2025 BMW X5 review | The West Australian

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2025 BMW X5 review | The West ***********

The

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defines the luxury SUV genre.

Camera Icon2025 BMW X5 Credit: CarExpert

Sure, you could argue it was the Range Rover, and Mercedes-Benz beat it to the punch with the original ML in 1997. But since 1999, the X5 has set the standard for the sort of road-oriented SUVs that dominate private school carparks around the world.

The badge has come a long way. The first-generation model that debuted in 1999 borrowed heavily from the

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and was topped with a sprinkling of Land Rover DNA; the fourth-generation car here is a road-biased luxury family staple sitting as part of a seven-strong BMW SUV range.

Compared to the last X5 we drove, the 2025 model you see here has been treated to a significant update.

Outside, it has a massaged look that brings it into line with newer models like the

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, while the cabin features a new dual-screen infotainment setup. The range of engines pack more power and use less fuel than before, too.

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WATCH: Paul’s video review of the BMW X5 xDrive40i

Locally, the new X5 goes head-to-head with an overhauled

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Is it still the daddy?

How much does the BMW X5 cost?

Prices were hiked for the 2025 model year, in line with an update to the broader X5 range.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera Icon2025 BMW X5 Credit: CarExpert

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What is the BMW X5 like on the inside?

Every new BMW is a technology showcase, and the new X5 is no different. The curved, dual-screen setup dominating the dashboard looks box office, backed by some new dashboard finishes and ambient lighting.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera Icon2025 BMW X5 Credit: CarExpert

Front passengers sit in well-stuffed, supportive seats with electric adjustment, and everything you touch feels high quality.

Our tester was fitted with beautiful BMW Individual Merino leather seat trim and Luxury front seats ($4000), but even the standard finish feels suitably expensive.

The view over the bonnet is suitably commanding, and tall or short drivers won’t struggle to get comfortable.

It’s brilliantly functional. There’s heaps of storage up front for bottles, along with a wireless charger, a wallet-sized slot beneath the dashboard, and a useful space beneath the split-opening central armrest.

Gone are the physical climate controls though. They’ve been absorbed into the dual-screen infotainment setup, in line with the rest of the BMW range.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera Icon2025 BMW X5 Credit: CarExpertdata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera Icon2025 BMW X5 Credit: CarExpertdata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera Icon2025 BMW X5 Credit: CarExpertdata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera Icon2025 BMW X5 Credit: CarExpert

When we first used it, the new touchscreen tech in BMWs had too many layers. Turning on the heated seats took three button presses – now it takes two. It’s a step in the right direction; although using buttons in the last 4er was easier again.

Once you’re dialled into how the touchscreen is set up, the tech in this BMW is excellent. All the animations look lifted from the silver screen, and the fundamentals like the wireless Apple CarPlay connection work as they should.

Hey BMW voice prompts work well, allowing you to fiddle with everything from the sunroof to the air conditioning, but there’s still something odd about talking to your car with others on board as passengers.

BMW has improved on its digital instruments, ditching the busy look of the old X5 in favour of a cleaner and more modern layout.

There are plenty of customisation options, from mapping to your media details, but there’s no clean analogue-look option that harks back to the brand’s brilliant orange-lit dials of old.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera Icon2025 BMW X5 Credit: CarExpertdata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera Icon2025 BMW X5 Credit: CarExpert

Rear seat space is solid, although the X5 is shaded by the marginally larger (similarly priced)

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in the second row. Headroom is excellent back there, even with the panoramic sunroof fitted, and there’s plenty of legroom for tall teenagers.

The tall windows mean it feels bright in the second row, and all the amenities you’d expect feature. There’s a fold-down central armrest, air vents with their own temperature controls, and decent door bins for road trip snacks.

There’s also four USB ports back there. Along with the two USB-C ports at the base of the transmission tunnel, there are two on the front seat back alongside a tablet mount for the kids on long road trips.

ISOFIX points feature on the outboard rear seats, and there’s a trio of top tethers back there for child seats. It’s a shame integrated window shades are hidden in an options package.

BMW deserves points for sticking with its split tailgate, which makes it easier to slide heavy things into the boot – or works as a seat when you’re watching your kids play sport.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera Icon2025 BMW X5 Credit: CarExpertdata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera Icon2025 BMW X5 Credit: CarExpert

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What’s under the bonnet?

BMW offers a choice of petrol, diesel, and plug-in hybrid power in the X5. Our tester had a classic BMW engine, in the form of a 3.0-litre inline-six petrol.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera Icon2025 BMW X5 Credit: CarExpert

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How does the BMW X5 drive?

BMW is known for its silky smooth inline-six engines, and the 3.0-litre engine in the X5 40i carries on that tradition in style.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera IconOverseas model shown Credit: CarExpert

It was already an effortless engine, with loads of performance low in the rev range and a classy growl at the top end, but the 48V system has made it even more impressive.

The automatic start/stop kicks in imperceptibly as you coast up to a set of traffic lights, shutting down the engine without so much as a cough, and there’s no awkward ***** when you want to accelerate away in a hurry.

Although the lazier power delivery of a diesel suits a family bus like the X5 nicely, this inline-six petrol is a beautiful engine for anyone who’s giving up their sports car dreams to carry a family around.

BMW hasn’t made much noise about its hybrid technology but it’s exceptional, and comes without the awkwardness you get from the brakes in some rival mild-hybrid systems as they harvest energy to feed the battery pack.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera Icon2025 BMW X5 Credit: CarExpert

Combined with light steering, a comfortable ride, and decent vision out the front, the buttery smooth petrol engine makes the X5 easy to drive in the city. BMW does the best surround-view camera in the business, so there’s no excuse for scraped wheels or bumpers when you’re parking in tight spaces.

You’d want to be careful, because the 22-inch wheels fitted to our tester look very easy to scrape. They also undermine comfort relative to smaller options, because they’re wrapped in liquorice-thin tyres that just can’t soak up pimply city streets like alternatives with taller sidewalls.

The X5 is fundamentally pretty comfortable, with a relaxed ride that feels more luxurious than sporty. You can flick the adaptive dampers into Sport for a firmer ride, but unless you’re trying to make the kids ***** on the school run it’s best to leave things in Comfort.

This is an effortless cruiser when the road opens up. It’s near silent on the highway, and the ride ******** excellent at 100km/h. Put your foot down to overtake and the 3.0-litre engine has power in reserve, making open road overtakes effortless.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera Icon2025 BMW X5 Credit: CarExpert

Noise suppression is excellent – as you’d expect of a $140k luxury SUV – at 100km/h on coarse country highways, and the engine is silent unless you’re pushing on.

The adaptive cruise control smoothly maintains a gap to the car in front, the lane-keep only intervenes when it really needs to, and the ******-spot monitor doesn’t jump at shadows.

It’s a shame BMW has made it ******* to fiddle with those driver assists, though. Want to change the following distance on your adaptive cruise control?

You need to ***** into the touchscreen for that, rather than just using the buttons on the steering wheel that have been blanked out as part of the update. We’ve said it before, but why not say it again… The move away from buttons makes everything *******.

What do you get?

On test here is the X5 xDrive40i which is the most affordable petrol variant in the range.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera Icon2025 BMW X5 Credit: CarExpertdata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera Icon2025 BMW X5 Credit: CarExpertdata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera Icon2025 BMW X5 Credit: CarExpertdata:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera Icon2025 BMW X5 Credit: CarExpert

BMW X5 xDrive30d and xDrive40i highlights:

Is the BMW X5 safe?

The X5 wears a five-star ANCAP safety rating with 2018 date stamp, based on tests conducted by Euro NCAP. This rating only covers 3.0-litre petrol and diesel models, with plug-in hybrid and V8 variants remaining unrated.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera Icon2025 BMW X5 Credit: CarExpert

Standard safety equipment includes:

Driving Assistant ProfessionalHigh beam assistParking Assistant PlusSpeed LimiterSpeed Limit InfoHow much does the BMW X5 cost to run?

Like the broader BMW range, the X5 is backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera Icon2025 BMW X5 Credit: CarExpertCarExpert’s Take on BMW X5

The BMW X5 is still impossible to ignore if you’re searching for a plush family hauler.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera Icon2025 BMW X5 Credit: CarExpert

Its blend of luxury and practicality ******** excellent, and BMW has dragged it into 2024 with its cutting-edge new dual-screen setup.

There are still few things nicer in the motoring world than a smooth inline-six engine, although anyone spending long stints on the highway would be well served looking at the cheaper turbo-diesel alternative.

The only real knock on the X5 ******** its rear seat space, which is acceptable… but not standout alongside similarly priced rivals from Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

Provided you’re not planning on having a family of basketball players it’s unlikely to be a dealbreaker.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==Camera Icon2025 BMW X5 Credit: CarExpert

Interested in buying a BMW X5? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here

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ProsButtery smooth inline-sixImpressive interior technology suiteSolid value alongside Mercedes GLEConsLimited rear seat spaceAnother year, another price risePetrol engine likes a drink in townTop Line SpecsPower: 280kWFuel Type: Premium Unleaded PetrolEconomy: 9.2L/100kmCO2 Emissions: 211g/kmANCAP Safety Rating: 5

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