X5

In all respects, BMW's X5 is a contender to handle any situation. The company however says its SUV dubbed the X5 is less of a utility vehicle and more of an activity vehicle. And they might be right. This year, the wheels are a standard 18 inch and come wrapped in all season tyres. In most other SUVs, tyres are smaller with thicker profiles and are usually Wranglers from Goodyear. The BMW, however, was designed to have both on and off road manners and was designed with some auto storming as well. The vehicle seats 5, others in the class seat up to 7. The X5 clears the ground in 7 inches while up to 9 inches can be had otherwise. These factors tell the true tale of the X5's true home.

Powerplants

Line any road car designed to have a feast on asphalt, the BMW X5 has a small range of engine choices which are very powerful without compromising fuel economy. This year the base model is the XDrive 35i which packs a 3.o litre inline six, breathed upon by a twin scroll turbocharger. The new combination is worth 300 horsepower and 300 pound feet of torque while the 4.8 litre V8 in the XDrive 50i makes 400 hoorsepower and 450 pound feed of torque.  This is good to get this relatively large SUV to 60 mph in about 5 seconds. You can get a used X5 engine from a previous model if your powerplant fails. The V8 has two turbochargers. To get the power to the ground, BMW employs a 6 speed twin clutch automatic transmission.

Drivetrain

As with all SUVs, 4 wheel drive is an option on all models  whether 6 cylinder or 8 cylinder and the traction is very adaptable. It will be hard to get the X5 to skid although there are other SUVs out there which can handle rough stuff way better. Two wheel drive options are great to gather that extra fuel economy on unpaved roads. The differentials are not able to be locked so a low range of gearing for climbing steep slipper inclines is absent.

Cockpit

BMW has come to adapt a familiar interior layout with bright instruments and ample use of wood and aluminium. This year they round out the package with leather choices to add more visual appeal. The usual electronics is there and connectivity for your iPod and USB are apparent as is a 6 disc CD changer, bluetooth connectivity, satellite navigation and XM satellite radio for when a long trip requires every piece of audio receival known to man.

Final Drive

The X5 is a lifestyle SUV and for those with active lifestyles who require on road manners and legendary comfort, there's little else out there for the money. The X5 will keep its followers and not just because it is a BMW. The SUV is the best combination of on road comfort luxury and performance in the SUV field. It serves many purposes and should not be faulted because it is weak on one