BMW X5
Ranked 2 of 4 luxury SUVs by recommenders
People recommend the X5 for its driving feel, performance when needed and reliability, though critics call it expensive and worry about electronics failing.
People recommend the X5 for its driving feel, performance when needed and reliability, though critics call it expensive and worry about electronics failing.
12 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 8
- criticize it
- 4
- approval share
- 67%
Recommended in 5 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 8 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 2 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 5 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Fun to drive
“they drive as the brand describes them: the ultimate driving machine”
Comment from 1 Aug 2026 in “BMW Is Showing Commercials on Their Car's Dash Screens as a Treat” “the X5 was just as fun for what it was”
Comment from 3 Nov 2025 in “Tiny electric motor can produce more than 1,000 horsepower” Plug-in hybrid versions appeal
“they were definitely the best of both worlds for me”
Comment from 2 Aug 2026 in “German carmakers flood jobs market with managers after wielding axe” “probably the best SUV I've ever owned”
Comment from 30 Jun 2026 in “BMW iX5 Blows Away the Competition with 460-KW Charging, 435-Mile Range”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Expensive and poor value
“X5 is more reasonable but still definitely an expensive way to get around.”
Comment from 12 Oct 2026 in “Citroen revives the 2CV for an electric age” “both objectively bad vehicles and not best bang for buck”
Comment from 12 Oct 2026 in “Citroen revives the 2CV for an electric age”
Other luxury SUVs people recommend
The three most recommended other luxury SUVs, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porsche Cayenne | 15 | 9 | 63% | 4 | — | — |
| BMW X5This page | 8 | 4 | 67% | 5 | — | — |
| Range Rover | 6 | 16 | 27% | 10 | — | — |
| Porsche Macan | 6 | 5 | 55% | 5 | — | — |
What people said
All 13 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“X5 - despite its bad reputation - is actually very reliable nowadays.”
“X5 is more reasonable but still definitely an expensive way to get around.”
“both objectively bad vehicles and not best bang for buck”
“that BMW will likely turn into a maintenance nightmare in 10 years when electronics modules start failing”
“they were definitely the best of both worlds for me”
“they drive as the brand describes them: the ultimate driving machine”
“rather good performance when you want/need it”
“The PHEV X5 50e or 550e is what I want in a car.”
“probably the best SUV I've ever owned”
“AC control as secondary touchscreen menu while giving prev/next song a dedicated button”
“it will be the last BMW I ever own”
“an X5 diesel had really good mileage (if you used it for longer distances)”
“the X5 was just as fun for what it was”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.