SciFrog:
Same boat as you here RC. These large 4 seaters just don't do it since our second child just arrived. When often ride with a grandparent or nanny, and the cayenne is hardly big enough already when we go shopping. Shouldn't the X5 be slower than the X6 as it is heavier and higher? Isn't the X5 a 7 seater which would be a good reason to get it over the cayenne?


The second-generation 2007 X5 (not to be confused with the X5M) had a third row installed capable (barely Smiley) of seating seven.  The new X5M is different from the second-gen. X5 having only two rows of seats (plus alot more power with its M-powered V8TT Smiley), but it is definitely a five-seater.  One can see from Palenimbus' pic of the back seat, there are two main seats (perhaps why the German BMW reference Christian provided mentioned seating two in back), plus in the "bench" setup, a smaller third seat but with its own seat belt. 

But I agree on the disappointing trend of luxury carmakers to build sporty but larger four-seaters, e.g., the Panamera, even the X6M.  For one looking for a fast five-seat SUV, and doesn't need or want manual tranny, the X5M looks promising!

But if I lived in Germany and needed a fast family hauler with an auto tranny, I would go for the Audi RS6-V10TT making at least 580HP and easily tuned to 700+. SmileySmileySmiley


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1997 993 TT Proto 3.8L 700HP

2005 996 TSCab EVO GT700

2006 Noble M400 "M600" 573RWHP

2007 Audi RS4 MTM exhaust/clutch/LWFW