[shed]

Me:
SF Bay Area, Like my Audi Q7 2018 Prestige, but looking for something new, in particular a high performance hybrid eligible for HoV lane in California. Usage mainly a 32 mile commute (chargers both ends), weekend roadtrips including Tahoe (snow)

My Requirements (in rough order):
Safety, Tech, Comfort, and very little interest in aestetic (inside or outside), with the exception, I tend to like under-stated (Audi is good at this). Won't get tax rebate at my income, so keeping under 80K is not a hard requirement

Minimum:
Color: Blue Ridge Mountain
Seats: Silverstone
Wheels: Standard, All-Weather
Options: DAP, Parking Assistance, Premium

Also considering:
Climate Package
Exec Package (the 2025 pricing guide is contradictory on whether you need it for DAP. Says ZDY (DAP Pack) requires ZPP or ZPX, and two lines later says requires ZPX
Towing (is it a pain to add after?)

[TurtleBoy]

I would add the Climate Package and the massage seats.

You are misreading the Pricing Guide. The "ZDY requires ordering ZPX" rule is for the M60i since the Premium package is not available for the M60i.

Adding OEM towing after the fact is for practical purposes impossible and other solutions are more expensive. If you are going to need a tow hitch at all then put it on your order.

[GerryC]

I agree with TurtleBoy. You have a good start. Add the climate package, comfort seats, and the trailer hitch. The Exec pkg is just expensive fluff.

[mscot]

Absolutely get climate.
Personally I wouldn't do massage seats but everyone is different. I read they make the seats stiffer and I have a bad back.
I thought the exec package was frivolous.

I priced out adding towing aftermarket and it came out to near 2k as opposed to the 750 from the factory. the only benefit of doing it aftermarket is you can retain the kick to open/close for the hatch.
But I didn't want to risk someone else messing with the electronics and cutting stuff on a 90k vehicle.

IMHO, you should do the M package it just looks so much better, and then add the M pro add on. As a package it's dumb but it completes the look.

[tooloud10]

I’d absolutely have to have M-sport because I think it looks so much better (and understated) than with all the shiny bits on the regular trim.

Not a fan of Silverstone seats but to each their own, it’s hard to pick on someone’s color choice.

A lot of people drag on the massage seats but I really like having them and have been using them more lately.

[shed]

Thank you all so far.

1. Climate Package - I think I'm sold
2. Exec - Will skip based on your comments.
3. Tow - this is a tough one, as I would likely only use it for bike hook up. I had one for my Audi, but I just throw my bike in the back. I'm usually on my own, so it's kinda an optionality play
4. Massaging - interesting, I just thought this was overkill. Will have to consider that, though the comment about the core comort of the seats vs. regular was interesting
5. On the M-Sport package, I just don't care about the looks that much, certainly not into 4 figures.

oh and on trim am I right in thinking: "Anthracite-Brown Poplar Matte Finish Wood Trim" is probably the least stated finish.

[tooloud10]

Originally Posted by shed

3. Tow - this is a tough one, as I would likely only use it for bike hook up. I had one for my Audi, but I just throw my bike in the back. I'm usually on my own, so it's kinda an optionality play

It’s pretty common that I have a bike in the back of my car and I must say that it’s a pretty tight fit if you have anything else back there. I travel with mine a lot and it usually rides on the hitch mounted bike rack but if I’m stopped at a place where the bike needs to be secured, I often just throw it in the back.

I’m really glad I ordered the trailer hitch, even if I only use it for the bike rack.

[shed]

Originally Posted by tooloud10

It’s pretty common that I have a bike in the back of my car and I must say that it’s a pretty tight fit if you have anything else back there. I travel with mine a lot and it usually rides on the hitch mounted bike rack but if I’m stopped at a place where the bike needs to be secured, I often just throw it in the back.

I’m really glad I ordered the trailer hitch, even if I only use it for the bike rack.

Yeah I'm leaning towards it just for the option. How does having a bike rack affect all of the parking/reversing tech stuff?

[tooloud10]

Originally Posted by shed

Yeah I'm leaning towards it just for the option. How does having a bike rack affect all of the parking/reversing tech stuff?

The rear sensors are 99% useless and I had to turn the automatic emergency braking off while reversing because the car refuses to back up with the rack on. Auto parking does not work either.

All of the other tech works fine, but I did have to adjust the front wheel cup on both of my platform racks (both Kuat NV 2.0) to keep from messing with the blindspot warning.

[Phasers]

Originally Posted by shed

Thank you all so far.

1. Climate Package - I think I'm sold
2. Exec - Will skip based on your comments.
3. Tow - this is a tough one, as I would likely only use it for bike hook up. I had one for my Audi, but I just throw my bike in the back. I'm usually on my own, so it's kinda an optionality play
4. Massaging - interesting, I just thought this was overkill. Will have to consider that, though the comment about the core comort of the seats vs. regular was interesting
5. On the M-Sport package, I just don't care about the looks that much, certainly not into 4 figures.

oh and on trim am I right in thinking: "Anthracite-Brown Poplar Matte Finish Wood Trim" is probably the least stated finish.

I got my 50e with every single option except leather.

Climate is a must have due to the zones alone and the ventilated seats in hot climates.
I went with executive package for the glass controls.
I got tow for bike rack as well, and at $650 it’s probably 1/3 the price of adding it after the fact.
At a certain point I figured what’s another $1k when it came to massaging seats. They really do make a different on long drives. I wish I had the option to activate them automatically on start up though instead of pushing the button.
I got M-sport for 2 reasons - I wanted to bigger and blue matching brakes, and I wanted extended shadow line.

My build was about $90k MSRP although I was able to negotiate a decent discount + incentives and got it for $80k + TTL.

[eelnoraa]

I am probably the practical one here and I am in the same area.

1. HOV program will end in sept 2025. So if you order now, by the time you get the car, you get about 1 year usage of HOV access.

2. Unless you get free charging at work, $/mile with eDrive will be higher than with gas if you are with PG&E

3. I would absolutely get tow hitch. It is a lot of value.

4. 4 zone climate. I am on the fence. Both kids are in their car seats, so rest heated seats don’t do anything for me. I can adjust HVAC temp for them.

5. Exe packages. I would have skip if I were to do it again. The glass control and led roof has very little value to me.

6. I will get park assist. The car is large enough and visibility rearward isn’t too great.

7. DAPP. I am in the fence. I use it a lot more when my car was new. Now I am back to my normal routine. Only occasionally I use it. But DAPP isn’t they expensive.

[BlkGS]

Executive package is one of those packages that just makes it feel like you bought a luxury car. If you're not gonna get Executive, just buy a Rav4 Prime. If you do that you might get a car that works (ooog that's gonna piss off the 50e guys, at least they can't drive their cars to my house to beat me up because they're broken :P)

DAP, must have. Frankly, it should be standard. It would be standard on RAV4 Prime, lol.

4 zone climate, i could live without. Ventilated seats, I could, but I'd be pissed to spend to this price point and not have them. My surprise favorite thing about my car is the heated armrest. I want to add it to my other cars now.

If your whole purchase case is to get HOV access, it's worth remembering that all X5s are hybrids now. Not sure how that plays out in kooky California, but it's technically just as much a hybrid as a Prius.

[shed]

Originally Posted by eelnoraa

I am probably the practical one here and I am in the same area.

1. HOV program will end in sept 2025. So if you order now, by the time you get the car, you get about 1 year usage of HOV access.

2. Unless you get free charging at work, $/mile with eDrive will be higher than with gas if you are with PG&E

3. I would absolutely get tow hitch. It is a lot of value.

4. 4 zone climate. I am on the fence. Both kids are in their car seats, so rest heated seats don’t do anything for me. I can adjust HVAC temp for them.

5. Exe packages. I would have skip if I were to do it again. The glass control and led roof has very little value to me.

6. I will get park assist. The car is large enough and visibility rearward isn’t too great.

7. DAPP. I am in the fence. I use it a lot more when my car was new. Now I am back to my normal routine. Only occasionally I use it. But DAPP isn’t they expensive.

Thank you for all that. I do get free charging.

Ugh. Didn't realize on HoV. They don't even have MY25 on the site as a car that meets the standards.

[krypttic]

I own your exact config, but also added the Tow Package and Executive Package. They are worthwhile, IMO although the later is certainly overpriced. I also added running boards, but that’s purely for aesthetics because you cannot get the Msport package with that color.

Unfortunately, I can’t argue with BLKgs’ comment about reliability… 🤬

[eluded]

I'd add:
-MSport so the wheel wells are not black plastic
-MSport brakes
-Multi Zone climate control unless one of those other packages includes it.
-No CEL light, I did not check that option and regret it

[Photographer918]

On pre-LCI cars adding the tow package also got you bigger front brakes - not as large as M-sport package brakes, and with grey calipers - but bigger than standard.

I’ll second climate and multi-comfort seats and massage - massage felt gimmicky on test drives, but turned out to be helpful on long road trips, as did DAP. Good luck!

[eelnoraa]

Originally Posted by shed

Thank you for all that. I do get free charging.

Ugh. Didn't realize on HoV. They don't even have MY25 on the site as a car that meets the standards.

I don't think it depend on MY at all. It solely depend on the time of the delivery. If you take delivery in 2024, you follow the 2024 list. The program end date is still Sept 2025 tho.

Also if you notice, most if not all HOV will be converted to pay per use lane. So you can have access by paying. Maybe think of the $5000 extra for 50e, maybe $2000’to setup evse at home, , if you spend it on HOV fee, how long far will it go

[FastMarkA]

Just adding that multi-contour seats + massage help separate the X5 from the X3...the luxury feels nice, so I recommend them as well.

[slowcyclist]

If you are a biker and take bike regularly in the car, hitch is must. I bought a new X5 week back with tow hitch. Less mess, easy to remove bike.

Get M Sport too. Car looks so much better.

[krypttic]

Originally Posted by eluded

I'd add:
-MSport so the wheel wells are not black plastic
-MSport brakes
-Multi Zone climate control unless one of those other packages includes it.
-No CEL light, I did not check that option and regret it

You can’t get MSport with that exterior color. I too wish I had optioned “no CEL”. LOL

[LOFT]

Love the colour...saw one at sunset recently in Scottsdale. Like many BMW's colour changes with the light.

[tooloud10]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

If your whole purchase case is to get HOV access, it's worth remembering that all X5s are hybrids now. Not sure how that plays out in kooky California, but it's technically just as much a hybrid as a Prius.

Ha, last year my company took away everyone's company cars and replaced them with vehicle allowances. They gave us a financial incentive to buy a hybrid or EV, so I made sure that the people on my team realized that there are tons of mild hybrids available that technically met the requirements.