Item: Used BMW X5 2018-present
Rating: 4
Author: What Car? Team

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/q7/4x4/used-review/n813">Audi Q7</a> is pretty much the benchmark luxury SUV, because it does everything you could want of this type of car, and it can still seat seven people comfortably. It isn’t as sporty as the X5, but it's&nbsp;more practical.

If you want something the handles well but still has serious off-road capability, go for a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/range-rover-sport/4x4/used-review/n17571">Range Rover Sport</a>. Like the X5, it isn’t the most spacious of seven-seaters, but it will handle almost as well, especially in high-performance supercharged petrol V8 form.

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the <a href="http://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html">What Car? Newsletter here</a>

If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/bmw/x5?nearlynew=true&amp;used=true&amp;yearFrom=2018&amp;page=2">used X5</a>, or any of the other SUVs mentioned here, head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

<h3 dir="ltr">Front passenger seat</h3>

On a small number of early-build cars made between 22 October 2018 and 12 November 2018, the front passenger seat wasn’t tightened down correctly at the factory. Check with a BMW dealer if your car still needs remedial work, because the bolts will need to be inspected and tightened if found to be loose.

This generation of X5 is still too new to have thrown up any major issues at the moment and hasn’t been around long enough to be a part of the most recent What Car? Reliability Survey. The previous-gen model finished in fifth place out of nine cars in the luxury SUV class.&nbsp;

BMW seems to be improving as a brand since it&nbsp;finished in ninth&nbsp;place&nbsp;out of 31 manufacturers, with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/lexus">Lexus</a>&nbsp;being the only&nbsp;other luxury car maker&nbsp;doing&nbsp;better.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2020-what-car-reliability-survey/n20042">To read more from our Reliability Survey in detail, check out the full results here.</a>

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Munich-based BMW is most famous for its sports saloons, in particular the 3 Series and 5 Series. However, it actually builds almost every type of car imaginable: everything from two-seat convertibles to seven-seat MPVs.

The cheapest model in the BMW range is the 1 Series hatchback, which is a rival to the Audi A3, Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Volkswagen Golf. Meanwhile, at the other extreme is the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car, which costs more than £100,000.

BMW was also quick to capitalise on the rise of the SUV and now has six in its range: the X1, X2, X3, X4, X5 and X6.

All of this makes it one of the big three German prestige brands, along with Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

It may not be the most practical luxury SUV, but the BMW X5 is good to drive and wonderfully classy&nbsp;

Used BMW X5 2018-present

<h3 dir="ltr">MPG</h3>

Aside from the largely unobtainable 166.2mpg official WLTP figure for the xDrive45e (more like 25mpg when the battery is&nbsp;depleted), the X5 is similar&nbsp;to most of its luxury SUV rivals for fuel economy.&nbsp;

The most economical models aside from the hybrid are the xDrive30d at 37.2mpg and M50d at 34mpg.&nbsp;

Of the three petrol models, the xDrive40i has a combined figure of 28.2mpg, while the M50i returns 23.2mpg&nbsp;and the M Competition consumes fuel at a rate of 22.1mpg.

If you are considering the xDrive45e hybrid, its 24kWh battery has a maximum charging&nbsp;rate of 3.7kWh&nbsp;(which is quite slow) and would take 6hr&nbsp;48min&nbsp;to fully charge&nbsp;from flat.&nbsp;

<h3 dir="ltr">Road tax</h3>

Much like its fellow luxury SUV rivals, no version of the X5 managed to slip under the £40,000 threshold when new. This means all models will be charged the maximum amount of tax until the car is over six years old (except the xDrive45e, which will get a £10 discount for being an alternatively fuelled vehicle). Then it’ll revert back to the standard flat-rate fee. Current charges are £155&nbsp;a year for the VED and £335 a year for the luxury tax. To find out more about<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/car-tax-changes-in-2019-%E2%80%93-what-do-i-need-to-know/n1153"> road tax costs, click here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h3 dir="ltr">Servicing</h3>

No example of the X5 is presently old enough to take advantage of fixed-price, value servicing (only available once the vehicle is over three years old), but you can take out a pay monthly plan of £30 over 36 months to cover you for two services, and MOT, fluid top-ups, sat-nav updates and complimentary valets.&nbsp;

<h3 dir="ltr">Insurance</h3>

Insurance costs will be similar to those of rivals such as the Audi Q7 and Mercedes GLE&nbsp;but slightly higher than for a Volvo XC90. The least powerful xDrive30d is in group 45, followed by the xDrive40i in 46. Then there’s the plug-in hybrid xDrive45e in group 48 and&nbsp;the M50i in 49, with the M50d and M Competition both in the highest band of 50.

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It may not be the most practical luxury SUV, but the BMW X5 is good to drive and wonderfully classy 

Prices for a used <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/bmw">BMW</a> X5&nbsp;start at between £43,000 and £45,000 for an xDrive30d, or between £46,000 and £53,000 for an M50d. If petrol doesn't suit you, a 40i model will cost you around £50,000, while the&nbsp;few xDrive45e models that are available are not far off the price of a new one, such is the demand for them. &nbsp;

Check the value of a used BMW X5 with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/valuations/">What Car? Valuations</a>

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<h3 dir="ltr">Engine</h3>

The most sensible option is the xDrive30d, because it never feels like it is lacking in performance and it provides the best blend of fuel economy versus price. True, an xDrive45e that is regularly charged would beat it, but it currently costs considerably more to buy and makes most sense bought new as a company car.

<h3 dir="ltr">Specification</h3>

The standard xLine comes with all the equipment you’d really need, plus it has smaller 19in alloy wheels that should help quell some of the X5’s road noise issues. Having said that, you can still go for a sportier-looking M Sport model without fear of its bigger 20in wheels ruining the ride, because its air suspension can be put into a softer Comfort mode for rough roads.

Our favourite BMW X5: xDrive30d xLine

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Logical and beautifully built interior, with great infotainment</li> <li>More than enough space for five passengers or, even better, seven</li> <li>Strong performance along with impressive efficiency</li> <li>Composed handling that limits any feeling of unwieldiness</li></ul>

We class a luxury SUV as being anything where our pick of the range costs more than £45,000 – and at this price point, buyers' expectations are high. So, as well as all of the qualities that make regular SUVs such well-rounded choices –&nbsp;such as decent space for passengers and luggage, a classy interior and robust materials – we also want a cosseting ride, the latest driver assistance technology and enough space to really stretch out.

The Land Rover Discovery proves that you don't need to spend a lot of money to get a luxurious SUV, but if you've got a bit more to spend, the Audi Q7 is perennially popular among buyers, and with good reason. Or, at the very top of this market, there are newer additions such as the BMW X7 to consider.

Luxury SUV

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-apple-carplay/n1193">Apple CarPlay</a>&nbsp;is an option on the X5 (many&nbsp;of the X5's major competitors&nbsp;have CarPlay included as standard), so make sure yours has it fitted. Otherwise, you can have it retrofitted for a one-off fee.

Other than that, the X5 is still an enormous SUV with big alloy wheels to match, so inspect each rim carefully for kerb damage since repairs will be costly.

&nbsp;

The great thing about buying a used <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/bmw">BMW</a> X5 is that each successive generation continues the design cues of its <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x5/4x4/used-review/n839">predecessor</a> – aside from the grille growing in size. This latest model does indeed have a huge mouth, but it's still handsome, rugged and undeniably butch. Provided they have no social objections to its sheer size, your neighbours will definitely be impressed.&nbsp;

Much like <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x5/4x4/used-review/n839">the X5 that went before</a>, this current generation offers a number of diesel and petrol engines, as well as a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/hybrid">plug-in hybrid</a>. The diesel range starts with a 261bhp 3.0-litre straight six in the xDrive30d, followed by a 394bhp M50d.&nbsp;

Petrol fans have a bit more choice, because there are three options: a 335bhp 3.0-litre xDrive40i, a 523bhp M50i and a 616bhp 4.4-litre V8 in the X5 M Competition. If you have easy access to charging facilities, a 389bhp xDrive45e plug-in hybrid is also available that has a claimed range of 54 miles, thanks to a large, 24kWh battery.

Equipment levels are very generous, with&nbsp;even the entry-level xLine getting 19in alloy wheels, a 12.3in infotainment system, LED headlights and parking sensors front and rear, along with a reversing camera. M Sport has bigger 20in alloys and sportier exterior and interior styling, while M50i and M50d X5s have 22in alloys, adaptive headlights, an upgraded Harman Kardon sound system, an M Sport exhaust and an M Sport differential for increased traction in corners.

Much like all X5s since <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/x5/4x4/used-review/n269">the first iteration&nbsp;</a>arrived in 1999, this model excels on the road. No rival this side of a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/porsche/cayenne/estate/used-review/n18823">Porsche Cayenne</a> can match the X5 for handling prowess, because it has very good body control for something so tall, as well as loads of grip, thanks to enormously wide tyres. The slight downside is a higher level of road noise, but it’s a fair trade-off, given that the X5 feels nearly as stable as a regular estate car on twisty roads, although plug-in hybrid models aren’t quite so good due to the extra weight of the batteries.

Ride comfort isn’t much of an issue, either, since nearly all models get air suspension. With it, the X5 maintains its composure over harsh potholes and ridges in the road without any of the floaty, wallowy sensations that make many of its similarly equipped rivals feel all at sea. M50i and M50d models get regular coil springs instead to help them feel more agile, but these models are noticeably harsher over bumps, even with the adaptive dampers set to their Comfort mode.

Interior quality is impressive, too. Every surface is swathed in soft-touch materials and highlighted by genuine metal finishes that give it a highly luxurious feel. There are also traditional buttons for frequently used controls such as the air-con and infotainment system; these are easy to use on the move, unlike the&nbsp;more distracting touchscreen set-up found in the latest&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/q7/4x4/used-review/n813">Audi Q7</a>.

Front and rear occupants won’t have much to complain about, because there’s lots of head, leg and shoulder room for all. There’s lots of adjustment in the electric driver’s seat, including adjustable lumbar support. With the optional third row fitted, passengers won’t be quite so happy, but the X5 isn’t any worse than a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/land-rover/range-rover-sport/4x4/used-review/n17571">Range Rover Sport</a> in this regard.

What isn’t quite so good is&nbsp;boot capacity. While it would be wrong to call its boot small, the X5 trails the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volvo/xc90/4x4/used-review/n838">Volvo XC90</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/porsche/cayenne/estate/used-review/n18823">Porsche Cayenne</a>, Audi Q7 and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/mercedes-benz">Mercedes</a> GLE for load space. What’s more, the plug-in hybrid loses 150 litres of capacity because of the battery.

If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/bmw/x5?nearlynew=true&amp;used=true&amp;yearFrom=2018&amp;page=2">used X5</a>, or any of the other SUVs mentioned here, head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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Used BMW X5 2018-present review

Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used BMW X5 4x4?