![\"BestInClass\"](\"#BLOGPATH#\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Bestinclass.png\")
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We, at Leith Cars, want to apologize for an oversight on Friday. It was our intention to post a “Best in Class” blog to help you end the week with something fun and interesting to read, but, in the chaos of trying to wrap things up for the week, we neglected it. It does, however, work to your benefit. Why? Well, we’re glad you asked: Now, you get to take a sojourn from the office on this Monday morning and imagine climbing behind the wheel of a 2015 BMW X5 xDrive50i thanks to one of our writer’s amazing narrative about an amazing vehicle.<\/p>\n
Enjoy …<\/p>\n
Last week was a week of contrast for us. Wednesday, we were at North Hills mall for National Drive Electric Week, offering test-drives in the BMW i3<\/a>. BMW i is what happens when Efficient Dynamics gets a line of cars all to itself. The i3 is the pinnacle of the city-going EVs, and the i8 hybrid sports car is redefining the public\u2019s concept of performance automobiles. These are the beginning of a line of cars that will shape the future of the whole industry, and it represents a radical departure from what many see as the core tenants of BMW.<\/p>\n Friday, we got to experience another one of those radical departures, one that began in 1999 when BMW launched the X line. Before that, BMW was known for making great rear-wheel drive cars, and that was it. The thought of them making an all-wheel drive SUV would have been verging on sacrilege prior to 1999, but then came The Boss<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Of course they don\u2019t call it an SUV, and maybe that helps. With the X5, BMW invented a new segment \u2013 as they so often do \u2013 that they call the Sports Activity Vehicle or SAV. It would be a stretch to say the designation has caught on, but our hope is that if we leave the Germans to their quirks and insistent terminology, they\u2019ll keep making incredible cars. So far that\u2019s worked out, but still, we had to ask Sales and Leasing Consultant Tim Hicks: \u201cHow many clients walk into the showroom saying they want to look at an SAV?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNone.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The Cut of Your Jib<\/strong><\/p>\n While we were walking out to the side lot, Tim explained that he couldn\u2019t find the exact model we had linked when lining up our test-drive over email, but that they had a 2015 X5<\/a> on the lot with even more features than the one we requested. Instead of the xDrive35i with the straight six-cylinder, we would be driving an xDrive50i with a twin-turbo V8. Oh darn, so much for talking efficient dynamics in this review.<\/p>\n We were more than ok with the upgrade. Tim\u2019s choice stuck out from the row of X cars, resplendent in Space Grey Metallic paint. Our X5 was a member of the M Sport line and was equipped with twenty-inch wheels, a more aggressive front fascia, and satin aluminum roof rails. It also had the lighting package for full LED headlights and automatic high beams.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Even without the aerodynamic kit, the X5 cuts a distinct profile. It looks like an SUV, but it doesn\u2019t tower over the road like a truck. Just looking at it, you can understand why BMW errs toward activity over utility when marketing it, not that the X5 is impractical by any means.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The bulk of the M Sport package is carried out on the inside of the car, notable as we take our place behind the wheel right away. The seats are Ivory White Nappa leather, the trim is Fineline oak wood, and the headliner is anthracite, which gives the cabin a two-tone divide that looks and feels great. The white seats won\u2019t get too hot on a sunny day, while at the same time the black headliner reduces glare.<\/p>\n We would also like to call attention to the twenty-way power adjustable front seats. Yes, twenty-way. If you\u2019ve never heard of twenty-way seats you aren\u2019t alone because we weren\u2019t aware that a car seat was capable of perfectly molding to fit our body. We\u2019re talking full lumbar control, adjustable thigh support, and a second set of motors in the back of the multi-contour seat for the most minute adjustments. Of course they\u2019re also heated and ventilated. We spent so much time getting our seat configured that we forgot to adjust our mirrors and had to stop on the way off the lot to correct our oversight. Luckily Tim was there to remind us.<\/p>\n Tim has been with Leith for a little less than two years. Before that, he captained and sold yachts for fourteen years, but his vessel of choice on land has always been a BMW. \u201cI get the new cars for my wife, but I drive the old ones,\u201d he explains. His first Bimmer was a Euro-spec 1980 635CSi\u00a0that he and his brother bought together in college\u00a0and which\u00a0solidified his loyalty to the blue and white roundel. He\u2019s currently driving and fixing up an E28 M5. It\u2019s a family affair for Tim, as he, his brother, and his dad will go to car shows in the summer just to see classic BMWs. Over the years he has also owned and enjoyed the occasional AMG, but the intangibles always keep his heart grounded in Munich. All this is to say that when you\u2019ve got Tim riding shotgun, telling you in exhaustive detail about the car you\u2019re about to buy, you aren\u2019t dealing with some fanboy. He\u2019s a connoisseur.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Sport or Activity, You Decide<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cNow you\u2019ve got 445 horsepower to work with, but I want you to hold off on it until we get to the on-ramp for 540,\u201d Tim said while we were pulling out onto Capital Boulevard.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a lot of power. Is that the Sport part or the Activity part of the vehicle?\u201d we asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess it depends on how you use it,\u201d he said. We followed his advice and waited for the curve, one that we distinctly remember from our test-drive in the 5 Series back in the spring. The tires were squealing when we took that turn, but that wasn\u2019t the case this time. \u201cStay in this outside lane and push,\u201d says Tim, coaching us up to 60 miles-per-hour, \u201cthen let it settle into the curve \u2013 maybe don\u2019t push quite that much \u2013 and now right here at the top put it all the way down.\u201d<\/p>\n We hit the highway going fast, and remember this wasn\u2019t an M3. Driving an X5<\/a> also means we weren\u2019t drifting up the ramp \u2013 and that\u2019s not in our driving skillset anyway \u2013 because it\u2019s equipped with xDrive, BMW\u2019s all-wheel drive system. If you have to have it, the sDrive35i gives you a rear-wheel drive X5, but we prefer xDrive in this car specifically for the traction it gives us going around a turn like that on-ramp, not to mention added security in adverse road conditions.<\/p>\n Speaking of security, our fully-loaded X5 was also equipped with all the expected safety features, including collision prevention, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assistance, surround view cameras, and more. While we didn\u2019t test the collision mitigation system, Tim got us to check out how the blind-spot and lane-keeping systems work on the beltline. Try to drift out of your lane without a turn signal on and you\u2019ll feel a vibration in the wheel as well as an indicator flashing on the instrument panel. Flick your turn signal on when someone is in your blind-spot and you\u2019ll see a light blinking on the side of the mirror in addition to another vibration. These systems provide visual and haptic feedback but nothing auditory, so they\u2019re helpful without being annoying.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n As for the cameras, we let Tim cycle through those as we were doubling back on Six Forks. The front and rear facing cameras provide wide angle views for when you need to see around a corner, and together with two cameras mounted under the side mirrors, you have access to a complete bird\u2019s eye rendering of the X5. When combined with the sensors in the front and rear bumpers, parking this larger vehicle is a breeze. The best part is that you can access any of the four cameras or all of them at once whenever you want, not just when the car is in reverse.<\/p>\n For what it\u2019s worth, the X5 already has great visibility. You won\u2019t find any debilitating blind-spots when you\u2019re looking around, and it\u2019s important to note that surround view works best as a supplement, not a substitute, for turning to look behind you.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Doldrums<\/strong><\/p>\n Having gotten the highway driving out of the way, we pulled off onto Durant Road, or as we\u2019ve come to refer to it, the fun part of a Leith BMW<\/a> test-drive. We were eager to see how the X5 handled those long and winding curves, but then disaster struck: we got stuck behind a dilapidated Saturn SL driving ten miles under the speed limit.<\/p>\n We sat behind the wheel, sighing and muttering as we were forced to go 35 in a 45. Even Tim had fallen silent, the wind stolen from his sails. \u201cIt\u2019s certainly a quiet ride in here,\u201d we mentioned offhand.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n The slog down what is normally our favorite road gave us a chance to appreciate the X5\u2019s infotainment setup. It features BMW\u2019s iDrive 4.2 system, complete with rotary wheel and the new touchpad feature. The knob is located next to the shifter, easily reached from the center armrest, and it controls what\u2019s happening on the widescreen panel sitting atop the console. The panel is wide enough to support split-screen functionality, which means you never have to be without a map, your trip information, your current media selection, or whatever information you consider essential.<\/p>\n This system will also allow you to pair multiple phones at once, although you\u2019ll have to opt for the enhanced Bluetooth if you want to the most robust integration with your mobile device. That said, iPhone users can take advantage of iDrive\u2019s Siri integration, using the normal voice controls to parlay with their favorite virtual intelligence. Don\u2019t be surprised if you don\u2019t recognize her voice at first \u2013 she\u2019ll be speaking to you with received punctuation, giving your European car a European voice.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Jibe Ho<\/strong><\/p>\n We reached the end of the road, which is usually the near-end of the test-drive, but Tim told us to wait at the stop sign. The Saturn turned right, no doubt on the way to tormenting whoever came up behind it next. \u201cGo straight,\u201d said Tim, \u201cand make a U-turn.\u201d That\u2019s why you want to take a test-drive with Tim Hicks.<\/p>\n It turns out the curves on Durant Road are just as much fun going the other way. We felt like we were on rails in the X5<\/a>. The way it finds the bends and sits into them is so natural, and you don\u2019t have to worry about losing any speed.<\/p>\n At one point, Tim asked us to slow down and then floor it, ready to slam on the breaks when he told us to. We hit terminal velocity before he told us to stand on the other pedal, and then we came to a stop within a matter of feet with no jostling or whiplash. We remarked how big this car is to be so agile, commenting on the precise damping that prevents the car from taking a nosedive during a stop like that. \u201cThis is what people don\u2019t seem to understand,\u201d said Tim. \u201cWhen you hear that millions of dollars went into developing a car, most people can\u2019t put that budget into perspective. Just the suspension on this car is worth that much alone.\u201d<\/p>\n The bottom line is that BMWs are premium vehicles for a reason, and the X5 is no exception. It\u2019s fun to drive whether you\u2019re traveling across the country with a full cargo or if you\u2019re just running down to the grocery store. We barely even tapped into the car\u2019s Sport mode, let alone Sport+. Tim likens these high-performance driving profiles to a sharpened pencil \u2013 it\u2019s the same pencil you were just using, but it will make your handwriting look that much better.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n At times, the X5<\/a> feels like many different cars contained within a single frame. We think of it as a multiple personality ability, giving you the power to change your road experience with the push of a button or by giving it a little more gas. BMW makes no apologies when it departs from its mores, and once you\u2019ve driven an X5, you\u2019ll understand that there\u2019s no need for an apology anyway.<\/p>\n Leith BMW<\/a> is your local authorized center for new and used BMWs as well as full service and repairs<\/a>. If you want to schedule your own test-drive<\/a> experience in a 2015 BMW X5<\/a> or another vehicle in our inventory<\/a>, you can do so online or in person. Thanks to Tim Hicks for lending us all of his professional expertise. You can follow Tim on Facebook<\/a> and Instagram.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We, at Leith Cars, want to apologize for an oversight on Friday. It was our intention to post a “Best in Class” blog to help you end the week with something fun and interesting to read, but, in the chaos of trying to wrap things up for the week, we neglected it. 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