Business Car Manager verdict

BMW hit on a winning formula with the X5 right from day one, back in 1999.

Munich found there was a ready market for its high rise sporty SUV and today, 15 years and more than 1.3 million sales later, the X5 is still one of the defining models in its class. This latest F15 edition, while upping the show and go, moves the X5 ever further into the realms of hi tech luxury and sophistication.

For the business user, the decider is which version to go for. On the face of it, this X5 xDrive 40d M Sport with 28% BIK seems a shameless extravagance compared to the entry level X5 sDrive 25d (25%).

This 25d, with efficient 2.0-litre engine and two-wheel drive, will be lighter on the budget, all round, so inevitably will be the version to delight company accountants. 

A six cylinder BMW on the other hand is still something special in this world, so budget permitting, we would lobby for a six cylinder 30d or even better, this 40d, which strikes a fine blend of power, performance, sound, refinement, and does a more than capable job of shifting this new gen X5 from point to point.

And if you’re the business owner, well…just convince yourself it’s the one to have!

The Low Down…

…and what it costs