2020 BMW X5 xDrive40i Real-World Test: Edmunds Team Prefers the BMW X5's Luxe Cabin Over Ride Quality

To see what it's like to live with a 2020 BMW X5 xDrive40i, we've put one in our long-term fleet, which means we're running it for a full year and 20,000 miles. As the year progresses, our staffers fill up the logbook with comments on everything from road trips to reliability. Here's the latest news on our long-term X5 xDrive40i.

The BMW X5 xDrive40i Ride is Lacking, But Comfort is On Point

Sr Review Editor Travis Langness put 2,100 miles on our long-term X5's clock last month, driving back and forth to Denver from Los Angeles. The ride quality was one of his biggest gripes.

"It's smooth enough over open highways, but in any city center or on any broken section of road, it's terrible. It feels floaty and unsettled over large bumps, and choppy over the small stuff," he says "Then, when you toss a few corners its way, it feels too heavy to be any fun. The optional air suspension would be a complete deal-breaker for me on one of these as it's not just bad at one thing, it's bad at everything."

However, though the ride quality in the X5 is pretty bad, the interior is definitely quiet as can be, notes Travis.

"Across Utah, where the speed limit is 80 mph and the roads are currently under construction, there was a lot of exterior noise that could've made its way into the cabin. But it didn't," he says. "Very little road noise from the X5's sporty tires, and even less wind noise from the side mirrors. And the engine is utterly hushed even at highway speeds."

2020 BMW X5 xDrive40i: Real-World Fuel Economy

After about eight months and over 10,000 miles driven, our overall fuel economy hovers around 19.9 mpg, which falls short of the EPA-estimated 22 mpg combined.

After nearly a year in our fleet, we were finally able to beat the EPA's highway fuel economy estimate for our long-term X5. It happened on a road trip to Denver and back. From Littleton, Colorado to Beaver, Utah is about 500 miles. The BMW X5 went the whole way without stopping for gas.

According to the X5's trip meter, it went 510.9 miles, averaging 71 mph and filling up with 19.528 gallons of 91-octane. That's 26.2 miles per gallon. It's the longest distance anyone has travelled on a tank in our X5 (besting the previous longest distance by about 70 miles), and the best fuel economy we've recorded in nearly 15,000 miles of driving. But it took some serious patience.

Average lifetime mpg: 20.4
EPA mpg rating: 22 combined (20 city/26 highway)
Best fill mpg: 26.2
Best range (miles): 510.9
Current odometer: 16,395

Read more real-world fuel economy updates about our 2020 BMW X5 xDrive40i.

Edmunds says

We're on the road all the time in our 2020 BMW X5, which means the logbook is brimming with our latest unvarnished opinions. Come along for the ride at our 2020 BMW X5 xDrive40i long-term test page.