Hi Everyone,
We just took delivery of my wife’s new 2026 BMW X5 xDrive40i at the Performance Center in South Carolina. This was my third time doing a Performance Center Delivery, after my M235i in 2014 and M2 in 2018, and each one has been an amazing experience. BMW makes it such a unique and memorable way to take delivery at no additional cost, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has the chance.
A quick shout out to @[Next Level Auto Brokers](contact:491535) for helping make this all happen. This was my first time working with a broker and the experience was great!
Apologies in advance for the long-winded post and large number of photos (I cut out quite a bit). Feel free to scroll ahead for the Performance Center Delivery and trip home content if that is what you are here for.
NOTE: Click on photos for full resolution.
Order Tracking Thread: https://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh….php?t=2173989
Background
I have been a BMW fan for as long as I can remember and I am fortunate to have a wife who shares (or at least understands) that passion, thanks in part to her dad being a big BMW and Porsche enthusiast. Currently in the garage are my 2018 M2 and my 2024 X1 M35i. My wife has had her CPO 2018 X3 (M Sport, Alpine White with Cognac leather interior) since 2021, and it has been a great car for us through many big milestones.
With the arrival of our first daughter, my wife had been wanting a bigger car, so I quietly got a build together based on everything I knew she would like and placed an order for her, but did not tell her anything. When it came time to do paperwork about a month before delivery, I finally told her she was getting an X5 and that it would be Brooklyn Grey, her favorite of the standard colors. In reality, I had ordered it in Daytona Violet, an Individual color she loves, and she had no idea until we walked into the delivery bay.
Order Spec
2026 BMW X5 xDrive40i
– Design: M Sport
– Exterior: Daytona Violet (BMW Individual)
– Interior: Cognac Sensafin
– Trim: Fineline Black Wood
– Wheels: 22” M Double Spoke Black 742M w/ Staggered Summer Tires
Packages:
– Climate Comfort Package
– Driving Assistance Professional Package
– Executive Package
– M Sport Professional Package with Red Brakes
– Parking Assistance Package
Options:
– Trailer Hitch
– 2-Axle Air Suspension
Initial Impressions of the X5
After a two-day road trip back home from the Performance Center, these are my first impressions of the X5:
– The Daytona Violet paint is stunning in person and changes dramatically depending on the light. It really makes the car stand out.
– I am extremely happy we chose the 2-axle air suspension. The ride quality is excellent, smooth and comfortable (especially with the massive 22-inch wheels), but still planted.
– Plenty of power from the 40i, at least as much as we have been able to feel being in the break-in period. What stands out most is how smooth the power delivery feels.
– Interior feels spacious and refined, especially compared to the outgoing X3. The Cognac looks great against the purple exterior, and the seats are extremely comfortable.
– I have iDrive 9 on my X1, and it is laggy and annoying in many ways. iDrive 8.5 in the X5 takes all the good parts of iDrive 9 but makes them work smoothly and reliably. I do not know how BMW could have taken such a step backwards from 8.5 to 9.
– The gas tank feels huge compared to what we are used to, and it goes incredibly far on a single fill. On the 700+ mile journey home, we averaged about 27 MPG, which was better than expected.
– Overall, it feels like the perfect step up for our growing family.
Trip Recap
Getting There
We flew from Miami to Greenville and were picked up at the airport in an X5 M60i and transported to the Hotel Hartness. The property was beautiful and a great way to start the trip.
Delivery Day
The Performance Center experience was fantastic as always. We started with classroom instruction, then driving exercises on the skid pad, braking tests, and laps around their handling course. For such large SUVs, the X5 and X7 handled far better than expected. We also did the off-road course in the X5 later in the day, but I am including it in the video below as well.
When it was finally time for delivery, my wife still had not spotted the car (even though she had walked right by it). Walking into the bay and seeing the Daytona Violet X5 waiting for her was priceless. She was shocked and speechless when we walked in and she saw the color. Daytona Violet is such a great heritage BMW color and shifts beautifully between deep purple and bright violet depending on the light. The amazing people at the Performance Center even helped me with one more surprise by placing a BMW Baby Racer I had purchased ahead of time for our daughter in the trunk, which I was able to surprise my wife with as well.
Seth then worked with us walking through all of the ins and outs of our new X5!
We rounded out the day with lunch, the off-road course (see video above), a plant tour, and a stop at the Zentrum museum. The entire program was excellent, and I want to give a big shout-out to the whole Performance Center team, especially Seth, who helped us organize and coordinate everything, and Reed, our lead instructor, who was fantastic throughout the day.
BMW CCA Museum
The morning after delivery, we visited the BMW Car Club of America museum, which had an incredible Alpina exhibit, including a Z1 Alpina, which is super rare and I had no idea even existed. I would highly suggest that any BMW enthusiast in the area check it out. For the cover charge of twelve dollars per person, it is a great stop, and they swap their exhibits out every May.
While we were here, we took advantage of the fact that the X5 was still pretty clean and their empty loading bay and snapped some pictures. This color is amazing in person!
Leg 1 – Greenville to Savannah
On the first leg of our return trip, we headed towards Savannah for our overnight stop. We had a smooth drive, and I really enjoyed the self-driving (don’t skip DAPP on your order!). We spent the night at Hotel Bardo, which was great! They even parked the X5 front and center outside the hotel. Another perfect photo opportunity.
Leg 2 – Savannah to Fort Lauderdale
On the drive home, we stopped in Daytona for lunch and our first fuel up. Pretty fitting with the Daytona Violet paint. We also took the opportunity to snap a few pictures in front of the Speedway.
Arriving Home
From Daytona, we continued the last leg of the trip back to South Florida, wrapping up an unforgettable 700+ mile journey home. Pulling into the driveway with the X5 and parking it alongside our other BMWs felt like the perfect ending to the trip. We are looking forward to enjoying the X5 for many years to come and making many new memories in it.
