Disclosure: SMC Asia Car Distributors Corp., the official importer and distributor of BMW in the Philippines, very kindly lent me a 2022 BMW X5 xDrive30d M Sport for five days. The test car came with a half tank of diesel and loaded RFID cards. AutoFun Philippines paid for additional fuel and a car wash.

The notion of “premium” has long been a source of contention in various industries and ideologies.

It boils down to this – what’s the point of paying more for something that can be bought for a lower price?

Some restaurants offer a steak dinner for as little as ₱200, but people will still pay through the nose for a five-figure rib-eye or tenderloin. And it’s the same idea with cars.

Sport-utility vehicles (SUV) like the Mitsubishi Montero Sport and the Toyota Fortuner, which both max out at around ₱2.4-2.5 million, are perfectly acceptable for people who need plenty of space for people and things, along with stout turbodiesel powertrains.

And yet, BMW Philippines can charge as much as ₱5,990,000 for its X5 SUV and buyers of a certain income level would gladly lap it up, to the point that one dealer’s X5 allocation until July 2023 has already been sold.

As the resident BMW owner, I got the chance to try out the top-spec 2022 X5 xDrive30d M Sport to see what all the fuss is about.

Big, but not brash

Take a good, long look at the X5 M Sport and you notice something very interesting – there’s no matte-black cladding that is ever so popular with SUVs and crossovers.

The M Sport model gets body-colored panels, with lashings of chrome and gloss-black trim that add to the sleek and upmarket appearance. This palette truly makes the SUV’s looks stand out, especially with its snow-white paintwork.

And unlike the styling disasters that BMW created with models like the latest M3 high-performance sedan and the 7 Series luxury sedan, the X5 gets the brand’s signature “kidney grills” that are large, but not ugly.

Other lovely exterior details include the 20-inch alloy wheels that wear Pirelli P-Zero high-performance, run-flat tires measuring 275/45R20 up front and 305/40R20 at the back, along with the red brake calipers with M badges.

On the whole, the X5 M Sport certainly looks like a BMW SUV, but manages to keep the classy look of a typical BMW sedan, in spite of its taller and boxier profile.

Vast, comfortable cabin

The X5’s shape also gives it something that even the huge 7 Series does not – acres of headroom and enough cargo space to fit washing machines.

That last part wasn’t a typo. I managed to fit a single-tub washing machine on its side in the X5’s commodious cargo area, without needing to fold the second-row seats. 

And if you do put down the back seats, you get over 2,040 liters of almost flat space. Accessing the cargo area is aided by an electric split-folding tailgate, which can make reaching inside a bit of a challenge.

There are also cubby holes and cupholders abound, with rear-seat passengers also getting a generous-sized center armrest.

Legroom is, of course, exceptional, with more than enough real estate for three people to sit comfortably in the back. Front passengers are also not neglected, with the standard, electrically adjustable sport seats offering truly great support, especially with its extendable leg bolsters.

Fit and finish are leagues ahead of the likes of the Montero Sport and Fortuner, with marvelous soft-touch materials that extend even to the bottom of the door cards.

Now that’s attention to detail!

Steep learning curve

The X5 M Sport gets a touchscreen infotainment system that operates using the latest BMW iDrive system.

As before, there’s a rotary dial that helps you navigate everything from changing the X5’s driving dynamics to adjusting the color of the stunning interior light accents.

However, be prepared to sit down and study how the system works, especially with its seemingly endless number of menus and submenus.

Nonetheless, the screen is crisp, responsive and clear, with fairly straightforward smartphone integration to the standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto systems.

One little gripe I found was that the air-conditioning fan wasn’t quite as strong as I expected. The X5 M Sport may come standard with four-zone climate control, but you need to keep it at full blast to stave off the searing heat that a Filipino summer brings.

Doesn’t ride like an SUV

Step out of a mass-market Japanese SUV and slip behind the wheel of the X5 M Sport and it’s like checking out of a two-star hotel and going into a four-star suite.

Most SUVs, especially ones with ladder-frame chassis, are jiggly on the road and require some effort to manhandle even on tarmac. You also have to contend with diesel clatter and wind noise at high speeds.

The X5 M Sport is the exact opposite – it’s supremely refined and light on the road, despite its considerable width. In addition, its noise, vibration and harshness suppression are truly worthy of its price tag, although the noise from the X5’s huge 20-inch tires is noticeable at 100 km/h.

At idle, its turbodiesel engine feels like it’s not running and the 8-speed automatic gearbox changes gears so quickly and imperceptibly that you almost think it has a continuously variable transmission.

In effect, the X5 really does feel like a large BMW sedan, except you get the wonders of an imperious driving position and added ground clearance. And it’s a good thing that the X5 has huge windows because the side mirrors are too small for a vehicle this big.

Goes like a train

The X5 M Sport’s aforementioned engine is what truly makes it a stunning SUV.

It packs a turbocharged 3.0-liter, twin-cam, 24-valve inline-6 diesel with 265 PS and 620 Nm of torque. This is coursed through BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system, which stays rear-wheel drive unless the back end loses traction.

Keeping the X5 under 2,000 rpm is more than enough for driving around the city.

But once you hit 3,000 rpm, the turbo really goes all-out and you suddenly find yourself being hurtled into the horizon, riding a glorious wave of torque with the satisfying chorus of a redlining straight-6 engine in the background.

Just don’t corner too hard with the X5 – it may be an M Sport model, but the springs are on the soft side, leading to considerable body lean in spirited driving. For an SUV that’s more composed in the twisties, consider the Porsche Cayenne that Mikko tested (albeit for another ₱3 million).

All this performance can be tempered by the standard M Sport brakes, which are strong, but have a spongy pedal. We suspect that a more aggressive brake-pad compound would improve the feel and performance.

I also found the steering very direct in Sport mode, but still quite numb. The M Sport dampers are also adjustable – just leave them in Sport mode or else you get a wobbly SUV.

And that's another vital thing to remember: you must configure your X5 M Sport properly or else it will be quite nasty to drive, especially in Eco Pro mode.

This dulls the throttle response and activates the very annoying stop-start system, which takes every opportunity to turn the engine off even if you’re at a standstill for a millisecond. Best to use Sport Individual settings to get a more agile X5 (and to preserve your starter)!

Stellar fuel economy

Most luxury cars come with huge engines that can drain wallets and have you on a first-name basis with your gas station attendants.

But the X5’s turbodiesel does 7 to 10 km/l in the city and 16 to 19 km/l on the expressway. Given the size of the engine and the performance it offers, it’s mightily impressive.

Cruising at 100 km/h is at a steady 1,500 rpm in 8th gear. And like most high-end German luxury cars, the sense of speed is dulled so well that you could end up reaching thoroughly indecent speeds before you feel that you’re going fast.

One little thing that I was disappointed with about the X5 M Sport is the lack of adaptive cruise control, a handy safety and convenience feature that comes standard even with the top-spec Honda BR-V.

Given that the X5 is already hooked up with an excellent 360-degree camera system and all-around parking sensors, active safety features can’t be too much to ask for, especially at this price point.

It all makes sense

And so we go back to the core question – why pay more for an SUV like a BMW X5?

Some may boil it down to what companies, especially "luxury brands," can get away with in a neoliberal-capitalist global economy. But setting ideology aside, it's all down to attention to detail.

A four-star suite will have the finest linen and room service that pampers not only your needs, but also your ego. A five-figure steak dinner pays for the beautiful restaurant ambiance and the immense skill required to turn a piece of meat into a gustatory wonderland.

The X5 M Sport certainly is a big jump from the Montero Sports and Fortuners that we all know and love. But that’s because it offers the sheer refinement of a European luxury sedan in a shape that caters to buyers who also need lots of hauling space.

This big BMW caters to a different world – one that provides a quality of life that many of us aspire for and often involves a steep price of admission for many of its modalities and trappings.

But for those who can afford it, you certainly get what you pay for with BMW’s big SUV, especially with more refined SUVs costing twice or thrice as much.

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