BMW X5 (2013-2018) review - Reliability and Safety

Euro NCAP hasn't crash tested the current X5, but as it’s available with more safety kit than ever before, there's no cause for concern that it won't be anything less than safe and secure. On top of a host of standard safety equipment, the big SUV can be specified with a variety of options to protect its occupants.

For example, the Active Security package includes lane departure warning, rear collision alerts and a blind-spot monitor, all of which can be activated or deactivated at the touch of a button. BMW Emergency Call is part of ConnectedDrive and uses your phone to contact and send details to the police or ambulance service should you have a crash. Meanwhile, Night Vision and LED headlights are also on the options list.

The engines and technology used in the X5 are found in other BMW products, so it shouldn't prove too much trouble to run. However, as this is such a big, heavy car, wear and tear is likely to be considerable.

And the X5 doesn’t have the strongest reliability record. It didn't chart in the 2016 Driver Power rundown of the 150 best cars to own, but in 2014 it came a lowly 96th. Most of the complaints concerned electrical malfunctions. As a marque, BMW came 15th overall in the 2016 survey – ahead of Audi but behind Mercedes, Jaguar and Lexus.

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Warranty

BMW supplies the X5 with three years’ standard warranty cover, but there’s no limit on mileage – which could be a significant benefit to high-mile business users. In comparison, the three-year warranty on the Audi Q7 comes with a 60,000-mile cap, while the Porsche Cayenne is only offered with two years’ cover as standard.

Servicing

As with most BMWs, the X5 can be maintained via a fixed-price servicing scheme. And although this works out a little more expensive than the servicing costs for a Range Rover Sport, it’s in the same ballpark as the Audi Q7. Porsche Cayenne servicing is likely to set you back more, but none of these models would be considered cheap to maintain.