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Beyond the numbers, the BMW turbo diesel is absolute bliss. Engaging the engine, the car purrs to life—no puffs of smoke, no rattle or crackle from the bonnet. Characteristically, this turbo diesel unit behaves similarly to Toyota’s VVTi because of its good mid-range punch (and lack of higher-rev pizzazz). This engine is mated to an equally smooth 5-speed automatic transmission with a sequential shift feature. On the road, the X5’s engine and transmission work in perfect unison. However, if the revs drop below the 2,000 rpm level, expect little acceleration. But plunge the throttle and the turbo engages at 2,000 rpm, allowing the engine to breathe to life, able to keep up with the likes of the Ford Expedition, even if the latter has a 4.6-liter V8 petrol engine under its hood. The transmission adapts well to both twisty and open roads being able to figure out perfectly the driver’s intentions and delivering the right amounts of revs and power when needed. However, the sequential shift function still needs some fine-tuning, as there is clearly lag when shifting up or down. The moral of the story here is that if you have a BMW X5 just let the computer do the shifting. Commonly, when it comes to tall SUVs, the steering tends to be lifeless and over-assisted, limiting the driver excitement. This is not the case with the BMW X5. The steering is electrically rather than hydraulically actuated, and that translates to steering feel that’s variable with vehicle speed and excellent feedback through the wheel. The X5’s steering is very light during low speeds making parking and tight-traffic mobility effortless. From one finger steering, the power steering suddenly turns firm and precise when the car goes faster. In effect, this Bimmer does a cat-in-the-hat trick of behaving much like its 3-series brethren. Understeer is comparatively less than even the petite SUVs such as the Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CRV. In fact, in twisty roads, the X5 behaves very much like the 325i showing only a slight degree of understeer even in the tightest Manila flyover bends. Little steering correction is needed to keep this BMW pointed in the right direction—it seems to be glued to the ground, giving the driver more confidence in pushing the X5 to its limits. Coupled with the excellent handling is the fact that X5 showed hardly any steering slack and body roll even on the flyover from the C5 to Makati CBD area. The tall nature of this BMW is only evident when the X5 does quick left-right-left manoeuvres, an incurable characteristic of tall vehicles. No doubt that the X5 then is loaded with a firm spring and shock absorber settings. It could mean that the ride is harsh and jittery, but this is not the case. In fact, more than anything the X5’s ride is on the comfortable, but firm side. It does not glide the metropolitan roads with an isolated floaty feel like the Ford F150 SuperCrew, but at the same time, it does not throw itself about like the Toyota RAV4. The X5 is somewhere in the middle putting a good balance in being able to absorb most of the bumps and road evenness, but still managing to give some degree of driver feedback. There is just one flaw with the whole X5 driving experience though: the brakes. Even if this Bimmer has some of the biggest vented disc brakes this side of a Ferrari, the brake feel still has a lot to be desired. Although the brakes do bite hard, stopping the X5 quickly and sure-footedly, it does not communicate the proper feedback to allow the driver to stop the car correctly without jolting the other passengers. This leaves the driver having to press the brake unnecessarily hard during stop-and-go traffic situation, to the discomfort for the rear passengers and causing loose luggage to fly about. |
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