The brakes in the X5 are truly commendable too. Pedal travel is shorter than expected but well-modulated and smooth.

Without putting you through the windscreen, the X5 will haul itself up in a hurry and is certainly up to multiple hard stops without losing composure or showing signs of fade.

Teutonic influence for doing things neatly and efficiently even extends to the operation of the stability control. If a wheel slips the brakes will just pull it into line and allow the car to continue on its way. No heavy-handed retardation of engine power and no nannying of the driver’s abilities.

Ultimately, the X5 fits the bill as a comfortable cruiser with a fantastic ability to swallow big distances. On the open road, wind and road noise barely permeate the cabin.

For the driver, the X5 delivers a nice tactile feedback through the wheel, but not so much that it becomes draining. At this wheel a long haul will rarely become hard work.

So, To Conclude

You don’t need to spend too long circling the ‘burbs to know that the X5 has made its presence felt in the market. It’s the ‘upwardly-mobile’, upper-middle class SUV of choice. Around schools, and in the shopping centre car-parks of ‘the better’ suburbs, they’re everywhere.

The original X5 refused to comply with the boxy SUV norm. The second-generation car not only offers compelling good looks, but also a driving experience a step or more above its high-riding competition.

In xDrive35d guise the X5 pushes itself further ahead of the pack. That immensely strong and satisfying diesel engine truly does set a new standard for economical power and refinement.

An SUV is not for everyone – they’re a bit polarising on inner-city streets – but in the X5 BMW has blended the right mix of luxury, technology, performance and quality.

The X5 xDrive35d is an inviting and rewarding automobile which just happens to offer SUV levels of accommodation.

Kez Likes:

• Truly surprising, effortlessly-powerful diesel engine
• Equally surprising on-road dynamics (for a heavyweight SUV)
• Beautifully trimmed interior
• The iDrive for the way it de-clutters a dashboard
• Fantastic highway-eating capability

Kez Dislikes:

• Lack of rake-adjustment and heavy rear seats
• The iDrive learning phase
• It may be slightly larger than it needs to be
• I just don’t quite get the appeal of SUVs

The Final Word

The X5 is a testament to technology. It’s been used to transform the diesel mill lurking beneath the bonnet and to also transform the interior environment and systems’ operation.

But it is not just the technology that appeals: plush interior comfort, handsome good looks and effortless performance allows the X5 to straddle both ends of a very broad market – appealing equally to older luxury car buyers and the ‘must-have’ generation.

It is a claim often made but rarely delivered, however BMW has found a way to genuinely combine ‘Sport’ with ‘Utility Vehicle’.