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2 days agoLAST POST
Woke up to see us heading at an awkward angle down a long slope into the ditch in the median of a 4-lane hwy (cruise control on @ 64).
I could feel the momentum trying to tip over - gave it some gas to straighten out, and eventually got the rig back onto the highway where I heard a disconcerting grinding noise.
Got it over to the shoulder without hitting anybody (whew!) and stopped to find I had blown the right side tire on the trailer.
There is NO WAY I wouldn't have rolled over without the WDH. For that matter, I'm not sure my JGC would have made the save... Kudos to the X5!
As for all that extra stress on the chassis of the X5, so far I haven't noticed anything abnormal - drives true, no weird squeaks, moans or rattles...
Embarassing, but I'm really happy to be able to tell the tale!
Cars without a full size spare are not suitable to tow as is IMHO. try towing with a “flat” runflat or a donut tire….
Crazy. why put a factory tow hitch on an X5 but don’t offer a full size spare.
Towed a trailer for many miles and many years with a GMC Yukon. when you have a flat you find out fast how valuable that is.
X5_Oxfordii wroteGreat pics in the posts
Cars without a full size spare are not suitable to tow as is IMHO. try towing with a “flat” runflat or a donut tire….
Crazy. why put a factory tow hitch on an X5 but don’t offer a full size spare.
Towed a trailer for many miles and many years with a GMC Yukon. when you have a flat you find out fast how valuable that is.
X5_Oxfordii wroteHad a friend who towed his track car with an X5 and had a tire failure on his way back home. It extended his stay by 2 days because there were no tire shops that had a replacement tire in the size that was needed for the X5.Great pics in the posts
Cars without a full size spare are not suitable to tow as is IMHO. try towing with a “flat” runflat or a donut tire….
Crazy. why put a factory tow hitch on an X5 but don’t offer a full size spare.
Towed a trailer for many miles and many years with a GMC Yukon. when you have a flat you find out fast how valuable that is.
Wouldn’t have been a problem in a vehicle that has a full size spare tire.
This is probably why most vehicles designed to tow more than an X5/X7 typically have a full size spare tire such as your light duty and heavy duty pickups as well as domestic 1/2 ton based SUVs.
bono wrote“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”Given how rare people get flat tire, full size spare tire is totally irrelevant. More important is that BMW is a great tow vehicle which you would enjoy every second while towing instead of towing with 100 years old design vehicles which handle poorly, but have full size spare.
There’s a reason why body on frame vehicles such as pickups and 1/2 ton based SUVs have been around for a while.
I simply haven’t seen a unibody SUV that can tow as much as an HD pickup. I’m not saying it can’t be done - it can. But the demand would be so low due to the cost of implementing that.
Fortunately, I’ll be able to do this comparison for you and settle this debate once and for all.
We’re picking up a 2025 F150 Lariat SuperCrew with the 5.0, 6.5 foot bed, and Max Tow package from Granger Ford in early July.
I also placed an order for a 2026 X5 xDrive40i MSport this past Friday.
If I towed 20,000 lbs, I would not have a choice and would need to accept using pickup truck with its all flaws (poor handling and braking, etc.). Fortunately, my trailer is within towing capacity of BMW and I don't have to use obsolete design vehicle.
Polo08816 wrote“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
There’s a reason why body on frame vehicles such as pickups and 1/2 ton based SUVs have been around for a while.
I simply haven’t seen a unibody SUV that can tow as much as an HD pickup. I’m not saying it can’t be done - it can. But the demand would be so low due to the cost of implementing that.
Fortunately, I’ll be able to do this comparison for you and settle this debate once and for all.
We’re picking up a 2025 F150 Lariat SuperCrew with the 5.0, 6.5 foot bed, and Max Tow package from Granger Ford in early July.
I also placed an order for a 2026 X5 xDrive40i MSport this past Friday.
bono wroteSo that’s the comparison that I’ll be able to do soon.Absolutely, there is a reason. The reason is that the manufacturing and maintenance of body on frame vehicles is much simpler and much cheaper. Manufacturers realize a massive profit margin on pickup trucks.
If I towed 20,000 lbs, I would not have a choice and would need to accept using pickup truck with its all flaws (poor handling and braking, etc.). Fortunately, my trailer is within towing capacity of BMW and I don't have to use obsolete design vehicle.
I’ll tow something within the capacity of the 2026 BMW X5 xDrive40i and then I can tow the same trailer with the 2025 F150 Lariat with the 5.0, SuperCrew Cab, 6.5 foot bed, Max Tow package, and 3.73 gears.
That way I’ll be able to share my experience of the X5 towing at its advertised limits which is well within the limits of the F150.
If you are towing the same trailer setup with a x5 and f150 I would 100% choose the x5 (assuming you are within the limits of the x5).
As for tires on the x5 if you have the 20inch option a lot better chance of finding replacements, worse case just buy an additional full size spare and throw it in the trailer for peace of mind.
beattiecj wroteI am not sure why you would want to tow with a F-150 yea sure it has a 14k tow limit but at that point 99% of people would a use a F-250+, just a miserable experience getting 7mpg and winding out the motor (speaking from experience with a 5.0).
If you are towing the same trailer setup with a x5 and f150 I would 100% choose the x5 (assuming you are within the limits of the x5).
As for tires on the x5 if you have the 20inch option a lot better chance of finding replacements, worse case just buy an additional full size spare and throw it in the trailer for peace of mind.
schaNYC wroteAcceleration usually isn't the problem with most higher option powertrains in modern vehicles for towing.50e never felt underpowered on steep grades or highway speeds. I use a Weighsafe hitch to safely manage my tongue weight. Also helps to have surge brakes on both axles of the trailer for added stopping power. I’ve pulled on full electric mode as well for a solid half hr with no issues.
Towing capacities reflected in GCWRs have increased because GVWRs have increased.
zjiyuan89 wroteTowing a 5,000lbs flat bed car trailer with minimal cross section is different than towing a 7,000-8,000lbs enclosed trailer.I’ve towed my 5000-pound combined U-Haul trailer and car with my F150 XLT 3.5T many times before. Now, I’m towing with my X5 xDrive40i. In my personal opinion, within the towing capacity, the X5 provides more torque to pull. Other than that, I didn’t notice any issues with the X5. The only downside might be that I miss the rear bed on the truck, which can carry more tools and a set of spare wheels and tires.
Have you weighed your empty X5, F150, and your tow rig to see what your steer, drive, and trailer axles weigh?
Usually the U-Haul trailers are designed to place a greater % of the trailer weight on the tongue. If your combined U-Haul trailer weight was 5,000lbs, your tongue weight is going to be anywhere from 500-1,000lbs.
What's the payload capacity for an X5? https://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1578877
Seems like it would be in the neighborhood of 750-1000lbs. If you had to add the weight of a set of tire/wheels, tools, yourself, maybe a passenger, and the tongue weight of that trailer, you could very easily exceed 750-1000lbs.
It would be less of a problem on a 1/2 ton pickup because most of those payloads are between 1000-2000lbs.
