2014 BMW X5 XDrive35i Review
Sweeping turn after sweeping turn, the BMW X5 does very little to remind you that you’re in a 4,790-lb luxury SUV. With solid steering and throttle response, you almost feel like you’re at the helm of one of brand’s benchmark-setting sport sedans.
FAST FACTS
| 1. The new 3rd generation X5 comes in about 200 lbs. lighter than the last generation. |
| 2. Our tester uses a 3.0L turbocharged six-cylinder making 300 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. |
| 3. Rear-wheel drive models starts at $53,725, while all-wheel drive models start at $56,025 including delivery. |
| 4. Fuel economy for xDrive models is 18 mpg city, 27 mpg highway and 21 mpg combined. |
That experience is exactly what BMW set out to achieve in 1999 when the X5 was first introduced. Forget lumbering family haulers that boast off-road capability and rugged simplicity. The biggest BMW utility vehicle is injected with BMW’s hallmark driving dynamics.
For 2014 the X5 continues to be described as a “Sport Activity Vehicle” and truthfully, there’s very little to suggest that the car can be qualified use the term ‘utility’ at all – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Lost the Weight but Not the Attitude
Visually, the X5 doesn’t change very much from the last generation model – it’s still more athletic-looking than competing products. However, the new body style is reworked in a few areas to improve fuel efficiency. Use of aluminum and other lightweight materials make the X5 look like a Weight Watchers poster-child, trimming 170 lbs compared to the previous model, while improved aerodynamics due to air-channelling body-work help the X5 deliver better fuel economy.
While every X5 comes with a responsive eight-speed transmission, fuel economy varies quite a bit depending on which engine is found under the hood. The subject of our review features the base offering: a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six cylinder engine that makes 300 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque. Paired with the xDrive all-wheel drive system, this particular X5 is rated for 18 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway, making for a combined rating of 21 mpg. On average, that marks an expected two mpg improvement, or up to five on the highway.
In the real world, the six-cylinder model chugs fuel like a tired athlete swigging sports drink during a time out. The trip computer reported 18 mpg through our week of wintery testing.
The six-cylinder engine has another flaw: it’s a little underpowered in this application. While the 300-hp engine feels brilliant in something like the 335i, the X5 is considerably heavier and the engine feels overworked in the all-wheel drive X5. Fortunately, BMW, much like an all-you-can eat buffet, offers customers more than one model, so there are solutions to the six-cylinder X5’s shortcomings. Still, the solution is hardly perfect. Those looking for better fuel economy will find it in the diesel-powered xDrive35d, while those looking for a more exciting and immediate feeling of thrust will find it in the twin-turbo V8-powered xDrive50i. Both options are pricier than the base six-cylinder gas model, but the best of all worlds is the diesel motor, which provides improved fuel economy with 413 lb-ft of torque.
Cracks Smiles by Carving Roads
Despite the xDrive 35i’s lack of power, the X5 is still fun to drive because of how well it handles. Steering response is excellent at speed, although it feels artificially light at parking lot speeds. Then again, that’s not a bad thing when you eye the perfect parking space and find yourself spinning the wheel quickly to secure the spot. Along with steering response, it feels engaging on the road. While traditional luxury vehicles tend to deliver a disconnected, almost floaty feeling, X5 feels raw in comparison and gives an excellent sense of where the wheels are and what they’re doing.
BMW also offers M Sport modifications to the car that include different body panels and M Sport wheels (either 19- or 20-inches in diameter). For another extra fee, the company will add an “Adaptive M Suspension” that adds dynamic damper control and a rear air suspension with a “more sports-oriented suspension tuning.
BMWs excellent xDrive all-wheel drive system helps put power where it’s most needed for optimal grip. The car felt planted on ice, snow and mud. During lively driving on dry roads, it X5 hunkered down and clawed at the road, delivering the kind of grip and confidence you would expect from smaller Bimmers. Flip a switch near the gearstick into Sport mode to get the total BMW experience with livelier throttle response, or switch to Comfort or Eco Pro modes for a more docile drive.
Handsome Interior Needs More Space
Like the driving dynamics of the big beamer, the interior is a mix of very good and very bad. Materials found throughout the cabin are on par with what you’d expect from a car coming in at $70,000 – the eye catching mocha Nappa leather seats in our test car are as sexy as they are comfy. Little details like the contrast stitching on the seats, customizable ambient lighting throughout the cabin and ergonomic cabin controls showcase BMWs meticulous focus on premium design.
However, passengers in the rear seats may be confused as to what all the fuss is about. While they are indeed treated to niceties like heated seats and dual-zone automatic climate control (meaning that there’s a total of four zones of automatically conditioned air) the rear half of the car is lacking in space. It’s interesting to bring up that the BMW X3, the smaller sibling in BMW sport ‘activity’ vehicle lineup, features more rear seat legroom, headroom and cargo capacity.
With that in mind, the optional third row of seating sounds like a cramped nightmare fit for your worst enemies. Cargo room is also a concern, as the X5 features a maximum of just 66 cubic feet of space, coming up way short of the echo-inducing 80 cubic feet offered by the cavernous Mercedes-Benz M-Class. With its second row raised, the X5 only offers 23 cubic feet, which is also bested by the Benz.
2014 BMW X5 xDrive35i
Value is a key element in automotive purchase decisions, but its definition varies considerably according to the buyer’s proclivities, which can lead to some interesting arithmetic. Consider the new BMW X5. If power absolutely rules your gotta-have-it list of traits, the choice is pretty simple: You need the X5 xDrive50i, with its 445-hp, 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8, which moves the 2.5-plus-ton SUV from 0-to-60 mph in a darn snappy 4.3 seconds. It’s the hottest X5 you can buy, at least until a next-gen M version comes along.
But if your buyer’s brain operates on a system of checks and balances, you’ll be feeding other factors into the equation. For example: the base price of the X5 xDrive50i—$69,125—is $13,100 north of the base for the X5 xDrive35i. The 35i is propelled by a turbocharged inline-six that generates 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque. That means you’d be paying $6550 for each of the 50i’s additional cylinders and a little over $90 for each additional pony.
How about the 0-to-60 dash? The 35i does it in 6.0 seconds, not quite enough to induce brownouts, but respectable. Shaving 1.7 seconds off that time with the 50i costs a little under 1000 bucks per 10th.
It’s rare for us to advocate going a little slower, but in vehicles such as this, the need for haste is offset by the cost-to-benefit ratio. Why spend a lot of dough to propel a heavy brick to 60 mph in less than five seconds, when you can achieve that in something smaller and handier for considerably less? And this doesn’t even include fuel-economy (although the term is almost oxymoronic in the SUV realm). The X5 50i we tested recently was EPA-rated for 14 mpg city and 22 highway, and we recorded 15 mpg in our travels. Our X5 35i test SUV is rated 18/27, and we achieved 21 mpg—burning premium fuel in both.
Inline-sixes have long been a BMW staple, and the boosted 3.0-liter in the 35i is a sweetheart. It’s smooth and quiet, with a torque curve that looks like the profile of the old airport mesa in St. George, Utah—long, high, and flat, with all 300 lb-ft online from 1300 rpm, barely off idle, to 5000. The single twin-scroll turbo delivers instant throttle response, and the eight-speed automatic is nicely programmed to make the most of it. Multiple downshifts for passing don’t require much of a prod on the accelerator, and the transmission goes about its business seamlessly in full auto mode.
However, for drivers who want to sometimes shift for themselves, this device leaves much to be desired. The electronic shifter, common to a number of current BMWs, is irritatingly counterintuitive and doesn’t really lend itself to manual operation. Our test vehicle wasn’t equipped with steering-wheel paddles.
The electric power steering, augmented in our test car by BMW’s new active steering feature ($1550), might be in violation of the Freedom of Information Act, substituting effort for tactile feedback. That’s not a particularly good dynamic foundation for a quick ratio—2.2 turns lock-to-lock—although that does add some sense of agility to this sizable SUV.
The agility factor could be further improved by opting for performance tires. Our tester was shod with Goodyear Eagle LS2 255/50 all-season run-flats on optional 19-inch alloy wheels. Running on this rubber, the X5 delivered a modest 0.81 on the skidpad, experienced abundant understeer, and had a slightly stiff ride over sharp bumps. Our measured braking distance—175 feet from 70 mph—was merely okay for this class, although fade-free stop after stop.
Specifications
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon
PRICE AS TESTED: $70,975 (base price: $56,025)
ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve inline-6, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 182 cu in, 2979 cc
Power: 300 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 300 lb-ft @ 1300 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 115.5 in
Length: 193.2 in
Width: 76.3 in Height: 69.4 in
Curb weight: 4934 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 6.0 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 15.9 sec
Zero to 120 mph: 25.5 sec
Rolling start, 5-60 mph: 7.0 sec
Top gear, 30-50 mph: 3.4 sec
Top gear, 50-70 mph: 4.6 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 14.6 sec @ 96 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 127 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph: 175 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.81 g
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 18/27 mpg
C/D observed: 21 mpg
Tony was smart, well read, funny, irascible, cantankerous, opinionated, friendly, difficult, charming, honest, and eminently interesting to be around. He loved cars, car people, and words. but most of all, he loved racing. The Car and Driver writer, editor, and racer passed away in 2018 at age 78.