BMW X5 M

Review of the BMW X5 M

The BMW X5 M is a wolf in sheep clothing.

The exterior of the car pretty much looks like the BMW X5 and you can't really tell the difference except for the huge air-intake vents on the front of this forced induction engine and the quad exhaust at the rear.

But its no X5 when you are behind the wheel, the 2.4 tonnes moves effortlessly from 0 to 100km in less than 5 seconds. The 555 bhp, V8 engine is very responsive in both the normal drive mode as well as the M mode. The M mode or MDM (M Dynamic Mode) which is just amazing making your journey smooth on different terrains, and you can feel the power it brings.

The looks of the car is not a reflection of the performance and there is power under the hood when you need it. Currently one of the fastest SUVs in Singapore.

The interior cabin is pretty much the same and the awful wood panels are now replaced with carbon fibre looking panels. The seats are very comfortable and enough side buttons to adjust the front seats to make you as comfortable as possible.

The iDrive has been upgraded too and has a lot of new features. The hard-drive-based navigation system includes satellite imagery and dynamic routing around traffic congestion, while reserving 15 gigabytes of space for music storage. A top-down view is included in the parking system. Bluetooth function for your mobile phone to take calls on your surround sound speakers is great and the iPod interface is also awesome.

The boot is the same size as the X5, but does not come with the additional two folder-able seats in the boot (but its a good thing), but instead has a spare tire. Run flat tires would have been good, but not practical because of the issues associated with it.

The Park Assist features are really cool and come with all view cams around the car, so when you park, you know if you're in the lot and parked properly.

Let's not talk about fuel efficiency, there is none.

Pictures: http://slightlyfamous.posterous.com/review-of-the-bmw-x5-m

Comfort is Poor. The M division famously refuses to fit run-flat tyres because of the compromises they bring, but even without these the X5 M isn't capable of wafting. Performance is nothing wrong here. 547bhp and 501lb ft, from a twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8, is never going to be slow, even in something weighing nearly 2.5 tonnes. Turbo lag is never an issue and 0-62mph only takes 4.7 seconds. In something this large, that's quite a feeling. Is it cool?; Er, no. Even if you de-badge it and tell people it's a normal diesel X5. Shouty, all-mouth and no trouser cars are not what cool people drive around in. Shouty, all-mouth and no trouser SUVs are even less what cool people drive around in. Towards the top of the BMW spectrum. You can still find some nasty plastics if you really go hunting for them in the cabin, but mostly it's all soft-touch stuff and leather. The BMW X5 M is nowhere near what an M should be like - the steering is too woolly, the body roll not controlled - and it feels far too heavy. But the real trouble is that it's not fun to drive. It's got exactly the same boot as the normal X5, which is large enough for most needs, but on the M version you can't spec it with rear seats. Still, you'd only make the kids sick sat back there anyway. A twin turbo-charged V8 is never going to be easy on the wallet. With petrol prices getting ever higher, you might want to talk to your bank manager before buying one of these BMWs.