2021 BMW X5

2021 is a change year, not a carry-over: the volume 40i models gained 48-volt mild-hybrid electrification, but peak output stays at 335 hp from the B58 turbo inline-six. The 375/381 hp rework belongs to the LCI facelift that arrives for 2024 and must not be carried back.

The B58's 450 N·m (331 lb-ft) plateau holds from 1,500 rpm, and for 2021 the 48V starter-generator adds a brief eBoost on top of it off the line.

BMW's own 2021 figure for the xDrive40i is 5.3 seconds — genuinely quick for a 4,900 lb luxury SUV and comfortably in the segment's upper quartile, though a tenth behind the pre-LCI figure later quoted for 2023.

The B58 is among the smoothest sixes on sale — effectively no perceptible turbo lag and a linear pull from 1,500 rpm — and 2021's new 48V starter-generator smooths auto stop/start restarts that were the one coarse note in earlier G05 cars.

The ZF 8HP eight-speed Steptronic remains the benchmark torque-converter automatic: imperceptible upshifts, decisive part-throttle kickdowns and a manual mode that actually holds gears. It does not hunt in normal driving.

Properly equipped with BMW's factory trailer hitch the 2021 X5 is rated at 7,200 lbs — near the top of the mid-size SUV band and unusually capable for a unibody luxury crossover.

xDrive all-wheel drive is standard on every 2021 trim except the base rear-drive sDrive40i, and it is a sophisticated rear-biased system with an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch, torque-vectoring brake intervention and an available M Sport limited-slip rear differential. The absence of a low range keeps it out of the top band.

Light-duty capable rather than credibly off-road: 8.7 in of clearance stock, rising to roughly 9.4 in on the available two-axle air suspension, with BMW's optional Off-Road Package on the xDrive40i adding a rear locking differential, underbody protection and xSand/xRocks/xGravel/xSnow terrain modes. There is still no low range, and the standard tires, air dam and overhangs are firmly road-biased.

2021 is the broadest the G05 range gets: a 48V mild-hybrid turbo six in rear- and all-wheel drive, an all-new second-generation plug-in hybrid (xDrive45e, six-cylinder plus electric motor, roughly 30 miles of EV range and a SULEV rating), a 4.4L twin-turbo V8 in the M50i, and the full X5 M — multiple genuinely distinct powertrains including two electrified ones.

EPA combined rating for the volume gas trim. The new-for-2021 48V mild-hybrid inline-six is respectable for a 4,900 lb luxury SUV, but measured against other gas SUVs the figure still lands below the middle of the band.

The 48V starter-generator added for 2021 brings smoother stop/start and brake energy recuperation, holding city economy to just 2 MPG off the combined figure.

Frontal area, all-wheel drive and mass cap highway economy at 25 MPG — the weakest of the three EPA figures relative to the gas-SUV band, and the one place the rear-drive sDrive40i pulls ahead.

A large 21.9-gallon tank turns middling economy into genuinely long legs — just over 500 miles between fills, comfortably above the mid-size SUV norm.

23 MPG combined plus a premium-fuel diet puts running cost near the expensive end of the mid-size SUV band — EPA reckons about $5,500 more in fuel over five years than an average new vehicle.

Premium gasoline is recommended rather than strictly required — the B58 will run on regular with reduced output — but every gas X5 is a premium-fuel car, a standing cost penalty versus mainstream SUV rivals. No flex-fuel or plug-in capability on this trim; buyers wanting to plug in must move to the xDrive45e.

NHTSA rated the 2021 X5 SUV AWD — the volume xDrive40i configuration — 4 stars overall: 4 stars frontal (driver and passenger alike), 5 stars side including the pole test, and 4 stars rollover at a 15.9% rollover risk with no tip in the dynamic test. The frontal result is what holds the overall to four.

Crashworthiness is spotless — Good in driver- and passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side (original and the updated Side 2.0 test that applies across the 2019-26 G05), roof strength and head restraints. What keeps it out of the 80+ band is that IIHS granted the 2021 X5 no award at all: the base LED headlights rate Poor and no vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention result was published for this model year, both of which were prerequisites the X5 only cleared for 2022.

Active Driving Assistant is standard on every 2021 X5 — forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, city collision mitigation and braking, Active Blind Spot Detection, lane departure warning and rear cross-traffic alert — so AEB and blind-spot coverage arrive without paying up. Adaptive cruise and lane centering are not standard: they sit behind the roughly $1,700 Driving Assistance Professional package on a $60k-plus luxury SUV, which is what keeps this out of the top band.

IIHS rates vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention Superior on both the standard Active Driving Assistant and the optional Professional system, with the crash avoided outright at 12 mph and a 23 mph speed reduction at 25 mph. It sits below the 2022 car because IIHS published no vehicle-to-pedestrian result — day or night — for the 2021 model year, so the pedestrian performance the top band asks for is not demonstrated for this year even though the hardware is unchanged.

Active Blind Spot Detection and rear cross-traffic alert are standard across the 2021 range and Edmunds rates both among the X5's strengths, but standard coverage is alert-level only: rear automatic braking is optional per IIHS, and front cross-traffic alert and lane-change assist require the Driving Assistance Professional package. No trailer-aware blind-spot coverage is offered.

Lane departure warning is standard, but active lane keeping and lane centering only arrive with the optional Driving Assistance Professional package — IIHS lists lane departure prevention as optional — and Edmunds judges the centering merely average in operation: it holds a lane without the confident, set-and-forget composure the best systems in the class show.

Fitted, Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go is a smooth full-speed-range system that handles crawling traffic cleanly and pairs with Traffic Jam Assistant for highway work, and reviewers rate it among the better setups in the segment. It stops short of the top band because on the volume xDrive40i it is an extra-cost option rather than standard equipment.

The 2021 X5 (pre-LCI G05) offers Extended Traffic Jam Assistant with the optional Driving Assistance Professional package — genuinely hands-off, but only below 40 mph on mapped limited-access divided highways with the driver-attention camera confirming eyes on the road. That is real hands-free capability yet far narrower than Super Cruise or BlueCruise, and it predates the roughly 85 mph Highway Assistant BMW introduced with the 2024 refresh.

The clear safety weak point of the 2021 X5: IIHS rates the common LED-projector-low / LED-projector-high units Poor, and only cars fitted with the adaptive package that pairs LED projector lows with LED reflector highs (the laser-light/Executive configuration) earn Good. A volume xDrive40i as typically ordered carries the Poor unit, and that spread is the reason the 2021 car took no Top Safety Pick award.

The upright greenhouse, low cowl and deep side glass give better-than-average forward and quarter sightlines for a mid-size luxury SUV; the thick D-pillars and shallow rear window are the weak angle, offset by a standard rearview camera and parking sensors, with 3D Surround View sitting in the optional Parking Assistance package rather than standard.

IIHS rates the X5's LATCH hardware Good for ease of use — two outboard positions with complete lower anchors and tethers plus a third tether-only position, anchors neither buried deep nor needing much force — and the wide-opening rear doors and flat, roomy second row make installation straightforward. Three-across is possible but tight with bulkier seats.

Every 2021 X5 is built as a five-seater unless the buyer orders the third-row bench, which BMW sells only on the 40i models and only bundled with two-axle air suspension. The volume configuration, and the large majority of cars actually built, is five seats.

Generous front headroom, comfortably above the SUV band midpoint. Every US 2021 X5 leaves the factory with the panoramic moonroof as standard equipment, so 40.7 in is the figure that describes a real car; BMW's no-sunroof measurement of 1,037 mm (40.8 in) applies to no US configuration.

Front legroom is the X5's one genuinely tight published dimension — 39.8 in falls just under the 40 in floor of the SUV normalization band, a consequence of the G05's long hood and rearward cabin. In practice the standard power tilt/telescoping column and long seat travel hide it from most drivers.

Second-row headroom is a real strength for the gas X5 — near the top of the SUV band, with the tall body and upright rear glass leaving six-footers plenty of clearance. Unusually, BMW's panoramic-roof measurement is the larger of the two published figures (1,001 mm vs 984 mm), and it is the one that describes every US-market car.

37.4 in of second-row legroom sits well above the SUV band midpoint and is genuinely accommodating for adults on long trips. It trails three-row rivals that stretch the wheelbase for a usable rear row but beats most two-row luxury competitors.

A third row could be ordered on any 2021 40i and was available all model year — unlike 2022, when BMW pulled it from the order bank in January — but it is token seating rather than usable space: 34.9 in of headroom and 29.2 in of legroom in a low, knees-up 5+2 pair reached by tumbling the second row, with no amenities of its own. It suits small children on short trips, and most 2021 X5s have nothing back there at all.

33.9 cu ft is modest against an SUV band that stretches to 80 cu ft — the X5 gives up real cargo room to its rakish tail and deep underfloor well, and it is one of the smaller holds among mid-size luxury SUVs. The standard two-piece split tailgate makes what is there unusually easy to load.

72.3 cu ft with the seats down is competitive but not class-leading, roughly mid-band for the segment. The 40/20/40 split and near-flat load floor make the space genuinely usable rather than nominal.

The signature clever touch is the two-piece split tailgate, whose lower half doubles as a load ledge and tailgate seat, backed by a concealed underfloor cargo well, a roll-up cargo cover and four 12V outlets. Small-item storage inside the cabin is the weak spot — deep door bins but a shallow, control-crowded console — though 2021 is better provisioned than 2022, when BMW deleted wireless charging from the range entirely; here it can be had for $1,050 in the Convenience Package.

A genuine strength: Consumer Reports rates all seating positions 'all-day comfortable', and the volume xDrive40i already comes with power 12-way sport seats, lumbar support, memory and heat as standard. Buyers can go further cheaply — $750 for multi-contour seats, $1,000–$1,600 for the Luxury Seating Packages that add ventilation and massage. The flattish rear cushion is the one thing keeping it out of the top band.

Composed and well-judged rather than plush — Consumer Reports calls it impressively steady and composed — and 2021 is a better year for ride than 2022, because two-axle air suspension was still orderable on the 40i as a cheap standalone option rather than being locked inside the third-row bundle. Standard-equipment cars ride on steel springs with adaptive dampers, and the mandatory run-flat tires still let sharp impacts through, more so on the optional 21s and 22s.

Among the quietest cabins in the segment — Consumer Reports singles out the notably quiet, serene interior — and the naturally balanced B58 inline-six contributes almost no coarse noise at a cruise. Thorough isolation is what sells the luxury impression here.

Well equipped as standard — heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate with a separately controlled rear HVAC zone, underseat and console ducts, the panoramic moonroof and air filtration all come on the volume xDrive40i — and the upgrades are unusually cheap: $250 adds a heated steering wheel and heated armrests, $350 adds heated rear seats. Four-zone climate and remote engine start sit in the $1,050 Convenience Package and ventilated seats in the Luxury Seating Package, which is what keeps it just below the top band.

The entry 2021 X5 is the rear-drive sDrive40i at $59,400 MSRP plus BMW's $995 destination and handling charge for the 2021 model year.

The all-wheel-drive xDrive40i is the volume 2021 X5 and lists at $61,700 plus $995 destination = $62,695 before options; BMW's à-la-carte structure means a representative build with the Convenience Package, Premium Package and upgraded wheels lands near $68,000.

Independent estimates for a five-year X5 cluster in the low-$6,000s, but RepairPal's above-average repair frequency and severity for the 2021 car, plus out-of-warranty German six-cylinder service from year four onward, argue for the upper end of that range.

Now that the 2021 car is actually five years old the figure can be checked against the market rather than projected: KBB puts a 2021 xDrive40i at roughly $30,200 private party against a ~$68,000 as-equipped price, which is about 45% retained, sitting between iSeeCars' 46.9% and CarEdge's 41%.

BMW's New Vehicle Limited Warranty on 2021 models runs 4 years or 50,000 miles — a year longer than the 3/36 most mainstream brands offer, and level with Mercedes-Benz and Audi.

BMW is one of the few brands with no extended powertrain schedule: the 4-year/50,000-mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty is the whole of the coverage, well short of the 5–10 year powertrain terms that are the segment norm.

BMW Ultimate Care covers scheduled maintenance for 3 years/36,000 miles and roadside assistance runs the full 4 years with unlimited mileage — genuinely multi-year coverage, but the standard Ultimate Care tier is narrow (oil service, brake fluid, vehicle checks) after BMW trimmed it from the old 4/50 comprehensive plan, broader items require paid Ultimate Care+, and on MY2021 cars the maintenance plan is not transferable to a second owner (BMW made it transferable only from MY2022).

$68,000 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (45% retained, or about $30,600) leaves about $37,400 in depreciation. Add the projected $6,700 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $44,100 in total.

Both major sources put the 2021 X5 at average — Consumer Reports rates it "about average" and J.D. Power scores it 77/100, which is the middle of JDP's own Average band. That is a full step below the 2022 car, where CR moved to "much more reliable than other cars from the same model year," and the gap is consistent with 2021 being the introduction year of the 48-volt mild-hybrid hardware. Owner-reported trouble centers on electrical faults rather than the core engine.

In the 2021-era studies BMW is squarely mid-pack, and this is before the reputational jump it made a year later. Consumer Reports had BMW around 13th in reliability at this point — its 2022 ranking of 3rd was reported as a climb of 10 places — while J.D. Power's 2021 dependability and initial-quality results both left BMW outside the leaders. Reliably ahead of Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Land Rover; reliably behind Lexus, Porsche and Genesis.

By far the worst recall year of the G05 generation, and the defects are not paperwork technicalities: eight of the twelve MY2021 campaigns reach the gas 40i, and they include a fire risk on the new 48-volt battery connection, a brake-system weld that can cost ABS and braking assistance under hard braking, a front brake disc assembled with the wrong fasteners, and a steering column universal joint that was not tightened. Several are assembly-workmanship errors on safety-critical hardware, which is what puts this in the bottom band rather than the middle — for contrast, the 2022 build carries a single sunroof software campaign.

The xDrive40i's B58 3.0L turbocharged inline-six and ZF 8HP eight-speed are among the most proven combinations in the class — closed-deck block, millions of units across BMW's range, no chronic failure mode, and it replaced the genuinely troublesome N55. What holds 2021 below the 2022 car is that this is the first model year of the 48-volt mild-hybrid belt-starter-generator on the X5: that hardware drew a fire-risk recall over its battery connection and is the likely source of the starter/battery electrical failures owners report at 30,000-80,000 miles. The widely discussed G05 front differential failures are essentially confined to the V8 M50i and do not describe the scored trim.

One of the richest cabins in the mid-size luxury SUV set and unchanged from the rest of the pre-LCI G05 run: soft-touch coverage across the whole dashboard, genuine leather, wood and metal trim, and dense, well-damped switchgear. Reviewers place it above the segment norm; only the most theatrical rivals read as more special.

Reviewers consistently praise the Spartanburg-built structure for tight panel gaps and a solid, rattle-free cabin, and that half of the picture is genuinely strong. The assembly record underneath it is not: BMW came in below the industry average in the 2021 initial-quality study, and this model year produced an unusual cluster of recalls that are workmanship errors rather than design faults — wrong fasteners on a brake disc, an untightened steering column joint, an improperly assembled 48-volt connection, incorrect head restraints fitted to second-row seats. Perceived quality is top-tier; build consistency in this specific model year was not.

Roughly 350 BMW centers spanning all 50 states is dense coverage by luxury standards — better reach than Genesis, Volvo or Land Rover and comparable to Mercedes-Benz — and independent BMW specialists supplement it in most metros. Service satisfaction is the limiter rather than access: BMW sits mid-pack among premium brands, outside the top five in the contemporaneous J.D. Power service study.

Sourcing is not the problem — the B58 is one of the most widely produced engines BMW builds, parts are abundant, and the X5 enjoys unusually deep independent-specialist and aftermarket support for a German luxury SUV. Cost is: annual repair and maintenance runs close to double the all-vehicle average, unscheduled shop visits are twice as frequent, and this generation's big-ticket items — air suspension struts and compressors past 60k miles, run-flat tires, dealer-level diagnostics, and on this model year a potential 48-volt starter-generator and battery replacement — all land well after a 2021 car's 4-year/50,000-mile warranty has lapsed.

BMW Live Cockpit Professional is standard across the entire 2021 X5 range, pairing a 12.3-inch center touchscreen with a 12.3-inch digital cluster on iDrive 7.0. There is no larger option — the 14.9-inch curved display arrives only with the 2024 LCI facelift and must not be carried back.

iDrive 7.0 is one of the better systems of its era — fast, logically tiled and, crucially, still offering the rotary controller alongside touch, gesture and voice, so nothing forces you onto the screen while moving. Consumer Reports flags a learning curve but concludes the controls prove logical once mastered and the system works seamlessly. 2021 also escapes the defect that dogged 2022, when chip shortages had BMW building X5s with the touchscreen function deleted outright.

2021 is the model year both projection systems arrive: wireless Apple CarPlay and newly added wireless Android Auto are standard on every trim, with no subscription and no wired-only lower trim. That is top-band content, and unlike the 2022 cars there was no chip-shortage batch shipped without working projection.

The BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant handles natural-language commands for climate, navigation and vehicle settings and ranks among the better factory assistants of the iDrive 7 era. BMW's cloud navigation with real-time traffic is bundled into the standard Live Cockpit Professional rather than sold as an upgrade, and it is good enough that owners do not automatically default to phone projection.

A deep ladder that is cheap to climb: the volume xDrive40i starts on a 205-watt, 10-speaker Hi-Fi system, and the 16-speaker Harman Kardon surround upgrade is a $875 standalone box-tick rather than a package hostage. Above that sits the 20-speaker Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround system, among the best premium audio setups sold in any vehicle. SiriusXM with 360L became standard for 2021.

A 12.3-inch fully digital, high-resolution cluster is standard on every 2021 X5 with no trim walk required, carrying mode-linked themes and a map inset. It falls short of the top band only because BMW's iDrive 7 cluster layout, with its outward-sweeping tachometer, is widely criticised as less legible at a glance than the analog dials it replaced.

BMW Remote Software Upgrade covers whole-vehicle software rather than maps alone and is supported on the G05 X5, notified through both the car and the My BMW app and installed while parked. BMW ships feature-adding packages several times a year, and 2021 cars have since received functions such as easier Digital Key activation. Owner reports of stalled or slow installs, and the fact that early-iDrive-7 cars get fewer feature-adding drops than later BMWs, keep it below the top band.

The My BMW app is polished and complete — remote lock/unlock, vehicle finder, status and service scheduling — and ConnectedDrive Services with Connected Package Pro are standard on every 2021 X5. 2021 is also the first X5 model year eligible for BMW Digital Key, letting a compatible iPhone or Apple Watch act as the key and be shared. It sits below the top band because remote engine start is a $1,050 Convenience Package item rather than standard on the volume 40i, the UWB-based Digital Key Plus is a 2024-and-later feature, and connected services move to subscription after the trial.

The basics are covered — USB ports across both rows, four 12V outlets and Bluetooth streaming as standard — and wireless phone charging and a Wi-Fi hotspot are genuinely available for 2021 in the $1,050 Convenience Package, which is more than the 2022 car could manage after BMW deleted wireless charging from the range. It stays mid-band because the charging pad and hotspot cost extra on the volume trim and there is no household AC outlet anywhere in the vehicle.

Strong for the era and better than the naming suggests: Comfort Access proximity entry with push-button start is standard equipment on the 2021 xDrive40i, along with the power liftgate, a universal garage-door transmitter and key-fob operation of the windows, sunroof and cargo access — and that factory Comfort Access is exactly what makes the car Digital Key eligible, so a compatible phone can serve as the key. Only remote engine start, a $1,050 package item, and the absence of UWB hands-free unlocking hold it out of the very top band.

Rear camera and front/rear Park Distance Control are standard, and the $800 Parking Assistance Package is unusually good value — 3D Surround View with a high-resolution bird's-eye render, Parking Assistant Plus with the Back-up Assistant that reverses the car along its own last 50 metres of path, Active Park Distance Control and a Drive Recorder. Excellent capability for the money, but surround view is still an option rather than standard on the volume trim.

BMW's full-colour head-up display is one of the largest and clearest in the industry, projecting speed, navigation and driver-assist status, and it is widely fitted on real 2021 inventory. It is optional rather than standard, and the 2021 route to it is pricier than the neighbouring model years: the only package carrying it is the $2,800 Premium Package, roughly double the $1,250 the 2022 car asked.

The daily logistics are good rather than exceptional: IIHS rates the LATCH hardware Good for ease of use, the rear doors open wide onto a flat 37.4-inch-legroom bench, and the 40/20/40 split plus the power split tailgate make loading straightforward. What holds it back is space — 33.9 cu ft behind the second row is small for the class once a stroller is aboard, and the optional third row is too tight to add real family capacity.

The bones are strong — every 2021 X5 comes with forward collision warning and city AEB, Active Blind Spot Detection, rear cross-traffic alert and lane departure warning as standard, and IIHS rates every crashworthiness test Good. Two things cost it: NHTSA gives only 4 stars overall on a 4-star frontal result, and IIHS awarded the 2021 X5 nothing at all because the commonly fitted LED headlights rate Poor. Adaptive cruise and lane centering are also extra-cost on a $62,000 SUV.

A strong multi-hour family car for four: Consumer Reports calls every seating position all-day comfortable and the cabin notably quiet, the second row gets its own separately controlled HVAC zone with underseat and console ducts as standard, and the panoramic roof runs over both rows. Four-zone climate and heated rear seats are cheap adds ($1,050 and $350). The limit is luggage — 33.9 cu ft with all seats occupied means a roof box for a family of five on a week away.

Effortless in traffic: Consumer Reports says the 335-hp turbo six makes the X5 'quick and easy to drive smoothly', and the new-for-2021 48-volt starter-generator smooths the auto stop/start restarts that were the pre-2021 G05's one coarse note. Light steering, a commanding seating position, standard parking sensors and adaptive dampers all reduce fatigue; the reason it is not top-band is that Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go — the single biggest commuting aid — is an extra-cost option.

An expensive way to commute. 21 city / 25 highway / 23 combined MPG on a mandatory premium-fuel diet works out to roughly $3,300 a year at EPA assumptions — about $5,500 more in fuel over five years than an average new vehicle — and the consumables match: run-flat tires in a 275/45R20-class size and out-of-warranty German six-cylinder servicing from year four. Buyers wanting cheap commuting miles from an X5 had to move to the xDrive45e plug-in hybrid.

A big, wide vehicle with a wide turning circle — 194.3 in long, 78.9 in across the body and 12.6 m (41.3 ft) curb-to-curb, near the far end of the SUV band — so tight urban work needs care. The mitigations are good: standard front and rear parking sensors, a standard back-up camera, an easy-to-place squared-off body, and an $800 Parking Assistance Package that adds 3D Surround View and a Parking Assistant that steers itself into spaces.

Genuinely capable for a unibody luxury crossover — 7,200 lbs of towing with the factory Class III hitch is near the top of the mid-size SUV band, and the B58's 331 lb-ft plateau from 1,500 rpm plus the ZF eight-speed handle a trailer without drama. But payload is only 974 lbs, there is no bed, no low range and no work-grade cooling or trailer-brake provision, so this is a boat-and-trailer tool rather than a jobsite one.

The B58/ZF 8HP combination itself is proven, but everything around it is built for a luxury owner rather than abuse: leather and carpet throughout, air-suspension and adaptive-damper hardware, run-flats, and no fleet or commercial reputation to lean on. 2021 is also the worst recall year of the G05 generation, with twelve NHTSA campaigns including a 48-volt battery fire risk, and RepairPal rates repair frequency and severity above average — the opposite of what hard-use duty asks for.

The two-piece split tailgate is a real work-adjacent asset — the lower half is a load ledge you can slide heavy things across or sit on — and cargo tie-downs, a concealed underfloor well, roof rails and a factory trailer hitch cover the basics. Beyond that there is nothing: no household AC outlet (four 12V sockets only), no washable interior option, no bed access features, and effectively no commercial upfit ecosystem for a luxury SUV.

This is the X5's best mission. A 21.9-gallon tank against 23 MPG combined gives just over 500 miles between stops, the cabin is notably quiet, all seating positions are rated all-day comfortable, and the ride is steady and composed at speed. Fully optioned it also gets Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go and Extended Traffic Jam Assistant for hands-off highway crawling — though that assistance is an option, not standard, which is the only thing keeping it out of the top few points.

More capable than the badge implies: standard rear-biased xDrive with hill descent control, 8.7 in of ground clearance rising to about 9.4 in on the two-axle air suspension — which for 2021 was still orderable on the 40i rather than locked behind the third-row bundle as it was in 2022 — plus BMW's Off-Road Package with a rear locking differential, underbody protection and xSand/xRocks/xGravel/xSnow modes, 7,200 lbs of towing for toys and standard roof rails. No low range and road-biased run-flats keep it out of the top band.

Flexible for its size even if the raw number is modest: the 40/20/40 second row folds to a near-flat 72.3 cu ft, the split tailgate opens the aperture without needing overhead clearance and gives you a ledge to load across, and there is concealed underfloor storage, a roll-up cover and standard roof rails for a box or bikes. The 33.9 cu ft available with the seats up is the constraint that keeps this from the top band.

Secure and composed rather than genuinely agile in volume xDrive40i form: Consumer Reports calls the handling 'very competent' while noting the X5 is not sporty, and Edmunds finds it feels 'overly soft and floaty' through corners unless Sport mode is engaged. Adaptive dampers are standard and the optional Dynamic Handling Package with active roll stabilisation sharpens it considerably, but that is not what most buyers order.

Accurate and consistently weighted but short on information — Edmunds' summary is that the steering 'doesn't give you much feel for the road'. It goes where you point it and never feels nervous, which is the right calibration for a luxury SUV, but there is no feedback of the kind the badge implies.

Strong, fade-resistant stopping power from vented discs at all four corners with brake assist, and most reviewers rate the pedal firm and confidence-inspiring. The reservation is consistency of feel — some testers report a mushy, non-linear pedal attributed to the by-wire braking system, and the 48-volt mild hybrid's regenerative blending adds another variable — so it sits solidly above average rather than in the top band.

Close to the best in the class. The B58 turbo six has effectively no perceptible lag and pulls linearly from 1,500 rpm, the ZF 8HP eight-speed shifts imperceptibly and kicks down decisively, and 2021's new 48-volt starter-generator smooths the auto stop/start restarts that were the pre-2021 G05's one rough edge while adding a brief eBoost off the line.

The inline-six is inherently balanced and BMW isolates it thoroughly — near-silent at a cruise, with a clean, cultured note under load rather than the coarse thrash of a strained four or the drone of a CVT. It contributes directly to the serene cabin Consumer Reports singles out, and there is no vibration through the wheel or pedals.

12.6 metres is a wide circle even for a 194-inch SUV — near the far end of the segment band — and it is the X5's clearest everyday-drivability weakness, felt in parking structures and three-point turns. There is no rear-axle steering option on the 2021 X5 to shrink it.

Excellent adjustability and a commanding view out: 12-way power sport seats with lumbar and memory, a power tilt/telescoping column and memory mirrors are all standard, and the upright greenhouse with a low cowl gives better-than-average sightlines for a mid-size luxury SUV. Controls are logical once learned — Consumer Reports notes a learning curve but concludes the layout is logical — and retaining the iDrive rotary controller means core functions stay reachable without looking at a screen.

Pleasant and quick without being memorable in 40i form: 5.3 seconds to 60 mph and a lovely six-cylinder soundtrack make it satisfying to hustle, but Consumer Reports is explicit that the X5 is 'not sporty', and the numb steering and soft default body control mean few owners take the long way home. The enthusiast car in this range is the M50i or the X5 M, not the volume trim.

The 2021 X5 is well-kitted for a German luxury SUV — twin 12.3-inch displays, navigation, panoramic moonroof, 16-way power heated front seats with memory, dynamic damper control and a full active-safety suite are standard, and 2021 finally adds wireless Android Auto alongside wireless Apple CarPlay plus standard SiriusXM 360L — but BMW still bills separately for real leather, ventilated and massaging seats, heated steering wheel, Harman Kardon audio, head-up display and adaptive cruise control (Driving Assistance Professional).

Capability per dollar is genuinely strong — a 335 hp B58 turbo six that gains 48-volt mild-hybrid assistance for 2021, a class-benchmark chassis, 7,200 lb towing and a top-rank interior for $62,695 — but BMW's à-la-carte options push real transaction prices toward $70,000, and the Genesis GV80 launched for this same 2021 model year with comparable content for roughly $15,000 less, so the X5 is fair value rather than a bargain.

2021 is the broadest the G05 range ever gets: rear- or all-wheel drive on the mild-hybrid six, an all-new second-generation plug-in hybrid, a 523 hp twin-turbo V8 M50i, and both X5 M and X5 M Competition — plus an optional third row on the 40i models and BMW's deep package and Individual catalogue.

The X5 sold 60,725 units in the US in 2021 — up about 20% on 2020 and one of BMW's two best-selling models alongside the X3 — a strong result achieved in a year when supply, not demand, was the binding constraint.

BMW remains one of the most aspirational mass-luxury badges in the US, and the X5 is the nameplate that created the sporting luxury SUV — strong image pull, tempered by a reliability reputation and running costs that trail Lexus.

2021 was the worst buyer's market in memory: the semiconductor shortage gutted inventory, incentives fell to five-year lows and luxury buyers routinely transacted at or above MSRP, so an X5 shopper that year had essentially no negotiating leverage — a real cost to the buyer regardless of what it says about the model's desirability.

2021 is the third year of the G05 generation launched for 2019 — squarely mid-cycle, with the LCI facelift still three model years away, so no redesign risk for a 2021 buyer. It is also a genuine change year rather than a carry-over: the 40i models gained 48-volt mild-hybrid assistance, an all-new second-generation xDrive45e plug-in hybrid replaced the outgoing PHEV, Android Auto and standard satellite radio arrived, and the 50i gave way to the M50i.

Uniformly well reviewed and a fixture near the top of its class — U.S. News ranked it #3 among 2021 luxury midsize SUVs and KBB #2 — but it was rarely the outright comparison-test winner, and unlike the 2022 car it earned no IIHS Top Safety Pick, because the standard LED projector headlights rated Poor even though every crashworthiness test came back Good.