2025 BMW X5 M Competition is a hot rod family hauler

Published 10:00 am Monday, March 17, 2025

As auto buyers have shifted from cars to sport utility vehicles, family status symbols have moved from luxury sedans to premium SUVs. That used to present a dilemma to enthusiasts because cars have traditionally been more fun to drive than SUVs because their lower centers of gravity made them handle better. But thanks to technologies like adaptive suspension dampers, some of the fastest SUVs now handle almost as well as the fastest cars.

A case in point is the remarkable BMW X5 M Competition, the top-of-the-line version of the company’s midsize two-row SUV. Equipped with a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 that pumps out 617 horsepower and 553 foot-pounds of torque, BMW claims it will reach 60 miles per hour in under four seconds. That seems right to me, although I couldn’t make it to a track to test my recent 2025 version.

But even more amazing, the new X5 M Competition cornered and stopped nearly as well as any BMW sport sedan that I have ever tested – despite the fact that it a big box that weighs well over 5,000 pounds. And it offers much better visibility because of its higher ride height.

High-performance SUVs weren’t always a thing. Jeep may have produced the first one when it produced a Grand Cherokee Limited with a 5.9 V8 in 1998. Chevy later released a Trailblazer SS with a 6.1-liter V8. Not to be outdone, Jeep started selling a Grand Cherokee SRT that produced 475 horsepower – and followed it up with an over-the-top Grand Cherokee Trailhawk with a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 rated at 707 horsepower in 2017.

As fast as the Jeeps were, they did not handle as well as the emerging high-performance SUVs from the luxury legacy European manufacturers, including Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and Porsche. There’s always been something special about vehicles designed and built to drive the portions of the Autobahn freeway with no speed limit. For the X5 M Competition, that includes standard adaptive dampers, and fat summer tires (295/35ZR21s up front and 315/30ZR22s out back), ridiculously large disc brakes and calipers, and, of course, BMW’s excellent all-wheel-drive system.

But, because the X5 is a luxury SUV, the interior is equally dazzling. It includes BMW’s huge Curved Display, which is comprised of a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch infotainment screen that can be controlled by hand, voice, or a rotary controller on the center console. Everything is wrapped in high quality leather, most notably the deeply sculpted front sport bucket seats that are supportive enough for hard cornering.

The M package included multiple drive modes, among them Road, Sport and Track. As expected, Road has the softest ride, which is firm without being harsh, even over rough pavement. The X5 is fast enough in the Comfort mode to satisfy all but the most committed enthusiasts, which is why it is even faster in the Sport and Track modes, where the suspension also tightens up.

Pushing the pedal to the metal in the track mode requires a long stretch of traffic free pavement. Occupants are instantly pushed back into their seats and held there until the driver backs down. BMW claims the X5 M Competition will pass 60 in just 3.7 seconds, but it felt even faster than that to me, even though I wasn’t able to officially clock it.

Th X5 M Competition starts at $124,800. My tester came with over $8,000 in options, including an Executive Package with heated and cooled cupholders, pushing the price to $140,175. That’s a lot of money, of course, even for a family status symbol. But buyers get a lot for their money, too.

In a week of testing, my X5 M Competition was remarkably easy to drive on a day-to-day basis, even in heavy downtown traffic, but capable of awe-inspiring bursts of speed when conditions allowed. It was also very comfortable and quiet, except for the low exhaust note that exploded when pushed. Although I’ve always preferred performance cars over SUVs, I can’t blame anyone for choosing BMW’s impressive midsize flagship vehicle.

2025 BMW X5 M Competition

Base price: $124,800

Price as tested: $140,175

Type: Midsize performance luxury crossover SUV

Engine: Twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 w/eBoost (617 hp, 553 lbs-ft)

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Drive modes: Road, Sport, Track

EPA estimated mileage: 13/18

Overall length: 195 inches

Curb weight: 5,450 pounds

Final assembly: Spartanburg, North Carolina