Full Test: 2007 BMW X5 4.8i
 

The new X5 is improved over its predecessor in every way: bigger, more flexible and better to drive

Build quality is first class, although the new joystick-style electronic gear selector does feel a little cheap, which is disappointing when you consider the ??40,120 price.

Thanks to new underpinnings and the option of seven seats, the next-generation model has already impressed us in left-hand-drive form, and now we??™ve taken the wheel of right-hand-drive models, too.

The range is built in South Carolina in the US, and we took a UK-spec 3.0-litre diesel straight off the production line on a 500-mile test drive.

As you can see, designers haven??™t strayed far from the shape that made the original X5 such a hit. It is 5cm taller, 6cm wider and 20cm longer than its predecessor, but retains many of the outgoing model??™s muscular styling cues. The extra millimetres have seen the kerbweight grow to 2,200kg, yet that doesn??™t stop it feeling like a sports saloon. Engineers have made the body stiffer and fitted double wishbone front suspension ??“ a first for a production BMW.

For ??2,300, you can have adaptive drive, which includes electronically controlled dampers and anti-roll bars. This gives the handling a further boost, and even when pushed hard, there??™s not a hint of body roll. Buyers can also choose ??910 active steering, which increases the angle of wheel turn depending on the speed, but it has a rather artificial feel.

However, we have no complaints about the revamped 232bhp 3.0-litre diesel. It??™s both eight per cent more economical and more powerful than before, and is expected to account for three-quarters of UK sales. A 0-60mph time of 8.3 seconds shows just how swift the oil-burner is.

The unit is definitely better suited to the X5 than the new 4.8-litre V8 petrol powerplant. This has 350bhp, and propels the BMW from 0-60mph nearly two seconds faster, but the diesel unit??™s torque advantage means there??™s very little between the two in day-to-day driving. However, at the pumps, the oil-burner is a clear winner. It returns 32.5mpg compared to the petrol model??™s 22.6mpg.

But while the X5 is class-leading on the road, over rough terrain it can??™t match the Disco. The electronic hill descent system, which brakes individual wheels to control speed, is no sub-stitute for a low-ratio transfer box.

Yet the BMW can hold its own in terms of flexibility, as it??™s now available with a third row of chairs for the first time. The bad news is that these seats are a ??1,000 option, and space is cramped. But the rest of the cabin is roomy and comfortable.

Build quality is first class, although the new joystick-style electronic gear selector does feel a little cheap, which is disappointing when you consider the ??40,120 price. However, with a waiting list already growing to several months, BMW has every right to be confident about the success of its new SUV.

Source: [url=http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=119977/pageId=120872?imw=Y]Edmunds.com/Inside Line[/url]