Thanks, guys. I appreciate the additional advice and thoughts. Late this afternoon I reserved a Santorini Lux that had recently come in. Beige/Arabica interior, Lux and Heavy Duty packages with the standard LUX 19" wheels. I went back and forth debating the pros and cons of 20"s and decided I actually like the look of these 19"s the best (the standard HSE are really nice as well) and that after coming off of staggered 335/35 20's on my BMW, I would prefer having the 19's as 55's with more rubber to work with. A test drive back to my house and through some curvy/steep mountain roads on the 19's pretty much sealed the deal. The 20's are great, but for where I live (the mountains), and the bulk of my driving on paved highway in a winding canyon and side roads, the 19's rode exceptionally well and make more sense. I'm still really surprised how nice the car cruises. Sure, the X5 has more power and performance, but I can get something for that down the road and this can serve me better now with the space and versatility to do go wherever, whenever.
I also went back and forth on the Adaptive headlights and concluded I could get by without them as long as I had the Xenons. I've had both Acura and BMW adaptives for some time now, and I can certainly see where they work well, but I'm sure after two nights of driving home I'll forget all about them. The Xenon's are certainly bright, that I've seen. The dealer mentioned they did not make any orders for the Vision Package this year after lots of problems with the cameras and various supply issues. I don't need the cameras or mind flipping my own brights, and I definitely don't need something else to chance going wrong, so I think I'll be perfectly happy and $1,200 ahead.
I also had more time today to compare the HSE versus LUX stereo. As a novice audiophile, hands down the LUX system is one of the best car systems I've heard. No issues with the bluetooth iPhone setup using the hardwire for playing and the bluetooth for talking and back and forth. Actually surprised how easy the interface is to use and the entire NAV in general. Lots of people complain about the BMW iDrive, but I at least got used to my 2011 and think I may like the LR's system better even despite the tiny 7" screen. All in all, so much more impressed than when I tested the LR and RR in both 2010 and 2007. Possibly even more impressive is the dealership- the staff is virtually the same 5 years later and that says a lot about the brand. Night and day difference from the terrible BMW dealerships I've dealt with the past few years. Great service departments and vehicles, but that's about it.
The X5 and the LR4 are great vehicles. Which truck is better all really depends on your needs. While I will miss the mileage, the lack of a diesel option and torque, and, well, no ventilated seats (hence going at least for the beige, which also does look really nice), the versatility and durability of the LR4 make up for it all. The ride is just as nice and the interior just as comfortable for everyday. Also unique to my decision is an LR dealership 20 miles away versus 200 for BMW, but I think I'd still choose the same if both were that near. Still a little nervous about reliability after zero problems with the X5, but that's a risk that should at least be fun to take and I won't mind any quirks.
Thanks again for everyone's input...looking forward to making the trade.....