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The current X5 in general rides better than the first-generation vehicle, and its steering is pleasantly weighted.
Moving off from a stop proved easy, thanks to well mapped light-throttle tip in ECU programming and silky shifts.
Though, as always, I cannot stand the shifter. I don't want to press a button for park-I want to shift into it.
The optional third row is even more cramped and is suitable only for children.
The driving position remains the same in the X5 with all the controls as they should be – in typical BMW style.
QUALITY | 9 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
The current X5 in general rides better than the first-generation vehicle, and its steering is pleasantly weighted.
Automobile Magazine
Moving off from a stop proved easy, thanks to well mapped light-throttle tip in ECU programming and silky shifts.
Autoblog
Though, as always, I cannot stand the shifter. I don't want to press a button for park-I want to shift into it.
Motor Trend
The optional third row is even more cramped and is suitable only for children.
Edmunds
The driving position remains the same in the X5 with all the controls as they should be – in typical BMW style.
Left Lane News
With such controlled body motion and reassuring handling, you might expect comfort to be an afterthought in the X5, but you'd be wrong. It's not as outright roomy or cushy as some of the competition, but its three-row seating makes enough head- and leg-room for up to seven passengers with relative ease, with a fair bit of room left over for the groceries or luggage.
Front-seat passengers get the best of the X5's amenities, though rear-seat riders won't lack in space. Third-row seating is cramped as usual, but not the worst in this class.
Materials and construction quality are good, but not Range Rover-level, and about on par with BMW's mid-size and large sedans--in other words, nothing to complain about, but nothing remarkable in the class, either. The primary complaint lodged by TheCarConnection.com regarding the interior of the BMW X5 is the flimsy plastic panel covering the opening of the hinged tailgate.
Close panel tolerances and low cabin noise speak to the underlying attention to detail and build quality.The X5 has plenty of places for stowing cargo, even fitting bins to the doors to help maximize available cabin space. A deep center console and pockets on the back of each front seat help keep clutter in the cabin to a minimum.
Conclusion
A rich, elegantly styled interior offers lots of comfort—unless you’re in the third row.
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