2011 BMW X5 - Review

Nelson Ireson

Senior Editor BIO

Nelson is a Senior Editor at High Gear Media focusing on reviewing cars and covering the hottest topics in luxury and performance cars, car culture... More

LATEST ARTICLE
2015 Mercedes-Benz S Class Coupe Spy Shots
This is our latest look at the upcoming 2015 Mercedes-Benz S Class Coupe, the replacement for the... Read More

#4LEADERBOARD RANK
6343ARTICLES CONTRIBUTED
229COMMENTS POSTED

53,461 views April 19, 2010

See more photos

2011

OVERALL RATING 8
out of 10

Sport Activity, Sport Utility--whatever you want to call it, it's the 2011 BMW X5, and it's a study in subtle refinement. No flashy doodads, no major upgrades--just a reworked drivetrain lineup to yield smoother driving and better fuel efficiency without sacrificing power or performance, with a few minor visual tweaks thrown in for good measure. So how does BMW turn such minor changes into a palpably better driving experience? Read on.

Disclaimer: BMW flew Motor Authority out to Miami for the international launch of the 2011 X5, and put us up in the fantastic Mandarin Oriental hotel, plied us with burgers and tried to feed us to the gators along the fringes of the Everglades.

The key change that runs throughout the new X5 lineup is the eight-speed automatic, which we previously reviewed in the 2010 5-Series Gran Turismo. As we noted there, the gear spacing is too close to allow for much fun in manual-shift mode, but in regular auto mode, this new transmission, paired with the new...

UPDATEBMW Recalls 2008-11 5-Series, 7-Series, X5 and X6

BMW is recalling some 32,000 vehicles equipped with turbocharged V-8 and V-12 engines to replace a potentially faulty electric water pump that could pose a fire risk. Read Update