2000 BMW X5 (E53) 4.6is 5AT AWD (340 HP)

Vehicle Overview

BMW introduced the first generation of the X5 in 1999 as a 2000 model year, and the automaker’s family-SAV quickly became one of the most appreciated vehicles in the mid-size SUV category.

When the German car manufacturer owned the British brand Land Rover, it learned how to make SUVs. Its engineers understood how a luxury mid-size 4×4 vehicle should be built and then applied everything they learned on the X5’s first generation. The result was a surprising SUV that BMW felt obliged to call Sports Activity Vehicle, or SAV for short since the X5 had road-oriented behavior. Furthermore, the new product in the German automaker’s lineup came to compete in the mid-size luxury crossover segment. It shared its underpinnings with the fourth generation of the BMW 5 Series (the E39). Unlike some of its main rivals, it had a unibody construction instead of a body-on-frame one, which helped the automaker lowered the vehicle’s overall weight.

Surprisingly, the exterior design was signed by no other than Chris Bangle, who’d later on reshaped the entire lineup of the BMW’s styling direction. At the front, he installed a pair of dual headlights with clear lenses covering the high and low beams, plus the corner-mounted turn signal lamps. Between them, the 2000 BMW X5 boasted a broad kidney grille adorned by chromed details. The front bumper was available with round fog lamps and a black trim in the lower-middle area, creating the image of a higher ground clearance.

From its profile, the 2000 BMW X5 didn’t look like a station wagon with a higher ground clearance. Thanks to the flared fenders on both ends, it had a striking visual identity. In addition, the automaker integrated black trims around the wheel arches and same-color side sills. The automaker installed sculptured doors on the vehicle and fitted it with body-colored door handles and mirror caps. At the back, the raked forward tailgate could be split open, where the upper side was opened upwards while the lower section could be lowered. Land Rover had the same system on the Range Rover lineup. Since BMW marketed the X5 as a premium vehicle, all versions were fitted with alloy wheels and had a full-size spare tire.

Inside, the 2000 BMW X5 surprised its customers with a spacious cabin with two bucket seats at the front and a split-folding bench seat in the back. The driver fronted a rounded instrument cluster where the automaker installed large dials for the speedometer and the rev counter flanked by smaller gauges for the fuel level and engine temperature. Below them, BMW placed a narrow display for additional data from the car’s onboard computer. On the center stack, the X5 housed the HVAC control panel and the stereo, with an option for an infotainment unit that included a navigation system. On the center console, the automaker placed the gear selector or the gear stick, depending on the option, and an armrest with a storage compartment underneath it. In the back, there was plenty of room for three adult-sized occupants, with an almost flat transmission tunnel on the floor.

Under its skin, the 2000 BMW X5 shared many parts with its 5 Series sibling. Up front, the automaker installed a choice of diesel and gasoline engines with six or eight cylinders. All the oomph was sent in all corners via either a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic gearbox. Even though it was not available with an M version, it was available with a punchy 4.6-liter V8, which came with a revised suspension setting in the same package.