"4WD430" (4wd430)
07/01/2014 at 17:42 • Filed to: None
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"4WD430" (4wd430)
07/01/2014 at 17:42 • Filed to: None | 1
| 2 |
Yes fellow Oppositelockers, you are slouching in your swivel chair with a goop of saliva trickling down your mouths thirsty for a good post. You see this post titled "An honest review of the 2013 BMW X5 xDrive35i M Sport Package..yea sure" and it peaks your interest. You know you want to read it because it exhumes some sort of brilliance so your reflexes kick in, stronger than a big turbo setup on a 2JZ-GTE and you click it. Well it might be a big let down but I wasted enough of your time (let's be honest, were you really using it efficiently?)
So why a 2013 BMW X5 xDrive35i M Sport Package? I could make up some story about how BMW wanted me to test drive one so badly but I will refrain from doing so because I am hungry. To keep it short, a family member got one and I was able to test it out a bit. Keep in mind, this is the 2013 X5, the last of that body style. BMW has now moved to a new generation with a body style more closely resembling the X3...
This X5 rolled out the showroom in a brilliant white, not just any white, a white with a name that is probably so complex it took some overly paid guy drenched in expensive cologne a few minutes to think of. Well not exactly, (*plot twist) It's actually just called Alphine White. It is fitted with the M Sport Package which includes beefier bumpers and wheel wells. But wait, there's more! Along with other M Sport visual enhancements, the X5 had a really nice, graspable, M Sport steering wheel. It's a performance inspired steering wheel but there will be people wasting it with a single hand at the 12 o clock position. That's pretty predictable. It also came with some beautiful 20 inch M Sport, Double spoke rims with low profile tires as part of the package. This will prove deadly in the snow and ice, especially if you are driving in what NYC had last winter. However, if you leave these for the summer and get some winter wheels, I think you will be pleased. Also included is the M Sport Suspension, designed to give you maximum discomfort...er.. I meant handling as well as the M Sport exhaust... to really put a smile on your face.
The interior if this X5 is highly customizable but I was not really moved. The interior in the newest generation x5 is far nicer (This one isn't bad, it's actually pretty nice but it falls short in comparison) and more touch friendly. However, these seats have plenty of bolstering and do a good job of holding you in place when the road gets curvy. This X5 was not equipped with the 3rd row seating but if it was, I would imagine it being pretty cramped. The navi and the whole head unit are part of BMW's iDrive Infotainment system and some people like that more than I do.
Driving Dynamics differ from that of the X5 without the M Sport Package. The M Sport suspension really helps keeps things together better and causes the heavy suv to handle pretty superbly but living in NYC, I'm not sure if it's worth the pain. Combined with the 20 in. M sport rims with the low profile package, I am baffled by the lack of a chiropractor in the X5's options list. Having driven it a few months after he got it, a quick trip in the city definitely made me want to surround myself with pillows and to think of my happy place. The ride was very harsh and the interior presented rattles making my 2000 Mercedes ML430 's interior seem like that of a Rolls Royce (maybe slight exaggeration...)
But what about the performance you ask? I must say, even though this X5 does not have the monstrous engine that really beholds the M tittle, the twin scroll (not twin turbo), 3 liter, straight 6 engine is nothing to put down. BMW rates this X5 as having a 6.4 0-60 time. This is a heavy truck so 315 hp. isn't going to make it a rocket. But coupled with an 8 speed transmission and piped out with the M Sport exhaust, this is a fun combination. And you can feel good while saving gas (compared to the big daddy engine). You will definitely get noticed once that turbo spools up and the exhaust bellows a tone that few can resist. However, this is where it all goes wrong for me. At around 3k rpm, the exhaust valve opens up and becomes noticeably louder. This is cool at first but after a while, became an ear sore for me. It's as if I were to get punched in the gut, every time I go above 3k, just so I am aware that the engine's power is really about to wake up. It's just not a smooth transition and even after you are done driving the vehicle, you will go to bed at night and still hear the sound that I can only describe with this picture of jutting rocks.
However, this might not really be an issue if you don't do a lot of stop and go city driving. It wouldn't be an issue with things like canyon driving. But in city driving, it was annoying for me.
So in conclusion (wait! you are done already??... Yea, remember I said I was hungry.) The 2013 BMW X5 xDrive35i M Sport Package is a mean looking machine that performs pretty well for its size and weight. I wouldn't get the M Sport suspension if I live anywhere remotely near somewhere with an imperfection in the road. However, it really does keep the truck down and tight in the corners. The engine, transmission and M Sport Exhaust all work together to make this truck quite fun but the true M Sport V8 would really match the beefy appearance. All in all, it's quite a vehicle and my family member is very happy with it. I personally would look into alternatives and test them out first. Either that or keep my ML430 which I love.
Textured Soy Protein
> 4WD430
07/01/2014 at 18:16 |
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Vasquez Rocks! Where Captain Kirk fights the Gorn!
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4WD430
> Textured Soy Protein
07/01/2014 at 19:00 |
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Precisely.