[davramic]

First off; remember that our cars and our views of their performance are super subjective matters. The G05 will be the perfect car for some, a great car for others, an ok car for yet other folks and the worst car ever for the (very) rare persons out there.

When I was looking to move from a F90 2018 M5, I had a lot of questions about the X5; some of the reviews answered some of my questions; one-on-one talks with some amazing folks on this forum answered others (you know who you are!). But it was not until I got the car that I had all of my questions answered.

For those of you who still have questions the various professional car reviews (Car and Driver, CarWow, Consumer Reports, etc) and user level reviews on this forum haven’t answered, I hope that this helps you. Warning: I’m a former Army officer. I love the sound of my own voice, even in written form. For you trolls out there who seem to do nothing but hunt this forum for newbs and make bitchy ass comments about “go search” and “Jesus you’re stupid” and the like, piss off and go get a goddamn life. Pissy mother f*&!ers.

Note: I am a medical provider and not a mechanic, mechanical engineer or a professional auto-reviewer. If I use some wrong terminology in the wrong context I apologize! I don’t claim to be an expert, I just claim to be honest about what I am experiencing.


Without Further Delay :
So You Want A 2019 G05 BMW X5 But You Are Not Quite Ready to Pull The Trigger

You’re on this forum looking for reassurance, answers or guidance. First; you see ALLLLLLL sorts of horror stories on here. I was LITERALLY terrified that I had committed to buy an expensive lemon until I got my car. Scared of Wrinklegate (yes there are mild lines in my backseats; I like it, and they are very comfortable); scared of iDrive 7 and CarPlay (no real issues at all), terrified of shipping and quality control issues…. Keep in mind; BMW is shipping 12,000 – 15,000 of the X5 PER MONTH. There is MAYBE a few dozen to a one – two hundred active forum members at any given time, and the more you visit the more you see the same folks. Do the math. The people who report the horror stories are, in my opinion, the rare negative experiences out there. In some instances, the things people are reporting are people who want perfection and getting slapped up side the head with a dose of reality.

Now, I am not belittling or claiming this car does not have issues. I am saying what MY experience is with it. Lord knows I had a HORRIBLE time with the F90 M5 and how it spent 5 of the 12 months I owned it in the shop; I am sure there are F90 owners out there who never had a problem.

All of my cars in my adult life have been BMW; I started with a 2003 BMW 325i and went to a E82 135i; then the last of the E90 V8 M3 (barf, horrible car), my first F10 M5 (double barf), down to a F30 335i, my second M5 as the F90 M5 and now the G05 X5. I have seen things I like about all of those cars, and things I hate or dislike about each of them. The reality is that as cars get ever more sophisticated, there WILL be some glitches, headaches or foibles. I’ve yet to own a computer or phone or iPhone that has been problem free; as cars infotainment and software become more intertwined, this phenomenon is seen more and more frequently on our vehicles.

To me, it’s a question of a manufacturer minimizing those issues and the service in fixing them when they DO occur that sets BMW cars apart. For those of you out there with terrible BMW dealers and bad Geniuses…. I’m really sorry. My dealer, my service manager and my genius are all fantastic and made this a simple process!


This is my rig, so you know what it is that I am reviewing:

2019 BMW X5 50i
Arctic Grey metallic
Ivory white extended merino leather
M Sport Exhaust
M Sport package
Executive package
Drivers assistance pro package
Premium Package 2
Comfort handling package
Luxury seating package
Parking assistant package
Acoustic glass
Bowers & Wilkins sound system
Front/Rear heated seats
Glass controls
Heated front seats armrests and steering wheel
Night vision with pedestrian detection




On To The Show:

POWER:
Coming from the M5, I was unimpressed with the 40i power plant. Please remember that in the last 14 years, all of my cars have been quick (135i and three full M cars). While the 40i isn’t slow, those of you who are coming from a sedan or maybe a higher performing SUV (I know some Macan Turbo and Cayenne turbo converts out there), the 40i acceleration is most definitely NOT going to leave you happy.

I hear a lot of angst about people wanting to wait for the pseudo M version of the V8 power plant with the X5 m50i (personally I hate this trend, either you are a full M car or not, these half way cars are just silly to me); I personally found the current 50i very satisfying. The sound is fantastic, the acceleration is in the low 4.3 – 4.5, and is more than adequate in whipping through traffic. If you read the glowing reviews on the F90 M5 you know that car is wicked fast; I never used that power. For most of us, other than penis wagging joy of having “MY CAR IS SO FAST WOW LOOK AT ME” the practicality of it is virtually non-existent. That doesn’t mean we don’t WANT it, but I didn’t often find I was drag racing grandma at stop signs or my neighbor to “who got to 25mph in our neighborhood first” very often.

Personally, I feel that the added acceleration in the M50i vs the current 50i is likely to be negligible; my estimate is .1 to .2 seconds tops in 0-60mph time difference between a future M50i and the current 50i. In terms of real world use, this is just not appreciable. This only comes into play for the aforementioned penis wagging (hey, I was guilty I admit it!) or if you are tracking your X5… and if you are tracking your SUV, I feel you are missing the point of owning an SUV. Just have your mid-life crises and go out and buy a 911.

I live in a very hilly/mountainous region of Southern Oregon. When I take I5 up through passes, I want to have the ability to gun the throttle and easily pass some idiot driver(s), trucker(s), logging trucks, etc. I tried this sort of goal while testing the 40i and it did not give me a warm fuzzy that I would be able to do this (easily pass up and down hills) in our terrain. My SA felt the same way. If this is not a concern for you, a 40i will be perfectly adequate for normal day to day driving.

VERDICT: if you can afford it, get the 50i.




SUSPENSION/HANDLING:
I got the opportunity to test base models with some basic options (nothing performance oriented, only cosmetic options like full merino leather) of both the 40i and 50i. So while I got to see the difference in the power plants, I did not get the opportunity to test the difference in the M adaptive suspension, the air suspension, the integral active steering etc. I spent a lot of the time on forums, asking questions, and agonizing over this.

On my rig, I personally WANT a bit more floating/easy ride. I have 2 back fractures that have not healed well from Afghanistan and while I love to drive, the M5 was far too stiff and jarring for my back; you could count the small aggregate rocks trapped in the asphalt practically. The air suspension is fantastic. I still have very mild body roll in the Sport and Sport Plus settings, the handling on corners is quick and responsive and yet the chassis feels firm, well balanced, and very, very smooth. Comfort mode is smoother yet; on larger bumps/dips there is a noticeable bounce (weeeeeee!), and there is a bit more body roll. I may have gotten the car fast enough for the air suspension to hunker down and that was actually fairly cool. It does for sure increase the cornering ability and overall feel of the car feeling “planted” to the road.

I like this quite a bit. If you are DEAD SET on sports car handling, I would go the full M adaptive; if you are looking for a balance between excellent comfort and excellent handling get comfort handling package

VERDICT: Comfort handling package an amazing upgrade, but the base model is still very nice.




NO SOUND GLASS (or for the more precise students, Acoustic Glass):
This car is SO MUCH QUIETER than the M5. Some will argue “well no shit, its 150 horsepower less and not a sports sedan”, blah blah blah words. The ride is quiet, I get no wind noise, I hear greater clarity from the sound system and overall that was the SECOND most noticed and commented on passenger comment “wow its so quiet in here!”.

VERDICT: GET THE GLASS NO MATTER WHAT.




BRAKING:
The models I test drove all had base model brakes. We both thought that the braking had far too much travel and the stopping power was sub-par. I think the M-brakes is an excellent and rather cost effective option that will enhance safety and peace of mind. They have far less travel, more bite and I feel more secure with them particularly at speed.

VERDICT: Get the brakes. You will wish you had if you don’t.




BOWER AND WILKINS:
I am going to try hard and stay civil; there is just no. No. No. No. No. comparison between the B&W and the HK sound system. We have both; our X3 m40i has the HK and the X5 50i has the B&W (as did the just gotten rid of F90 M5). There is zero comparison between these two; those who say they are similar are greatly mistaken. The B&W is definitely not as loud, but can be taken up full blast with virtually no distortion. The sound profiles such as Concert, Studio, Stage, etc changes the manner in which the speakers are fired at which ranges and do an amazing job of recreating a sound profile consistent with the description (ie sounding like you are at a concert; sounding like you are in a studio recording, etc). If you are a wheel head and you bought this car for long trips, BUY THIS OPTION. This is the number one comment every, last, single, person has commented on (and my parents are far from car aficionados). It is expensive but totally worth it to me.

VERDICT: Very pricey, but can you put a price on aural joy?




LEATHER:
I did not get the extended merino leather dash. I hated it on the M5; I think it looks weird and I prefer the textural changes seen with the sensatec or whatever they use normally.

In terms of interior coloring, I got the Ivory leather. I have zero jean transfer (granted its been a whole 2 days); but I purposefully wore dark jeans all day that bleed color; so while my hands and fingernails are slightly blue tinged, my Ivory leather is still pristine! Do the math.

Regarding wrinkle-gate and the infamous back seat drama. I have seen some forum members who had HORRIBLE seats, the quality of which is totally inexcusable. My seats have faint wrinkles in them that, TO ME, seem intended. I have read (painfully and yet unable to look away, like a train wreck) every review on the wrinkled seat issue. I believe some seats were clearly QC; yes I know BMW put out model car sans wrinkles and their stock, staged photos show a wrinkleless back seat; but for those of you who apparently still believe in Santa Claus; in photography and ads showing products cereal milk is glue, that BigMac on TV doesn’t look like it does in real life, and virtually anything professionally photographed from models to cars gets touched up. Yes, I know you will say “Fuck off those examples aren’t $90k cars”; good point; obviously BMW disagrees and so does the public. Cuz, you know, they are selling 15,000 a month. So while I see some comments “I will never buy this car” obviously BMW does not feel your pain or care about your thoughts since they are selling like gangbusters.

If you are concerned you are going to get HORRIBLE wrinkles, personally I feel that those kinks have worked out. I think what is coming off the line NOW is well done and looking nice. The quality of the extended merino leather is fantastic; our X3 has the vernasca leather and personally I hate it. If you can afford it, definitely recommend the upgrade to Merino.

VERDICT: seats WILL come wrinkled in back, but the leather quality is great, the wrinkles are mild, the seats are MUCH more comfortable than any of my other BMWs and if you can afford it, definitely get the Merino UNLESS YOU HAVE SMALL KIDS OR BIG DOGS… IT WILL GET DESTROYED. EXPERIENCE ON THIS.




CARPLAY AND iDRIVE:
There are so many forum threads and comments on this issue. I find this ironic so many people seem to hate iDrive 7. I LOATHED iDrive 6. I had endless fracking issues with my M5. iDrive 6 was slow as FUCK. Lag was noticeable; it would drop widgets every 3rd or 4th time I drove the car. The weather widget or clock most infamously. CarPlay worked maybe 40% of the time automatically; the rest I had to force it to work via hard resets, moving to BlueTooth audio, hooking up via cable, etc. Those who seem to pretend that ONLY iDrive 7 has issues are absolutely freaking nuts. I had my M5 for exactly one year. It spent 5 of those 12 months in the shop for various reasons. iDrive was the reason for a consolidated total of 35 days. So…. Yeah. Get over it.

I have so far had no issues at 190 miles into the car so far. CarPlay worked instantly once the phone was paired (and I had no issues doing that). The iDrive 7 DOES bury things into more sub menus which is annoying, but that isn’t affecting the stability of the program which is most of the forum comments you see (Carplay not working, the connection spontaneously dropping, applepay coming on…). I personally like the new home much better with the layout, and the switching from CarPlay to other areas such as settings, back from Carplay to the iDrive, etc is MUCH better than it used to be. I found the system to have no lag, and was noticeably more responsive than the iDrive 6 in both my F90 M5 and our X3 m40.

I have had my iPhone X in the wireless charging dock and have not had applepay pop up once. Nor has it overheated (both common complaints I have seen).

VERDICT: overall, I think iDrive 7 is 98% complete. There are some things that need tightening up, some sub menus that seem to be grouped in weird areas but overall I had no issues with performance or stability.




LASER LIGHTS: I went to test this last night. When the lights go on I heard The Who come on in my mind singing “I can see for miles and miles….” Holy crap. Fantastic.

Cornering lights; I see tons of comments about this too. I can’t really claim I noticed either way; so perhaps that means it is off, or that the effect is less significant than I would expect. Either way the lights on this thing could light up a football field when you have laser lights going.

VERDICT: Step into the light!




GLASS CONTROLS:
I love the look! This garnered 3rd of the most comments when folks have looked at or gotten into the car. The knobs in particular look much more luxurious and high quality with the glass. I will warn you, one of my concerns was on refraction and glare. In high sun, you do see a prismatic affect (I took a pic of one rainbow and attached) and when it hits just right and glares at you…. Wow. Blinding. How often you get gear selector glass knob glare depends a lot on your height, seat settings, etc. So this is a very user specific problem. Overall, I think it is worth it.

VERDICT: Glass controls gives it that extra polished look.



REMOTE START AND VENTILATION:
So far this is my only headache; I cannot get the BMW Connected app working as when it sends the verification code to the BMW messages on the car, it is not going through. I picked up my ride end of business on Saturday; our service folks and BMW Genius are gone. I will get this addressed this week when everyone returns to work. Hopefully it works well as everything else has so far.




PARKING ASSISTANT AND BACK-UP PARKING:
I think this is an amazing feature. Both work fantastic and exactly as they report it to. That said, it is a bit of a gimmick IF you live in suburbia; there are just no tight garages or parallel parking that really necessitate this. If I still lived in Honolulu (prior to getting out of the Army) I would use this non-stop. That said, I don’t really have the need, but it does work exceedingly well when I have made the need

VERDICT: get this if you live in a city where tight garages/parallel parking or other tight squeezes are worthwhile. If you live in the countryside where that isn’t a concern, this is an option to skip and save money on.




DRIVES ASSISTANT PRO PACKAGE:
I had the driving/active driving on the M5. It was horrible. It would hug the center line to the point other drivers would swerve and honk. I rarely used it. The driving assistant on the G05 is much tighter; it stays a relatively good job at being centered; there is a slight ping pong ball back and forth but very mild and not what some folks on here have reported (whether they are the outlier or I am, I do not know). Overall, I was impressed… for a BMW. If you have ever driven in a Tesla, well; this is amateur hour.

If you rest your hand on knee and just touch two fingers ever so slightly, the electricity (I guess?) that goes through the steering wheel will sense hands on and drive for you basically non-stop. I did a 35 mile I5 cruise like this going …. A nice clip of speed without issues.
VERDICT: Nice to have, especially in city driving with stop lights but not essential. This would be the second option I would forgo to save money.




M SPORT EXHAUST:
This is likely the biggest “WANT” vs. “NEED”. You don’t need your car SOUNDING aggressive; but lets be honest, many of us want it to. If you are trying to save money, skip this option for sure. But if your budget can accommodate it, we placed a 40i base, 50i base and my car next to each other and there is DEFINITELY a noticeable difference in sound. In a very good way. That said, easy option to skip to save money.

VERDICT: nice sound but only get this if you have $$ to spare.




SOFT CLOSE DOORS:
I’ve been familiar with these from the M5s I’ve owned. It is a nice feature, but it definitely trains you about how to and not to close your doors. Now anytime I get in a car without them I always get yelled at for not fully closing the doors.

VERDICT: they work, but can be temperamental and you will likely slam your doors for the first few months you own a car with this option until you get the proper degree of force down right… and then not fully close any other car door ever again.





FINAL THOUGHTS:
Overall, I love this car. I love the ivory leather and the interior cockpit. It screams luxury and refinement. I love the comfort of the ride and that I feel it has a nice tradeoff between sportiness yet comfort that works best for myself and my family. I love the artic gray (seriously folks, silver?!? You want to spend this much on a car and get one of the most common colors out there that looks like a Ford or a Hyundai????? WTH.) and feel it is underappreciated. The murdered out look a lot of folks like is fine I guess but I see it and go “oh someone thinks he is a B-rate Bond villain”. It looks aggressive yes; that’s why every Hollywood movie of that genre uses the look. It’s sexy but not my taste (and again this is about YOUR taste so go with what you like and say F-you Joe, I love murdered out!).

If you are THINKING of pulling the trigger on the new X5, do it. You will love this car. Remember that they’ve sold a ton of these things and people love them; yes there are some folks out there who got screwed (sorry guys, you know who you are) with QC and other issues, but… honestly, every brand has those issues, even Porsche (trust me. Refused delivery of my first Porsche order. Nightmare.).

Hope this was helpful to those considering! And for you current owners, I hope there are others out there who love their X5s and are having as much fun as I am!

[rmorin1249]

Nice review. I pretty much agree with most of what you have written. My build is very close to yours except I did opt for a 40i. I had issues with the ConnectedDrive but was able to get it sorted our after about a week. I don't use an Apple device so no issues there but I do wish BMW offered Android Auto. I also have a C7 Corvette to satisfy my "need for speed". This is my 13th BMW but my first BMW SAV. I am also leasing for the 1st time since I am retired and driving less than 10K miles a year. Sorry to hear about your experience with the M5. I feel your pain as I have also have a couple of "lemon" BMWs. Also, thanks for your service from a fellow Army Veteran.

[mrjoed2]

Nice review I am glad your loving your new X5. I am a prospective buyer. Been torn between the X5 & the Benz GLE AMG 43 coming out.
The news of the upcoming M50i made my decision. I am in no rush - have 3 low mileage vehicles now. Will be selling current 4 Runner SUV when I am ready to buy.

And waiting a bit is a win/win -who would not want the upgraded N63TU3 engine with 523hp & 553 lb torque? And I am also a firm believer in getting the 2nd year of any new model. They will work out those initial bugs & the supply chain matures.

On the color, It is of course subjective- I like Arctic Gray. but would like something lighter. This is my biggest gripe with BMW on the GO5
7 measly colors - and 4 of them are black or white?????
I know 2 new are coming - one a brown other ANOTHER dark gray!
And there is nothing wrong with silver my friend. Classic color on German cars. Much easier maintenance/detailing. Nobody is going to confuse a nice silver X5 M50i with a Hyundai !!
But I understand a graphite is coming as well, that may be my choice.
Take care.

[lumpydog]

[davramic]

Originally Posted by rmorin1249

Nice review. I pretty much agree with most of what you have written. My build is very close to yours except I did opt for a 40i. I had issues with the ConnectedDrive but was able to get it sorted our after about a week. I don't use an Apple device so no issues there but I do wish BMW offered Android Auto. I also have a C7 Corvette to satisfy my "need for speed". This is my 13th BMW but my first BMW SAV. I am also leasing for the 1st time since I am retired and driving less than 10K miles a year. Sorry to hear about your experience with the M5. I feel your pain as I have also have a couple of "lemon" BMWs. Also, thanks for your service from a fellow Army Veteran.

Sounds like you’re loving your X5 :-) congrats and thanks for your service bud!

[davramic]

Originally Posted by mrjoed2

Nice review I am glad your loving your new X5. I am a prospective buyer. Been torn between the X5 & the Benz GLE AMG 43 coming out.
The news of the upcoming M50i made my decision. I am in no rush - have 3 low mileage vehicles now. Will be selling current 4 Runner SUV when I am ready to buy.

And waiting a bit is a win/win -who would not want the upgraded N63TU3 engine with 523hp & 553 lb torque? And I am also a firm believer in getting the 2nd year of any new model. They will work out those initial bugs & the supply chain matures.

On the color, It is of course subjective- I like Arctic Gray. but would like something lighter. This is my biggest gripe with BMW on the GO5
7 measly colors - and 4 of them are black or white?????
I know 2 new are coming - one a brown other ANOTHER dark gray!
And there is nothing wrong with silver my friend. Classic color on German cars. Much easier maintenance/detailing. Nobody is going to confuse a nice silver X5 M50i with a Hyundai !!
But I understand a graphite is coming as well, that may be my choice.
Take care.

Glad you’re going to the X5! And yes going to a second year car CAN spare lots of issues. The colors are very subjective 😬 either way go with a color YOU like; god knows I did! And yes— BMW seriously needs an expanded palette for choosing. Very dark at present

[Smithcinema]

Originally Posted by davramic

Glad you’re going to the X5! And yes going to a second year car CAN spare lots of issues. The colors are very subjective 😬 either way go with a color YOU like; god knows I did! And yes— BMW seriously needs an expanded palette for choosing. Very dark at present

Great review my freind actually pissed he went with the merino seats his car is 2 months old and Friday some one sat in back seat with a set of keys on there belt and put a huge scratch in the leather , seat definitely needs replacement he has owned many bmw's throughout the years and so as I and one thing about bmw there seats look brand new after 3 years of ownership , I think the merino is way to soft and not for the daily driver or occasional Home Depot run

[windycitycy]

Congrats! Your X5 looks killer!

[BMWasia]

��Nailed it soldier....

[jersey john]

As someone who has been on the fence about going with an outgoing F15 or an incoming G05, this is one more wrinkle (a nod to the seats here ) to the dilemma: wait a year and get a 2nd year model with many issues addressed or pull the trigger now....

A great thorough review. Thank you for this and thank you for your service to our country.

[sygazelle]

Great writeup. Thanks.

I couldn't help but notice your MSRP was $98k. Just one or two small options and you could have broken the $100k mark. Just go for it already!

[MystroX5]

Originally Posted by sygazelle

Great writeup. Thanks.

I couldn't help but notice your MSRP was $98k. Just one or two small options and you could have broken the $100k mark. Just go for it already!

Once we add on the tax, we all are $100k for a nicely optioned 50i.
It still feels like a $130k SUV when loaded up so I guess we got a discount.

[frank19x5]

Great review and photos! Thanks!

[mrjoed2]

Originally Posted by jersey john

As someone who has been on the fence about going with an outgoing F15 or an incoming G05, this is one more wrinkle (a nod to the seats here ) to the dilemma: wait a year and get a 2nd year model with many issues addressed or pull the trigger now....

A great thorough review. Thank you for this and thank you for your service to our country.

Keep in mind you are not actually waiting a year for the M50i. The 2020 should be available to order by end of summer at latest with deliveries starting in the fall. We are almost into May now.

[r33_RGSport]

Nice write up.
I myself just test drove 40i yesterday.
Need to do test drive on the 50i.
Somehow most dealers in my area have more inventory in the 40i than the 50i.

[MystroX5]

Originally Posted by r33_RGSport

Nice write up.
I myself just test drove 40i yesterday.
Need to do test drive on the 50i.
Somehow most dealers in my area have more inventory in the 40i than the 50i.

You will find that everywhere. Only about 5% are 50i are out there compared to the 40i.

[davramic]

Originally Posted by r33_RGSport

Nice write up.
I myself just test drove 40i yesterday.
Need to do test drive on the 50i.
Somehow most dealers in my area have more inventory in the 40i than the 50i.

the 50i are definitely harder to find and when you DO find one, they are often bare bones equipped. Recommend testing one then order to your specs if you jump on it!

[FreddyBMW]

Amazing feedback! Congratulations!

[cfm56d7b]

Fantastic review. Thank you for making the effort. Oh ... and the car looks amazing. Congratulations!

[edtreo]

Originally Posted by davramic

DRIVES ASSISTANT PRO PACKAGE:
I had the driving/active driving on the M5. It was horrible. It would hug the center line to the point other drivers would swerve and honk. I rarely used it. The driving assistant on the G05 is much tighter; it stays a relatively good job at being centered; there is a slight ping pong ball back and forth but very mild and not what some folks on here have reported (whether they are the outlier or I am, I do not know). Overall, I was impressed… for a BMW. If you have ever driven in a Tesla, well; this is amateur hour.

Great review and congratulations on your purchase. Can you further elaborate your experience in comparison with Tesla's Autopilot? Thanks.

[Denk]

Nice ride! Just curious, what was up with the e90 M3?

[Gulu100]

I want to order the 50i but I really want to know more about the m50i that is coming out for 2020. Do you guys think the price will be higher for this version? will the engine be even better/faster?

I am getting a 50i for about 10% off right now just wondering if I will be able to get that on the m50i if i order it early on...

Also I was with the dealer yesterday and he did not even see a 3rd row option for the 50i but did see it for the 40i. Is it not possible to get the 3rd row option on the 50i?

Thanks