Recall Alert: 2009-12 BMW X5

BMW is recalling 29,800 model-year 2009-12 X5 xDrive35d diesel vehicles due to a problem with the engine-belt idler pulley bolt, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In the recalled crossovers, which were manufactured between Sept. 1, 2008, and Nov. 15, 2012, the engine-belt idler pulley bolt could loosen and break. If that happens, the vehicle may unexpectedly lose power-assisted steering, increasing risk of a crash.

BMW will notify owners starting in January, and dealers will replace and tighten the idler-pulley bolt. For more info, owners may call BMW at 800-525-7417 or NHTSA’s hotline at 888-327-4236, or go to www.safercar.gov.

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Cars.com Family Reviews the 2012 BMW X5

The 2012 BMW X5 helped to bridge the driving sensibility gap between Cars.com Family reviewer Carrie Kim and her husband, aka Mr. Driving Enthusiast. While he enjoys tiny cars that hug the road, she wants to ride in comfort in an SUV. With the X5 SUV, both Carrie and her husband were happy. With its precision handling, acute responsiveness and large backseat and cargo area, there were few complaints about this five-seater.
 
2012 BMW X5 Family Review

2009 BMW X5 M at the 2009 New York Auto Show

• Competes with: Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG, Porsche Cayenne Turbo
• Looks like: The fastest X5 ever
• Drivetrain: 555-hp, 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 with six-speed automatic; all-wheel drive
• Hits dealerships: Late 2009

Do you want a BMW M performance model but live in a northern climate where a lot of horsepower to the rear wheels isn’t the most optimum driving setup year-round? Well, here comes BMW to the rescue with the X5 M. Along with the X6 M, this SUV marks the first time an M model has had all-wheel drive. Unfortunately for anyone looking to cart around extra passengers, though, the optional third row of seats in the standard X5 will not be available in the X5 M. Too bad for the parents out there hoping to get their performance jones filled after dropping the kids off at school.   

Like the new X6 M, the X5 M sports a twin-turbo V-8 good for 555 hp and a zero-to-60-mph time of 4.5 seconds.  

While both M models get similar design treatments, the X5 doesn’t look as comfortable in its high-performance trimmings. The augmented  hood, headlights, front fenders, larger front air dams and 20-inch alloy wheels look a bit garish on the frumpier X5.

BMWs are not what we’d call value propositions. The highest X5 trim level with a V-8 engine starts at $56,200, which is almost $10,000 less than where the X6 starts. We’d guess the M models will be roughly $10,000 more than their non-performance counterparts, so the X5 would likely be the more affordable way to get 555 hp in an all-wheel-drive-SUV package.

It’s an impressive performance machine on paper, it’s just too bad you can’t carpool in it. 

More photos below.

Cars.com Reviews the 2009 BMW X5 Diesel

A new diesel engine option lends the 2009 BMW X5 an addictive driving quality, or so says Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays. With impressive mileage to go along with its fun yet comfortable ride, the BMW X5 has to be a winner, right? Not so fast: There’s always the price tag to consider. Falling in the neighborhood of $50,000, Mays wants the X5 to justify the bounty you’ll have to cough up to drive one. Read Mays’ full review to find out if the X5 can earn his recommendation.

2009 BMW X5 Review

BMW Diesels Qualify for Tax Credits

Following in the footsteps of other automakers with diesel vehicles, like Mercedes and Volkswagen, BMW’s two diesel models will qualify for federal income-tax credits.

The 2009 BMW 335d sedan will garner you $900 back on your next return, while the 2009 X5 xDrive35d SUV will net you $1,800. Both vehicles use BMW’s twin-turbo, 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder diesel engine and qualify for the credits under the Advanced Lean Burn Technology Motor Vehicle tax credit program. The diesel sedan is rated at 23/33 mpg city/highway, and the X5 is rated at 19/25 mpg.

This is all well and good, but keep in mind that the 335d has a base price of $43,900, while the X5 xDrive35d starts at $51,200. We’re not sure that a savings of $900 off those prices will do much to stimulate the economy.

BMW Announces Pricing on New Diesels

Yesterday, BMW announced pricing on its soon-to-be-released diesel vehicles. The 335d sedan will start at $43,900, with the X5 xDrive35d going for $51,200, excluding an $825 destination charge. That’s a $1,900 price premium over a similar gasoline-powered 3 Series and $4,100 over the standard X5, though both are eligible for tax credits.

Both vehicles feature the same powertrain: a 265-hp, twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six producing 425 pounds-feet of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. BMW says the 335d will achieve 23/33 mpg city/highway, while the X5 xDrive35d will get 19/25 mpg. The gasoline-powered 335i gets 17/26 mpg, which makes the diesel roughly 30% more efficient — about equivalent to the difference in price between a gallon of premium and a gallon of diesel. The improved mileage also puts the 3 Series on par with most midsize four-cylinder sedans in fuel efficiency, yet it achieves 0-60 mph acceleration of 6.2 seconds. The X5 xDrive35d’s fuel economy is competitive with Mercedes’ Bluetec M-Class.

BMW Offers 0.9% Financing on 2009 Models

BMW surprised many in August when it offered low-rate financing deals on its 2008 models. Now, the automaker has expanded its deal to many 2009 models as well. The updated and slightly redesigned BMW 3 Series sedan in its four trim levels — 328i, 328xi, 335i, 335xi — all get a 0.9% deal. The financing offers are available through Dec. 31. As always, the terms of the deal depend on how customers qualify, but the deals illustrate just how severely the economy is impacting all automakers.

Read below for a full list of 2009 models and their 0.9% financing offers. BMW’s full list of financing offers on 2009 vehicles can be found here. 

2008 BMW Models Get 0.9% Financing

The 2009 BMWs are on the way, and it’s time to get rid of the 2008s. Yep, BMW has model-year-end sales too, they just use fancy terms, like 0.9% financing, to promote them. Through Sept. 2, all 2008 BMW models — besides the X6, M3 and M5 — will be eligible for 0.9% financing for qualified buyers. What does that mean?

The current average loan rate is 6.78%, so say you want to finance a base 328i sedan, which starts at $32,700, over four years. Putting nothing down on the car (and let’s keep tax out of the equation), your monthly payment would be $779.70. That’s a lot of money for a 3 Series; in the end you’d wind up paying $37,426 with all the interest included.

Lower the rate to 0.9% and your monthly payment drops to $693.84, with total cost over the term of $33,304. So BMW is basically offering a $4,000 discount here. The math is rudimentary, but 0.9% is a good deal on any car, let alone a BMW. Oh, and because the 328i is one of the most affordable BMWs on the lot, the savings only go up as you move up through the model range.

BMW Financing Offers (BMW USA)

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2008 Detroit Auto Show: 2008 Diesel BMW X5 xDrive35d, 335d

• Competes with: Mercedes-Benz M320 Bluetec, E320 Bluetec
• Looks like: Identical to the X5 and 335, besides what’s under the hood
• Drivetrain: 265 horsepower, 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder
• Hits dealerships: Late 2008

It seems luxury automakers are hopping on the diesel bandwagon long before everyone else. Instead of affordable, high-mileage diesel engines showing up in high-volume models, BMW — like Mercedes before it — is bringing clean diesel to two of its most popular models.

Both the X5 and 3 Series will get a 265 horsepower, 425 pounds-feet-of-torque six-cylinder diesel engine capable of 0-62 mpg in 6.2 seconds. That’s accompanied by a fuel economy of 23/33 mpg city/highway. We like all that torque, but most Americans are looking to diesels for savings at the pump. A gasoline powered 335i gets 17/26 mpg in comparison. That’s roughly 30% better, but the numbers still won’t impress too many greenies. To be fair, a Mercedes E320 Bluetec gets 23/32 mpg. And BMW’s tagline for the effort is “The world’s most sporting inline-six diesel,” so they’re obviously aiming at those torque fans.

For those who remember the old-fashioned diesels of the 1970s and 1980s, BMW delivers this bit about how clean the new diesels are: They’ll emit just 1% of the particulates of a 1983 BMW diesel model. They also meet the most stringent pollution laws, like those in California.

We’ll have more on the two models at the Detroit auto show in two weeks.

Cars.com Reviews the New 2007 BMW X5

Perhaps you’ve seen the commercial for the new BMW X5 where a camera is mounted to the side of an unknown vehicle as it races around a test track, passing motorcycles and sports cars. At the end they pan out to reveal the X5 was doing all that high performance driving and did so with seven people on board. Is that what the luxury SUV is really like to drive? Check out Mike Hanley’s full review that just went live and find out.

2007 BMW X5 Review