Changes to the 2013 BMW X5 consist mainly of a reshuffled optional-equipment list. The M Performance Package is now available on the xDrive35i Sport Activity and xDrive50i with M Sport Package. The Premium Sound Package is reduced to $950, while the Active Ventilated Seat Package is renamed the Luxury Seating Package.
Although no longer the only sport-oriented SUV on the market, the 2013 BMW X5 remains true to its original formula. Where others have grown larger, the X5 retains its modest size and seating arrangement. And, while many SUVs have moved to deliver a softer ride with compromised handling, the BMW X5 for 2013 retains, for better or worse, the same firm steering, aggressive handling and notoriously stiff ride. The X5's various trims cover a wide range, from the entry-level 6-cylinder X5 xDrive35i to the performance oriented xDrive50i with the M Performance Package to the tire-smoking X5 M. Due to a late introduction last year, the diesel-powered xDrive35d will continue as a 2012 until late in the 2013 model year.