2001 BMW X5 BMW X5 2001 BMW X5 4.4i AWD Sport Utility Wagon AWD Spartanburg, SC A lower-priced X5, with a standard 3.0-liter inline six is offered for 2001. Other newsworthy items include available sunshades for the back doors, as well as optional heated rear seats. The sport package includes a sport steering wheel, and 16-way power front seats can be purchased. All X5s come with a self-leveling rear suspension as standard equipment. Rides and drives like a BMW sedan, top safety scores, loaded with luxury. Limited off-road abilities, high price tag. With the success of SUVs in recent years, it was only a matter of time before BMW added their own version to the mix. The X5 debuted in 2000 as the first BMW SAV, or sport activity vehicle. In typical BMW fashion, the German automaker has decided to follow its own path in designing such a vehicle and created one that accurately represents the company's philosophy. What they've come up with is the ultimate, uh, activity machine? Actually, BMW's goal was to design an SUV that performed extraordinarily on every surface. Thus far that distinction would have been reserved for the Toyota Land Cruiser/Lexus LX 470 twins. But with an optional 4.4-liter eight-cylinder engine, along with an advanced four-wheel independent suspension and electronic wizardry like dynamic stability control, the new X5 blows the Land Cruiser into the weeds... as far as on-road performance goes. Once into the weeds, however, the BMW's unibody design and refined suspension components are outgunned by Lexus, Toyota, Land Rover, GM and Ford luxury SUVs, all of which offer superior abilities when the road gets ugly (or simply disappears). BMW freely admits that the X5 is not meant for extreme off-road adventuring, and we'd advise any potential buyers preparing to drop $40-60K on one to listen. But BMW knows that most luxury SUV buyers spend about as much time off-roading as they do in the 99-cent store. These customers are looking for a palatial and secure environment to carry them between business meetings and soccer games. Here the X5 scores, with leather and wood interior surfaces, a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system, front and rear electric seating adjustments, a navigation system, advanced ABS, rear climate controls, and a total of 10 airbags. Crash testing of the X5 has shown it to set new standards in front- and side-impact protection. From a pure safety standpoint, the X5 is truly impressive. Exterior dimensions for the X5 put it at roughly the same size as the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Its short overhangs and compact size (it's 4.5 inches shorter than a 5 Series sedan) add to the SAV's maneuverability claims, but leave a teensy 16.1 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in their upright position. Of course, it still features the BMW styling cues we've come to expect, including a twin kidney grille, quad headlights and L-shaped taillights. The X5 is produced at the company's Spartanburg plant in South Carolina and comes with either a 224-horsepower 3.0-liter inline six or a 282-horsepower 4.4-liter V8 engine. Performance with the larger engine is brisk, scoring a sub-8-second zero-to-60 time. We're certain an M-badged X5, similar in philosophy to the Mercedes ML55, is in the works. Until then, we'll try to get used to the idea of a BMW SUV while simultaneously preparing our automotive psyche for a Porsche-badged utility vehicle in the near future. Did someone just see a horseman of the Apocalypse ride by? Infiniti QX4 Lexus LX 470 Lincoln Navigator Mercedes-Benz M-Class 450,000 450,000 450,000 6Unlimited 7.5 sec. NA NA 8 4.4 liters V8 282 hp @ 6400 rpm 324 ft-lbs. @ 3600 rpm 54 cu.ft. NA 6000 lbs. 183.7 in. 73.7 in. 67.2 in. 4828 lbs. 111 in. 39.7 ft. 7.1 in. 38.9 in. 38.5 in. 58 in. 57.2 in. NA NA 39.3 in. 35.4 in. 5 Standard Standard Standard Standard Not Available Standard Standard Rating = Not Tested Rating = Not Tested Not Tested Not Tested Good Acceptable 24.3 gal. 13 mpg / 17 mpg 316 mi. / 413 mi. Insurance costs can vary greatly for this vehicle, depending on such factors as driver age, driver gender, teenage drivers in the household, driving records, theft loss data for your particular geographic region, miles driven per year, and other widely variable factors. Additionally, some companies charge a premium for certain makes and models, while others do not. $44,620 $49,400 7.35% $570 N/A No Holdback 3.0i (5M): 3.0L I6 DOHC SMPI 24-valve engine with variable valve timing, (requires premium unleaded fuel); 5-speed manual transmission; 120 amp alternator; full-time traction control, 3.64 axle ratio; dual stainless steel exhaust; auto-leveling suspension, electronic stability control, front independent strut suspension with anti-roll bar, front coil springs, gas-pressurized front shocks, rear independent multi-link suspension with anti-roll bar, rear air springs, gas-pressurized rear shocks; rack-and-pinion power steering, engine-speed-sensing assist; 4-wheel antilock disc brakes; 24.3 gal. capacity fuel tank; rear lip spoiler, side impact bars; tailgate rear cargo door; roof rack; front and rear body-colored bumpers; black bodyside molding rocker panel extensions, black wheel well molding; clearcoat monotone paint; aero-composite halogen headlamps with delay-off feature; additional exterior lights include front fog/driving lights; body-colored heated folding driver's power remoteoutside mirror, passenger's power remote outside mirror with tilt down; 17" x 7.5" silver alloy wheels; P255/65HR17 A/S BSW tires; full-size alloy spare wheel; dual-zone front air conditioning, air filter, rear heat ducts; AM/FM stereo radio, seek-scan feature, cassette player, CD changer pre-wiring, in-dash CD pre-wiring, 10 speakers, theft deterrent, and window grid diversity antenna, steering wheel radio controls; steering-wheel-mounted cruise control controls; power heated door locks with 2-stage unlock, remote keyless entry, child-safety rear door locks, power remote hatch release; cell phone pre-wiring, 4 power accessory outlets, front/rear lighter elements, driver's foot rest, retained accessory power, smokers' package; instrumentation display includes tachometer, water temperature gauge, in-dash clock, exterior temp, systems monitor, check control, trip odometer; warning indicators include oil pressure, water temp, battery, low oil level, low coolant, lights on, key inignition, low fuel, low washer fluid, bulb failure, door ajar, trunk ajar, service interval, brake fluid; driver's and passenger's front airbags, driver's and front passenger's door-mounted side airbags, overhead airbag; ignition disable, panic alarm, security system; tinted windows, power front and rear windows with front and rear 1-touch down function, fixed 1/4 vent windows; variable-speed intermittent front windshield wipers with heated washer fluid jets, sun visor strip, flip-up rear window, variable-speed intermittent rear wiper, rear window defroster; seating capacity of 5, front bucket seats with adjustable headrests, center armrest with storage, driver's seat includes 8-way power adjustment, driver's seat memory includes 3 settings for exterior mirrors and steering wheel, passenger's seat includes 4-way adjustment; 60/40 folding rear bench seat with adjustable headrests, center armrest; height-adjustable front and rear seatbelts with front pretensioners; leatherette seats,leatherette door trim insert, full cloth headliner, full carpet floor covering, leather-wrapped gearshift knob; interior lights include dome light with fade, front and rear reading lights, door curb lights, illuminated entry; leather-wrapped steering wheel with power tilt and telescopic adjustment; dual illuminated vanity mirrors; day/night rearview mirror; full floor console, mini overhead console with storage, locking glove box with light, front and rear cupholders, driver's and passenger's door bins, rear door bins; carpeted cargo floor, cargo cover, cargo tie downs, cargo light, concealed cargo storage; chrome grille, chrome side window moldings, black front windshield molding, black rear window molding and black door handles. 4.4i (5A) (in addition to or instead of 3.0i (5M) equipment): 4.4L V8 DOHC SMPI 32-valve engine with variable valve timing, (requires premium unleaded fuel); 5-speed electronic OD automatic transmission with lock-up torque converter; P255/55HR18 A/S BSW tires; dual-zone front air conditioning with climate control; front passenger's seat includes 8-way power adjustment; leather seats, leather door trim insert and genuine wood trim on instrument panel. 248 Heated Steering Wheel $130 $150 261 Rear Side Impact Airbags (Special Order) $325 $385 330 Sport Package $2,100 $2,470 383 Activity Package $725 $850 403 Power Glass Moonroof $895 $1,050 412 Sliding Load Floor $325 $380 417 Rear Door Window Sunblinds $155 $180 430 Self-Dimming Interior and Exterior Mirrors $255 $300 438 Dark Wood Trim $0 $0 456 Comfort Seats $1,020 $1,200 481 Sport Seats $0 $0 488 Front Lumbar Support $340 $400 496 Heated Rear Seats $300 $350 508 Park Distance Control $300 $350 522 Xenon Headlamps $425 $500 555 Multi-Information Display $255 $300 609 BMW Navigation System $1,690 $1,990 662 Radio: BMW Business CD $170 $200 677 Premium Hi-Fi Audio System with DSP $1,020 $1,200 761 Privacy Glass $235 $275