BMW X5 - Reliability and safety

As one of the flagship SUV models in BMW’s range, the latest X5 unsurprisingly comes packed with advanced safety tech. The most impressive kit is part of the BMW Driving Assistant Professional system, as part of the Technology Plus Pack, which offers autonomous features like intelligent cruise control with lane-keeping assistance and the ability to keep pace with flowing traffic – including making allowances for vehicles merging into your lane. Other innovations include autonomous emergency braking and an aid that steers into clear space if the system senses an imminent collision with a car or pedestrian.

There are plenty of airbags around the cabin, and all X5s get a crash sensor that activates the central locking release, hazard lights and fuel cut-off. You also get piercing LED headlamps, a speed limiter and the usual safety systems like Electronic Brake-Force Distribution, Stability Control and ABS.

It’s a comprehensive safety package, as you would expect, and Euro NCAP awarded the BMW X5 a five-star safety rating when tested in 2018. The Mercedes GLE also received five stars and was tested under the same regime as the X5, but the GLE scored better in all areas. It’s worth noting that the newer Range Rover Sport, tested in 2022, also received a five-star rating, but it was rated under Euro NCAP’s latest and more stringent regime. 

BMW finished a disappointing 21st (out of 32 brands) in our best car manufacturer rankings, which is based on owners' feedback from our latest 2023 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey. That put it ahead of Audi and Mercedes, but behind Porsche and Volvo.

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Warranty

The warranty BMW provides for all its models is competitive. You get unlimited mileage coverage for the first three years of ownership, which is better than VW Group products that are subject to a mileage cap of 60,000 miles.

It’s worth mentioning that the battery fitted to the plug-in hybrid xDrive50e is subject to a separate warranty of eight years or 74,500 miles.

Servicing

Fixed-price servicing plans help you spread the cost of keeping your BMW X5 maintained. The servicing schedule depends on how the car’s onboard sensors think your driving style has affected oil quality. High-mileage drivers putting less strain on their engines should get a ‘service required’ message from their car less frequently than urban motorists covering low mileages in stop-start traffic.