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Thanks to the air suspension, ride quality is impressive
Driving Dynamics – Although underpinned by the CLAR platform (shared with the BMW sedans), the BMW X5 has still managed to gain weight due to the increase in size, still it doesn’t feel that way from behind the wheel other than the massive width of this SUV. It gets air suspension both at the rear and front now so ride height can be adjusted in 5 ways, heck, you can also raise or lower the car with the remote display key. Expectedly, ground clearance is more than ample but when driven at higher speeds, the reduced clearance does help the X5’s cause and makes it handle quite well.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/48687687972/[/flickr]
Wide tyres, xDrive and strong brakes inspire confidence while driving
BMW has tried its best to retain the X5’s excellent driving dynamics and handling
In fact, there is a staggering difference between the various drive modes with Comfort feeling a bit too soft with some movement but Sport mode really tightening the car up but there is no escaping the rear-biased power delivery which is good to keep understeer at bay. The steering is light at low speeds and in Comfort mode but weighs up quite well at high speeds and in Sport mode, but it feels a bit loose now, not bad but just not as responsive as its predecessor. Body roll is obvious but there is acres of grip on offer, part thanks to the massive rubber and mainly due to the well-calibrated xDrive all-wheel-drive system. The brakes too offer great stopping power with controlled nose-dive under heavy braking.
