• Luxurious cabin with commanding driving position
• Easy to get comfortable with leather upholstery
• Electric adjustment for front seats

How is the quality and layout?

A 2023 refresh brought the X5 in line with newer BMWs, with a giant curved display dominating the dashboard. We’ll talk about those in more detail below, but the infotainment screen is now home to almost all of the climate and stereo controls.

The heater control panel has been removed entirely, while the area once filled with stereo controls houses a few shortcut icons. It’s not quite as distracting a change as some rivals thanks to a few more shortcut icons along the bottom of the touchscreen that aren’t too far from your eyeline. That said, it’s still a backward step for usability on the move that upgraded voice control can’t make up for.

Interior quality is excellent – there’s a strong sense of solidity to everything inside, with all models featuring leather-effect dashboards, while even the ‘entry’ models feature plush materials and faux-leather seats with electrical adjustment as standard. You’ll need to pay extra for real leather on even the top M60, though. Overall, we’d say a Range Rover Sport comes across as more luxurious, but isn’t as well screwed together.

Infotainment and tech

Ahead of the driver is a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel shared with a number of other BMWs including the i5 saloon, with a 14.9-inch touchscreen sitting alongside behind a large, curved bit of glass. The main screen is controlled via touch, a rotary iDrive controller on the centre console or via voice, simply by saying ‘Hey BMW’. The driver’s display can be adjusted using physical controls on the steering wheel.

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The infotainment system is for the most part very good. It has a sensible interface with shortcut icons at the bottom of the screen, crisp graphics, and loads of functionality. It’s easier to use than most rivals because of the rotary controller, which we find an easier way to operate the screen on the move than reaching out and touching it.

Unfortunately, the main menu is a long list of icons, making it sometimes tricky to find what you want when you’re driving. A configurable home screen does help make it easier to find frequently used apps, but we’d prefer clearer infotainment menus.

The iDrive controller for the infotainment comes with a selection of buttons around it for shortcuts to certain functions. Over time you’ll learn where everything is, but with a flat, shiny surface it can be tricky to quickly decipher what you should be pressing.

Comfort

• Supremely comfortable seats
• Lots of adjustment
• Feels big from behind the wheel

The X5 is a big, luxurious SUV, so it’s good to see that comfort is key and that BMW hasn’t focused too much on the Sport in Sport Utility Vehicle in this regard. The seats in particular are excellent – with a huge amount of adjustment in both front chairs, cushioning and supporting you in just the right way.

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There’s standard front seat heating, with a heated steering wheel, front armrests and even cupholders available. Those cupholders can also cool, with ventilated and massaging seats available. Raid the options list and there are plenty more bits and pieces like four-zone climate control to make sure everyone’s as comfy as possible.

Opt for the large panoramic sunroof for a lighter cabin, plus the high ride height and large windows help with a sense of airiness, as well as visibility. We do, however, recommend opting for a light-coloured interior, as it really helps with the feeling of space.