"Our friends think you're nuts to drive in Europe," said my wife. "How are we going to find our way around, especially on those narrow city streets? We don't speak the language and they drive fast."
Mercifully it was too late to change our 10-day circular driving tour through southern Germany and northern Italy, passing through Switzerland and Austria.
There was actually less ground to cover than all those countries would suggest, borders were almost non-existent, the highway system is absolutely brilliant . . . and we were driving a BMW (with navigation!).
The X5 xDrive35i proved an excellent touring vehicle, or as BMW calls it "Sport Activity Vehicle," that was perfect for our little party of four.
Good driving dynamics are a must for any vehicle with a BMW emblem on the hood, even a utility type vehicle like the X5. It drives like a tall version of the 5 Series wagon with a higher seating position, more cargo space in the rear and xDrive all-wheel-drive.
BMW tunes its xDrive system to make the X5 handle with the steering precision of a rear-wheel drive vehicle. In normal driving situations most motive power is sent to the rear wheels. And it cleverly sends even more drive to the rear when it senses the X5 is going around a corner.
Not known for its off-pavement prowess, although surprisingly capable, the xDrive system was developed to cope with slippery paved road conditions and also to offer a sporty driving experience.
And we certainly appreciated the extra traction qualities of the system while traversing an Alpine mountain pass.
Under hood the X5 xDrive35i comes with a new and more powerful version of BMW's award winning inline 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine. It features twin, low-mass turbochargers, direct fuel injection and electrified accessory drives, providing a nice blend of power and fuel efficiency.
The other gasoline engine offered in Canada is a twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 in the 2011 BMW X5 xDrive50i. There's also a diesel-powered model, the X5 xDrive35d, with about 10 per cent better fuel economy compared to the gasoline-fuelled six. Topping the line is the high-performance X5 M, which ups the output of the gas V8 to a whopping 555 horsepower.
The headlights are adaptive xenons that are ringed with a cool-looking LED strip that serves as the daytime running lights. The standard fog lights also double as cornering lights, when the turn signal is activated.
In the rear, X5 has a clamshell-style dual-door setup with a smaller drop-down tailgate. It serves as a loading platform that lines-up with the cargo floor and it certainly came in handy when packing or unpacking our heavier suitcases. New tail lights have L-shaped LED lighting.
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