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2009 BMW X5-Series Safety Review

June 17, 2009

SAFETY | 9 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

Good, frontal-offset and side impact
IIHS

The X5 is one of a handful of vehicles to employ adaptive brake lights
Cars.com

The X5 has good visibility all around
MyRide.com

The 2009 BMW X5 earns the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) Top Safety Pick award and scores high in federal crash tests, earning mostly five-star ratings, save for a four-star side-passenger impact rating and a four-star rollover rating.

Kelley Blue Book reports that "Hill Descent Control, trailer stabilization, rollover protection system and two-stage front, front seat-mounted side and front and rear head-curtain airbags" are standard. Cars.com adds that the adaptive brake lights "illuminate over a wider area under heavy braking." In discussing optional safety features, Edmunds mentions the front and rear parking sensors to avoid minor fender benders, while MyRide.com lists the "anti-roll stability system and run-flat tires as part of a Sport Package." Edmunds notes that the BMW X5 "comes standard with antilock brakes, traction control, stability control, brake drying and standby"; this last feature is described by Cars.com as keeping "the discs clean during inclement weather."

The 2009 BMW X5's "right side mirror dips to give a view of the curb, and its image is overlaid with a grid and lines that move with the steering wheel." ConsumerGuide reports "rear headrests partially block the view astern, but visibility is good otherwise, aided by available front and rear obstacle detection." MyRide.com agrees, saying that the BMW X5's large mirrors, large windows, and rearview camera result in "good visibility all around." The camera is automatically activated when the car is put in reverse, so there is no fiddling around with controls that can take away from the task at hand.

Conclusion

The 2009 BMW X5 scores well in crash tests and offers a plethora of standard and optional safety features.

SAFETY | 9 out of 10Expert Quotes:Good, frontal-offset and side impactIIHSThe X5 is one of a handful of vehicles to employ adaptive brake lightsCars.comThe X5 has good visibility all aroundMyRide.com The 2009 BMW X5 earns the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) Top Safety Pick award and scores high in federal crash tests, earning mostly five-star ratings, save for a four-star side-passenger impact rating and a four-star rollover rating. Kelley Blue Book reports that "Hill Descent Control, trailer stabilization, rollover protection system and two-stage front, front seat-mounted side and front and rear head-curtain airbags" are standard. Cars.com adds that the adaptive brake lights "illuminate over a wider area under heavy braking." In discussing optional safety features, Edmunds mentions the front and rear parking sensors to avoid minor fender benders, while MyRide.com lists the "anti-roll stability system and run-flat tires as part of a Sport Package." Edmunds notes that the BMW X5 "comes standard with antilock brakes, traction control, stability control, brake drying and standby"; this last feature is described by Cars.com as keeping "the discs clean during inclement weather." The 2009 BMW X5's "right side mirror dips to give a view of the curb, and its image is overlaid with a grid and lines that move with the steering wheel." ConsumerGuide reports "rear headrests partially block the view astern, but visibility is good otherwise, aided by available front and rear obstacle detection." MyRide.com agrees, saying that the BMW X5's large mirrors, large windows, and rearview camera result in "good visibility all around." The camera is automatically activated when the car is put in reverse, so there is no fiddling around with controls that can take away from the task at hand. ConclusionThe 2009 BMW X5 scores well in crash tests and offers a plethora of standard and optional safety features. 2009 BMW X5 STYLING | [7 out of 10] Edmunds: "exterior sheet metal mimics other designs" MyRide.com: "you are surrounded by a combination of luxury and truckness" Cars.com: "The X5's skin shows no drastic styling rebirth" Car and Driver: "It doesn't look radically different from its ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

The Mercedes-Benz GL-Class matches the X5 in seating and off-road capacity, and to our eyes, it's more handsome than the BMW. The Cadillac Escalade out-blings all these vehicles and has a smooth powertrain to go with its high price tag and low fuel economy, though a Hybrid edition is coming. Porsche's Cayenne seats only five and has drab styling, though it handles well. The Lexus GX 470 is a slightly smaller choice in this group. The Brit-cool Land Rover Range Rover is another stylish option, though it's also considerably more expensive than the BMW X5.

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See the BMW X5-Series in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999

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