2008 BMW X5 4.8i Long-Term Road Tests Archives

We just published the results of our 2009 Inside Line Readers Most Wanted Awards and the 2009 Nissan 370Z and 2009 Nissan GT-R cleaned up, winning two categories each. That means these two cars took four of the 15 awards.

The BMW 128i also grabbed a spot on the list, which essentially means three cars in our long-term fleet are favorites of our readers. Plus, several recent long-term blog alums took honors. Readers also voted big time for the Honda Accord, BMW X5, Toyota Tundra, Ford Mustang and BMW 3-Series.   

You know, sometimes we take flack for this blog not having cars our readers are interested in. Um, hello.  

Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief

Categories: 2006 BMW 330i,2007 Toyota Tundra SR5 Double Cab,2008 BMW X5 4.8i,2008 Honda Accord EX-L V6,2009 Nissan 370Z Touring,2009 Nissan GT-R

I wanted to give you guys an update on the vehicles we cover everyday on this blog. I think there's some concern out there that we have too many BMWs. We don't, it just looks like we do.

Fact is, the X5 is done. The wrap-up of its year long run with us will hit Inside Line this Thursday night. Our 2002 M3 is also pretty much finished. We've had it for 15 months, and have just been waiting for a new M3 sedan to arrive before we sold it off. Well, the new M3 arrived today. Don't worry, it's a 6-speed. No SMG. Or DCT. Or whatever they call it now. Look for it's intro to this blog in a couple of weeks and the wrap-up of our year long test of the E46 in about a month.

That leaves our 135i. It too will end its run soon. We'll have had it for 12-months sometime in May.

So, our timing may be a bit off, but the plan was to replace the 135i, the E46 M3 and the X5 with our new 750i and a new M3 sedan. So if you give it a month or two to play out, we'll be back down to just two BMWs.

Make sense?

Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief 

Categories: 2002 BMW M3,2008 BMW 135i,2008 BMW X5 4.8i,2009 BMW 750i

Thanks to gooney911 for today's favorite caption.

These also gave us a good chuckle:

Dear, why'd you pack a shovel for dinner and a movie? (oldchap)
Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! (smilez)
Oldham flees to Mexico before the CHP can nail him for doing 90MPH in the Edmunds LT Smart (deagle13)
Honey, can we just stop and ask for directions?! (cruiserhead1)
I told iDrive 'no freeways' and it routed me here. (vwthing1)
Rommel, you magnificent bastard, I read your book. (mnorm1)
I can't believe we're having to park THIS far away from the Pottery Barn. (Franchitti27)

What was your favorite?

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

Categories: 2008 BMW X5 4.8i,Caption Contest

Our BMW X5 got a little dusty on its way to Beverly Hills.

I suggest: "Jed Clampett 2009"

What have you got? Keep 'em clean. Get it? Keep 'em clean? Heh.

We'll post our favorite at 4:00 PM Pacific Time.

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

Categories: 2008 BMW X5 4.8i,Caption Contest

In the past couple of weeks we've had a lot of turnover in our long-term fleet. Some cars have gone bye-bye and we've gotten a couple of newbies. I thought you'd want an update.

Gone are the BMW X5, Audi R8 and Dodge Grand Caravan. There will be no more blogs on these cars, but look for an in depth wrap-up on each in the next few weeks, just like the one we published on our Mercedes C300 today. All three are already missed. The X5 and R8 were staff favorites, and the minivan proved to be great at moving people and things, even if we didn't always shower it with praise.

New to the fleet is a bitchin' black 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T we purchased about a week ago. Look for its full introduction to this blog next week and a flood of posts soon after. We also recently acquired a Hyundai Genesis sedan and a Nissan 370Z, both of which we introduced to you and this blog recently.

Soon to finish up their time in our fleet will be the Cadillac CTS, Pontiac G8, the 2002 BMW E46 M3, our Subaru WRX STI and our BMW 135i. Any suggestions on replacements?

Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief

Categories: 2002 BMW M3,2008 Audi R8,2008 BMW 135i,2008 BMW X5 4.8i,2008 Cadillac CTS V6 DI,2008 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT,2008 Mercedes-Benz C300 Sport,2008 Pontiac G8 GT,2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI,2009 Hyundai Genesis V6,2009 Nissan 370Z Touring

In a bid to appear like responsible adults we ordered the $1,200 third-row seats option on our long-term X5 instead of the monster 20-inch-wheels option. They are mutually exclusive options.

We're not saying it was a mistake, per se. But we can say that if we were buying an X5 for personal use we'd save ourselves the $1,200. And if we really needed three rows of seats, we wouldn't even consider the X5.

The two folding mini-buckets in the way-back are simply not very useful. But what about kids, you say? Well, there are no Latch attachments for the third row which would mean you'd have to use the old-school belts. And beside, we think some of our child-safety seats are bigger than the X5's third-row buckets. Although the kids would at least get an HVAC vent and a couple of cupholders back there.

And what about cramming adults back there, just for short trips? Stop being ridiculous. We crawled back there and it hurt. We don't dislike anyone that much -- certainly not anyone we'd allow into our car. Even employees of BMW North America will admit that offering the third row in the X5 was simply a marketing exercise and not a particularly useful option.

During it's stay with us the X5's rear-most seats remained folded into the floor basically always. There they added weight and cost and became the locus of resentment for staffers who really wanted the big, meaty rear tires.

-- Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit at 26,358 miles

Categories: 2008 BMW X5 4.8i

...Quando with a guess of 243 miles!

Context clues, people! In the image posted you can see I'm in DS-- drive sport--that can't be good for economy. Also to consider: I live in the city and never once for these 230 hit a freeway or even an uncongested street (but you couldn't have known that).

Closest estimate for gallons: kurtamaxxxguy who guessed 20.5. Our 2008 X5 took 20.429. 

(And to those who asked: It's an old picture. The X5 is in Detroit but in honor of Car of the Week, I pulled some things from my library.)

Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant and unofficial Inside Line quizmaster

Categories: 2008 BMW X5 4.8i

A couple of you have asked how the X5's headlights perform, noting that most shoppers test drive a car during daylight hours and therefore have little or no opportunity to test a vehicle's lighting performance. Good point.

I'm as sensitive as the next guy to good nighttime lighting. Well, rest assured that the X5's lights are dazzlingly bright. Whether this annoys oncoming drivers I cannot say. I certainly have not had anyone flash their high-beams at me. That was a common occurrence when high-intensity discharge lamps were first arriving on the market.

As you'd probably suspect, the X5's lights are automatic, self-leveling HIDs. They're standard on all X5s, even the six-cylinder models. They're bright enough in the low setting that I rarely need to use the high-beams which scorch the surrounding shrubbery with lumens. The only optional part of the headlight system as fitted to our tester is the retractable headlight-cleaning system which comes as part of the $900 Cold Weather Package and also includes heated front seats, the much-loved heated steering wheel and ski bag.

So if you're worried about X5 headlight performance, don't.

--Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit at 26,342 miles

Categories: 2008 BMW X5 4.8i

Pictured is dash of our Long Term 2008 BMW X5 just before a much needed fuel up. (Yes, I run the tank low. It's okay if you don't. I think it's fun.)  How many miles are on the trip odometer?

FYI: The 08 X5 has a 22.5 gallon fuel tank and gets an epa rating of 14 city/ 19 highway,16 combined. 

Winner gets absolutely nothing. Bonus nothings for guessing how many gallons of the good stuff this fill required.

Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant

Categories: 2008 BMW X5 4.8i

Somehow we've managed to go through almost a year in a BMW without really ever talking much about the steering system. Compared to almost any steering system in anything with a remote resemblance to a sport-utility vehicle, the X5's is fantastic.

If that seems like damning with faint praise, it wasn't meant to. But neither is the X5's system entirely faultless. It's nearly perfect on the expressway when a little heft and a relatively slow ratio off-center result in a steady, composed demeanor -- exactly what you want for high-speed runs.

Around town, though, that weight seems unnecessary and unwelcome. Now, we're not talking heavy like the old days of non-assisted steering here. But it will come as a surprise to the uninitiated. And, as on most crossover/SUV things the ratio isn't particularly quick, even though the standard X5 system uses a variable-ratio rack that quickens the response the farther from center you guide it. But the weight combined with the relatively slow ratio and the X5's bulk can still mean a whole lot of work in parking situation.

If there's one vehicle in BMW's lineup that could genuinely benefit from the company's Active Steering system, it's the X5. At speeds up to 55 mph Active Handling uses a quick ratio that results in only two turns lock-to-lock -- giving the driver more turning response for a given input. At higher speeds the system uses a slower ratio to maintain stability. We don't really care for the system on the nimble 3-series.

But if you're in the market for an X5 we would say you should test drive one with Active Handling and one without. It is a stand-alone option which cost $1,400 for the 2008 model like ours. It's since gone up to $1,550.

--Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit

Categories: 2008 BMW X5 4.8i

By now you've probably noticed that we're featuring the BMW X5 this week.

Now it's your turn. Tell us what you want to talk about on the BMW X5.

Who will be first to post?

Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor

Categories: 2008 BMW X5 4.8i

There was some gnashing of teeth 'round the home office when we were ordering our long-term X5. This is because once you see a sport-package X5 fitted with the optional 20-inch wheels and fat, high-performance treads, you can't get it out of your head. It just looks so good.

That's the X5 I want to drive. It's just not the one I want to live with. You see, there's this frozen precipitation that falls from the sky and accumulates on everything where I live. You know how fun that stuff is on summer rubber? None.

The 19-inch wheels with Michelin Latitude all-season tires are notably less bitchin' looking. But it's a great all-around set up. They proved to be excellent in one of the snowier winters in Michigan history. And, at least on the X5, they don't give up much in the way of dry performance. With them, the X5 still stops from 60 mph in 123 feet, one of the better performances available in the world of crossovers. And our long-termer made it through the slalom at a surprisingly fast 62.9 mph. And it circled the skidpad at .82 g. Not bad. Not bad at all.

And when you factor in not having to swap out summer tires for winters each year and not having to deal with the terrain tracking exhibited by X5s with the 20s, I'd say there's not much compromise is making the sensible choice here.

Categories: 2008 BMW X5 4.8i

(Photo by Kurt Niebuhr)

Remember a few weeks ago, the post I did about shift patterns as mandated by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 102 (FMVSS102)? Of course you do. A page-turner like that? How could you forget. Well I went ahead and re-read that section and saw nothing in it about forcing the car into park if the vehicle is in motion and the driver door is opened. Why would I look up something silly like that? Glad you asked.

Open the door on the 2008 BMW X5 when the car is in drive and the transmission slams itself into park. PARK! WHILE MOVING! It's upsetting and confusing when this happens at a 2mph roll as the X5 is being used to collect orange cones murdered during slalom testing. It's scary and just plain wrong when it goes into park-- instead of, say, neutral-- at 11mph as we try to test the limits of just where this boat will stop trying to kill itself. The X5 will also throw itself into park from reverse at similarly low speeds. So much for peeking out the door to avoid that big curb.

Further proof this SUV needs a manual transmission. The Cayenne offers one.

Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant

Categories: 2008 BMW X5 4.8i

Professional driver. Closed course. Hey you stupid, don't try this at home.

Four things. One: The X5 is dead stable at these speeds, although there is a fair amount of wind noise. Two: No Tahoe or Flex or Enclave or SRX or Durango can approach a buck fifty, so there's still something special about the X5 and other performance minded German utes like the Cayenne. Although I'm sure a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 could swing it. Three: It was a steep downhill. Four: With my foot to the floor, the computer said mileage at this velocity was 7 mpg.  

Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief

Categories: 2008 BMW X5 4.8i

Contention: A Hill Descent Control system on the strip-mall off-roader X5 is like having a tow/haul mode for the automatic transmission in the Miata.

Look, I know that it doesn't really cost BMW anything for the lines of computer code that applies the brakes automatically and frequently enough to keep this beast crawling down inclines. Seems like the one good thing BMW might have gotten out of its unfortunate and costly days owning Land Rover.

But, come on. I'd bet less than 10 percent of X5 owners even know what that button is for much less that they can vary the vehicle's target speed between 4 and 15 mph using the button.

Dan Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit

Categories: 2008 BMW X5 4.8i

I'm a set-it-and-forget-it guy. I leave the automatic climate control system at somewhere between 69 and 72 degrees on any car I drive and leave it. Cranking it to 85 degrees doesn't make an 18 degree morning tolerable any quicker than setting it at 72.
 
Which is why, years ago when I first encountered BMW's manual intensity settings for its automatic climate control system, I thought it was a gimmick. Just another layer of complexity in the brands increasingly complicated control systems.

Briefly the system works like this: You set your temperature as normal. Successive pokes at the AUTO button will change the intensity of the climate control operation, including the fan. So you want some hot air blowing on you? Crank it to Intensive. Want to hear a quiet piece of music without cranking the audio system to compete with fan noise, punch up Soft.  You can also adjust it through iDrive, of course. But that's a minimum four-step process.

Look, sometimes you want 72 and sometimes you want 72, if you know what I mean. Could I just manually adjust the fan and get much of the same benefit. Yes, but why should I. I drive a $70,000 BMW.

Dan Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit at 26,310 miles

Categories: 2008 BMW X5 4.8i

The X5 just got back from its second, and last, oil change during its stay with us. It took one hour -- exactly the amount of time the service guy estimated when we made the appointment. It cost us nothing, as is the way with new BMWs.

We test drove the customer lounge at Erhard BMW in Bloomfield Hills, MI and found that the chairs were not long-term supportive but the all-you-can-eat doughnut bar suited us just fine, despite a narrow selection. Curiously, BMW owners in suburban Detroit apparently really like People magazine judging by the mountain of issues in the lounge.

We also had the rear-wiper nut cover -- which our service man, Richard, took to calling "the doo-hickey" -- replaced for $6.44. It was lost in a California car-wash incident some time ago.

--Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit at 26,293 miles

Categories: 2008 BMW X5 4.8i

Look, I like to plan for the future as much as the next guy, assuming the next guy doesn't really like to plan for the future. But I just got a warning from the BMW X5 long-termer that it would like an oil change.

Well, it would like an oil change in 1,800 miles anyway. Now, it's true that our long-term X5 has accumulated miles at an average of more than 2,000 per month, but our vehicle is a little unusual in this regard. It would take the average driver about a month-and-a-half or more to rack up that number of miles. And every time that average driver started up his X5 he would get the yellow warning and alert-dong notifying him of a service that's not required for many weeks.

But okay, better early than late, right? So we've got an appointment to get new goo and filter tomorrow and the service department of our local dealer promises it will cost us nothing, despite being early.

Curiously, the driver-information center between the gauges says we're looking at a time deadline of October, 2009 to get the service done. Stranger still, the Service Requirements portion of iDrive estimates a date of July, 2010. We can only assume this is referring to something else but we can't figure out what exactly that might be.

--Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit

Categories: 2008 BMW X5 4.8i

Of all the dubious achievements credited to BMW's iDrive, I do not remember Destroyer of Marital Bliss being on the list.

Here though are snippets of a couple of telephone conversations I had with my long-suffering wife recently. The set up is that I've taken her car to the office to check the brakes. She's driving around in the X5 for the day.

[ring, ring]
Me: Hey.
Wife: Your daughter wants to listen to "Little Ghost."
Me: Okay, it's on the iPod.
Wife: Yeah, how do I do this?
Me: Um, well. Okay. Hit the big MENU button. Okay, now push the big knob in the direction of "Entertainment."
Wife: Okay. Now what?
Me: You've got to find the AUX setting. It's in one of those menu bars along the top. I don't know which one.
Wife: [sighing, fumbling]
Me: It's White Stripes.
Wife: I know that.
[an inordinate amount of time passes]
Wife: Is it the album "Get Behind Me Satan?"
Me: Yeah, you're in! Just push down on the knob and then rotate until the song title is highlighted, then push the button.
Wife: Okay. Thanks.

See, I thought, iDrive isn't that difficult to operate. If I can act as the help line for it, how bad could it be?

[ring, ring]
Me: Hey, honey.
Wife: How do I get this stupid navigation lady to shut up? She's talking over the song.
Me: Uh, navigation? Aren't you just going to the grocery store?
Wife: Yeah, [background: "Make a U-turn if possible"] Uhg! Stupid thing!
[click]

It was then that I realized that I essentially re-learn many aspects of iDrive's operations each and every time I drive the vehicle. Or rather, I take stabs at what seems like the right moves until I've failed to get what I want so frequently that only the right answer is left.

Then I recalled it took both Executive Lead Senior Super Editor Ed Hellwig and myself 15 minutes and the owner's manual just to find Chicago's McCormick convention center one morning on our way to cover the auto show.

The time has come, BMW. I can defend you no longer. It is time for Gen II iDrive to make its way through the lineup. --Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit

Categories: 2008 BMW X5 4.8i

Despite the widespread availability of airplane flights between Detroit and Chicago on which I could fly to the Chicago Auto Show, I make an annual habit of tempting the weather gods and hitting I-94 for a little bonding time with whatever I car I happen to be driving in early February.

Save for the year that I took a V-12-powered BMW 7-series, this year's mount, the long-term X5, was the finest road companion yet. The X5's high-speed stability is spectacular -- almost as if it was designed by engineers used to driving on unlimited Autobahns. The driving  position is excellent. The seats provide good thigh support, something many manufacturers neglect. And the iPod integration is easy to operate. So that's one iDrive-based feature that's not infuriating to use.

The trip takes four hours on the dot each way and is roughly 600 miles, total. So we averaged somewhere in the mid 70-mph range. The X5 returned 17.6 mpg in all highway driving (with a few assorted full-throttle, on-ramp accelerations thrown in). It's not the most efficient way to travel, particularly for one guy and one bag, but it surely is a satisfying way to. It is greatly preferable to riding on an air bus. -- Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit at 26,201 miles

Categories: 2008 BMW X5 4.8i