I bought a 2009 BMW X5 3.0. The MSRP for my X5 was about $59,000 before taxes but after the $4,000 discount you can get these days.  BMW even gave me 0.9% financing for 60 months (no money down). 

My previous SUV was a 2006 BMW X3.  I loved the X3 but this car is far superior to the X3.

I have been driving this car for a few months and overall, this is the best family automobile I have ever driven.   In fact, this is the perfect anti-zombie and anti-mutant cannibal transportation unit.  More on this later.

Features and Options
My X5 is white with beige perforated leather and light wood trim. The list of standard equipment is very long: 3.0-liter 260-horsepower inline 6-cylinder engine, 6-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission with steptronic gear selection, xDrive all-wheel-drive system, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Brake Fade Compensation, Hill Start-off Assistant, Brake Drying, and Brake Stand-by features, Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), Dynamic Brake Control, Hill Descent Control, Engine-speed-sensitive power steering, 4-wheel anti-lock ventilated disc brakes, Cruise Control, Service Interval Indicator and Check Control vehicle monitor, outside-temperature display, iDrive system with on-board computer and Controller, and 6 programmable memory buttons, time-delay courtesy lights (with actuation from driver's exterior door handle or remote control; automatic switch-on when engine is turned off), rear-window defroster, Tire Pressure Monitor; 18" wheel and 255/55 run-flat all-season tires, xenon Adaptive Headlights with auto-leveling and Corona headlight-rings, Halogen free-form foglights with Cornering Lights function, Dual power outside mirrors, Intermittent rain-sensing windshield wipers with adjustable and vehicle-speed-sensitive wiping interval, single-wipe control, windshield-washer system with heated washer jets, Rear-window wiper/washer with adjustable wiping interval, Roof rails (accommodate various BMW roof carrier systems), Anti-theft AM/FM stereo CD radio with MP3 capabilities, and 3-channel FM diversity antenna system, 10-way power-adjustable driver's and passenger's seat and memory system for driver's seat, steering wheel and outside mirrors, Front-seat center console with armrest, storage compartment, and auxiliary input, Split folding rear seats, Power tilt/telescopic leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel, Retractable cargo cover, Vehicle & Key Memory, Panoramic moonroof with 2-piece glass panel, power slide and lift control, wind deflector and electric interior sunshade, Power windows with key-off operation; "one-touch" opening and closing of all door windows, anti-trapping feature, Automatic front climate control with separate left/right temperature settings, automatic air conditioning and recirculation control, Active-charcoal micro-filter ventilation,  Automatic tilt-down of right outside mirror for visibility of curb when backing up, Pre-wiring for trailer hitch, Driver's and passenger's front airbag supplemental restraint system (SRS) with advanced technology: dual-threshold, dual-stage deployment; and front-passenger seat sensors designed to prevent unnecessary airbag deployment, Active Head Restraints in front seats,  Front- and rear-compartment Head Protection System (HPS) with front side-impact airbags, Roll-over sensor that triggers airbags and safety-belt pretensioners in the event of a roll-over, Steering column telescopic system, Adaptive Brake Lights, Battery Safety Terminal, Central locking system and Coded Driveaway Protection, Alarm system with keyhead remote operation interior motion detector and BMW Ultimate Service.

The BMW Ultimate Service includes a full maintenance program goes beyond normal warranty and covers all factory-recommended maintenance for 4 years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first, and includes items that need replacement (such as brake pads, brake rotors and wiper blade inserts) due to normal wear and tear except for tires. This means that the only maintenance costs that you will need to pay for your X5 are gas and tires.  .

Options (Should You Get Them?)
I got the following options on my car:

Premium Package $3,400
• Electrically adjustable steering wheel 
• Storage package 
• Auto-dimming interior and exterior mirrors 
• BMW Assist 
• Lumbar support 
• Universal Garage Door Opener 
• Digital compass mirror 
• Automatic tailgate opening and closing

The Premium Package is pricey but worth it.  BMW Assist is a telematics system that gives me peace of mind.  Automatic tailgate is one of my favorite features. 

Technology Package $2,600
• Navigation system 
• Voice activation 
• Real Time Traffic Information 
• Park Distance Control 
• Rear view camera

The Technology Package is, in my view, a must.  The Navigation System and Real Time Traffic Information work very well and deliver the goods.  I have used both on numerous occasions and they have worked flawlessly.  Voice activation works fine as well but you need to get used to the system.  Park Distance Control and Rear View Camera are very useful since this vehicle is large.  The system not only shows what's behind the car but front and rear proximity sensors alert you when you are about to hit anything.

Rear Climate Package $900
• Privacy glass 
• Rear manual side window shades 
• 4-zone automatic climate control

For the price, Rear Climate Package is a good deal, especially if your passengers have different views on what temperature is comfortable.

Active ventilated seat package $2,100
• Comfort seats with lumbar support 
• Front ventilated seats 
• Active seat for driver

I like the front ventilated seats but the cooling effect is not as strong as I would like.

Cold Weather Package $1,250
• Retractable headlight washers 
• Ski bag 
• Heated rear seats 
• Heated front seats

If you live in a place with four seasons, you will want this package.  Seats heat up quickly and headlight washers are great when you get salt grime on the headlights.

3rd row seat $1,700 

Third row seat accommodate small children but average sized adults can ride back there for short trips. 

Head-up Display $1,200

Head-up Display is a great option to get. It displays vehicle speed and directions from the navigations system at the bottom of the driver's windshield. It really helps you to keep your eyes on the road when you use the navigation system.

Running boards $300

I wouldn't bother with running boards.  They look cool but they are not needed because the X5 is not as tall as, for instance, a Mercedes GL or a Cadillac Escalade.  Also, the running boards can dirty your pants when you get off the car.

Smartphone Integration $150

I wouldn't bother with this.  The Bluetooth phone integration works fine.

HD radio $350

Between satellite radio and my MP3 CDs, I rarely use this feature.

iPod and USB adapter $400

If you must have your iPod, this works fine but I find that satellite radio and MP3 CDs are all that I usually use.

Satellite radio with 1 year subscription $595

Satellite radio is a must for me but if you are more of an iPod person, you should skip satellite radio.  I just don't think most people will have a need for both.  The Sirius unit works much better than the XM unit I have in my 911 Turbo.  The reception is clear and I don't get as much static as the XM unit.

Safety
Safety is very important to me. X5 offers all of the safety features that I required: front airbags, chest airbags for front passengers, head protection side curtain airbags for front and rear passengers, ABS brakes, dynamic stability control, all-wheel-drive, daytime running lights, run-flat tires, flat tire warning system and telematics assistance packages (BMW Assist). The X5 model has been tested by the federal government, IIHS and Euro NCAP and it received overall top marks from all of them.  I am also comforted by the fact that BMW has almost always produced cars that were safer than most cars in their segment because it, like Audi, Mercedes and Porsche, builds its cars so that drivers can survive Autobahn crashes.

X5 performs well in most weather and surface conditions (dry, wet, snowy, icy, windy, etc.) so long as you are a careful driver and use common sense (just because a car has AWD, it doesn't mean that you should be driving at 80 mph in a snowstorm with limited visibility!). The all-season run-flat tires do a decent job at handling most conditions but if you live in a place that sees way too much snow, you may want to consider snow tires for your X5.

The anti-lock brakes are typical BMW brakes. They are excellent in both their stopping power and their feel.

The standard tire pressure monitoring system is also a great safety feature. This system was very handy on a couple of occasion in other vehicles I owned. It detected an under-inflated tire in one occasion and a punctured tire in another occasion. Without this system, I might not have detected these problems until much later under potentially more dangerous situations. 

The run-flat tires are also great for safety.  The BMW X5 is one of the few SUVs that offer run-flat tires.  I believe that Mercedes ML and GL are the only other two models that offer them currently.  You can drive your car at 50 mph for up to 150 miles even if you have a flat tire. This means that you don't need to stop in a dangerous freeway shoulder to change tires or wait for a tow truck. Also, you are less likely to lose control of the car if you get the flat at highway speeds. Many people complain about the fact that run-flat tires are almost impossible to repair when damaged and are more expensive to replace than regular tires.  As for being able to repair a damaged tire, I have never had a repaired tire remain good for a significant amount of time.  This is why I just prefer replacing a damaged tire.  To me, safety is important enough that the extra cost is worth it.  Honestly, if you are shopping for an SUV that is as expensive as a BMW SUV, you shouldn't cheap out on something like this.   Additional complaints about run-flats is that the 150 mile range may not be sufficient if the driver is driving off-road in remote locations but this is a strange complaint.  Just because the car comes with run-flats, it doesn't mean you can't buy a jack and a spare tire for the car.  You always have this option.  But the point is that you won't lose control of the car as easily when you get a flat and you will be able to drive to a location of your choosing to replace the tire instead of being forced to change the tire at a narrow shoulder in a busy interstate at night or in an unsafe neighborhood. 

The Premium Package that I got also includes the BMW Assist telematics system which functions like the Mercedes Teleaid system or the GM/Audi Onstar system. BMW Assist offers great services like Automatic Collision Notification, Emergency Request, Enhanced Roadside Assistance and Stolen Vehicle Recovery services. This system is free for the first four years but it will cost you about $240 per year thereafter. I think that it's worth it for peace of mind. If you get into an accident that is serious enough to deploy airbags, BMW Assist will call emergency services (police and ambulance) to your car and guide them to your location using a GPS system. You can also call for emergency road service using the system. Why not just use a cell phone? First, you may not have a cell phone on you when the emergency or accident occurs. Second, you may not be in a condition to make a call. Third, BMW Assist uses an antenna that is much more powerful than your cell phone. I don't know if the Stolen Vehicle Recovery service from BMW Assist works as well as LoJack stolen vehicle recovery system (I had one installed on my M3 even though that car also had BMW Assist) but I still got the same discount from my car insurance company for this feature.

Overall, the safety features and pedigree of the X5 just can't be beat.  If you are a horror movie fan like me, the X5 is the perfect car to avoid being eaten by zombies and mutant cannibals.  The car has an alarm that detects motion in the X5 when the car is locked.  No nasty monster-surprise waiting for you!  With run-flat tires, nails, glasses and hidden blade chains on remote roads won't stop you!  You can watch the puzzled look on those ugly mutant cannibals (in "Wrong Turn") as you speed your way back toward a crowded and safe interstate highway, even with four flat tires from their hidden blade chain.  With a great navigation system, you will never stop at a spooky house or gas station to ask for directions.  With BMW Assist, you can call 911 even when you inevitably lose your cellphone or cellphone batter goes dead, all while driving and without taking your eyes off the road.  The X5 is also very agile for an SUV and you can either go around zombies or run right through them with 5000 lbs of steel.  In the unlikely event that Zombies surrounded your car and a Zombie has broken a window and is making its way inside the car, you can open the panoramic sunroof and escape from the car by climbing into the roof of a nearby house from the roof of your X5.  And, although the third-row seats are not comfortable for adults, the X5 does have 7 person seating, which means that you and those six gorgeous college survivors can drive off into the sunset

Engine and transmission
The engine is a silky-smooth and powerful 3.0-liter, inline 6-cylinder engine with 260 horsepower.  For a 5000 lb family hauler, the X5 is fairly quick and you will have plenty of power to merge into highways and pass slow-moving cars. However, this is not a sports car by any means. Besides, I am of the opinion that, for their own safety and those of others, people should not be driving 4000+ lb SUVs like sports cars anyway, no matter how powerful their engines may be. I guess I will never understand the appeal of SUVs like Porsche Cayenne Turbo and Mercedes ML65 AMG...

The steptronic 6-speed automatic transmission is smooth and works really well in standard mode (fuel saver/smooth ride), sports mode (quicker shifts/higher performance) and manumatic mode (driver-selected shifts) but this is not a truly sporty transmission. If you want to drive a sports car, you should really get a manual sports or a sports car with the SMG (BMW performance cars) or DSG transmission (Audi/VW), not an SUV.  I read complaints from whiners saying that the shifter for the new BMW automatic transmissions are odd and difficult to use.  This is based on the fact that the shifter returns to center after you select "Drive" or "Rear Drive".  But come on.  It takes maybe 30 seconds to get used to this.  If you are complaining about things like this, you are really reaching for nits

Fuel Economy
X5 requires premium gasoline and, as can be expected for a 5000 lb vehicle, gas mileage is not pretty.  EPA ratings are 15 mpg in the city and 21 mpg in highway.  If you are heat-sensitive like me and use air conditioning and ventilated seats extensively, your city mileage will be closer to 13.5 mpg.  On the other hand, if you cruise between 60 mph and 75 mph on highways without encountering many traffic jams, you can easily get close to 25 mpg.  I have gotten as many as 28 mpg in easy highway cruising stretches going 65 mph on nice spring days without the air conditioning on.  I note that the fuel economy of X5 is at least as good as or better than the fuel economy I experienced with my 2006 X3 and they are actually better than what I get on my Porsche 911 Turbo. And these numbers are based on real-life usage (air conditioning, navigation system, satellite radio were on) with a lot of stop and go in cities.

Ride and Handling
Although the X5 has run-flat tires, the ride is smooth and comfortable. It is not Lexus-soft and it definitely has that communicative and firm European suspension that BMWs are known for. X5 communicates the feel of the road very well but at the same time, it also absorbs bumps and potholes nicely. In my opinion, the ride is never uncomfortable or harsh but if you have only driven cushy sofa-on-wheels Toyota or Lexus cars, you may disagree.

As for handling, this is a tall vehicle and it definitely does not handle like a sports car. There is a world of difference between my X5 and my Porsche 911 Turbo.  But, if treated with care and respect that a 5000 lbs SUV demands, X5 is a a great all-around performer that can handle adverse weather and terrain conditions more easily than any car that I have ever owned.  The handling on the X5 is better than the handling of any SUV that I have driven except for the BMW X3 (the X3 is lighter and more agile than X5), including Porsche Cayenne, Volvo XC, Mercedes ML, Lexus RX, Lexus GX and Lexus LX. With most SUVs, I get that "I'm driving a high-center-of-gravity truck" floaty feeling but not the X5. In short, this is one of the best handling SUVs in the market today but nobody should mistake it for a sports car even though it bears the roundel emblem.

Just like most SUVs, the driver rides high and has a commanding view of the terrain and, in exchange, the driver has to deal with a high center of gravity. No SUV, including X5, should be driven like sports car in my opinion. Unfortunately, I see too many SUV drivers who are too ignorant or too stupid to drive carefully. Driving excessively fast or weaving in and out of lanes or tailgating is dangerous even in an agile low-to-the-ground sports car like a Porsche 911, Porsche Boxster or a BMW M3. A driver who drives in this manner in any SUV shows complete lack of care for himself/herself, his/her passengers and all other drivers and passengers with whom he/she is sharing the road. In my opinion, any such reckless driver should have his/her license revoked permanently.

Noise and vibration
Generally, engine and tire noise and vibration are very well controlled. X5 emits pleasant engine and exhaust sounds when accelerating rapidly. At idle, the engine is Lexus-quiet.  Road and wind noises are also minimal.  In fact, the overall noise level is comparable to or better than the Lexus RX and the Mercedes S-class sedan.  I know this well because I always order either a Lexus RX or a Mercedes S-class when I use my car service company (they don't offer BMWs). 

Styling
The new X5 is a real looker, for an SUV that is.  Car design is, to some extent, subjective but I must say that I strongly disagree with those who have negative views on the X5's styling. Folks, I know that this is a BMW but this is still just an SUV. This is not a sexy sports coupe or convertible or a muscular sports sedan. An SUV is basically a cross between a truck and a minivan: two vehicle types that don't provide attractive starting points for designers (imagine how attractive children of Rosie O'Donnell and Woody Allen would be). Just face the facts: there are no sexy or good-looking SUVs in existence and there never will be. In fact, with the exception of Infiniti FX, there are very few interesting-looking SUV designs out there. However, for an SUV, I think that X5 looks pretty good and all of my friends who have seen my car so far agree but none of us would call X5 sexy or great to look at.
 
Interior
The X5 has one of the best-looking interiors of all cars that I have owned, leased, rented and tested. The quality of materials throughout the interior is wonderful and their texture, smell, looks and overall feel are top notch.  The quality is as good as the materials in Mercedes GL and Porsche Cayenne (although the leather in the Cayenne S did smell a bit better, but not by much), better than the materials in Lexus SUVs and overwhelmingly superior to the materials in Acura MDX.  I checked out the MB GL, Cayenne, Lexus RX, GX and LX and Acura RDX and MDX.  I was impressed with the quality of the materials in GL and Cayenne but the materials in the X5 are at least as good.  Lexus materials were ok but frankly, I was disappointed given the universal acclaim that Lexus cars get for interior quality and have definite preference for the materials in my X5.  The materials in Acura RDX and MDX were shockingly inferior to those in my X5: obvious metal-painted plastic trim pieces inside and outside where one should expect real metals, wood trim that look and feel fake, hard, fake-looking leather, exposed cheap-looking fabric around rear seat areas.

The seats are very supportive and comfortable. The great seats and the tilt/telescopic steering wheel should allow any driver should easily be able to find a comfortable driving position. The position of the steering wheel, shifter, audio and climate controls are all easily readable and laid out logically and in a driver-friendly manner. The DVD-based navigation system generally works well but it is controlled by a knob rather than touch-screen inputs and this makes the system less intuitive and harder to operate than the touch-screen systems offered by some Lexus models. The 60/40-split rear seats are helpful because you can fold them to increase cargo space. The glove box doesn't provide much storage space but there is more storage space on the inside of the doors than I expected.

One of my favorite features is the standard panoramic sunroof.  The glass roof extends all the way to the back seat area, giving that open-air feel to everyone. Although the sunroof does not open all the way to the back, the part that does open is significantly larger than a typical sunroof and when all windows are open, you definitely get that open-air convertible feel. When the power-shade is completely closed, you cannot tell that you have a panorama sunroof because there is virtually no wind noise coming from the sunroof and there are no rattles of any kind.

I read complaints about the iDrive controller system but if you spend just one hour flipping through the manual, like one should with any modern car, and playing with its controls, you will have no problem with it unless you completely lack technological common sense.  Some people, like my 67 year old mother, will never be able to get comfortable with this system but if you use an iPod or iPhone, iDrive should be intuitive.  I personally love the system.  The redesigned system in the new BMW 7-series and Z4 is even better.

Although you can get keyless start as a $1000 option (Comfort Access), the standard start system works fine.  You insert the key fob into its slot and press the start button.  I read complaints about whiny automobile writers (is there any other kind?) about why this 2-step process is silly compared to a regular key.  They seem to forget that a regular key requires you to (1) insert the key and (2) turn the key.  With the BMW key fob, you (1) insert the key fob and (2) push the button next to key fob.  There is no discernible time difference between the two operations.  Moreover, for drivers like my 72 year old father who has arthritis, the BMW set up is infinitely more comfortable than twisting the key.   The main point here is that the regular start system is fine.

Roominess
There is plenty of room for three average-sized adults in the second row seats or two large adults. Third row seat accommodate small children but average sized adults can ride back there for short trips.  The cargo space is bigger than the one in my old X3.

For a large vehicle such as this, the interior room is somewhat disappointing.  Mercedes GL, Lexus RX, Lexus LX, Honda Pilot, Chevy Traverse, Buick Enclave and Acura MDX all have significantly more cargo space.  In fact, even a Toyota RAV4 or a Honda CRV has substantially more cargo room behind the second row seats.  And passenger room is significantly smaller than Acura MDX, Honda Pilot, Chevy Traverse or Buick Enclave.  On the other hand, X5 offers more passenger and cargo room than Porsche Cayenne or Infiniti EX or FX.   It seems like German automobile manufacturers don't seem to spend too much effort in making designs that maximize interior spaces.  The Japanese manufacturers, with the possible exception of Infiniti, seem much better at this.  I don't know why there is this difference but there is a clear difference when you look at various comparable models. 

Reliability and quality
So far, I have had no major problems at all. There are no squeaks, rattles or leaks of any kind and everything feels solid. The only issues that I had is that my iPod input system was replaced under warranty and the active swivel unit of my headlight required replacing.  Neither problem immobilized the car and both were promptly fixed at times of my choosing under warranty.
 
Overall ownership experience
I love this car. It is the perfect all-weather vehicle.

Dealer experience
I bought my car at Westchester BMW at 525 Tarrytown Road, White Plains, NY. Everyone at Westchester BMW with whom I dealt is polite and professional and delivers top-notch service. This dealership experience should be a pre-requisite for all car purchases but I know that, unfortunately, this is the exception rather than the rule. If you live in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut and want to consider a BMW, you really should give stop by Westchester BMW.
Amount Paid (US$): 59000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2009
Model and Options: 2009 BMW X5 3.0