BMW X5 3.0 DIESEL
If The Thought Of A
BMW X5 Appeals But The Fuel Bills Send You Running For Cover, Help Is At Hand. Andy Enright Reports
To some folk, the idea of worrying about the fuel bills on a £36,000 Sports Utility Vehicle is akin to the Sultan of Brunei sneaking about in the dead of night putting bricks in his toilet cisterns to save water. If you can stretch to the sticker price for a BMW X5, you should really be able to run it, but when you make a diesel engine as good as BMWs latest 3.0-litre, it would be a crime not to fit it.
Weve become used to 3.0-litre diesel unit thats frequently found elsewhere in the BMW range, although familiarity certainly hasnt bred contempt. In its latest form, the engine generates 218bhp (well up from the 184bhp found in the original diesel X5) by using second-generation common-rail diesel technology. It talks the torque too with a huge 500Nm on offer compared to 410Nm in its old form.
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Despite an automatic gearbox and a frontal area the size of an aircraft carrier, the X5 produces big acceleration from rest and massively impressive in-gear power. This is all a result of the torque of this diesel engine. The torque figure of 500Nm is superior to the range-topping V8 models and that, along with the 32mpg that the X5 3.0d records on the combined cycle, explains why most serious off-roaders prefer a diesel.
But lets not kid ourselves, were far more likely to see Ann Widdecombe installed at Number 10 before we see a
BMW X5 up to its wheel arches in mud. Nevertheless, the engine has been designed for additional low-end power, limiting the X5s top end performance, resulting in a sprint to sixty mph in 8.3 seconds and a top speed of 130mph. This may seem extravagant for what BMW terms a Sports Activity Vehicle, but given the X5s excellent road manners its easily attainable where conditions permit.
"The BMW 3.0-litre diesel is confident of its own abilities, choosing not to betray any latent inferiority complex by masquerading as a petrol unit"
That competence is due in no small part to its ability to drive like a normal passenger car whilst offering extended capabilities, and the class leading safety of a monocoque chassis. This last point is important. Until recently, most 4x4s utilised a primitive separate, or ladder, chassis arrangement that offered flexibility and an agricultural articulation to their off road capabilities, but led to correspondingly crude handling on road, whereas the X5 has the skeleton of a road car. The X5s superb road handling stems, in part, from a huge American market consisting of thousands of potential customers who rarely take their macho 4x4s anywhere remotely rugged.
The American theme is noteworthy, as the US market for the X5 was styled in a Californian design studio and built to an impeccable standard in Spartanburg, North Carolina. Most will notice the edgier front headlights on the current model but closer inspection reveals that virtually everything forward of the windscreen pillars has been subtly revised. The bonnet has been resculpted with sharper edges that run into the trademark kidney grilles. The front spoiler features bigger air intakes and the front fog lamps now look a lot neater.
Things have changed under the skin too. Whereas the old X5 system was based on a simple fixed front to rear drive ratio with DSC traction control used for critical interventions, the latest set-up is a whole lot cleverer. Dubbed xDrive, this intelligent four-wheel drive system varies drive between the front and rear axles depending upon traction requirements. A series of wheel sensors and data collected from the DSC system, xDrive predicts any loss of traction and an electronically controlled mid-mounted clutch reacts in milliseconds to direct drive to the wheels that most require it.
Although you couldnt possibly mistake it for a petrol engine, the BMW 3.0-litre diesel is confident of its own abilities, choosing not to betray any latent inferiority complex by masquerading as a petrol unit. Instead it revels in its sinewy power delivery in the midrange and generates a throaty burble quite unlike the creamy six-cylinder petrol timbre. Though the throttle isnt as direct as the 3.
0-litre petrol version and the brakes arent quite as punchy due to that additional weight in the nose, the X5 3.0d is still at home in the twisty stuff. All X5s roll initially but not alarmingly, and as several corners are stitched together, confidence grows. The ride is supple and the speed sensitive power steering requires little effort to place the car accurately into a corner, although the rather high gearing facilitates a fair degree of constant adjustment and a flaccid feel when driving straight ahead.
The 5-speed automatic gearbox does little to blunt the impact of that power, and ride quality whether on the standard eighteen-inch rims or the Sport variants nineteen-inch rubber is always serene. Prices start at £36,115 for the base model and £38,065 for the Sport variant. The base X5 3.0d is distinguished from its eight-cylinder counterpart by two instead of four tailpipes.
Standard equipment includes automatic air conditioning, 17-inch Star alloy wheels, flat weave cloth upholstery, rain sensing headlamp washers and Dynamic Stability Control amongst others. You can also expect to find metallic paint, poplar wood trim, Hill Descent Control, Park Distance Control, and self-levelling rear air suspension on the standard features list. Opt for the X5 Sport and the subterfuge will be even more impressive, with monster 19-inch wheels, stiffer suspension, electric seats with memory, anthracite headlining and a dechrome option. Badge deletion is a no cost option that will doubtless prove popular with X5 3.
0d buyers. Theres no doubt that £36,000 is a lot to pay for a car that offers less performance, economy and capability than a similarly powered diesel executive estate. That would be missing the point however. In this corner of the market, its less about what the car can do than what it says about you.
The BMW X5 3.0d is the most affordable way to buy the best luxury 4x4 around, and if you prefer diesel rather than mud on your shoes,
smart buyers will know that it doesnt get a whole lot better than this.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: BMW X5 3.0d range
PRICE: £36,115-£38,065 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 16
CO2 EMISSIONS: 233g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 8.3s / Max Speed 130mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 32.8mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and window airbags, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: (length/width/height) 4667/2190/1707mm
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