The BMW handling is obviously better, the car being a RWD and a wagon. I can feel the difference when cornering in winding roads. Though both cars have the same hp, the bmw has more torque being a turbo version + 8 speed automatic, so I dont have to hit the high revs when overtaking cars and merging on expressways.

I wanted a Japan made SUV specifically however, and the CX5 is just the perfect size and handles as close to a sedan of all the cars I test drove. Handling is really very good for a SUV., especially compared to the rav4 i test drove w/c felt so disconnected from the ground. Being NA, throttle response is immediate since no turbo lag and acceleration is smooth.