The 2024 BMW X5 Is An SUV That Drives Like A Sedan

Today we are reviewing the 2024 BMW X5 because it has been refreshed for 2024. It is more powerful as well for 2024, and it's an IIHS top safety pick as well, which is a pretty good combination for why you would want to test drive one of these.

What's New?

• A new 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 engine for the base 40i models.
• X5 xDrive50e models get a 100 horsepower boost in total output and are now updated with 10 miles of EV-only range.
• Redesigned and sleeker headlamps, front and rear bumper for the 2024 model year.

Before we get into the specifics of the 2024 X5, let's take a look at pricing. Essentially, there are two different trim levels for the 2024 X5. You got the sDrive40i for $65,200 and the xDrive40i for $67,500. The main difference between these two trims is that the sDrive is rear-wheel drive while the xDrive is all-wheel drive.

You can also get the plug-in hybrid version called the xDrive50e and a M version called the xDrive M60i. For the purpose of this review, I’ll be taking a look at the xDrive40i.

A Good Looking SUV

As previously mentioned, there is a slight refresh for the 2024 model year. Up front, of course, you will find an active kidney front grille with a satin aluminum or gloss black kind of perimeter.

Since we have the M Sport package on our particular X5, we are going to have gloss black accents throughout the exterior of this one as opposed to satin aluminum. It does look good up front.

There is an illuminative front grille that is optional for an extra five hundred dollars. You can't see it during the day, but you can definitely see it at night. And that's kind of a unique feature; you don't see it on many other manufacturers out there.

The headlights on the X5 look like the Chevron ones, which look fine. The previous ones were better, in my opinion.

Satin aluminum or gloss black roof rails do come standard, depending on the configuration that you go with, of course. Same thing for the window surrounds. And if you take a look at the side view, you notice a really nice body line down the side.

One thing I wanted to mention, though specific to the X5, is the side skirts and the fender surrounds. They're going to differ depending on the trim level. So if you go with the M Sport package, it's going to be body-colored, which looks absolutely amazing. 

But if you kind of go with the base configuration of the X5, all of that is going to be finished in matte black. I will say my personal preference is the body-colored finishes because I just think they look so much better. 

The X5 also comes with a huge wheel gap. It kind of looks like the original X5s and X3s when they had that big, beefy stance from the rear with the fat tires. It looks really good from the back.

20-inch v-spoke alloys are going to come standard, which look great. But there are plenty of different wheel configurations available for the X5, including 20-inch, 21-inch, and 22-inch designs.

At the rear, the taillights are also updated, and I do like these so much more than the ones on the X6. One of my favorite things about the X5 has done since I feel like forever is that they integrate the exhaust into the rear bumper. So to the sides, integrated dual exhaust outlets with, in our case, gloss black tips; otherwise, it could be satin aluminum. 

When it comes to the overall design, I generally really like this; it's an X5, so I love this over the X6 because it looks like an SUV and it's more functional.

High Quality Interior

From an interior perspective, it's largely carryover, and that's a good thing. The X5 does interior usability very well. It has great door storage and very comfortable seats. This vehicle does not have the massaging option, but there's good adjustability; you can get them heated and cooled.

The back seats are very comfortable; they're nice and large. There's good door storage back there as well. The interior material quality feels expensive. 

Also, love the ambient lighting. There are a ton of different ambient lighting colors that can be adjusted through the infotainment screen, but BMW always does ambient lighting wonderfully. It's always so bright, so I am a big fan of that as well. 

But one of the coolest little touches that I noticed when I got in the X5 were the toggle switches for the climate control vents. They're all very texturized, and just behind that, you have a lot of geometric shapes kind of built into the trim here, so I love that.

I also like the aluminum trim on the actual glove box handle itself and the wood trim detail. BMW always does a wonderful job with their interior quality, which is definitely the case here in the X5. 

Comes With A New Digital Gauge Cluster and Infotainment Screen

There is a new curved 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, and that was one of the first things I noticed when I got in the X5. I like the new curved digital gauge cluster. I think it looks damn good. As always, when you adjust the drive modes, it is going to completely adjust the look of those digital gauges, so I like that.

And of course, it's going to tell you things like the outside temperature, the speed limit of any given road, and how many miles you have left until you hit empty.

There is also a new 14.9-inch center infotainment system. The screen quality is still excellent. It's fast to use, but while you've lost some of the physical controls on the older iDrive setup, along with the physical HVAC controls, it's still relatively easy to use, and while I miss the older system, it's still great.

Now, when it comes to the audio systems, the X540i and the X5 M60 come with the Harmon Kardon audio system. This audio system is incredible. Tons of bass, tons of clarity. 

But if you are in the M60 or the X5M, you can also get the Bowers and Wilkins, which is probably what I would do. It's an expensive option, but it really does transform the audio experience. 

And because this is iDrive 8 and not iDrive 8.5, you still retain physical controls for things like drive modes. You don't have mood modes and all the BS gimmicks. You have simple drive mode, so if you want to be an athlete, you can go into Sport Plus with two taps. If you want to put this in comfort, you can do that; it's easy to customize sport individual. To me, this is a better system than what's found in 8.5. It's less gimmicky, and it's easier to use. 

Infotainment screen comes with gesture controls

One of my favorite things about this infotainment screen is that, for whatever reason, I couldn't find the volume knob right away, but then I remembered that this is the BMW; it probably has gesture control, so all I need to do is turn up and down the volume, which is to simply do clockwise and counterclockwise motions, and it turns up and down the radio, so I love that.

The last thing I want to mention to you guys on the infotainment screen at least is that when you do put the X5 in reverse, you will find a rear view camera coming standard across the board with very high definition, but not only that, but a surround view monitor there to the right as well with multiple different angles, so that's pretty cool.

Really useful head-up display

Also, if you wanted a head-up display, that goes for eleven hundred dollars, but it is one of the brightest head-up displays that I've seen in quite a while, so I love it. It actually changes depending on the drive mode that you put it in, in terms of color and kind of loadout as well.

It's super bright; it gives you your speed speed limit, and safety features are actually projected onto your windshield there as well. I'm a huge fan of that.

And that's the general takeaway I have with the X5: it is a very usable interior space that doesn't focus on gimmicks and prioritizes livability and quality; it's something that it does better than Mercedes and Audi, and really the only competitor in my eye is the Cayenne, which is way more expensive.

Safety Features

As I mentioned before, the 2024 X5 is a IIHS top safety pick and offers features like including automated emergency braking as standard. It still does have things like that backup assist stuff and the parking assist stuff, which is really nice to have. And it also has lane keep assist. I think this is possibly the best lane-keep assist adaptive cruise that I have ever used. 

Like, I was on the highway and then all of a sudden I got this assisted plus—would you like to enter this mode?—and I'm like, "Heck yeah, I'm going to try this out." I did not have to touch the steering wheel the entire time until I entered a more populated area of the highway, and then it put me back into the still really good one, but I did have to touch the steering wheel at that point. You have to keep your eyes on the road, but it's got the stuff that watches and all that stuff, and it worked really well.

And it’s totally better than GM’s Super Cruise because it doesn't have to be on pre-mapped highways, and I did find out that apparently this works up to 135 kilometers per hour. 

Cargo space

When it comes to opening that rear tailgate, it is a hands-free power tailgate that comes standard across the board. The tailgate happens to be a split-fold tailgate, which I also love.

Once opened up, cargo capacity comes in at 15 cubic feet behind the optional third row that we don't have with us here today. Behind that second row though, 33.9 cubic feet. And when it's folded, you have 72.3 cubic feet of space. 40/20/40 split does come standard, so they're going to fold pretty flat into the floor. I love that. 

I also love the velvet carpeting that comes standard on this thing; I thought that was amazing. There's some grocery bag hooks back there; there's a rear cargo cover; and there's LED cargo lighting. You don't always find the LEDs in the cargo area, so I like that as well.

And then if you were to lift up underneath that cargo floor, there's actually a nice hydraulic system that keeps it open so you can access the spare tire if you need it, so I did like that as opposed to fix a flat.

Potent Powertrain

Powering the beast is a three-liter twin-turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine with a 48-volt mild hybrid putting out 375 horsepower at 5200 RPM, which, by the way, is a 40-horsepower bump from the 2023 model year.

That's a pretty substantial 398 pound-feet of torque coming in at right around 1800 RPM, which is a plus 67 pound-feet of torque more than the last model year. That's definitely very nice as well.

I think that 48-volt mild hybrid really makes a difference in these new BMWs because this is the same B-58 engine, but now we have that, so we have extra power torque.

Power is sent to all four wheels or rear wheels through an 8-speed automatic with paddle shifters and launch control that's pretty impressive. 0–60 time comes in at approximately 5.3 seconds, according to BMW.

Top speed of 155 miles per hour, with MPG numbers coming in at 23 in the city and 27 on the highway, and by the way, that's for both three-wheel drive and all-wheel drive taking premium unleaded fuel. 

As Fast As A Sports Sedan

We've got a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and it shifts just as lovely as it ever has. I tested the paddle shifter, and this car has lightning-quick paddle shifters. It is insane how quick these paddle shifters are. I'm sick and tired of SUVs having so quick paddle shifters, like faster than most cars out there. These paddle shifters are amazing. 

While testing the paddle shifters, I also tested the acceleration of the car in Sports Plus driving mode, and, oh man, an SUV should not be this quick. It’s almost as if you’re in a sports sedan. It’s that fast. This is the kind of acceleration that will put a smile on your face. There was no doubt plenty of acceleration to merge onto the highway or anything like that. 

But anyway, to go along with that acceleration, as always, braking is equally important. You will find four-wheel ventilated disc brakes as standard on the X5. As far as that 60-0 stopping distance goes, that is going to come in at 119 feet, which is sport sedan good.

It's not the firmest brake I've ever felt, but that 119-foot number is brilliant, quite honestly, especially for an SUV, because, like I said, that is sport sedan good. Typically, with SUVs, you get 120s, if not 130s. So 119 feet is brilliant for this thing.

Smooth Ride Quality

Touching on suspension and handling. As far as ride quality goes, that was one of the first things I noticed. It is an incredibly smooth ride here. I've been hitting so many road imperfections because the roads I’m testing on aren't the best, and the X5 has definitely been absorbing them very nicely.

So this thing is definitely plenty fine in terms of ride quality. 

It handles pretty well, it's a little body rolly but yeah I mean it's not quite an M but it also doesn't feel like it's not an M. this handles really well because the suspension is not adaptive but it is that like good BMW middle ground where it's not too stiff. It's on the stiffer side but it's not as stiff as I what I would imagine a comparable GLE would be.

And as far as cabin noise goes, it's been relatively quiet. So definitely a serene cabin; no issues there. The visibility is also great.

Not The Best Steering Feel

As far as steering feel goes, I don't like the steering feel and for some reason the feel is different from the one that we had in the X6 M60i where we kind of like drift off and it's hard to keep the car centered. So like the on center is actually not our favorite by a long shot.

It is going to differ substantially depending upon the drive mode that you put it in; if you want a heavier steering wheel, put it in the sport; if you want a looser steering feel, put it in the comfort. 

But my very favorite part about BMWs is that, for the most part, the 10-2 bolsters on the steering wheel itself are massive. They fit my hands perfectly. I absolutely love it. It gives the driver, maybe just me personally, a better feeling of being in control of this thing, so I love the grips in this BMW X5 without a doubt.

They do that better than any other manufacturer, in my personal opinion, so I'm a huge fan of that. 

Conclusion

Overall, when it comes to my final thoughts for the 2024 BMW X5, I love the new curved infotainment system here. I'm a big fan of that. Also love the acceleration and the paddle shifters; this thing is plenty fun to drive.

I love the 10-2 grips on the steering wheel; like I said, they do that better than any other manufacturer. The interior quality is on point, and the head-up display is super bright as well.

In terms of room for improvement. This thing can get dang pricey pretty darn quick. I will say that there are so many different options for the X5. And that could be a good thing or a bad thing.

It's a good thing because it really allows you to personalize it, make it your own, and basically get what you really want. But then it's a bad thing because it can definitely get quite pricey from the original MSRP on this thing.

Here's A Quick Look At The Pros & Cons Of The 2024 BMW X5 SUV