2011 BMW X5

Rating from BMW FAN

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"The BMW X5 35d is a sport luxury SAV not really your typical family SUV. It is fun to drive and will whip around corners without a problem. If you really want to have fun and leave people in the dust, shift the transmission into sport drive. For a large SUV I get an average of 22.1 - 22.4 mpg. The diesel fuel cost of less than the cost of premium gas that most luxury vehicles take and I get more MPGs, so the diesel does pay off. BMW offers 48 months of service & maintenance included with the cost of the vehicle. I really was impressed that the X5 BMWs are built in Spartanburg, SC in the USA. Prior to my my purchase decision, I did almost purchase another SUV, but it was not as fun to drive and was not really my "dream" vehicle. The pros are pretty much everything, I had my X5 custom built and it only took 30 days. My options were the premium package, sport activity package, upgraded sound (awesome!), cold weather package, and navigation. My favorite additional features are the satellite radio, upgraded sound package, heated seats and steering wheel for the winter time, & the voice commands are cool with the bluetooth. The cons are the navigation, which is not touchscreen and can be a bit confusing, the smell of diesel fuel when filling up that is stronger than gas, and the somewhat noisy engine especially in the winter when the vehicle is cold."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from tankist

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		4 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"EXCELLENT CAR. New 300hp engine & new 8 speed transmition make its vehicle outstanding. Fuel economy much better now. Dinamics is perfect. I recomended"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from 16 BMWs

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		4 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		4 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"I just placed an order for a 2012 X5 5.0 to replace my 2011 X5 diesel (April 2010 production) with over 30,000 miles. This will be my eighth X5 since 2001 (and 16th BMW in total). I favor the X5 because it has the most comfortable driving position and seats of any SUV (especially with the multi-contour must-have seats). I read the reviews on this site from people who claim to have a 2011 X5 3.0 (no such thing because that engine ended in 2010) and people who claim to have had mechanical problems, uncomfortable seats, inoperable navigation, etc. Those sound like false reviews. Even Consumer Reports recommends the X5 as of November 2011. My X5s have been completely reliable. No issues. None. I've had every version of the iDrive system since the first one in the 2002 E65 745i and it has never been sufficiently complicated to justify all the whining about it. The current iDrive's granularity of control over vehicle functions is better than any other vehicle including Audi. The diesel is noisier than the gas engines, but the torque is amazing and I've had trips that averaged 31 mpg in all highway driving, which is not bad for a 5,300 lb SUV. I opted for the 5.0 this time to change things up a little, but I'm sure I'll miss the 600+ mile range on a single tank of diesel. It's also important to me that these vehicles are made in the U.S. (Spartanburg, SC)."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from ChiCarGuy

(3)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		1 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		3 out of 5
Value for the Money:		2 out of 5
Reliability:		3 out of 5

"I'm a car enthusiast and former BMW CCA member, and I appreciate BMW's blend of performance, handling and build quality. What's more, my wife and I loved our previous car, a 2002 X5 4.4i which we owned for 6 years. I waited patiently for years for the right time to order my new 2011 X5 diesel just the way I wanted. But I was disappointed with the car. First the positives: it's the best-looking SUV on the road. Hands down. It handles well for such a big car and feels smaller than it really is. Even the basic seats are supportive and super comfortable over long distances, and they offer tons of adjustability. The diesel engine has gobs of power, is very smooth and gets great mileage compared to the V8. The 2011 is a lot quieter and smoother than the previous generation, with great ride quality and is packed with cool tech (like the top view and side view cameras--but why can't I use them at faster speeds?!). But for God's sake, what did BMW do to the trannny? Our 2002 always felt like it was in the right gear--I never had to think about it. The 2011 felt like the transmission slips from every stop until about 30 mph, after which it would shift normally. The dealer checked it and said it was operating correctly, so I can only include that it is an engineering flaw; set up this way to perhaps maximize mileage. Regardless, it's infuriating since it messes up an otherwise brilliant powertrain. The 2nd largest complaint we had was the navigation system. It sent us the wrong way on several occasions, couldn't find other addresses, and was absolutely clunky to use with the iDrive controller (or voice). A touchscreen would have made a world of difference. Plus, the map doesn't show every street name, making it useless in city driving. A $100 Garmin is much better. Other frustrations: cheap wipers that left streaks (despite being replaced by the dealer, and despite the BEST wipers on the 2002), annoying seat memory functionality, small 3rd row (though I knew that when I bought it), 2 small problems requiring service within the first 3 months, poor interior panel fit, numb steering(on center) and much less road feel and feedback through the steering wheel than my old X5. So after just 6 months of owning my dream car, I sadly turned it in for a Mazda 5 (see my review for more). I would be hesitant to get another BMW after this experience, except that the 2011 5-series loaner that I was given while my X5 was in the shop was amazing--it felt and drove like a BMW should. So maybe there's hope yet for the next generation X5!"

I would recommend this car to a friend: No

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Transporting family

Rating from Knows cars

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"I purchased a new 2011 X5 3.5i loaded with the staggered 20's. Only vehicle of 20 I have puirchased that never needed to go back in with even a minor adjustment. This car is flawless. Amazing handling, look and comfort. I could not go near the 5 Series after driving the X5 SAV."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from 3rd BMW

(2)
Comfort:		2 out of 5
Performance:		2 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		1 out of 5
Value for the Money:		1 out of 5
Reliability:		1 out of 5

"41,000 miles and now going in for the 15th time. They keep telling me the check engine light isn't meaningful. 15 times come on . Diff. leaks fuel leaks. sensors out, piece of junk. $60,000. rip off. getting rid of it ASAP"

I would recommend this car to a friend: No

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Transporting family

Rating from 4MoJoe

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"Bought in May of 2011. Mileage is really great, the diesel power is amazing. Not a noisy or stinky car like diesels of the past. It's too bad North American drivers haven't embraced diesel like in Europe. Car is comfortable, great ride, nicely finished and quite attractive. (thumbs up)!"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Towing

Rating from No more bmws

(2)
Comfort:		1 out of 5
Performance:		2 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		4 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		3 out of 5
Reliability:		2 out of 5

"The driver's seat is horrible - more than 30 minutes and my legs and lower back go numb. It's undriveable after 40 minutes. The lumbar adjustment is terrible. It's too high, and when I try to lower it goes down a little, but stops before it gets to where I need support and just starts inflating instead. A friend has the same car and same problem. We're both about 6'1" so maybe it's a height thing. My wife doesn't have the problem. The exhaust rattles at startup (since new), dealer says this is normal. If so, BMW should be ashamed. Power at low RPM is poor. I have a steep driveway and need to do some precision maneuvering, the car just bogs until suddenly there's a turbo surge. The auto lights stay on in bright sunlight, don't come on a dusk. The ride is harsh, especially when both front wheels are impacted at once (speed bumps, road drainage culverts which we have lots of in CA). The chassis engineers should never have signed off on run-flat tires. There's just no vertical compliance. And for those that say this is to be expected in a performance biased SUV, first I would say nobody drives it like a sports car and second, yes you can have good ride and great handling - BMW has proven this for years. Unfortunately the chassis engineers were staging a protest when they came up with this car. Stay away. Too many liabilities. BMW has lost its way."

I would recommend this car to a friend: No

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Transporting family

Rating from bmwfreek27!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"all i gotta say is i gotta 2011 35i xdrive premium conv. pkg, tech pkg, cold wthr. pkg 3rd row seat, running boards @ $62250 Luv it"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Just getting around

Rating from Gracious

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"German cars are the best of the best. But BMWs are the best of the German family of cars. Nothing drives like this Bavarian breed of machines, and once you drive one, it is difficult to drive anything else."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting