The 2009 BMW X5 is BMW's midsize SUV, and one of their top selling vehicle lines. Competition includes the Acura MDX, Land Rover LR3, Mercedes-Benz M-Class, Volvo XC90, Audi Q7, Lexus RX 350, Porsche Cayenne, Infiniti FX and Volkswagen Touareg 2.

The X5 debuted in the 1999 model year as BMW's first SUV and caught a major upgrade in the 2007 model year. The newer version is bigger, more powerful and more responsive than previous versions. The 2009 year model remains pretty much unchanged from 2007. With its classic looks every inch of the X5 screams BMW, and the handling has been designed to match.

There are three "trims" for the X5, but they are based on the engine, not the looks. The xDrive30i has a gasoline powered 3.0 liter, 260 horsepower I6. xDrive35d is a turbocharged 3.5 liter, 265 horsepower diesel. The xDrive48i is a 4.8 liter, gasoline powered V8 with 350 horsepower. The only transmission is a six-speed automatic with overdrive.

The X5 with the I6 gasoline engine gets 15 miles per gallon in the city and 21 miles per gallon on the highway. Subtract only a couple miles per gallon for the V8 engine. There are no fuel efficiency numbers for the diesel, but it's probably better than either of the gasoline engines. For either of the gasoline engines, fuel economy is not horrible, but it is slightly below class average.

Maximum towing for either of the gasoline engines is 6000 pounds, just under the class average. Towing numbers for the diesel are not available, but are undoubtedly better, as the diesel engine gets 425 pound feet of torque, well above even the V8. Maximum payload is 1345 pounds and cargo volume is 21.9 cubic feet.

The V6 gasoline and diesel engines are a little light on horsepower for their class, but the V8 engine cures that admirably. The X5 is shy on front head and legroom, though. As you would expect from the German engineered BMW, the X5 is a very safe vehicle. NHTSA crash tests give it four stars for rollover, which is about as good as it gets for an SUV, and for passenger front crash. Everywhere else it gets five stars.

There are a lot of excellent safety features, among them an anti-theft system, BMW's xDrive four-wheel drive system, airbags everywhere, automatic load leveling, antilock brakes with electronic assistance, traction control and a vehicle stability system. Surprisingly, there is no locking or limited slip differential and child safety locks are not available.

With a base price of $47,500, the 2009 BMW X5 is about $8,500 cheaper than the class average for luxury SUVs. Considering what you get, that could make it worth checking out if you're in the market.