Some of the 2009 BMW X5 xDrive35d's cabin tech features work very well, such as the iPod and Bluetooth phone integration. Handling at speed is particu

With a twin-turbo diesel engine, the 2009 BMW X5 xDrive35d lacks the immediate acceleration of the V-8 gasoline version we tested previously, but BMW handling characteristics are there in full force, and the improved fuel economy is a bonus.

This full-size SUV features all-wheel drive, and the diesel engine gives it the torque to handle some heavy-duty work. Where the gas version drove like a sports automobile, the diesel drives and sounds like a speedy tractor.

One big disappointment in the cabin was the old version of iDrive. The week before reviewing the X5 xDrive35d, they spent some time with the 335d, the diesel version of the 3-series. That automobile had BMW's radical reworking of iDrive, which proved an excellent interface, and made going back to the old version painful.