2025 BMW X5 and X6 Review: True luxury performance
PROS
CONS
Strong performance
Available X5 plug-in hybrid
Loaded with (mostly) useful tech
X5’s useful split tailgate/liftgate
Steep tech learning curve
Back seat not as big as you’d expect
X6’s practicality compromises
$$$
The 2025 BMW X5 and X6 are a pair of mechanically similar two-row luxury SUVs with different body styles. The X5 is a more traditional midsize crossover SUV, while the X6 features a “crossover coupe” silhouette with a sloping roofline that gives it a unique look at the sacrifice of space. Both are fairly opulent, and quite sporty, but only the X5 offers a plug-in hybrid powertrain option. They now benefit from mild-hybrid technology for smoother performance, and both offer high-performance M Competition versions with a twin-turbo V8 making 617 horsepower.
The X5 and X6 are also packed full of tech, much of it flashy, most of it useful. A lot of it, like the infotainment system, comes with a fairly steep learning curve. Some of it, like the gesture control, is just goofy. But there’s a high level of comfort whether you’re a driver or passenger, and available luxury items that can make the X5 and X6 quite cozy — and costly. Just be aware that despite being awfully big and heavy vehicles on the outside, passenger space isn’t as generous as you might expect.
Nevertheless, between its technology, luxury, comfort and performance, the BMW X5 — or the slightly less practical X6 — is a heavy hitter in the midsize luxury SUV set, and should not be overlooked.
Interior & Technology | Passenger & Cargo Space | Performance & Fuel Economy
What it’s like to drive | Pricing & Trim Levels | Crash Ratings & Safety Features
What’s new for 2025?
The 2025 X5 and X6 mostly carry over from the 2024 model year, which received a mid-cycle refresh with updated styling, revised technology, a mild-hybrid system, plus more power and range for the plug-in hybrid. For 2025, BMW added a lane-change assist feature to its hands-free Highway Assist system. Model year 2025 also sees a limited X5 Silver Anniversary Edition with exclusive off-road equipment. Pricing has also risen a bit.
What are the X5 and X6 interior and in-car technology like?
The BMW X5 and X6 mostly share a luxurious and sporty interior that’s both comfortable and high-tech. Materials are of high quality, whether it’s the base “Sensafin” synthetic leather or the more expensive Merino actual leather, in unique colors and patterns. And as is typical for this lofty segment of luxury SUVs, you can outfit the X5 in a truly opulent manner with things like a leather-wrapped dash, heated just-about everything (front and rear seats, steering wheel, armrests and cupholders), a 20-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system, and multiple choices of wood trim, metal weaves, and glass finishings on center console controls. With the latter, you can make the electronic shifter look like a sort of crystal talisman from a fantasy novel.
The centerpiece of the interior is a curved display housing a 14.9-inch infotainment screen and 12.3-inch driver display. Make sure to set aside lots of time during a test drive (and delivery, if you buy one) to learn about the innumerable features and customization settings controlled by BMW’s iDrive 8 infotainment system. This isn’t a car you just hop in and drive away. Everything from the way the gauges look to your preferred combination of powertrain and chassis settings can be programmed the way you like it. Opting for an X5 (or X6) M Competition only adds to the customizability of the driving experience. Plus, it can be controlled through a multitude of different means: the center console knob and surrounding capacitive menu “buttons,” the touchscreen, natural voice commands, or the rather useless gesture control (wave your hands about like a wizard to accomplish tasks, just in case that crystal talisman wasn’t enough). We found we liked to accomplish different tasks using different means of interface, which speaks to the value in such control redundancy.
How big are the X5 and X6?
The X5 is a midsize SUV that seats five people in two rows. That configuration, along with its general exterior dimensions, makes it consistent with a Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class, Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q8. The Lexus RX 350 is also within spitting distance of this group, but costs much less. Inside, we found the rear seat doesn’t exactly provide the sprawl out space you might expect from a high-dollar SUV. The seat back also doesn’t recline. Headroom in the rear of the X5 is abundant, however, and shoulder room is typical for the segment, meaning fitting three across shouldn’t be an issue. You sacrifice a little bit of that headroom in the X6 thanks to it “coupe” body style’s raked roofline.
Now, while rear passenger space is just OK, X5 cargo space is among the best in the two-row segment. It also features a distinctive cargo opening: a power-operated liftgate and tailgate combination. This allows you to access things inside without fear of those things rolling out when you open the tailgate. It also creates a nice, clean place to sit, and one our editors reports it makes for a perfect baby changing table when on the go. That extra length does make it hard to reach items deep in the cargo area, or to attach car seats to the anchor on the back of the seat.
The X6 unique shape results in a sacrifice of cargo space for style. It offers 27.5 cubic feet behind the second row, as compared to the X5 and its 33.9 cubic feet of luggage-swallowing cargo area. It still fares pretty well when it’s time to pack the car up, though, as we found with our luggage test. It also doesn’t boast that slick, two-part liftgate/tailgate.
What are the X5 and X6 fuel economy and performance specs?
The base powertrain is the turbocharged, mild-hybrid-assisted 3.0-liter inline-six and eight-speed automatic transmission in the rear-wheel-drive X5 sDrive40i, and the all-wheel drive X5 xDrive40i and X6 xDrive40i. It produces 375 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque, pushing the rear-drive X5 from 0-60 in 5.3 seconds, while the all-wheel-drive X5 and X6 do it in 5.2 seconds. Both X5 drivetrain configurations have a fuel economy rating of 23 miles per gallon city, 27 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined. The X6 xDrive40i gets 23/26/24 mpg.
The X5 gets a plug-in hybrid powertrain — called xDrive50e — that the X6 doesn’t offer. It also uses the turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, combined with a lithium-ion battery and an electric motor integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission. The system is good for a total of 483 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, with a 0-60 time of 4.6 seconds. While the EPA hasn’t yet published official fuel economy figures, BMW says it gets 58 miles-per-gallon equivalent when the battery is charged. Electric-only driving range is 40 miles.
Moving up to the X5 and X6 M60i xDrive, they feature a mild-hybrid twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8, an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Output increases to 523 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque, while the 0-60 sprint decreases to 4.2 seconds. Fuel economy drops to 17 mpg city, 22 mpg highway and 19 mpg combined.
The top of the line, and the only full M variant for 2025, comes in the X5 and X5 M Competition. Its twin-turbocharged V8 also features mild-hybrid tech, and puts 617 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. Both the X5 and X6 go from 0-60 in 3.7 seconds, which is madness for a large luxury SUV. They unsurprisingly also have the worst fuel economy of the lineup at 13 mpg city, 18 mpg highway and 15 mpg combined.
What are the X5 and X6 like to drive?
The X5 and X6 are soft, quiet and buttery smooth around town or on the highway, feeling impeccably engineered to make you only mildly aware of your surroundings. When you start to hustle them along, however, there’s a poise and sophistication to the way they take corners that you wouldn’t expect from something so comfy the rest of the time. Selecting Sport or Individual tightens the steering, suspension, transmission and throttle response accordingly. The height-adjustable suspension even lowers itself in Sport.
The plug-in hybrid — available in the X5 but not the X6 — benefits not just in terms of power than the 40i, but in getting electric-only range. It’s quick, its 483 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque providing sub-5-second 0-60 rips. But you can also drive it around efficiently, and on electric power only for up to 40 miles. With the electric motor integrated into the transmission, it feels seamless and natural switching between electric and gas power. It’s still fairly well balanced in the corners, despite its hefty curb weight.
With 617 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque, they’re mighty quick, to the point that they can get a little squirrelly on you with everything put into sport modes. There’s a whole lotta oomph with very little effort. The breathy V8 roars to life without hesitation. It’s almost too eager, with a casual tip-in eliciting a bit more snap than one might like when trying to drive smoothly in traffic. It’s not a problem when you’ve got wide-open road ahead of you, though. After that initial punch off the line, the V8 continues to pull hard, taking you to exciting speeds with an appropriate amount of fanfare. The transmission is a blast to interact with when you put it in manual mode and use the paddle shifters, as well.
They’re able to calm down and behave when you need them too, making the X5 and X6 M Competition suitable daily drivers despite their performance leanings.
What other BMW X5 and X6 reviews can I read?
9 thoughts about the 2024 BMW X5 M Competition
It brings the heat, but does the luxury crossover stuff well
2020 BMW X6 First Drive | From outcast to trailblazer
The original crossover ‘coupe’ started a trend. The new model defends its territory
2020 BMW X5 M and X6 M First Drive | Greed and speed
A full M crossover sounds like sacrilege, but it’s impossible to not be amazed after our first go in the X5 M.
2020 BMW X6 M Competition Road Test | Not everything makes sense
It’s the stylish one, assuming crossover coupes are your style
Are all these drive modes actually useful? We find out in a 2020 BMW X5 M Competition
There are a lot of settings to choose from.
BMW X6 Luggage Test | How much cargo space?
It’s usable, but not as much as the X5.
What are the 2025 X5 and X6 price?
The base, rear-wheel-drive X5 sDrive40i starts at $66,875 with the $1,175 destination fee factored in, while that all-wheel drive xDrive40i begins at $69,175. The X6 starts at $75,675
For the xDrive40i. Standard and optional features are so abundant, we could be here all day listing them. As such, you can dig a little deeper with these breakdown of features, pricing and specs of the BMW X5 and BMW X6, as well as the X5 M Competition and X6 M Competition.
All prices below include the $1,175 destination charge:
X5 sDrive40i: $66,875
X5 xDrive40i: $69,175
X5 xDrive50e: $74,275
X5 M60i xDrive: $91,175
X5 M Competition: $125,975
X6 xDrive40i: $75,675
X6 M60i xDrive: $95,475
X6 M Competition: $130,875
What are the X5’s safety ratings and driver assistance features?
The BMW X5 and X6 include standard forward collision warning with pedestrian detection and emergency automatic braking, lane-departure warning, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warning systems, driver inattention monitoring, and BMW Assist eCall emergency communications. The Active Protection System can detect imminent accidents, then prepares by automatically pretensioning seat belts, closing windows and sunroof, and activating post-crash braking. BMW also offers a Driving Assistance Professional Package, which is a hands-free highway driving assist system that still requires the driver to pay attention to the road. A standard Reversing Assistant that maneuvers the car out of parking spaces by retracing the route it took into it, while the optional Parking Assistant Professional allows the car to enter and exit parking spaces with the driver inside or outside the vehicle.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the 2025 BMW X5 its Top Safety Pick designation, giving it its best “Good” score in crashworthiness categories, pedestrian front crash prevention and LATCH ease of use, but its second-best “Acceptable” rating for headlights. It gave the X6 a “Good” rating for its front overlap crash tests and pedestrian front crash prevention. It also got and “Acceptable” rating for headlights. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not yet rated the 2025 X5 or X6, but it gave the 2024 X5 a four-star (out of five) safety rating.
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