X5 E53
Total Revs
13
Global Rank
#204
Gen Rank
1 MORE REVS TO REACH #203 IN OVERALL GEN
Ranked Categories
About the X5 E53
BMW built the first luxury SUV that actually drove like a BMW, and the E53 X5 is the reason every manufacturer now has a sporty crossover. The M54 inline-six made 225 hp in the 3.0i, smooth and sufficient. The 4.4-liter V8 in the 4.4i made 282 hp and turned the X5 into a highway missile. The X5 4.6is and later 4.8is pushed past 340 hp and were genuinely absurd for a vehicle this tall. Independent suspension all around, not a live axle in sight. BMW traded off-road capability for on-road composure and bet correctly that most buyers would never leave pavement. The E53 proved that SUV didn't have to mean slow, sloppy, and disconnected. Every sporty SUV since traces its lineage here.