BMW X5 xDrive35d Review
BMW carefully selected the 3er Series sedan and X5 SAV (Sport Activity Vehicle, BMW parlance for SUV) as the flagships of the BMW Advanced Diesel line. 
It doesn’t take long to understand the company’s logic after spending time behind the wheel of either car.
While the 335d is the embodiment of the Ultimate Driving Machine, the X5 xDrive35d, which competes with the Audi Q7 TDI, Mercedes-Benz GL320 BlueTech, and the Volkswagen Touareg, is the performance leader in this crowd.
The diesel model is virtually indistinguishable in appearance from the 3.0-liter petrol model – until you lift the hood. Peer inside and you’ll see an all-aluminum, twin-turbo, 3.0-liter oil-burning I-6 that uses Bosch common-rail direct fuel injection (feeding fuel at up to 26,000 psi) with a compression ratio of 16.5:1. This provides the X5 xDrive35d owner with the performance of a V-8 with the fuel economy of a four-cylinder.
Where this X5 does distinguish itself is performance. While 265 horsepower at 4200 rpm doesn’t sound particularly impressive, with diesel engines, it’s really a question of the torque, in this case a massive 425 pound-feet of it.
With the help of the ZF-manufactured six-speed automatic gearbox and BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system, the driver might quickly forget he’s in an SAV. Unlike traditional trucks and SUVs, we found the X5’s handling to be exceptionally sure footed. It benefits from the BMW xDrive all-wheel drive system, which constantly adapts to changing road conditions, as well as multiple electronic systems including Electronic Damping Control (which controls body roll) and dynamic stability control (DSC), which can enhance handling if it senses understeer (front wheels receive no torque) or oversteer (front wheels receive maximum torque).
We took the X5 xDrive35d on a variety of trips, from local errands to long drives along scenic and windy parkways. The view from the driver’s seat was impressive. We found it true to BMW’s Freude am Fahren (the Joy of Driving) slogan whether on city streets or the open road. This was one large vehicle but it was eminently floggable nonetheless.
Inside the cabin, the diesel engine’s pleasant clamor was noticeable at low speed (unlike in other diesel-powered cars in its class) but it was virtually inaudible at speed. The interior has capacious amounts of space for its passengers, as befitting a car of this size. Thanks to the electric shifter and parking brake control, there’s an impressive amount of storage in the center console as well as a very large glove compartment.
Besides performance, in diesel guise the X5 has a significant price advantage over its petrol-powered V-8 stablemate. The diesel X5 starts at $52,175 (the V-8 starts at $57,175) and is eligible for BMW’s $4500 Eco Credit, making the actual cost a very attractive $47,675. On top of that the buyer is entitled to an $1800 tax credit and the knowledge that the diesel X5 can travel close to 600 miles on a tank of fuel, about 30% farther than the V-8.
(In fairness, it must be mentioned that the petrol-powered twin turbo X5 xDrive30i gets 21 mpg and sells for $48,475, only $800 more than the cost of the diesel X5.)
The X5 xDrive35d was introduced as a 2009 model; the current X5 body was introduced in 2007, replacing the original X5 that launched in 1999. All X5s are manufactured in Spartanburg, South Carolina. 30% of the X5s sold in December 2009 and 25% of the X5s sold in November 2009 were diesel models.
| 2010 BMW X5 xDrive35d | |
| Base price/price-as-tested | $52,175/ |
| Drivetrain | Front engine, all-wheel drive |
| Engine | 3.0/265 hp/turbocharged I-6 |
| Transmission | 6-speed automatic with Steptronic |
| Curb weight (lbs) | 5225 |
| Wheelbase (inches) | 115.5 |
| Length x width x height (inches) | 191.1 x 76.1 x 69.5 |
| 0-62 mph (seconds) | 6.9 |
| City/highway fuel economy (mpg) | 19/26 |
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Another great article, Jonathan. I’m looking at the X5 xDrive35d for my wife and I’ve had the chance to drive the car relatively extensively over the last couple of weeks. Based on my tests, I absolutely agree with your assessment and your conclusions.
if BMW’s aim was to deliver the performance of the V8 with the economy of the I6, I have to say they have delivered. The twin turbo diesel is a simply tremendous engine, delivering a monstrous surge of seemingly never-ending torque. It remains absolutely composed and refined at freeway speeds – it is no noisier than (and I suspect actually quieter than) the X5 gasoline engines. Couple this performance and refinement with the usual BMW attributes – quality ride and handling – and you’ve got a great package. It’s definitely made the cut and will probably be one of the two cars on our shortlist. As I said before, it really is a great blend of the best attributes of the I6 and V8 powered X5′s.
The only three things that may count against it are that the interior is (arguably) a little austere, that filling up with diesel is a little more challenging given the still fairly limited availability of filling stations that also offer diesel and that the car needs a lot of options before the spec is one you would want to live with. Obviously, the interior is far from poor – overall quality is clearly high – it’s just a little bland, and the leather is a little too hard. My wife perhaps places more of a premium on these things than I, but I see her point. On the second point, the nearest diesel filling station is a drive away from where we live. Not a deal breaker, and offset to a great extent given the extended time between fill-ups. To the third, BMWs have always needed to be optioned to get the spec to where you would want it to be. The base car is fairly sparsely equipped, and you’ll need to add 10K to 15K to the base price for a decently equipped car.
That said, the X5 xDrive 35d is fantastic. By and large, it lives up to the hype – and there’s decent chance we’ll have one on our driveway at some point!
One final comment is that supply is still very tight – these cars will probably hold their value fairly well. As a comparison, we looked at a pre-owned Audi Q7 TDI yesterday. At around a year old and with 6K on the clock, it was actually priced just a couple of thousand below new… Pretty sure there would be quite a bit of room for negotiation there, but I can’t imagine a BMW or Audi dealer pricing a pre-owned gasoline engined X5 or Q7 so close the price of a new car.
Does anyone know if or when BMW North America will replace the twin turbo diesel motor with the single twin scroll turbo diesel motor as with the 535d?
When BMW re tuned the CPU my mileage dropped from average 24 to 21.8.
The X5 ran out of urea additive at 10k miles and service not due till 15k miles when it was to be refilled. Other then that it runs and drives great like a car. Very comfortable on long drives and don’t have to stop for fuel with long range.
I researched and ordered an ’11 with delivery this past July 1st. We optioned it to our taste and the $4500 eco credit off the sticker helped defray some of the cost. I love the engine with plenty of torque off the line. Cruising at 80 is no problem and I have found that if I keep it at around 70mph, I get 27 mpg. Range is close to 600 miles. There have been more diesel stations popping up and availability is not a problem. Closing in on 10,000 miles with no problem.
On a side note, I have read that a new diesel engine is in the works. It will have 345 horses with over 500lbs/ft of torque. It will be a triturbo and is scheduled to be introduced in Frankfurt later this year. The Q7 is slightly bigger but does not have the power or the steering response. I would definitely but another, only with performance center delivery.
Is there still a tax credit? And are we still looking at a 600 mile distance per tankfull?
Having driven diesels since 1979, I am very disappointed in the overall mileage my wife’s 2011 BMW X-5 diesel gets. We keep meticulous records. For the first 10K miles, she averaged 23.1 mpg city/highway avg.; for the next 15K miles, 24.0 mpg city/highway, barely a 5% increase as the engine broke in. Anybody have any ideas?
Steve, I think the diesel tax credit expired at end of 2010. Call any BMW dealer to confirm.
Great article. I am very interested in this vehicle as a replacement/upgrade for my Honda Pilot. The deal breaker? The two piece rear hatch. It forces me to lift things up and over the bottom piece because with the bottom one in the open position it makes it almost impossible to reach anything far into the rear of the vehicle. For a small person with shorter arms it is not a good design. Put the 8 speed transmission and a one piece rear hatch in this X5 Xdrive D and I am a buyer.