Just prior to shipping the August 2019 print issue, the only two BMWs I had recently driven were the X7 and X5—both all-new for 2019.
I had only a brief lunchtime spin in the supersized X7, in which I took five colleagues to a local pho joint and was able to use all three rows. My co-workers handle different parts of the business at the MotorTrend Group, from business intelligence to operations to ad sales, so they were excited to experience a brand-new BMW.
“Do you like it?” they hollered from the back. “How does it drive?”
“It’s really … big,” I said, struggling to find words describe the 5,300-pound, 203.3-inch-long (0.6 inch shy of a Chevy Tahoe), $100,000 (as tested), leather-swaddled behemoth.
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I spent a lot more time in the X5: a full three-day road trip from Los Angeles to the Sacramento area, ripping along the I-5 and Route 99, five-and-a-half hours each way. More wheel time meant more time to be impressed, particularly by the X5’s balance. It proved sporty yet smooth on the road, tech-laden but not overwhelming, and cushy but not at the expense of genuine utility. BMW’s ability to balance ride and handling is the stuff of legend, but the new X5’s fullness in other areas shows the depth and experience the company has gained since it built its first SUV 20 years ago.
The 3 Series is going on 44 years (a year older than your humble scribe) and spans seven generations, and I wish I could say it held the same charm as that X5. I was as shocked as you might be after I heard the results of our latest comparison tests, so I had to see for myself.