Actually, the BMW X5 is known as an SAV or Sport Activity Vehicle. And by all rights it should be. It no longer carries the distinction of being slow, poor-handling, boring SUVs that we once knew. First of all, lets talk about the performance. This vehicle is a rocket! It puts out 282hp and 324 lbs of torque! I have taken this vehicle from 0 to 60 mph in less than 6.5 seconds! Now how many sport utilities can do that? Even the Mercedes ML55 is evenly compared to the X5 (although the ML55 costs more!) The X5 also comes equipped with a Steptronic transmission which is similar to tiptronic. This adds more "sports car" like features to the X5. And what about handling? Are we talking about the notorious reputation that SUVs have for rolling over at high speeds? Nope. None that I could find on the X5. The X5 handles almost as good as a sports car! Matter in fact, the X5 seems to perform better than its sibling the BMW 540 (yes, I have driven that also). Ok enough about performance. What about the ride? the interior? luxury? Well the X5 has all. The ride is so smooth. The instrument panels are easily accessible. Now unfortunately, I drove the model without the navigation system. However, I did not need the navigation system to persuade me that this vehicle was the one. However, this vehicle ain't for everyone. Afterall, the price on this vehicle can go all the way up to $60,000 depending on where you live and current demand for the vehicle. However, if you have the spare cash and are looking for a SUV to buy...I definitely say take a look at the X5