Beemer’s Beast X5 4.8i

Author: 
Roger Harrison | Arab News
Publication Date: 
Thu, 2007-05-10 03:00

To describe the new BMW X5 seven-seater as a car is as inaccurate as to call it a sports car, SUV or off-roader. It is an interesting product of the “whole-is-bigger-than-the-sum-of-its-parts” school of German engineering; 2+2+2=7 if you like. It is a big machine but like some big people, it is an elegant mover, nimbler than you would expect and with a surprising turn of speed. Of all the driving characteristics on the test, the one that produced most approval from driver and passengers alike was the very subtle and effective active suspension, leveling the body on some very long, very fast curves with never a hint of effort or bad road manners. Well, not until we got to the point of a nervy spot of understeer without any warning when it was asked to do the ridiculous. Altogether it is a very gracious vehicle with a tremendous air of solidity about it.

The model tested — the 4.8 liter V8 seven seater — came with all the expected safety and luxury items, including stability and traction control, antilock brakes and “dynamic brake control,” tire-pressure monitoring, hill descent control, side air bags and side-curtain air bags, automatic climate control, heated seats and door mirrors, and 18-inch alloy wheels.

Generous though the package was, everything provided seemed useful and fitted for function rather than form. Helpful touches such as the steering linked xenon headlights proved very handy in tight unlit parking spaces at night.

Having said that, there is the dreaded i-Drive controller, the round knob on the console with which you operate the dashboard information screen. BMW, to their credit, mounted some of the more frequently used functions available on the i-Drive on the dash. Air conditioning, radio and CD player, for example, can be operated from either location. My beef with the system — and indeed with all the dash mounted Cecil B De Mille productions of modern electronics that purport to be helpful information screens — is that, when operating them, they force the driver to take his eyes off the road for far too long. OK, the automatically-engaging rear view camera that displays your rearward view and estimated line of travel is very useful — but that is used when you are traveling very slowly and carefully indeed. The screen generally gives the driver far too much information.

The overall dashboard design is not inspiring. The lowest row of buttons — including the retarder for hill descent and the rear-view camera control sit awkwardly under an overhang just above the flimsiest of ash-tray sliding covers. Not in keeping with the general top quality of the interior.

Advertised under the BMW generic motto as “The ultimate driving experience,” the 4.8i does not have a manual transmission option. It is a six-speed automatic with a manual-shift mode, with a nifty shifter that is mounted on the center console and operates electronically.

I admit my bias; I do not much like electronic gearboxes. With this one, a small button on top puts the transmission in “park”; a button on the side and you palm the lever forward to select “reverse;” pull it back for “drive”; ease it to the left and you can shift the transmission manually. So much for manual control because BMW doesn’t trust the driver and overrides your selection when the computer thinks you have made a mistake. To be fair to BMW, they are not alone in anticipating the poor driving habits of some well-heeled clients — but it rather dilutes the “ultimate driving experience” idea.

The worst is yet to come; horror of horrors, and this is where I completely part company with all-electronic operations in cars, the parking brake, which has an annoying delay between push and release, is operated with a console-mounted pushbutton. Getaway drivers take note — not this one.

With its orientation toward performance, the X5 has a heavy-ish — but never difficult -feel at low speeds that is largely the result of a high steering effort. It reduces as speed increases and the rear-wheel biased handling is as good as it gets in an SUV. The suspension is tautly tuned which makes for a stiff ride and it soaks up uneven and rutted surfaces without any loss of control. The low profile tires combined with the suspension make for a slightly noisy cabin over coarse-grained road surfaces and under hard acceleration, the engine noise is quite exhilarating. Wind noise, even with the huge rear-view mirrors — is remarkably low. Good design pays.

The 350-horsepower V8 can take the 2.5-ton X5 to 100 kph in slightly over six seconds — or so it is claimed. Under test conditions, we failed to beat nine seconds — but that was in 44C temperatures and using local fuel. Is that stuff from the red pump really high octane? The massive torque pulled the car from low revs in a high gear without effort — and without a turbo; in the heat of the Kingdom, the lack of a turbo is a distinct advantage. The big Beemer still managed to return between 17 and 21 liters per 100 kilometers for all of that and demonstrated very agile legs at overtaking speeds.

The brakes although on the limits at times, managed to stop a very heavy car very quickly and confidently, the wide tires protesting with little more than a squeak.

From a utility standpoint, the big improvement comes in cargo space, as well as room for extra passengers, partly because the X5 uses run-flat tires and has no spare.

The BX5 is a seven-seater. The front and second row legroom is commodious and the heated/cooled front seats are a boon in whatever weather. The front seats are superbly comfortable; the second row is supportive and recline, even though they are effectively split bench and not the deep wrap-around style of the front pair. The centre position in row two is not a place to be for a long journey and the third row, seats six and seven, are not particularly easy to get into and really suitable only for small individuals. With the third row up, there is a reasonable space for the shopping, accessible through the clam-shell tailgate with a drop down lower door. With the third row seats down, the cargo space is a great improvement over the previous X5.

All said and done, the X5 is a very fine driving experience. Swift and giving a feel of great confidence and capability a one-day one thousand kilometer journey flowed by with no residual aches and pains or overheating. BMW have managed to combine the feel of a well-made vehicle with the comfort needed to sustain concentration and the systems to meet almost any demand you make of it.

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