BMW X5: Are SUVs The Best City Cars? - Carfection

[Jason]

BIMMERPOST NEWS

BMW X5: Are SUVs The Best City Cars? - Carfection

33
COMMENTS

Tweet

Carfection says goodbye to their long term X5 and wraps up by asking whether the X5 and SUVs are the best city cars.

[pgviper]

Personally, I agree! However I think the X5 would be just a bit to big... X3 is perfect size

[Yeru]

I'm not an SUV kind of guy; they're as foreign to me as the mating habits of the Golden Pheasant. However, my current loaner is an X5 xdrive 35i and I am somewhat intrigued by its tech.

Seating:
You don't "slide" into it; you climb in and out of it (I'm > 6' / 1.82m). With the seat in the lowest position, I still feel I'm sitting high and tall, which I personally don't like.

Braking: definitely feel its weight; does it inspire confidence? For me no, in fact it probably triggers me to be overly cautious.

Handling: feels like a boat and a bit floaty.

Torque: meh

Overall, very difficult for me to "engage" with the vehicle; it lends itself to laid back, zoned out type of driving style, which is kind of boring, no?

I can't imagine what a ubiquitous non-BMW SUV must feel like.

[pokerface]

Originally Posted by Yeru

Overall, very difficult for me to "engage" with the vehicle; it lends itself to laid back, zoned out type of driving style, which is kind of boring, no?

I can't imagine what a ubiquitous non-BMW SUV must feel like.

been shopping around for a large people mover and there were some choices that would put me to sleep..

[Yeru]

Originally Posted by pokerface

been shopping around for a large people mover and there were some choices that would put me to sleep..

Yeah, I suppose you just have to roll with that thing they call "practicality" based on need; *sigh*

[Chadmatic]

Originally Posted by Yeru

I'm not an SUV kind of guy; they're as foreign to me as the mating habits of the Golden Pheasant. However, my current loaner is an X5 xdrive 35i and I am somewhat intrigued by its tech.

Seating:
You don't "slide" into it; you climb in and out of it (I'm > 6' / 1.82m). With the seat in the lowest position, I still feel I'm sitting high and tall, which I personally don't like.

Braking: definitely feel its weight; does it inspire confidence? For me no, in fact it probably triggers me to be overly cautious.

Handling: feels like a boat and a bit floaty.

Torque: meh

Overall, very difficult for me to "engage" with the vehicle; it lends itself to laid back, zoned out type of driving style, which is kind of boring, no?

I can't imagine what a ubiquitous non-BMW SUV must feel like.

You just described a Chevy Suburban to a "T". I'd be be curious to hear your thoughts if you drove one of those after the X5.

[iconoclast]

In my opinion the best Urban/City vehicle for a family person would be a wagon or hatch. Handling of a sedan, fuel economy of a sedan, not oversized or cumbersome and practicality of an suv however the powers that be say that there is no market for them in the NAR/US and instead we get hatchbacks on stilts labeled "crossovers" or "cute-ute" or anything in-between.

I do agree with the avoidance statement the individual in the video made and I would like to add that the higher line of sight and view is a tremendous plus. When I drive a full size RR through the city pedestrians do not jaywalk, cabs do not try to squeeze in front, smaller vehicles yield instead of forcing their way in. It is a much less stressful drive other than that a hatch or touring or avant would be the ideal vehicle.

[ndinh]

The X5 serves its purpose and does it very well for the price. You basically get quite a bit of cool techie stuff for around $60k. My wife has a F15 X5 and we use it primarily as a baby mover and weekend lunch-mobile with the in-laws. I have a lowered F06 640i and even though it has the 'cool' factor and luxury seating, etc. , the X5 will win in comfort and practicality any day. If I had to drive around Los Angeles all day to run errands, etc., I would pick the X5 over any M and non-M sedans/coupes, including my car. I totally agree with 'carfection'.

[Destroya]

I swore I would never drive an SUV, always had a hatch or a wagon. But the X1 has won me over. Great size, practicality and the extra ride height is a big benefit given that most vehicles on the road these days are so big.

[XXX5]

Originally Posted by Yeru

I'm not an SUV kind of guy; they're as foreign to me as the mating habits of the Golden Pheasant. However, my current loaner is an X5 xdrive 35i and I am somewhat intrigued by its tech.

Seating:
You don't "slide" into it; you climb in and out of it (I'm > 6' / 1.82m). With the seat in the lowest position, I still feel I'm sitting high and tall, which I personally don't like.

Braking: definitely feel its weight; does it inspire confidence? For me no, in fact it probably triggers me to be overly cautious.

Handling: feels like a boat and a bit floaty.

Torque: meh

Overall, very difficult for me to "engage" with the vehicle; it lends itself to laid back, zoned out type of driving style, which is kind of boring, no?

I can't imagine what a ubiquitous non-BMW SUV must feel like.

OK so what is your daily driver? I think if you drove my X5 you might feel differently but trashing the whole SUV concept seems stupid. Fit all my guitar gear and amps in your car...oh sorry almost none of it will fit? Really, but its so low and comfortable and not floaty. Stupid post, sorry. I can out accelerate most of whats on the road (sub 5 second 0-60), and the brakes are better than in almost any car or other SUV I've owned. Tell me again how awesome your car is and shitty my SUV is....oh sorry but I'm kinda zoned out here driving my SUV

[IvanLZ]

Originally Posted by Yeru

I'm not an SUV kind of guy; they're as foreign to me as the mating habits of the Golden Pheasant. However, my current loaner is an X5 xdrive 35i and I am somewhat intrigued by its tech.

Seating:
You don't "slide" into it; you climb in and out of it (I'm > 6' / 1.82m). With the seat in the lowest position, I still feel I'm sitting high and tall, which I personally don't like.

Braking: definitely feel its weight; does it inspire confidence? For me no, in fact it probably triggers me to be overly cautious.

Handling: feels like a boat and a bit floaty.

Torque: meh

Overall, very difficult for me to "engage" with the vehicle; it lends itself to laid back, zoned out type of driving style, which is kind of boring, no?

I can't imagine what a ubiquitous non-BMW SUV must feel like.

Handling depends on suspension... seeing as you had a loaner most likely stock suspension which is not that good. Many say its better with dhp or adaptive m suspension... top handling can be achieved on the M version.
Torque can be said the same with all the other bmws with the smaller engine like 328i. That being said the X5 35i doesn't feel underpowered at all in comparison.
Braking, again this car is to haul people... if you want braking that inspire confidence you buy the M version.
Seating, to each their own but i've heard more people say that once they drive high its hard for them to go low.

[Yeru]

Originally Posted by Chadmatic

You just described a Chevy Suburban to a "T". I'd be be curious to hear your thoughts if you drove one of those after the X5.

I suspect you're right; I'd probably crawl sheepishly back to the X5

[iconoclast]

Originally Posted by Destroya

the X1 has won me over.

X1 35i is the best X1 around and blows the Q3 and GLK out of the water in terms of performance and handling however the Q3 has the better interior and the GLK looks a bit more masculine (IMO). In the end I would take the X1 35i M-Sport over either in a heartbeat.

[Yeru]

OK so what is your daily driver? I think if you drove my X5 you might feel differently but trashing the whole SUV concept seems stupid. Fit all my guitar gear and amps in your car...oh sorry almost none of it will fit? Really, but its so low and comfortable and not floaty. Stupid post, sorry. I can out accelerate most of whats on the road (sub 5 second 0-60), and the brakes are better than in almost any car or other SUV I've owned. Tell me again how awesome your car is and shitty my SUV is....oh sorry but I'm kinda zoned out here driving my SUV

Not "trashing" it per se; it's just very different to what I'm personally accustomed to and those differences triggered an opinion. While it does play a key role in your market segment, I'm just not there in spite of its practicality. Maybe one day, but I doubt it.

My DD is an E92 M ZCP.

[Gamb1t]

I remembered when the Lincoln Navigator came out. That was such an enormous SUV. Nothing came close to its behemoth-ness! Just saw one yesterday next to a late model X5 and the Navigator looked 'normal' size.

When I think City, I envision metropolitans like New York, London, Hong Kong, Toronto types. I would hate driving an X5 size around dense urban areas. But then again Dubai might be alright.

[chrisny]

Small SUVs are the perfect city car, imo. X1 or X3 or similar. Small enough to still maneuver well in and out of tight spaces and tight parking garages, small enough to still be light and nimble and not need $4500 suspension upgrades to feel fairly well planted, and yet just big enough to get the extra vision an SUV/cross over can give you with a little extra height. Add to that, the taller seating position (and therefore more bent knees) means more leg room for adults in both rows, something a small city sedan can't do.

[chrisny]

Originally Posted by Gamb1t

I remembered when the Lincoln Navigator came out. That was such an enormous SUV. Nothing came close to its behemoth-ness! Just saw one yesterday next to a late model X5 and the Navigator looked 'normal' size.

When I think City, I envision metropolitans like New York, London, Hong Kong, Toronto types. I would hate driving an X5 size around dense urban areas. But then again Dubai might be alright.

I've driven our (now gone) X5 in NYC and can't say I found it at all bothersome. But if I lived in the city, a little smaller would be better.

[Chadmatic]

Originally Posted by Gamb1t

When I think City, I envision metropolitans like New York, London, Hong Kong, Toronto types. I would hate driving an X5 size around dense urban areas. But then again Dubai might be alright.

I wouldn't want to drive any size vehicle that I own in NYC. There is no such thing as a safe buffer space there, if the aggressive NYC taxi cab drivers or the terrible road conditions don't give your car a nice big battle scar or two, then you can be sure the sardine-can public parking garages or street parking certainly will! It never ceases to amaze me how many cars going in and out of that city are beat to $h!t.

It is so bad that people who want to try to protect their cars have resorted to bumper guards which almost guarantee that somebody will take it as permission to use your bumper to "assist" them when they parallel park.

[UltimateManga]

I have an M4 and X6 and I always find myself taking the keys to the X6 more often as it's my preferred cruiser

[raysspl]

Amazing story telling, as usual. Makes me wanna get a diesel X5 now

[adc]

Originally Posted by chrisny

Small SUVs are the perfect city car, imo. X1 or X3 or similar. Small enough to still maneuver well in and out of tight spaces and tight parking garages, small enough to still be light and nimble and not need $4500 suspension upgrades to feel fairly well planted, and yet just big enough to get the extra vision an SUV/cross over can give you with a little extra height. Add to that, the taller seating position (and therefore more bent knees) means more leg room for adults in both rows, something a small city sedan can't do.

Agreed. Just bought a 2014 X3 xDrive35i M Sport (what a silly name) and with the adaptive suspension it is as comfy as my 5 series in one settings, and considerably more athletic in the other setting. The high seating position does take some getting used to, but is very helpful in the D.C. Traffic.

I'm taking it for errands anytime over the M3, whose suspension requires commitment to the cause even in the softest setting.

[CntryClub007]

I personally believe that sport and non-sport versions of the X5 drive very differently.

I personally love the combination of luxury, handling, acceleration, and utilitarian functionality (hauling stuff) that our '13 35i M-Sport E70 has.

If I had a base version of the X5, I would feel very different. If I didn't have all of the options we have, I would feel very different. The F15 is also way quieter and in no way do you feel as connected to the road as in an E70 (steering and suspension, specifically).

I couldn't love the X3, it was slightly too small for us, and very similarly sized when compared to our F30.

Anyhow, my $.02