2026 BMW X5 PHEV consumer reviews

We leased a 2026 BMW X5 xDrive50e on 3/31/2026. There were at least a dozen on the dealer lot and we were able to find one with exactly the packages and colors we wanted. We got an excellent deal and, including our 6-year-old paid-off trade-in, left with a monthly payment of less than $300. The car is beautiful, manhattan green with cognac interior. This is our first PHEV, so we started with the included level 1 charger and then installed a level 2 charger (Emporia Classic) in our garage as quickly as possible. For our typical around-town use we've been able to drive almost entirely in EV mode. The EV mileage gauge starts off at 50 miles and, given recent mild weather, appears to be accurate. The interior displays are quite usable. We particularly appreciate the heads-up driver display, which shows speed, speed limit, and even driving directions. The most common operations are still associated with knobs and buttons, with interior temperature settings relegated to the central LCD but visible by default. The main LCD is a touch screen and the BMW iDrive puck is particularly helpful for changing settings. The depth of settings and options is immense. Fortunately an expert at the dealer set up all the basics before we left. We're still experimenting with various features such as automatic locking and interior lighting, but we can find our way around. The ride is softer than a previous (~2015) X5 we had, which is actually nice. The car can be raised and lowered. You can drive in EV, hybrid, or sport mode. So far we've kept it in EV and the performance is plenty good. It still has the tight handling we expect of a BMW. If you punch the gas, the engine fires up and the car really takes off (483 hp). We had a bad experience with run-flat tires in the previous X5 and switched to regular tires plus a spare kept under the back storage area. That is no longer an option because that space is now taken by batteries. We hope we won't have similar tire trouble in this car. With our three-year lease and bumper-to-bumper plus maintenance coverage over the entire period, we will have minimal worries about anything going wrong.

My first BMW was a 1974 3.0CS. Superb driving machine all the rest, 740 IL, 540s, 550, Z4 3.5 and now an X54e. All great fun.