Costs & verdict
Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is
Costs, insurance groups, MPG and CO2
The BMW X5 is fractionally more expensive to buy than the Audi Q7, Land Rover Discovery and Volvo XC90, and specifying your X5 as a seven-seater pushes the price higher. That said, the xDrive45e looks better value compared with rival plug-in hybrid SUVs, including the XC90 Recharge, while having a longer electric range.
The diesel xDrive30d returns an official combined fuel economy of just over 40mpg, while the petrol xDrive40i officially records just over 30mpg. Those figures are very similar to the equivalent Discovery and XC90. The xDrive45e has a gobsmacking 235mpg figure, but that's only achievable if you keep the battery charged for a lot of electric running. We recorded a test average of just 25mpg when the battery was empty.
The M50i doesn’t offer any trim choice: its spec list is based on M Sport, but with adaptive dampers and steel springs in place of the air suspension. There’s also a bespoke limited-slip differential to increase traction in corners, a sports exhaust system, an upgraded sound system and even larger wheels.
Reliability
BMW finished in 13th position out of 30 manufacturers in our 2021 What Car? Reliability Survey. That's a better result than all its premium rivals except Lexus.
