What Car? says

4 out of 5 stars

For It's great on Tarmac and loses value more slowly than other off-roaders

Against It has only five seats and petrol engines are very thirsty. Boot is smaller than an X3, too

Verdict It drives like a 5 Series and has lots of kit, but it's ferociously expensive to own

Go for… 3.0d SE

Avoid… 4.8iS

BMW X5 4x4
  • 1. The boot isn't the biggest in its class - in fact, the smaller X3's boot is larger
  • 2. Hard-driven X5s eat through tyres, brakes and steering bushes, adding to already high running costs
  • 3. Electrical problems are the most common, followed by brakes and fuel system troubles
  • 4. Older diesels experience problems with fuel injection and cracks in the inlet manifolds
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