BMW X5 Review & Prices

The BMW X5 is about as close as large SUVs get to a complete package, blending driver appeal with everyday usefulness without making too many obvious sacrifices in either direction. It’s refined, posh and properly enjoyable from behind the wheel - even if a few rivals give you a bit more room to stretch out.

It’s rather like owning the newest iPhone, because it feels polished, intuitive and brilliant at doing almost everything you ask of it. Yes, there are alternatives that beat it in specific areas, but as a single do-it-all option it’s very hard to top - assuming you can stomach the price.

The X5 is impressively entertaining to drive, but a Porsche Cayenne still feels a touch sharper when the road gets twisty. A Mercedes GLE has more visual clout, meanwhile, and a Range Rover Sport will go further once the tarmac runs out.

That said, none of them strike quite the same styling balance as the BMW. The Cayenne looks lower and smoother, while the Mercedes and Range Rover are more imposing, but the X5 is neatly judged and nicely proportioned. Better still, it’s dodged the oversized grille treatment seen on some recent BMWs, and its detailed headlights and taillights give it a crisp, modern edge.

Group test: Audi Q7 v BMW X5 v Mercedes GLE v Porsche Cayenne v VW Touareg

Climb aboard and the X5 feels every bit as expensive as it is. There’s a smart curved twin-screen arrangement sitting above a richly trimmed dashboard, with neat air vents integrated into the centre section. You get the commanding seating position expected of a big SUV, but the broad centre console and substantial door cards give it a more driver-focused feel than you’ll find in a Range Rover or Mercedes, and the seats are supportive as well as deeply comfortable.

Rear-seat space is strong, too. Three adults should be able to settle in without too much complaint, and you can add a pair of occasional-use seats in the boot for an extra cost, making the X5 a seven-seater. Fold those away and there’s 575 litres of luggage space, while the regular five-seat version gives you a more useful 650 litres.

There’s a broad engine line-up to choose from, starting with the entry-level but still excellent 3.0-litre diesel and stretching all the way to the thumping 4.4-litre V8 in the M60i. There’s also a plug-in hybrid, which offers a very useful electric-only range of up to 64 miles.

The X5 is superb on the road, smoothing over broken surfaces and taking the sting out of urban speed bumps, particularly if you go for the optional air suspension. Entry-level versions are especially cushy thanks to their smaller wheels and chunkier tyres, while higher-spec cars on larger alloys can feel a little more unsettled.

Long motorway trips are exactly where the X5 feels in its element. It cruises along quietly and effortlessly, with very little wind or road noise making its way into the cabin - although versions such as the M60i do generate a bit more tyre roar because of their wider, lower-profile tyres.

Find a decent country road and the X5 becomes one of the most satisfying large SUVs you can buy. It feels far more agile than something this big and expensive has any right to, almost like a hot hatch that’s been scaled up and given a luxury interior. The steering has pleasing weight and feedback, there’s loads of grip, and body lean is kept impressively under control for such a substantial car.

Verdict

The BMW X5 may have been around for a few years but it’s still just so, so good. Whether you go for one of the surprisingly efficient diesels, the long-range PHEV or a powerful petrol engine it’s a true pleasure to drive, and the interior is a lovely place to sit too. It’s one of the finest big SUVs around and, though it’s expensive, it feels worth it.

Browse the latest BMW X5 deals on Carwow, or hot BMW X5 lease deals instead. There are plenty of used X5s to choose from, and our network of trusted dealers has a wide range of other used BMWs for sale, too. You can even sell your car through Carwow, when the time comes to switch.

Being a luxury proposition, the BMW X5 isn’t cheap. The entry-level xLine model kicks off at around £74,000, powered by a 3.0-litre diesel engine. It looks a bit lacklustre though, and while it’s comfortable, the small wheels and plastic body cladding looks a bit ‘unmarked-police car.’

M Sport models are around £4,000 more expensive, coming slightly better equipped, while a sporty body kit and a more powerful diesel engine option - plus a petrol plug-in hybrid - set it apart from the xLine. M Sport Pro cars get even more kit as standard, including nifty red brake callipers, and you can have it with a 530hp V8 engine under the bonnet. Spicy.

Quick, agile, comfortable – the X5 delivers in every way. A bit of tyre noise at high speed is the only criticism

In town

The X5 is a very big machine for town driving, but it’s not intimidating. You sit up high with a good view out, and although the rear windscreen is small the view over your shoulder isn’t too bad.

Front and rear parking sensors are standard on xLine models, so there’s no excuse for any parking scrapes. You can pay extra for the BMW Parking Assistant system, which will reverse the car into a space for you, but in our experience it's not very good.

The X5 comes with a smooth-shifting automatic gearbox, which makes for easy and unflustered driving in city traffic. Even the least powerful X5 is a quick car, so you can nip into any gaps.

For town driving, the pick of the range has to be the plug-in hybrid 50e. This will go 66 miles on battery power alone, according to BMW’s figures. That’s a lot further than most cars of this kind, and even if you struggle to match that in real-world conditions most urban journeys can be completed without burning a drop of petrol.

On the motorway

Every X5 makes an excellent motorway car. Strong performance is a given when even the least powerful diesel can hit 60mph in 6.1 seconds. What’s more important is the way the X5 behaves once up to speed. Engine noise stays in the background, and there’s not much in the way of wind or road noise either. Maybe there’s a bit of a rumble from the tyres but it’s not enough to be irritating.

Air suspension is an optional extra worth going for, because with the car set to ‘comfort’ it delivers a silky but controlled ride that should keep car sickness at bay. Combine that with a roomy and luxurious cabin and the X5 is a pleasure to travel in on long journeys.

On a twisty road

This is where the X5 really scores over other big SUVs. It is a hoot to drive on a twisty country road.

Switch to ‘sport’ mode and there’s more weight to the steering, and sharper responses from the gearbox and throttle. The suspension firms up too to reduce body lean in bends. It’s the mode to choose for maximum fun with remarkable grip and poise for a car of this size.

The standard models are rewarding to drive, but the M60i and M Competition take things to another level. These deliver near-supercar levels of performance and handling, although the trade off is a less forgiving and comfortable ride. For most of us, the less expensive models are more than exciting enough.

Plenty of room for five (or seven) to travel in luxury and comfort, it’s just a shame that getting seven seats is a cost option

Slide into the driver’s seat and you’ll find you sit up high with a clear view of the road ahead. Even on the base model the seat adjusts electrically and has a memory function to store your ideal driving position. There’s enough movement to the seat and wheel for folk of all shapes and sizes to find a sound and supportive driving position.

There’s a digital display in place of conventional dials in front of the driver. It can be configured to show different information. Being able to display a map right in your eyeline is especially useful.

You want plenty of storage space? You get it. The door bins are absolutely huge, and there’s lots of space beneath the driver’s armrest. There are twin cupholders at the base of the centre console.

Everything you see or touch has a quality look and feel. Yes, this is an expensive car, but when you sit behind the wheel there’s no doubt this BMW is a premium machine.

Space in the back seats

The X5 seats five as standard, but seven seats are a cost option (unless you choose the 50e PHEV, which is only available as a five-seater). Go for the extra row and you won’t find as much space as in a Land Rover Discovery, but kids should be happy enough. Adults can be squeezed in for short trips but won’t look forward to long journeys.

The second row of seats is much roomier. There’s enough width to the cabin for three to travel in comfort without too much rubbing of elbows. If we're being picky, it's a shame these seats don't recline like in an Audi Q7.

If you often travel with children rather than adults, the ISOFIX mounts have flip-up covers which keep things neat when they aren’t being used. Wide-opening rear doors mean lifting a bulky child seat into the cabin shouldn’t be too much of a struggle.

Boot space

With the optional third-row seats in place, there’s enough boot space for a weekly shop rather than a family holiday. In the five-seat X5 or with the third row lowered, the boot is huge.

The capacity is 650 litres, which means give or take a few litres there’s as much room for bags in the back of the X5 as you’ll find in a large estate car. The exception is the plug-in hybrid, which has a lower 500-litre capacity. That’s still a reasonable size, though.

It's worth noting that most alternatives offer more capacity, though. The Mercedes GLE has less space at 630 litres, but the Audi Q7 (740 litres), Porsche Cayenne (772 litres) and Volkswagen Touareg (810 litres) offer more.

The X5 has a split tailgate, which means the lower portion folds down rather than up. It makes for a useful seat if you are changing in or out of wellies, for example.

Removing the parcel shelf is easy, and in most models there’s space to store it under the floor.

Clever infotainment and a superb standard of finish, but remember the connected services tech is only free for the first three years

You pay big bucks for the X5, but you can see where the money goes when you sit inside. This is a beautifully made car.

You get a vegan-friendly leather alternative as standard, but you can opt for leather if you prefer, although the fake stuff does a more than passable impression of the real thing.

Prod the dashboard and doors and you’ll find the materials are soft to the touch, and almost everything feels made to last. The quality of the cabin really is exceptionally high, with just one or two suspect areas - cheap-feeling air vents, for example.

Some will prefer the more minimal look of the Volvo XC90’s interior, but the updated interior design means that the BMW X5's interior looks much more simple and modern than before. The curved displays are the central feature and they work really well for the most part. It can be a bit tricky to find your way through the complex menu settings though, and it's a shame you have to control the climate settings through the screen, even if they are always present at the bottom of the main display.

The screen itself is crisp and clear – you really can’t fault the display. What’s more, it’s compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so you don't have to mess around with BMW's own system for the most part anyway.

Every X5 comes with a suite of connected services, with the long-winded name of BMW ConnectedDrive Online Services. This includes the virtual personal assistant who listens to you bark orders, and over-air software and map updates. A three-year subscription is included, after which you need to pay.

Of the four engines on offer, the plug-in hybrid is a no-brainer for those looking for a company car. It uses a 3.0-litre petrol engine and a battery-powered electric motor to provide a healthy 489hp, but because its CO2 emissions are so low it's in a cheap benefit-in-kind tax band. And the excellent 64-mile electric-only range means that your running costs will be super-low if you can keep the battery topped up.

If running costs are less of a concern than outright performance, the M60i is your best bet. It uses a 4.4-litre V8 engine that makes 530hp, which is sports car power. You're looking at fuel economy of just 24.4mpg, though, and its high emissions mean it's in one of the highest first-year Vehicle Excise Duty bands.

Most people will be best-served by one of the two diesels. There's a 298hp 30d model and a 352hp 40d. We tested the 30d and found it to be more than powerful enough, and we actually saw better economy than the official figures at 39mpg. Don't be scared off by diesel, because it's actually great in big, heavy SUVs such as the X5.

Euro NCAP score (2018): 5/5

Adult occupant: 89%
Child occupant: 86%
Vulnerable road users: 75%
Safety assist: 75%

The X5 is a very safe car, with a five-star rating from the safety experts at Euro NCAP. It scored 89% for protecting adult occupants, 86% for children, 75% for pedestrian protection and 75% for its safety assistance systems.

Standard safety kit includes active cruise control, which maintains a safe distance to the vehicle in front, as well a speed limit info display and tyre-pressure sensors to warn the driver if one of the tyres is deflating. Active Guard Plus is also standard, which will apply the brakes in an emergency if the driver fails to do so, and this system includes a lane departure warning feature.

All X5s have an alarm and immobiliser, as well as Legal Emergency Call for summoning help after a collision, even if the driver is unconscious.

BMW came an impressive eighth place out of 31 brands entered into the 2025 Driver Power survey for owner satisfaction. That should give you peace of mind when purchasing such an expensive car, but the three-year, 100,000-mile warranty isn’t great when compared to Lexus’s ten-year warranty with regular main dealer servicing. Still, it’s better than Audi which only offers a three-year, 60,000-mile item.