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AS ONE OF THE LEADING LUXURY SUVS, THE 2011 BMW X5 HAS PROVEN ITSELF SINCE ITS INTRODUCTION, AND BMW IS CONTENT TO CONTINUE WITH MINOR REVISIONS AND UPDATES FOR THE NEW MODEL YEAR. IT'S ACTUALLY UNDER THE HOOD WHERE THE 2011 BMW X5 SEES THOSE MAJOR CHANGES. NOT ONLY DOES THE V8 MODEL GET THE 4.4-LITER TWIN-TURBO V8 FROM THE 7 SERIES, THE BASE MODEL NOW FEATURES BMW'S LATEST TWIN-SCROLL, SINGLE-TURBO INLINE-6 THAT FEATURES DIRECT INJECTION AND VALVETRONIC THROTTLE-FREE INTAKE TECHNOLOGY. NOT ONLY DOES THIS NEW 300-HORSEPOWER X5 XDRIVE35I OUT-ACCELERATE THE OLD V8 MODEL AND PRODUCE 40 MORE HORSES AND A WHOPPING 75 MORE POUND-FEET OF TORQUE THAN THE OUTGOING XDRIVE30I, IT ACHIEVES SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER FUEL ECONOMY THANKS TO A BEVY OF NEW HIGH-TECH FEATURES LIKE AN EIGHT-SPEED AUTOMATIC AND BRAKE ENERGY REGENERATION. INDEED, THIS NEW X5 IS MORE FUEL-EFFICIENT THAN AN ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE FORD FLEX. THE 2011 BMW X5 XDRIVE35I IS THE BASE MODEL IN THE THREE-TRIM LINEUP (FOUR IF YOU COUNT THE X5 M), BUT THERE'S REALLY NOTHING BASE ABOUT IT. WITH 300 HP AND 300 LB-FT OF TORQUE AVAILABLE, THIS TURBOCHARGED 3.0-LITER INLINE-6 ELICITS A SIMPLE QUESTION: WHY WOULD YOU NEED ANYTHING ELSE? POWER IS IMMEDIATE AND ROBUST, WITHOUT ANY TRACE OF TURBO LAG. THIS BMW X5 XDRIVE 35I HAS LIVED IN FLORIDA AND HAVE NEVER SEEN SNOW OR ROAD SALT.
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