2019 BMW X5 xDrive40i
Last year I theorized that the 2018 BMW X5 was so wonderfully serene and spacious that BMW should make it the brand’s flagship vehicle. To me, the X5 was the perfect platform to bestow with all of the cutting-edge technology and luxury features that typically debut in the 7-series. Well, the X5 has been refreshed for 2019, and while the new X5 is every ounce as lovely as its predecessor, it’s actually further from being BMW’s flagship vehicle than it was before!
Just as no navy chooses a destroyer over an aircraft carrier as its flagship, no manufacturer picks its midsize vehicle over its full-size sibling when crowning its image leader. With BMW’s larger newly introduced X7, the X5 is stuck at second best. The X7 is 5% longer, 10% heavier and seats 60% more people than the X5. (The X7 also appears to have a 60% larger grill.)
Or is it third best? I ask because as I slide into the driver’s seat of the 2019 BMW X5 xDrive40i, I struggle to spot a single new piece of interior design or technology that is unique to the X5. The steering wheel, door handles, iDrive screen and digital gauge cluster are identical to those in the refreshed 3-series. The HVAC panel and iDrive controller are the same, too, albeit with extra switches to adjust the air suspension. The only thing I’m spotting for the first time is the optional crystal shifter, a device that would look as at home on a palm reader’s shelf as it does on the X5’s transmission tunnel.
Ah, but that air suspension. With it, the X5 glides over bumps and potholes with the smoothness and comfort of an Arabian Nights magic carpet. Upon that lighter-than-air ride is a body with the construction quality of a Hollywood sound-stage: Bank vault doors and heavy lashings of sound deadening keep out the urban din. From the high perch in the X5’s comfortable seats, I can relax, stretch out, and decompress as I leisurely proceed to my destination. This is exactly what I loved about the 2018 X5, and the 2019 X5 is just as comfortable.
I prefer driving, but the back seats are comfortable. The spacious rear bench offers generous head and shoulder room. Mounting points on the backs of the front seats allow for the attachment of iPads. (So instead of the cries of toddlers, you can “relax” to the sounds of Frozen. Yay?) Four air vents and an independent climate zone let the back passengers pick their own temperature. Little is lost riding in the rear.
Last year I test drove the X5 xDrive50i and chuckled at its V8 burble. This year my X5 tester is an xDrive40i powered by a straight-six engine. The I6 sounds more business than pleasure, and it’s down more than 100 hp versus the V8, but the I6 still feels suitably potent. The xDrive40i won’t win drag races, but I have no problems merging onto the highway. Fine. The X5 encourages relaxed driving anyway.
When I steer the X5 up a sweeping mountain pass, I am surprised and amused to find that the X5 has better road feel through its steering wheel than either the sporty new Z4 or M340i. Who knows if it’s the Bridgestone Alenza Sport A/S tires or suspension geometry that deserves thanks, but I can sense more of the road’s surface texture in the X5. The steering resistance is as light as I’ve felt in a BMW, but it is in perfect cadence with easy-going, let-me-get-that-for-you luxury that’s been tuned into the X5. And really, there is very little sporty about how the X5 xDrive40i corners. Tall and roly-poly, the X5 tips softly from side to side as I squiggle to the summit.
When I reach the mountain’s summit, I park the X5, then circle it taking in the details. Its exterior is handsome but very similar to the other BMW SUVs: If the X5 held up a liquor store, eyewitnesses would have difficulty picking it out of a police lineup of BMW’s X1, X3, X5 and X7 SUVs. I wonder if BMW would do well to put more design distance between its models.
As I already discussed, the X5’s interior is spacious, comfortable and functional, and a good place to put on the miles. If a long road trip is in the plans, then you’ll be happy with the X5’s trunk; it’s as big as they come for a BMW. Behind the rear seats, you’ll find room for your New England antique furniture haul, or if you’re more of a sports type, your tailgating set-up that includes your mobile BBQ, TV, food and drinks coolers and plastic folding table. Plus, the X5’s split hatch will give you an actual tailgate to sit on while you drink beer and wait for the burgers to finish cooking.
Back in real life, where midsize luxury SUVs are used for shopping hauls and cross-country hauls, the X5 is everything I could want in a truck of this size. BMW may not have bestowed the X5 with new tech or luxury gifts, but the X5 is still my pick for a comfortable and commodious SUV.
2019 BMW X3 M40i
I’ve already written quite a bit on the X3 M40i, so I’d just like to share my thoughts with respect to the Audi SQ5. It’s a compromised comparison because I drove the Audi SQ5 three weeks ago, but that’s not going to stop me! So let’s continue this test of man (or at least his memory) and machine.
0-60 mph. The spec sheets say that the X3 M40i is significantly quicker than the SQ5, and that is my seat-of-the-pants impression too. The X3 lunges ferociously from its starting blocks and rips through first gear. This off-the-line jump is seriously impressive, and I believe it’s where most of the X3’s 0-60 mph advantage is found. Once the X3 upshifts to second, its acceleration falls off, and its pace seems more like the SQ5’s. Still, the advantage goes to the X3.
Sound. To my ears, the Audi V6 has a nicer song than the BMW I6 under acceleration. But in deceleration, the BMW pops and spits hilariously, while the Audi has a throaty blip but avoids childish pyrotechnics. The Audi’s aural entertainment is slightly better, but I’d really like to combine the crescendo of the Audi with the percussion of the BMW. Actually, I believe the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 does just this.
Handling. Both the SQ5 and X3 M40i are more capable and poised in the corners than any 4,300 lb SUV deserves to be. Both SUVs will leave you giggling after you complete your detour to your favorite canyon road, and they are both fun enough that you’ll make the detour in the first place. With my drives split by three weeks and done on completely different roads, I can’t call a winner here. Draw again.
Ride. The SQ5’s air suspension delivers a smooth ride that the X3 could only dream of, and yet the suspension can firm up to deliver (the aforementioned) excellent handling too. (You’d need to move up to the larger and less sporty X5 to find a BMW SUV with bump-eating air suspension like the SQ5’s.) Most people, myself included, will prefer the dynamic flexibility and added comfort of the SQ5 over the X3. However, if you really love the firm and feelsome ride of a traditional 3-series sports sedan, the X3 M40i mimics that convincingly. New fathers who have been pried out of their 340i’s by their spouses will find solace in the X3 M40i’s familiar ride.
Cabin. The Audi and BMW trade blows on their on-screen tech. The Audi has a better digital gauge cluster (since BMW’s is hardly configurable at all), but the BMW has a much larger navigation screen, which I prefer. When it comes to switchgear, the Audi cleans up. Not only are its buttons and knobs paradigms of precision and feedback—the best in the business—but the Audi’s controls are more compactly laid out without any loss in user-friendliness. To my eyes, the BMW X3’s HVAC panel seems excessively large and bloated. In terms of cabin comfort, both SUVs are quite nice. Audi uses prettier seats with better leather than BMW, but BMW has better space, especially in the trunk. For luxury-feel, the Audi wins, but if you really want to maximize the interior volume of your compact SUV, the X3 has the upper hand.
Overall, I think the SQ5 is more compelling due to its superior cabin quality and supreme ride comfort. It’s not as quick as the X3 M40i, and it doesn’t feel like a sports sedan over the road, but day to day, it’s the nicer SUV.
Mike's Steering Column 