A Weekend With A Used BMW X5 – The Verdict

Posted on Sep 8 2014 - 7:46am by Editor

We have a fantastic resource at our fingertips that enable us to drive some of the latest vehicles without the expense of buying them. Vehicle rental firms are everywhere, and they welcome your business. I enjoy taking cars for the weekend and putting them through their paces. I am not an expert in motoring, so the reviews are not technical jargon that bewilders the average motorist.

BMW X5

The BMW X5 is a stunning vehicle. I rented an xDrive 25d SE Auto five-door model, which is pretty close to the bottom of the range. The bottom of the range BMW can stand proud against many mid-range competitors thanks to the superior build quality and sleek design.

Ride Comfort

As you would expect from such a prestigious motor, the ride is comfortable. The trim lets the interior cabin down slightly, but the comfort of the electrically-adjustable seats and an adjustable steering wheel made up for it. Over the weekend, the vehicle covered more than four-hundred miles and not once did I feel that I had to pull over and climb out because of discomfort.

Handling

After driving many people-carriers and four wheel drives, I have become accustomed to how the vehicles lean when cornering. The guys at easternwestern.co.uk say that it is not a problem in the X5, and I have to agree. There were times when I forgot that I was riding high in a sports utility vehicle as it took the corners with ease and caused me no concern.

Towing

I own a twin-axle caravan and Hitched it up to the X5 on Sunday. The automatic gearbox and engine were up to the challenge. With a sweet sound, the X5 took to the motorway with ease. The acceleration, though I had to use a little more gas, was equal to that of a small family saloon, even with the extra weight. When up to cruising speed, it was barely noticeable that there was a caravan on tow at all. The X5 purred at sixty-five miles per hour without effort. The stability of the motor was not affected by the sway of the caravan either; something with which many vehicles struggle.

Heading into the country to see how it coped with hills, my expectations proved to be accurate. The engine roared and handled all of the slopes with ease, and the braking was not affected by the caravan at all.

The best way to test a 4×4 is on wet grass with a caravan in tow, so I headed onto a campsite field to put it through its paces. As you can guess, there was not an issue here either. The car accelerated without wheelspin, and there were no other issues.

Verdict

There are many SUVs on the market, and the X5 is one of the leaders. If I were to buy one, I would save up for a better model, but I am satisfied with the test model. Have you ever noticed how X5 drivers have a permanent smile on their faces? I know why!