WATCH New 2017 BMW X5M Review. The BMW X5M is a perplexing vehicle. Viewed through the eyes of a purist, it is everything a sporting BMW shouldn’t be. Which is to say it’s huge, heavy, and—duh—an SUV. On the other hand, it is also very fast, an attribute that appeals very much to our primal instincts.
Many affluent consumers, however, suffer no such internal conflict. Conditioned by years of having their every whim catered to by marketers and manufacturers, they view the concept of a 5299-pound luxury family wagon combining mind-bending performance numbers with traditional day-to-day utility as an entirely rational one.
Big M Power
The first BMW sport-ute with an “M” appended to its name arrived in 2010, a few years into the life cycle of the second-generation X5. No slouch, that initial BMW X5 M nabbed first place in a couple of high-performance SUV face-offs, and it set a pretty high bar for this new X5 M to clear.
To help put it over the top, BMW fortified the latest model with its latest 4.4-liter V-8. Utilizing a pair of twin-scroll turbochargers and variable valve timing and lift, it makes 567 horsepower, bettering the output of the previous X5 M’s 4.4-liter V-8 by 12, with torque rising by 53 lb-ft to 553. If those numbers sound familiar, it’s because the same engine also resides under the hood of the polarizing, slope-backed BMW X6 M.
Also shared with the X6 M are the 115.5-inch wheelbase and a suspension tuned for M-level dynamics. Firmer bushings, stiffer springs, modified upper wishbones with revised geometry, and a 10-millimeter drop in ride height set the X5 M apart from the base X5; both the X5 M and X6 M come with a self-leveling rear air suspension and unique 21-inch wheels as standard.
You Buy It, You Beat It
In theory, operating the X5 M in a polite manner is entirely possible. The interior, with its full Merino leather upholstery ($2900), Bang & Olufsen audio system ($3700), and Executive package ($4500; heated steering wheel, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, rear window shades, head-up display, and more) certainly encourages reserved behavior.
The problem is that after you get your first taste of the torque rush provided by the mighty V-8, that heavenly interior becomes command central for raising hell. The run from zero to 60 mph consumes just 3.8 seconds and the quarter-mile flashes by in 12.3, this brain-warping BMW tripping the lights at 115 mph. The response is nearly instantaneous, with all 553 lb-ft of torque present and accounted for by 2200 rpm.
For the sake of establishing some order in this competitive set, consider that the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S performed the same tasks in 4.1 and 12.5 seconds, the Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG in 4.2 and 12.6. By those measures, the X5 M is the king of the luxury-SUV drag strip. But change is constant, and both of those makers already are ushering more-powerful models into their lineups: Porsche’s 570-hp 2016 Cayenne Turbo S hit the streets earlier this year, and the 577-hp Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S coupe isn’t far behind (although the latter is more a competitor for the X6 M).
Backsound credit by bensound.com
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