• Familiar BMW feel to the X5’s cabin
• High quality materials and a good finish
• iDrive remains an intuitive multimedia system

It’s fair to say that if you’ve sat behind the wheel of a contemporary BMW saloon – let alone the previous-generation X5 – then the cabin will feel instantly familiar to you. The layout is intuitive and clear, with all of the controls just where you’d expect them.

Most of the extra features are controlled by BMW’s iDrive system. Familiar to used BMW buyers, if you’ve never used it before, a few hours behind the wheel is enough to find it intuitive. The touch-sensitive pad on top of the controller allows you to trace letters and numbers with just your fingertips for destination input, while Connected Drive now comes with Professional sat-nav, real-time traffic information and BMW online services.

The multimedia screen sits on top of the dash, like a tablet or flatscreen TV, the main dashboard moulding is now stepped into different layers and LED ambient lighting hides below the top level – you can also change the light’s intensity or colour.

Quality is without question; the surfaces in examples we’ve driven are almost completely swathed in leather and high-gloss plastics. The instrument dials follow suit from other models in the BMW range with a multi-configurable electronic display below the speedometer and rev counter, which is also used to show when the car is in Eco Pro mode.

BMW X5 comfort

• Very comfortable even in standard trim
• Upgraded Comfort seats worth the extra
• Go for the adaptive suspension upgrade, too

When test driving a used BMW X5 it’s likely that it’ll win you over on comfort first of all. It’s not just the excellent driving position – the seats, the quality of the trim and support, and the overall refinement are very impressive. It’s worth seeking out the optional Comfort front seats, and Adaptive Suspension is also worth having.

The Comfort seats offer electric adjustment for almost everything – including headrest height, under-thigh support and side bolster width. The ability to tilt the upper half of the backrest independently of the lower section means you can’t fail to find your desired seating position, and it’s a rare feature even on high-end current models.

For those employing their X5 as a children carrier we’d suggest finding one with the huge panoramic glass sunroof. The extra light and feeling of open space reduces a tendency for motion sickness.

On the road there should be very little wind noise – you’ll struggle to hear more than a muted engine note on the move. There is some tyre roar at high speed, but that’s on account of their width. The standard 18-inch alloys on SE models will likely yield an even more forgiving ride – despite making do with steel springs and conventional dampers as standard.

Optional suspension packages come in four levels. Adaptive Comfort and Adaptive Dynamic suspension focus on ride quality or handling respectively, while Professional Adaptive combines both. Firmer Adaptive M Suspension is fitted as standard to most M Sport models, as well as the M50d and X5 M.