2011 BMW X5

BMW X5

BMW’s X5 has always felt like the thinking person’s large luxury SUV, lining up squarely against the Mercedes-Benz GLE, Audi Q7, and, if you squint, a Land Rover Discovery Sport. On paper at least, it’s the family-hauler you’ll spot on Bryanston school runs more often than you’ll see it climbing rocky bits in Limpopo. Engine choices? Petrol, diesel, and plug-in hybrids, all with automatic or semi-automatic ‘boxes. You won’t find a new one on sale here, though — every one of the 37 listings is used, which tells you exactly where this market stands. Pricing is wild: from R169,500 all the way to a toe-curling R4,499,999, but the real action is around the R829,900 mark, depending on how old and how fancy you want to go. You’ll see the xDrive30d M Sport badge everywhere — 17 out of 37 listings wear it — and those range from R259,900 to R1,179,900, so if you pack smart, that’s the variant most buyers will gravitate toward. Mileage? Expect around 104,000 km for your money, not bad given the years on these odos (2007 to 2025, for the record). If your taste (and wallet) runs to the M60i and M50i G05, you’re looking north of R3,899,999 — exclusive country, that. What makes the X5 stand out for local buyers is the steering feel and how it sits on Joburg’s endless tarmac; it’s what the X5 should have been from the start, especially when you compare it to the GLE or Q7. Materials inside, especially on mid-range specs, don’t crumble after a few years — and that matters. With no new stock, you’re holding the cards as a used buyer, which isn’t something you can say about most luxury SUVs right now.