2006 BMW X5 Pros and Cons at TrueDelta: Owner Pros and Cons by Purview

Exterior styling

I love the clean lines and straightforward, Teutonic styling on my E53 (2006) X5. However, compared to the E70 X5, it is a noticeably older design.

Interior styling

High quality interior materials. There's soft plastics almost everywhere, which is nice since we used to only have Japanese cars. The buttons and knobs all feel very solid.

Handling

This X5 handles much better than any vehicle this tall should handle, with just-right steering, good brakes, decent composure in the curves, and excellent straight line stability.

Driving position & visibility

Because it's so tall and because it's shoulder-line is relatively low, there's excellent visibility out front and out the sides, and decent visibility when backing up.

Powertrain performance

While I wish the 3.0L i6 had 50 more ft-lbs of torque, it does fine even in the thinner air of Colorado. The AWD system is amazing in the winter, and combined with traction and stability control, makes the X5 a very safe vehicle.

Cargo capacity

The cargo room isn't any better than that of most compact hatchbacks, and the sloping lid with tall load floor means that it's hard to fit taller items. The towing capacity is high, but I don't use my X5 to tow

Fuel economy

The 3.0L i6 is rather underpowered, and it's hard for me to squeeze even 22 mpg out of my X5. Most of the time, I get close to 20. Most V8 X5s from this generation get 16-18 mpg.

Ride smoothness

Personally, I don't mind the firm ride and firm seats, but some of my passengers don't like it.