
(Both choices are excellent.) A panoramic sunroof is 30 percent larger than before, and the optional "Sky Lounge" spreads LED lights across 15,000 graphic patterns in the glass to mimic the starry sky. Owners can opt for massaging, heated-and-ventilated chairs up front-with extra multi-function adjustments to boot-or stick with the standard heated seats. Still, this X5 hasn’t lost any of its Germanic solidity, authority, or good taste. The X5’s new side character line takes a sharp upwards kink as it broaches the rear doors, and looks good doing it, but you’d almost have to park the old and new versions side-by-side to note the difference. Adaptive LED headlamps are standard, as are LED taillamps that sweep the flanks. The design telltale is a sharply-enlarged double-kidney grille, in keeping with the current design trend that says you should be able to identify any luxury SUV in your rear-view mirror from 200 yards away. The new model has had a relatively small growth spurt its wheelbase has been stretched by 1.6 inches, it's added 1.1 inches overall length, as well as 2.6 of width.

Awaiting us-along with a surprisingly steep, rutted course for off-road testing, but more on that later-were the X5’s predecessors, the previous three generations showing the vehicle’s steady growth in size, stature, and luxury fitments.


After tussling with some morning Atlanta traffic and coming away pleased with the X5’s quiet cabin and put-together feel, we rolled into Painted Rock Farms, a green spread in the Chattahoochee National Forest.
