The X5 celebrates 25 years of defining luxury European SUVs. After losing its way for a few years, has BMW finally delivered the ultimate driving machine we’ve been waiting for? Automotive enthusiasts Vansh Gupta and Janam Gupta find out if this nearly six-figure SUV deserves your hard-earned cash. 

First Impressions

For 25 years, BMW has owned the luxury European SUV game. They drove like sedans but hauled like proper SUVs, and we’ve always marveled at the X5’s perfect balance of sport, luxury, and sophistication. 

We believed the pinnacle was reached in 2017-2018—that aggressive look with sleek lines and a warm, inviting interior where everything worked like clockwork. Well, it’s a BMW, so however well a BMW can work, I guess. After the 2019 revamp brought floaty driving, bouncy suspension, numb steering, and cluttered equipment, we wondered if BMW had lost its touch entirely. Sure, it was great on highways and hit 100 mph in no time, but that was it. 

However, this 25th anniversary X5 has proven us wrong. Back to a more refined drive that actually hugs the road, this new generation has undergone a massive transformation to create what might just be the ultimate driving SUV. 

Design & Interior

Exterior view of the Silver Anniversary Edition 2025 BMW X5 xDrive50e.

The new X5 features a sleeker design, especially from the rear. Those taillights look so much cleaner. The front gives us just a tiny bit of confidence that BMW hasn’t completely lost it—I mean, the 7 Series is beyond hideous. But the X5? Clean kidney grille, non-obnoxious headlights… see BMW, it’s not that hard. 

The interior screams quality with premium materials everywhere and some genuinely cool crystallized ambient lighting. The seats are exceptionally supportive and comfortable, with more than adequate adjustability. Spring for the ventilated and massaging options if you’ve got a bad back—trust us on this one. 

Rear seats remain supportive and comfortable, though legroom feels slightly compromised. The floor sits higher than we’d prefer, creating an oddly cramped sensation despite generous knee and headroom. The rear seats aren’t as reclinable as rival SUVs either, though you can option creature comforts like seat heating and individual climate control. 

Tech & Features

Interior view of the Silver Anniversary Edition 2025 BMW X5 xDrive50e.

The dash embraces a more simplistic design with a dual-screen setup while Mercedes screams “been there, done that.” These screens are genuinely beautiful—clean, crisp graphics that are second to none. The surround camera system delivers impressive high-definition clarity. 

You can pack this thing to the brim with tech: heads-up display, augmented reality navigation, the works. Thankfully, BMW finally bundled the Harman/Kardon sound system into common packages. Previously a standalone option, finding one properly equipped was nearly impossible. The H/K sounds pretty good, though we remember the 2017-18 models having far more powerful systems. 

Unfortunately, we’ve got serious gripes with the new iDrive system. BMW decided to give their cars the Tesla treatment and eliminate most physical buttons. Climate control? Through the screen. Those ventilated and heated seats we mentioned? Also through the screen. It complicates simple tasks for absolutely no reason, and we really wish they’d kept the buttons. 

Want to control certain headlight functions or adjust adaptive cruise control distance? Navigate through the screen. The app menu contains 40 apps—impossible to operate while driving. Didn’t realize I needed a Computer Science degree to own a BMW. 

Driving Dynamics

The drive is what has us most excited. It carries that effortless, silky-smooth acceleration from the pre-facelift model but now has genuine BMW flavoring baked in. It’s happy to sit at whatever speed you want—as long as it’s above 50 mph. Yeah, it’s a troublemaker. 

The X5 delivers a more car-like handling experience. It’s absolutely hunkered down to the ground and stays remarkably flat through corners for an SUV. Steering feels substantially better than the pre-facelift with real heft when you want it. It’s not exactly communicative but nowhere near as numb as before. 

Now, this is a people carrier, not meant for spirited driving, but it’s certainly more than capable of taking corners when needed. That said, it’s still a heavy car and will remind you when you really push it. 

Buffoonery aside, the X5 is exceptionally comfortable around town. Everything about its drive feels smooth—brakes, acceleration, and transmission are all superbly calibrated. The drive is genuinely exceptional when you realize you’re hauling five people and several suitcases. 

BMW offers air suspension that prioritizes comfort. Our test vehicle came with M Sport suspension, which controls bumps well and strikes an impressive balance between sporty handling and comfortable cruising. 

Final Thoughts

Rear view of the Silver Anniversary Edition 2025 BMW X5 xDrive50e.

With a return to its legacy, BMW delivers another cool parent car to the market. Capable of hauling five people, plenty of luggage, and effortlessly hitting 100 mph on country roads, the 2025 X5 occupies a class of its own. 

This X5 puts the pre-facelift model to shame. With cleaner, sharper styling and a luxurious interior to match, it’s one of the finest-looking cars BMW currently makes. That’s saying something when you look at their recent lineup. 

Although you apparently need a Computer Science degree to turn on seat heaters, and the basic Harman/Kardon still doesn’t match 2018 standards, the X5 impresses. Maybe BMW should focus more on functionality over form, and the X5 would be the perfect car for our Indian uncles. 

After losing its way for several years, BMW finally returned with an ultimate driving machine we can respect. Though not enough to change our loyalty. 

Bottom Line: Our verdict is “Your Call” since a decently packaged X5 costs about $80-90K. Trust us—you don’t want a barebones BMW. EVER! 

Now, if one shows up certified pre-owned or used with depreciation factored out? That becomes a lucrative option. We might even sign on it. 

Siliconeer’s Auto Rating (Lowest to highest): Ditch It | Your Call | Lucrative | Sign On It 

The 2025 BMW X5 xDrive40i earns our “Your Call” rating for delivering genuine driving excitement wrapped in luxury, though the tech complexity and premium pricing keep it from universal recommendation.

Co-Author:

Vansh Gupta is pursuing his MBA at SJSU. He is Managing Editor and CMO at Siliconeer.

 

All photos: BMW