BMW is known for building engaging sports sedans and coupes, their 3-series has long been the benchmark in its class since the first one rolled off the production line. When BMW announced that they were going to build an SUV to reap the fat profits available in that sector, purists howled.

Well, after a few years of seeing X5's thumping up and down the street with their monstrous wheels and tires struggling to keep all 5000 pounds of BMW pointing in the direction the driver desires, the howling has turned to sympathy for the Porsche purists who decry the advent of the Cayenne.

Enthusiastic drivers should not be turned off by the sheer heft of these SUV's though, the Germans have done a remarkable job of baking impressive stiffness into the structure of the vehicles and also into the suspension to keep them from scraping their door handles on the tarmac when taking a hard corner.

Opt for the 6 cylinder model if you're not going to need the power of the 8, you'll thank yourself at the first fill-up as the 8 cylinder slurps back premium fuel at a high rate.

BMW has a special model for those among us who need to have the Queen of the Hill, the 4.8is would be your chariot of choice, endowed with enough power to embarrass some sporty-looking vehicles.

A good choice to indulge in the Luxury piled on top of the "Sports Activity Vehicle", in BMW's words, the X5 is a great blend of capability and exclusivity in a package that comes with good storage space and great visibility out through the generous greehouse.