We just took delivery of our new 2010 Space Grey Metallic X5 35d this past January. This is the post that I made on a couple of other forums:

We chose the Black Nevada Leather interior with Dark Bamboo wood trim. It has the Tech Pkg (yes...with the rear view camera), Premium Pkg, Executive Pkg, Sport Pkg, Premium Sound Pkg, Aluminum running boards, and Heads Up display.

With only a few hours of driving time in it already I'll offer a few early observations. It's fast...lol. Really fast...especially compared to our '09 ML320 Bluetec and our old '03 X5 4.4. It handles as expected, and I would agree with another owner that stated the X5 feels more like a car and the ML more like a truck. The X5 is definitely harsher over bumps than the Mercedes.

The stereo system is incredible. I have never heard anything that good in a big empty SUV. I have the Mark Levinson in my IS F, which I love, but this seems as good. That may be in part due to the fact that I don't have proper ipod integration in the F.

The comfort seats are also amazing. They help to cushion the blow over the bumps, but where I'm sure we'll really appreciate them is on long trips.

The HUD is fantastic. I tested the Nav with it to see how if functioned, and while I didn't need it where we were going today, I can definitely see how beneficial it will be if I'm somwhere unfamiliar. I love being able to focus on the road without looking down or away....especially at night with the amount of wildlife we have around here.

A few things that I've been less than impressed with already. I still have no clue as to why BMW Canada does not include or even offer block heaters for their SUV's. It's no secret that it gets ridiculously cold up here...lol. I ran into a new owner of a 35d at the bank prior to my pick up and questioned him on any issues he's faced so far. The only thing he mentioned was that when it got super cold up here (-40 C) that it froze up and had to be towed.

I don't understand why the rear tailgate opens with the remote but you have to physically push the button on the door to close it. In both our ML and our previous RX330 you can open and close the door with a touch of the remote.

I don't like the gear shift sticking up like it does and where it's positioned. I actually prefer the stalk set up on our MB. It dramatically frees up space on the center console. I found it awkward to reach for my coffee with the shifter directly in front of the cupholder. I also find it ridiculous that we don't get paddles on a vehicle that performs this well. Even our ML has paddles.

The quality of the image from the rear view camera is quite disappointing. I like the lines and the park assist, but the image quality is poor. I'm not sure if it's the camera or the monitor or a combination of both, but the rear view camera on my IS F is crystal clear vs. this.

Even with these few criticisms....we are very, very happy with our new purchase. More comments to follow with longer seat time.

I should also give mention to the dealership. We worked with Calgary BMW and specifically Darcy. We have nothing but great things to say about how everything was handled, especially the ordering and camera issue. Thanks so much!

As a follow up, the legendary BMW reliability struck less than 12 hours after picking it up. It required 2 trips to the dealership to determine that there was a faulty amp. Of course, that had to be flown over from Germany.

We also had to make a trip when a warning light came on stating that the Adblue was low at 6000km.

As annoying as these issues were, I do have to comment that the service and treatment we have received thus far has been outstanding. Light years better than the MB dealer two doors down and signifcantly better than the Lexus dealership next door (which is why we don't have the new RX).

We also got new shoes for both of the SUV's for the summer. The 35d got silver Beyern Mesh wheels...20 x 8.5 up front and 20 x 10 on the rear. Conti Extreme Contact DSW's 275/40R20 and 315/35R20...non-RFT. They ride and look great, imo.

The ML got black Mandrus Millenium's....20 x 8.5 with 265/45/20 Pirelli Scorpion Zero Assimetrico's. So far the wife loves them.

P.S. Super big thanks to Tunerworks in Calgary for the great work & service.

 

congrats! I love BMW diesel.
had 4.8 X5 and loved it.

 

The rearview camera is so blurry that it is barely usable at night. I think they updated the idrive for the 2011 models to remedy this problem.

 

you really like your alternative fuel SUVs. lol

 

haha cool! you can now run biodiesel 5 on that thing

 

Excellent info CDN thx for sharing.... always LOVE the X5!!!!!!

 

Congrat's on your purchase, and thanks for sharing your initial thoughts with us!!

I have a friend that bought one of these in December and luvs it. I haven't driven it but from the passenger seat the 35d is a torque monster He's also commented a few times that he gets decent gas MPG. Have you noticed similar?

Enjoy your new ride.

 

Nice!

 

Congratulations.

I'm enjoying my BMW ownership experience (my first one). Though a 118d is hardly comparable to an X5 35d!

 

Congrats on the new X5, excellent color combo!

 

You already know what I think

Congrats again. Love the X5d....

 

Thanks for posting. I had an 02 X5 4.6 and always loved these cars. I am glad to hear the new one is just as nice!

 

nice pics... Congrats

 

Agreed about the Lexus dealership in Calgary (if that is the one you are talking about), absolute garbage compared to its neighbouring MB, BMW and Infiniti dealers. So arrogant and the service crew are so inefficient.

Nice purchase btw, glad to see you are enjoying it. It annoys me about the block heaters as well. Volvo don't offer it either because they apparently had many complaints about the extra $750 dollars charged for something rarely used.

 

Nice car!