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BEST SUV: BMW X5
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February 14, 2002: 10:44 a.m. ET
More for a night out than a day in the mud, the X5 gives SUV buyers what they really want.
By Jerry Edgerton
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NEW YORK (Money Magazine) - Yes, it's got all-wheel drive, but BMW readily admits that X5 buyers don't play in the mud. That's why BMW calls the X5 a "sports activity vehicle" rather than a sport utility. Whatever. The X5 is one great-driving luxe machine. With its super- sensitive power steering and traction control, it drives like, well, a BMW.
Inside, luxury touches include plenty of leather and wood and separate climate controls for driver and passenger. You'll be safe too: The X5 got the top rating among mid-size sport utilities in crash tests staged by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
A caveat: If you haul lots of furniture or sports equipment, the X5 may not be for you. With the back seats down, its cargo capacity is a none-too-commodious 54 cubic feet, compared with, say, the 88 cubic feet of a 2002 Ford Explorer.
A reasonably good negotiator can get the X5 with the 3.0-liter, 220-horsepower V-6 engine for about $1,350 over dealer invoice price, or around $38,000 with typical options -- a lot of money, but about the same as a high-end Acura MDX or a fully loaded GMC Yukon. Unless you plan to tow a boat or trailer, you won't miss the optional V-8 engine. If you do need the V-8, though, the price jumps to $49,400 -- with no discounts.
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