have the capability in a pinch. Not much storage space when you use the third row and you lose the spare.