Well the price increase definitely caught USA Today's attention.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/...rease/2457107/
Quote:
BMW adds hefty price increase to redesigned X5 SUV
BMW redesigned its popular X5 crossover SUV for 2014, and the price tag got the biggest overhaul.
The least-expensive 2014 X5 is $53,725 including shipping – and that's a rear-wheel drive model. The lowest-price 2013 was $48,425, and it was all-wheel drive. That's a 10.9% jump.
The least-expensive 2014 AWD model is $56,025, and that's a 15.7% price hike vs. the 2013 base AWD model. It's just $100 more than the 2013 mid-level model, called Premium.
BMW says it has streamlined the model range, combining all three 2013 six-cylinder AWD versions -- Base, Premium and Sport-Activity Vehicle -- into a single model called X5 xDrive35i. And, it's added the new rear-drive version as a "price leader" even though it's more expensive than last year's entry model.
The 2014 X5, the third generation of the vehicle that got BMW into the SUV business back in 1999, goes on sale in November.
BMW says straight price comparisons aren't fair. The 2014 redesign has made the X5 bigger, lighter and far better equipped, the car company says.
According to BMW data, the 2014 is about 1 inch longer and virtually the same width and height as the 2013, and rides on the same 115.5-in. wheelbase.
It gets a slightly tighter turning circle diameter, 41.6 ft. vs. 42 ft -- though it isn't clear if that's the new rear-drive model. All-wheel-drive vehicles almost always have wider turing circles.
Shoulder width is roughly 2 in. great in the new model even though exterior width hasn't changed much, so some artistic trimming and tucking has gone on inside. Headroom's about the same, BMW stats show.
Weight, cargo space and mileage ratings aren't available.
Now standard, among other features:
•Updated navigation
•Voice commands
•Urgency logarithm, as part of the automatic emergency notification in a crash. It surmises how badly you're hurt from reading various sensors in the car and lets rescuers know.
•Updated power steering
•Automatic start/stop. More and more vehicles have that as a fuel-saver. It shuts off the engine at long stoplights and other times it might not need to be running.
BMW's version has been ill-received because the start-stop rhythm isn't predictable. It might restart the engine for no apparent reason at a stoplight, for example. It's unclear if BMW has improved the operation of that feature.
Oddly enough, on some BMWs it seems to work fine, stopping and restarting when you'd expect, though not without significant vibration.
The V-8 model, xDrive 50i, will start at $69,125, up 6.1%
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