[10101X5]

We looked at these before but decided to go with X5. Wife is eyeing on the GLE again. I didn't like the GLE for me but don't mind if I'm not the main driver. Q7 is also another viable choice. I'm sure most of us checked these out. What were your thoughts about these in comparison to X5 and why you went with X5? Thanks!

[john1200c]

I did look at the X7 when I decided to get another BMW. This is my first SUV. For me the X7 was too big for my needs. I also looked at the X3 and it was too small. As Goldilocks would say the X5 was just right....

Edit: Just realized you said Q7...nevermind

[Bearco]

Originally Posted by 10101X5

We looked at these before but decided to go with X5. Wife is eyeing on the GLE again. I didn't like the GLE for me but don't mind if I'm not the main driver. Q7 is also another viable choice. I'm sure most of us checked these out. What were your thoughts about these in comparison to X5 and why you went with X5? Thanks!

It would help if you mentioned which trims you were looking at too. I went with an M50i because MB doesn't have an equivalent. The SQ7 is close, but too big for our needs, plus it's a VW, which I have some negative experiences with.

[goobies818]

I cross shopped my X5 M50i against an SQ8 and Cayenne GTS.

The Cayenne was just too darn rich for my blood after attempting a comparable spec.

The Audi was really damn close to being in the garage...i was wishy washy on one or the either...but having already had positive experiences with my last two BMW's over the past 10 years or so...as well as the larger interior space...i went x5. the SQ7/Q7 just looks too square for me...if that makes sense.

Basically my search criteria was mid-sized SUVs with a V8 but not the full-tilt RS/Turbo/M/AMG versions

[FCX5]

Originally Posted by 10101X5

We looked at these before but decided to go with X5. Wife is eyeing on the GLE again. I didn't like the GLE for me but don't mind if I'm not the main driver. Q7 is also another viable choice. I'm sure most of us checked these out. What were your thoughts about these in comparison to X5 and why you went with X5? Thanks!

How about a Range Rover Sport or Velar. I used to own a RRS and would recommend it over the Q7 or GLE.

[YuicyYumboYack]

Just my opinion, but I think the Q7 looks outdated. It looks a bit better in person, but I'm not a fan of the overall design.

Ultimately we liked the PHEV aspect of the x5 so went with the 45e.

[Axxlrod]

I get comparing the GLE to the X5, but the Q7 is a 3 row kid hauler. Not comparable.

I was after a suv with a big engine and good handling; not people hauling capability.

SQ8 was an option, and has a very nice interior, but they were more rare and thus had $20k markups.

[BMWBear]

My wife picked up an SQ7 recently and I can honestly say I would have bought it over my X7 if it were available at the time. I prefer the simplicity of the design and the Audi MMI over iDrive. I wouldn’t even consider the regular Q7 with either 3.0 or 2.0T engines.

[ksavostin]

Neither of these brands wanted to sell me a car below MSRP, BMW on other hand were able to give me almost 10% off plus $7500 tax credit for 45e. It was no brainer..

[parkstr8]

I have both X5 and Q7...love them both in different ways.

[Melbourne_X5M]

I hated the interior of the Q7/SQ7, plus they look like the VW Atlas.

The GLE was quite nice, except the driver seat was not as comfortable as the BMW X5 with Luxury SEating.

[buckybadger]

I personally did not like the design of the Q7, plus steering was terrible, not accurate at all. It felt like I'm driving a boat. The 3rd row was too small and SUV felt big. Just didn't get a good vibe.

The Merc seems nice but heard bad things about reliability, and it was overpriced for what it offered. This is back in 2019.

[Wait What?]

Originally Posted by YuicyYumboYack

Just my opinion, but I think the Q7 looks outdated. It looks a bit better in person, but I'm not a fan of the overall design.

Ultimately we liked the PHEV aspect of the x5 so went with the 45e.

Exactly the same for me: my number one reason was that I wanted a PHEV and in the US that was not an option for either Audi or Benz.

On top of that, I think the X5 looks much better than the Q7 (which looks "boxy" and outdated) and better than the GLE (which does look nice, but IMHO not as good as the X5: the X5 has much more character/personality than the GLE, once again IMHO).

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by ksavostin

Neither of these brands wanted to sell me a car below MSRP, BMW on other hand were able to give me almost 10% off plus $7500 tax credit for 45e. It was no brainer..

Kinda this.

I cross-shopped everything (including CUVs) ... came down to the GLE, Audis, Model X, Taycan Cross, & BMW.

The Audis & Model X got cut mostly because of looks - just couldn't see myself wanting to walk up every day & open the door to either. Tesla also lost because of not great for road trips. Had it been the best looking I would've made it work.

The Taycan Cross was the one I really wanted ... it won all categories except one: range + network. I maybe coulda made one of those deficits work, but not both.

The GLE, I couldn't find any dealership with an allocation much less for MSRP so it lost.

BMW FTW!

And, TBH, I'm glad because I'm pretty excited about it!

[Paladin1]

Came from a Q7 (2018) to the X5 (2020). Actually comparable quality, and (my opinion) the Q7 was more comfortable for long-haul cruising. Negatives (Q7) - at the time - many features available on EU models were deleted in the US: auto-hold, real automatic parking, no spare option, minor cosmetic bits like a cupholder cover, passive tire pressure monitoring system. Positives - included third row (although, like BMW, MB et al, tiny for humans), some better design features (again IMO - better door design for example), MMI actually better than iDrive at the time. Handling another story - notorious throttle lag, numb steering. Overall though, roughly comparable in features/finish. Had a 35d prior to the Audi, and wanted out of the diesel business, but BMW's new model changes in 2019 blew away the Audi in many significant ways, handling being a major factor, with vastly improved technology, so switched back to Munich over Ingolstadt. Fast forward to 2021 - my current X5 (2020) has almost every option - laser, full leather, night vision, every tech option, luggage package - it's a gem. With the deletions in 2021 and forward by BMW I would seriously consider Audi (maybe Q8 or S model) again if I was in the market (since nominally they retain many features that BMW deleted), my major objection being the almost exclusive use of touch screens and Audi's announced intention of getting out of the ICE business. Hard choice, that I thankfully don't have to make.

[Flying Ace]

While I've never driven the Q7 or GLE, I believe the BMW is just overall better driving car if comparable sedans and high performance cars are of an indication.

As others have stated, BMW is the only offering in the mid sized category with a PHEV.

Lastly, while the GLE and Audi interiors have gone high tech, I still like the older design of the X5 with the digital gauge. GLE for example is now a flat screen on front of you and get the sense you're driving a laptop.

[kingmonkeyjr]

I have the X7 and X5 on the way. To me coming from owning MB before nothing compares to idrive. MB is extremely confusing and not nearly as seamless when they rolled out MBUX. Audi MMI is outdated in my eyes.

[91Eunos]

We were seriously looking at the Q8/SQ8, especially before we decided to go the 45e route vs 50i path we were originally on. Gonna sound silly, but the deciding factor was the color of the leather for the interior.

We looked at Audi’s Okapi Brown back in ‘18/‘19 and liked it a lot (still prefer the Porsche ‘cocoa’ color for leather interior though), but for 2021/2022 it’s too orange… like a basketball 🏀

We didn’t really like the BMW options all that much either based on pics online, but in person the Merino coffee color is nice. Fun fact, the primary reason we were seriously considering the Bentley Bentayga when we were still on the 50i or maybe X5MC was the interior leather options.

I know it’s largely out of their control, but BMW is missing a huge market segment by limiting the Individual options this year. $2K to $5K+ (Or more) in additional options to get exactly what I want is nothing when I’m already willing to spend $100K or more on a vehicle.

Porsche figured this out a long time ago… And I was happy to spend the $ to get exactly what I wanted via their Exclusive program.

[Germanauto]

Q7 is very common and exceedingly dull looking in my opinion. The newest GLE looks nice, but it seems to attract an older crowd and the interior materials in some parts are cheap. The lower half of the doors, for example, are hard scratchy plastic whereas the X5's are soft. It feels like nearly 100% of GLEs on dealer lots are spec'd with MB-Tex which is the worst imitation leather in the industry. It feels plasticky and has visible crooked stitching in the GLE models I've experienced. The Merc's base engine is also an underpowered and unrefined 4 cyl, whereas the X5 has a standard classic BMW Inline 6 with 300+ hp.

[3Wagon]

Originally Posted by 91Eunos

I know it’s largely out of their control, but BMW is missing a huge market segment by limiting the Individual options this year. $2K to $5K+ (Or more) in additional options to get exactly what I want is nothing when I’m already willing to spend $100K or more on a vehicle.

Porsche figured this out a long time ago… And I was happy to spend the $ to get exactly what I wanted via their Exclusive program.

ehh, the numbers don’t bear that out. they sell many times the numbers of porsches; BMW sales are crushing right now. Could they sell a few more if they had more colors? Maybe? It might also make their supply chain more complex, which is the last thing anyone needs right now. It’s hard to argue with their strategy, given that they are one of the few manufacturers selling *more* now.

FWIW, like others, i just cross shopped many of the usual suspects. The #1 factor is simple availability: BMW can deliver me a reasonably spec’d car I find acceptable. I really wanted some flavor of Cayenne, but there was no chance of getting a car the way I wanted, and even if I got one, not having adjustable steering is just such a deal breaker with multiple different sized drivers.

Other than the Cayenne and NOT taking into account whether or not I could get one before early Decemeber, I looked at MB, Audi etc. the GLE that is most similar to my m50i is the AMG 63 version, but that optioned out similarly to the m50i is ~30k more. Audi was a finalist, but similarly equipped SQ7/8 is more than the m50i, was missing options, allocations harder to get, and they wanted over MSRP.

If this was a normal world and could get what I want, I’d have a hard time between the m50i and an optioned out Cayenne S (which would be 15k more at least for innodrive, etc.) Just adding air suspension to the m50i would likely make it a tough choice for me, but I felt like the porsche was the only one I’d grab the keys of before the BMW if I had access to them all.

The Audi was simple a bit more for a car I don’t like as much. To be sure, good cars: better cockpit display, better ride via air suspension (assuming you can still get it, not sure), but I think the x5 is better looking and more fun (subjective.) If audi was agressively priced, I could see myself going that way, but in this world, it’s not a choice you get to make.

Wild card was a Velar; love the looks but the reliability reputation is the big negative. Another practical consideration is reliability. BMW isn’t perfect, but I do fear my car being stuck at a dealer in a global parts shortage and just getting a shrug from a service department as to when it will get fixed.

For now, BMW’s track record for delivering cars is the difference maker. It’s not a normal buyer’s market at all, so while I do like BMW, it really was about pragmatic considerations rather than what car I wanted most or thought was the best.

[YuicyYumboYack]

Originally Posted by 91Eunos

I know it’s largely out of their control, but BMW is missing a huge market segment by limiting the Individual options this year. $2K to $5K+ (Or more) in additional options to get exactly what I want is nothing when I’m already willing to spend $100K or more on a vehicle.

Porsche figured this out a long time ago… And I was happy to spend the $ to get exactly what I wanted via their Exclusive program.

I'm willing to bet that the take rate on individual options on the x5 is very very very small. I don't think BMW is missing out on much.

[James_G0540i]

Originally Posted by Germanauto

Q7 is very common and exceedingly dull looking in my opinion. The newest GLE looks nice, but it seems to attract an older crowd and the interior materials in some parts are cheap. The lower half of the doors, for example, are hard scratchy plastic whereas the X5's are soft. It feels like nearly 100% of GLEs on dealer lots are spec'd with MB-Tex which is the worst imitation leather in the industry. It feels plasticky and has visible crooked stitching in the GLE models I've experienced. The Merc's base engine is also an underpowered and unrefined 4 cyl, whereas the X5 has a standard classic BMW Inline 6 with 300+ hp.

I agree with this, plus I cant stand that "iPAD stuck on the dash" look. The X5 feels more like an aircraft cockpit, with the instrument positioning biased towards the driver (as it should be). I sat in a friends GLE for a couple of minutes, and to be honest its just not my thing.

The 40i inline 6 motor in the X5 is a "work of art", its worth getting the X5 over the others just for that !