After 500 miles

I have been driving the BMW for a couple of weeks and about 500 miles around town. These are my impressions:

1. The diesel engine is strong and quiet. Considering that I am getting slightly over 20 mpg around town, including idling while exploring features, I can see no advantage to a conventional gasoline engine. I believe the price difference between the small gasoline engine and the diesel will be quickly offset by fuel savings, plus the tax credit.

2.Compared with my 2006 Mercedes ML500, the BMW fails in a number of ways. It is not nearly as driver friendly:

(a) There is no setting to have the outside mirrors fold in when locking the car. A button must be pushed each time to fold them in.

(b) The forward parking sensors do not come on automatically - a button must be pushed that also turns on the backup camera. However, once on, the parking sensors are much superior to that of the Mercedes,in that they visibly display the vehicle, have colored fan zones to show proximity to obstacles, and a much louder warning light.

(c) The passenger can't start the engine. Frequently my wife will stay in the car while I run an errand. If I have turned off the engine the passenger could simply start the engine with the key. The BMW will not start unless the brake pedal is depressed, which can't be done from the passenger seat.

(d) The navigation system is terrible by comparison. Compared withe the Mercedes, it takes longer to compute or recompute the route. The map display doesn't tell the name of the highway you are traveling, or the name of the next turn until you are almost there and get the small display showing the direction of turn. Programing the navigation is arduous. On a scale of 1 to 10, if I were to rate the 2006 Mercedes navigation system an 8, the BMW would earn a 2.

(e) The iDrive system is as bad as everyone has always warned and complained about in reviews an forums. Maybe worse. I once learned how to program a VCR, and will probably learn how to use the iDrive before the warranty expires.

(f) The optional 3rd row seats were a bust. Although my 5 and 7 year old grandchildren could ride fairly comfortably, there is very, very little room left. We ordered the 3rd row so that my wife could ride with me to pick up my son, his wife, and children at the airport, but found that we couldn't because there was no room for their luggage. We all went to the beach, but there was little room for beach chairs, beach toys, a small cooler chest, and towels, some of which the passengers had to carry on their laps on in the foot wells.

3. The fit and finish is excellent, as one would expect from a vehicle in this price range. I have the sport package, and I think that the quality of the materials slightly exceeds that of the Mercedes, but the layout and controls do not.

4. The transmission is very smooth, and the vehicle offers better control than the Mercedes did in cornering. The steering generally is stiffer in the BMW, which is not difficult to get used to, but the BMW has a larger turning radius.

My New BMW X5 Diesel

This blog is to chronicle my experiences in owning and driving a new 2009 BMW X5 diesel SUV. [Note: BMW characterizes the vehicle as a "SAV" which is an anachronm for "Sport Activity Vehicle" in contrast to the all of the "Sport Utility Vehicles" manufactured by everyone else].