BMW X5 M50d new car review
So you’d like a prestige performance car. And just to add some complication you’d like it to be an SUV and a diesel as well.
Not that long ago you wouldn’t have had a hope of satisfying such a wide and conflicting range of requirements. But the flourishing and fragmentation of the SUV segment means the high-performance diesel SUV is now a reality, no matter how strange it sounds on paper.
The latest to wade into the fight is BMW’s new X5 M50d, based on the third-generation version of its ultra-successful large SUV that launched here late last year.
What do you get?
At $147,900 plus on-road costs the X5 M50d is the high roller of the high-performance diesel SUV pack.
How its value stacks up depends on how you view things. Next to a VW Touareg V8 TDI R-Line, which is similarly sized, similarly grunty and has just as much kit, the $35k-odd premium looks more than a little steep. Audi’s SQ5, while a bit smaller, is quicker and nearly sixty grand cheaper. Even Porsche’s Cayenne Diesel S costs less.
But the top X5 does drip with almost every conceivable toy, including four-zone climate control, heated front seats, adaptive LED headlights, sat nav, internet functionality, harmon/kardon surround-sound stereo, digital radio, surround-view camera, fuel-saving auto stop/start feature and fully automatic parking (it doesn’t just steer, it selects the gear and manipulates the throttle and brakes as well). Third-row seating can be optioned for no extra cost.
It cedes little in terms of safety technology, too, with collision/pedestrian warning systems, collision-prevention braking, blindspot/lane-departure monitors, head-up display, auto high beams and active cruise control (and one sophisticated enough to deal with slow-moving stop/start traffic) all part of the deal.
BMW, though, isn’t sufficiently convinced by the merits of rear-side or front-knee airbags to fit them like some rivals do. The new X5 hasn’t been assessed by the ANCAP crash-test regime either, though there’s little to suggest it wouldn’t attain the maximum five-star rating other generations have managed.
What's inside?
Functionally, the M50d’s cabin is a model citizen, from its spacious, airy front-seat environment and wonderfully supportive, comfortable sports seats to its sprawling rear bench.
Legible instruments, simple controls, a beautifully crisp 10.25-inch centre display and the now-logical iDrive mouse-style control system mean everything is pretty easy to get your head around by prestige-car standards. There’s no shortage of cup/bottle holders or spots to stow small items.
The boot, meanwhile, is a big, box-shaped and easily accessed 650-litre space that expands to a gargantuan 1870 litres with the 40/20/40 split rear seats folded.
While the split tailgate is up for debate in terms of user-friendliness (the upper half is powered but the bottom part is manual, so it’s a two-stage process) it does give you a handy spot to park your bum.
The top X5’s cabin also feels suitably special. There’s nothing particularly fresh about the design (the dash is the usual BMW by numbers piece) but it’s aesthetically pleasing, festooned with lush trims/materials and has some nice touches, like the wraparound LED strip (with switchable colours) that spans the dash and doors.
Under the bonnet
The X50d retains the same 3.0-litre turbodiesel six-cylinder (with unique three-stage turbocharging) as its predecessor.
It’s no more powerful than before but it is quicker (5.3 versus 5.4 seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint) and BMW has screwed its official fuel-economy rating down to 6.7L/100km (down from 7.5L/100km).
It’s an impressive set of numbers. The X50d mightn’t be quite as quick as an SQ5 but it uses less fuel. Next to V8 rivals, which are both slower and significantly thirstier, it looks even better.
It doesn’t disappoint on the road, where its mighty kick, surging mid-range and free-revving character allow it to write serious performance tickets. It has a launch-control function if you just happen to find yourself on a track or drag strip.
Like all turbo engines there’s a bit of delay between asking for and receiving all that grunt, particularly from a standing start, but its throttle response is sharp for a diesel. There’s no computer-generated, petrol-esque soundtrack like the SQ5 but the noise it makes – while obviously diesel – isn’t unpleasant or pervasive.
The M50d’s robust power reserves, exceptional flexibility and a very smart, slick eight-speed auto mean it stacks up as a totally effortless and unobtrusive performer around town and on the highway.
And while we couldn’t match the official economy figure, our test average of 8.2L/100km was hard to sook about for supersonic 2190kg lump.
On the road
The X5 has never been a dynamic dunderhead and the X50d doesn’t drop the ball. In fact – with its responsive steering, keen turn-in, staggering roadholding and surprising lack of body roll and heave – it grabs it and runs.
Or course, BMW hasn’t been able to totally subvert the laws of physics and on a really tight, twisty, lumpy road it can feel more than a touch ponderous. A lithe sports car it isn’t.
True to its performance slant, the X50d gets a version of BMW’s ‘driving experience control’ that allows the driver to alter the settings of the key parts of the setup, from the throttle response and gearbox characteristics to the steering and shock-absorber settings.
The firmed-up Sport and Sport+ modes allow the BMW to fully capitalise on its handling potential but also give a reading of the road surface that has plenty of movement and bump/thump, as well as some rude shocks over really big, sharp bumps.
Even Comfort mode can be a touch too firm over bigger stuff, especially at low speeds, but its combination of cushioning and control is otherwise pretty tolerable for a performance package. There’s not an awful lot of road noise considering the huge 20-inch hoops.
Verdict
This BMW’s biggest issue is price. Buyers can access similarly serious diesel performance in a Euro prestige SUV without spending beyond $100k in the form of the SQ5. And there’s little, on the surface at least, to justify a $35k-odd premium over the similarly large, similarly powerful and similarly well-equipped Touareg R-Line.
Neither car, though, is as much of a hoot to drive as an X50d. And if Porsche’s Cayenne Diesel S might be, it’s neither as economical nor as well equipped.
So going for an X50d will demand a deep breath before signing that check. But it does make a compelling case for being most talented, desirable member of the high-performance diesel SUV pack.
BMW X5 M50d pricing and specifications
How much? From $147,900
Engine: 3.0-litre turbodiesel six-cylinder. 280kW/740Nm
Fuel use: 6.7L/100km
CO2 emissions: 177g CO2/km
What's it got: Six airbags; Stability control; Active cruise control; Collision-prevention braking; Blindspot/lane-departure monitors; Surround-view camera; Automatic parking system; Four-zone climate control; Power heated front seats; Power tailgate; Satellite navigation; CD/DVD/MP3 stereo; Bluetooth; 20-inch alloys