A funny thing happened while none of us were looking: We all got old. Alright, perhaps that’s a bit mean, but it’s wild to realize that September marks a quarter of a century since BMW’s first production SUV — the X5 — entered production in South Carolina. Over the years, we’ve seen so much come and go, but the X5 and its American assembly plant are here to stay, and BMW is launching the X5 Silver Anniversary Edition as a little celebration that leans further toward travels off the beaten path than most X5 owners dare to venture.
The 2025 BMW X5 Silver Anniversary Edition starts with the B58-powered X5 xDrive40i, which is the right choice overall. The three-liter turbocharged straight-six in this model offers a lovely blend of torque and economy, boasting 375 horsepower and 25 mpg combined. All that grunt gets sent to all four wheels through a ZF 8HP eight-speed automatic gearbox, and the whole formula just works well. However, this special model then takes a bit of a left turn, because it gets some hardware made for when the going gets rougher than expected.
While the X5 Silver Anniversary Edition doesn’t feature low range, it does get air suspension to jack the ride height up, a locking rear differential to direct torque across the rear axle, and a brace of skid plates to protect important underbody components. That’s a very reasonable set of off-road hardware, but BMW wasn’t finished there. Tires are a critical part of going off road, and this X5 is offered with discounted dealer-installed General Grabber All-Terrain meats. Obviously, if you order one of these things, you should get the tires, because they look great and really complete the package.
In addition to these more physical pieces of hardware, there are a few other off-road toys worth noting that are mostly software tweaks. A litany of off-road drive modes are on deck, along with a 360-degree camera system that works at up to 22 mph, and a set of digital off-road gauges including an inclinometer, real-time ground clearance, and a way of indicating how close you are to putting the shiny side down. Add in a standard roof rack and rubber floor mats including a cargo mat, and while this limited-run X5 isn’t a hardcore off-roader, it’s still one of the more serious choices in its segment.
Oh, and because this is a special edition model, it comes loaded with everything from a Harman/Kardon sound system to heated armrests, and slathered in special paint thanks to BMW’s Individual program. Somewhat keeping with the Silver Anniversary vibes, BMW’s chosen Lime Rock Grey paint, previously seen on the F80 M3 CS. BMW chose to pair this color with black trim normally exclusive to M Sport models and carbon fiber interior trim from the X5 M60i, creating a sort of high-contrast vibe.
BMW is pricing this thing at $81,075 including freight, and while that’s not cheap, it’s not bad for a luxury SUV with a bunch of off-road goodies. However, BMW plans to only make about 1,000 of these X5 Silver Anniversary Edition models, so there’s a chance they’ll go fairly quickly. I must admit, I didn’t expect BMW to amp up the dirt appeal to celebrate a quarter-century of its landmark SUV, but it seems like the right call. By avoiding M Sport cliches and offering an actually desirable bundle of equipment, the makers of this X5 have created a special edition that’s indeed special. Not bad, BMW. Not bad at all.
(Photo credits: BMW)
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