I had this accessory installed on my X3. It worked really well and didn't look as bad as expected. I have a picture here .

There were no distinct disadvantages to the factory installed bumper pdc on my X5.

Hope this helps.

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'09 Porsche Cayenne
Navigation, Turbo II Wheel Package, 20% tint, Eibach Lowering Springs, Extended Olive Wood Trim

'06 X5 4.4i
Premium Package, Cold Weather, Heated Steering Wheel, CD Player, Hi-Fi Stereo, Navigation

GONE: '06 X3 3.0
Premium, M-Sport, Cold Weather, Navigation, Sirius, Hard-wired Escort Passport 8500, 35% tint Dinan Pedals, Backup Monitoring