Overview & Reviews

A new twin-turbo diesel engine debuts on the 2009 BMW X5, which promises robust power and enhanced fuel economy. Optional and standard equipment has been adjusted throughout the X5 lineup, as have the trim level names.

• Nimble handling, powerful engines, luxurious and comfortable interior, huge list of features, excellent iPod interface.

• Ride is on the firm side for some, munchkin-sized third-row seat, hefty price, frustrating iDrive interface.

User Reviews:

Showing 11 through 20 of 52.00

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  One year after purching X5 - 2009 BMW X5
  By Rjaio - September 2 - 6:58 pm

  Since I purchased this vehicle, I have put 9,000 miles on it. The fuel mileage is great. On average city traffic, I got 22.4 mile/gal. No problem so far and the quality is better than what I expected after own Japanese cars for many year. The only thing I dont feel comfortable is the car equipped with run flat tires. How can I drive on the interstate highway in a rural area with a flat tire. I decide to buy a spare tire and also replace the run flat tires with regular ones when the time come.

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  Marginal Vehicle - 2009 BMW X5
  By Bonehead - August 17 - 3:18 pm

  The diesel is sluggish during initial acceleration and does not yield the fuel mileage suggested. Purchased pre-driven 09 BMW Corp vehicle from the dealership that did not disclose appearance and functional issues at the time of sale. The dealer will not cooperatively correct these flaws.

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  My Best Buy - 2009 BMW X5
  By Gladstone Bimmer - May 21 - 11:47 am

  I have recently driven a Mercedes C280, a Mercedes E320 and a Lexus R320, but my BMW X5 is the best vehicle of the lot. I love the way it looks inside and outside and I have learned to love the way it drives. The I-Drive was a little difficult to learn, but once mastered is a great way to control the many different features. Im 67 years old and learning to drive all over again!

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  the shop guys call it a truck - 2009 BMW X5
  By woolly - March 31 - 7:53 am

  Love that diesel note at idle. Reminds me of being in Europe. Cant hear it at speed. Surprising punch with dual sequential turbo. Feels best at 80 mph. Gets an honest 26 mpg at that rate. Town is 17/18. Electronics are suspect. Clock wont boot sometimes. Nav screen will not come up on occasion. Had three Nav heads installed on warranty. Probably fixed. Had an alternator go out, took three weeks to get replacement. Dealer made a courtesy payment! With all those gears it is hard for trans to select medium takeoff velocity. Easy is fine and stoop on it and it flies. The middle is hard to attain. I love/distrust this car and will probably trade before warranty expires.

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  Turbodiesel X5 Tops All Mid Size SUVs - 2009 BMW X5
  By Bob A - January 21 - 5:04 pm

  I waited 6 months to write a review of the turbodiesel X5 to make sure that there would be no issues with the engine. There arent any issues with the diesel - its great! Plenty of power on the low end with good power at speed. The six cylinder gas engine is way underpowered. The V8 has great performance with terrible fuel economy. I am getting between 30 and 32 MPG on the highway and 18 MPG in local driving. Figure that you will average 22 MPG in combined driving.

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  All that and more! Really! - 2009 BMW X5
  By Doc - December 22 - 9:28 pm

  Feels rocket fast because of the low end torque. 0 to 60 is only 0.6 sec. slower then the gas guzzling 4.8 liter gasoline version. I average 22.4 mpg. and I drive it like a sports car. The comfort stability and ride quality still astound me. For the first time I always want to drive... and everyone else asks to. The thing corners like a sports car and feels soooo smooth doing 100mph on the straight. Sound system is superb. You can hear the engine if the sound system is not on but its not intrusive. I dont have the sport package with the expensive wheels so the visual is an understatement but the highway ride quality is actually a lot better without the fat tires...go figure.

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  X5 Diesel Pros and Cons, mostly Pro - 2009 BMW X5
  By NorhternVA - November 23 - 9:34 pm

  5,000 mile review: This vehicle is about compromise: V8 performance and SUV comfort with less pollution and up to 30 mpg highway. But theres no mistaking that this is a diesel. You can hear the clatter at low RPM. BMW designed the X5 model with a loud exhaust note, mistakenly thinking that buyers equate noise with performance. Add the diesels louder, gravelly engine note to the already loud X5 exhaust note and you get a noisy driving experience. It quiets down at highway speeds, but the exhaust noise is constant, intrusive, and can be annoying. In the first 5,000 miles, mpg was 24.5 mixed and 29.5 highway. Not bad for a vehicle that weighs over 2.5 tons and isnt broken in yet. This might be a good choice if you are willing to trade drive-train refinement for the comfort of an SUV that gets great mpg and pollutes less.

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  Love the X5! - 2009 BMW X5
  By mikehell - October 29 - 5:55 pm

  Just traded a 2008 Lexus LS460 sedan for my first SUV. I love it so far! Loaded with sport package, nav, comfort access, 20 inch wheels, you name it. I have owned 2 BMW 5 series a few years back and frankly missed the German engineering... especially when compared to Lexuss poor engineering. Sorry Lexus fans, but they just are not BMWs. I actually look forward to getting up in the mornings just to drive my X5... that is how much i love it! Let alone, the service and BMW assist is included for 4 years/50 K miles... that definitely helps with the ownership costs of a luxury SUV.

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  Fed up of inconsistent diagnostics - 2009 BMW X5
  By faizal ali - October 19 - 9:01 pm

  My BMW is under 6 months old with less than 4000 miles and has been back to the dealer for the same problem. It has an annoying vibrating sound from the engine. The dealer changed the power steering pump and problem still exists now I am told it might be an engine mount. I would like to return this truck because I am fed up of the inconsistency of what a new car should have. I should have kept my infinti qx4.

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  Early impressions 100% - 2009 BMW X5
  By Stimulus - October 19 - 8:43 pm

  I purchased a dealer demo with 8000 miles. Paid $51K pre-tax, sticker of $63K, Invoice of $57K. Included $4500 eco credit. Dealer extended Warranty to 55,000 miles. I have driven 3000 miles so far and can find nothing to fault. Performance and handling is superb. There is no turbo lag if you use kick-down mode or shift to M1 for quick starts. Hiway accel is gutsy, mind the staties. I-Drive is easy to use, but it helps to practice when you are not driving. The Nav is DVD based but terrific. BMW Assist lets you download locations from Google Maps. Cool. I drive a lot in my job. Mileage averages 21mpg around New England and Boston. 27mpg on a long hiway trip at 75mph to 80mph.