"I could own one of these," said my passenger, usually a Toyota Hilux fan but clearly seduced by the X5's cosseting cabin. To drive every day presumably because, despite its fearsome array of technology, BMW's X5 is an all-roads car, not an off-roader.
In our case those roads were winter-slick
rural affairs on which the car's all-wheel-drive system dealt to any slip before we could detect it.
The twin-turbo 3-litre diesel engine fitted to the confusingly named 40d is as good as we've come to expect from BMW; its 600Nm of torque delivering a mighty punch off the line that's more than capable of shifting this car's generous heft.
Its powerplant is shared with other BMWs but is arguably best-suited to the X5's luxury soft-roading format. And you can make the most of it, for the X5 handles very well - for a high-riding wagon.
You can throw it around bends with the sort of abandon many cars would fail to cope with; a keen driver forced to go the SUV route will be mollified, while their spouse will be glad the sports suspension settings have been deleted to improve comfort.
But forget the drive experience, it's the toys that really stand out - especially the rear-view camera with "Top View" system. Cameras mounted around the car peer through fish-eye lenses and, as you select reverse, the screen lights up to show what looks like an aerial view of the vehicle and its immediate surroundings.
It's initially distracting as you watch white arrows, shrubs (so that's where the cat's hiding) and driveway posts slide by, their exact location in relation to your car's expensive skin left in absolutely no doubt.
It's a great party trick for the uninitiated, and will leave the owner of an X5 with no excuses for scratching those luscious alloys or indeed any other part of the car, for it only clicks off when you speed up.
It's fitted to the $142,000 standard 40d - but by golly, can you add to that price. This test car included an extra $22,280 worth of kit to take the total to $164,280, including $3680 for optional wheels, $840 for aluminium running boards, a $4330 panoramic glass roof and a $3450 head-up display.
They're all toys, but you have to wonder if BMW's having you on when it charges $2900 for the admittedly very comfy optional seats, plus $950 to heat them. At this price, shouldn't the standard pews work well enough?
BMW XDRIVE40D Sport
We like: The toys, impressive engine and on-road handling
We don't like: Run-flat tyres deliver jiggly ride
Powertrain: 2993cc diesel, 225kW at 4400rpm, 600Nm at 1500-2500rpm, eight-speed auto drives rear / all four wheels
Performance: 0-100km/h in 6.6 seconds, 7.5l/100km (claimed)
Safety: ABS brakes; stability control, traction control, dynamic cornering control, hill descent control, six airbags
What it's got: Runflat tyres and 18-inch emergency spare wheel, rear-view camera with Top View, rain sensor with auto driving lights, cargo barrier
Vital stats: 4857mm long, 620/1750-litre boot, 85-litre tank
BMW X5. Photo / Supplied.
"I could own one of these," said my passenger, usually a Toyota Hilux fan but clearly seduced by the X5's cosseting cabin. To drive every day presumably because, despite its fearsome array of technology, BMW's X5 is an all-roads car, not an off-roader.
In our case those roads were winter-slick
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