At first I was a little annoyed with my wheels cohorts; handing over the X5M with a few paltry drops of petrol in the tank. To compound matters, we were well out in the desert on a shoot, and I wasn't sure that I even had enough to make it to the next station. Was this some sort of arcane, automotive journalist hazing ritual? I've been writing for the mag for a few years now, so it hardly seemed fair.
On further inspection, I don't think they meant to wind me up, as this fantastically powerful sports activity vehicle (as our friends at BMW like to call it) positively guzzles petrol. That's the bargain you make for the 555bhp twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 in a fairly heavy package — one which roars to life with intoxicating results. I suspect that whoever had the car before me just couldn't resist the siren song of this M-tuned engineering marvel, and wasn't trying to leave me high and dry in the desert. Yes, this SAV loves to be driven hard.
It seems I've come to know the X5M too late as this was the last week of our long-term test and my first chance to spend some quality time in the vehicle's plush red interior. The X5M is every bit as feature-loaded and attentive as the new GT, reviewed last issue, and if you like riding high it serves as a great vantage point from which to anticipate the moves of the various maniacs on the road.
We'll miss the X5M and wish it well in all future endeavours, having come to think of it as one of the gang. Sending such a well-designed and thoroughly exciting car like this back is a bit like seeing off your favourite foreign exchange student; the experience was so rewarding that you're just not sure you could do it again, lest you spoil the memory. Somehow, I think we'll manage.
Facts
- Driven by: Liam
- Start mileage: 25,728
- Recent cost: Fuel, again lots of it
- Average fuel economy: 13-14mpg
- Highs: Exhilarating performance
- Lows: High fuel consumption
