nik52wrx

Was intrested in a Navara until reading feedback on another thread so have now turned my interests to a second hand X5.
Looking throught the Autotrader for as little as 15k you can get a well spec'd motor.
Question for those in the know, any draw backs?
Thanks
Nik.

RRH

Only the image, but if like me you care about how capable it is rather than what people think you'll find the X5 exceptional- unless you want to go off road!

Mine's great at kids / dogs / boat / race car & trailer; re-mapped by DMS it'll return 38 to the gallon cruising at quite a bit above the legal speed limit, 28 at 60 with the boat or car trailer on, and about 25 round town.

2005 3.0d sport. Love it.

hodgy0_2

SPEN555

Matteeboy

Indeed the image is poor BUT they are very good.

Inlaws have a 3.0D sport (soon to be replaced by the new shape 3.0TT diesel) with 19" alloys, a TV (!), massive sunroof and other bits - they got it off a dealer a while back and needed one quickly but very very oddly, it has no cd player!!!!

Drives well, fairly quick, roomy, reliable - only problem has been a total discolouration of the paint around the windows on one side - gone from black to sort of bronzey coloured - and it's only two years old (I think)!

nik52wrx

Its amazing how many cars hair dressers are associated with

Matteeboy

Seems to now apply to any open top car and any big 4x4!

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

why not go for a 5 series estate? I don't get the X5 thing unless you are going to go off road.

scoobmeister

But X5's can't even handle slightly moist grass, the furthest most X5's get to going off road is parking on the pavement when picking the kids up from school!

RRH

Admittedly they aren't real good off road, but mine's never had problems pulling boat trailers out of the sea. Don't tell its next owner I said that though

They're never going to be an off-roader like a disco / defender / range rover etc, but they are very good at pretty much everything else.

hodgy0_2

tbh -- 80 percent of off road ability is the tyres anyway

I remember seeing loads of 50k RR's struggling to get out of a wet field coz they have low profile road tyres fitted

im sure the X5 would be a 100% better it you put proper All Terrain's on it

i remember going on safari in Kenya -- we were in a Isuszu Van and fvck me the driver got to places I wouldn't take my Toyota Landcruiser in a million years

RRH

yep- and a decent open block off road tyre is rubbish at speed on the motorway, not to mention really noisy.

equally, my rodeo pickup struggles in slightly muddy fields with road tyres on the 18s. its ace with BF's on it though

Matteeboy

Our Geotec Landy 110s were all modded (raised, reinforced, etc) and all had super skinny but nobbly tyres to grip in mud. Hideous on road but they'd go places even a JCB couldn't go off road.

X5s really aren't off roaders - they just "happen" to look like off roaders - high (for visibility), big and 4WD more for road holding than any usefulness off road.

wilffive

Face it how many 4x4s period genuinely go off road other than a bit of driving across a field now and then.

Ride was a bit harsh on the old shape X5 other than that was highly rated.

hodgy0_2

i,m a bit the same with my impreza tbh

rarely take it past 3.5 4k never been over 90mph (test track )

its just nice to know the ooomph is available should i or the wife need it

but I do get 30mpg out of it

lozgti

We've got both!

I know these cars are cheap to buy now but are they a fortune to run? Tyres,services,insurance etc?

Matteeboy

Well we have both rolled into one - an open topped 4x4!!!



Yes it looks gay, yes it's tiny but it's turned out to be a cracking little motor - as long as you have another "long distance" car available.

Totally reliable, almost as easy as a Smart car to park in town, don't care about the bodywork in supermarket car parks (almost every dent and scratch I have ever had has been from pillocks in car parks), astonishingly capable off road, costs peanuts to run and although gay beyond belief, it's actually quite nice having the roof off when greenlaning - except mud splats you in the face!

G00ner

Caution with any X5 out of warranty, they can be money pits.

My brother had one from new for 3 years, his only claim was for a creaky drivers seat.

A rep that I know had one for the wife, again from new, and he made over 10 warranty claims and the total bill would have topped £20k without the benefit of BMW warranty services.
Last I heard of it was that it was driven to a French ski resort for a family holiday, broke down again and BMW tried to wash their hands of it, a proper lemon.

I rather like them to drive, very comfy and generally quite a pleasant place to be, but older models looking tatty and often driven by wannabe's.

scoobmeister

Why not go back to your original plan and buy a Navara, it may not be as reliable as you first thought, but its got to be less embarassing being seen standing next to a broken down Navara than being seen driving an X5.

Spooky Mulder

What do they 'wannabe'? An X5 driver? Which if they have one then surely they have achieved their goal!

billythekid

Very capable cars, the X5 is very good. Also consider an X3 3.0d (or sd if you can) as interior space is very similar but outside dims are a bit smaller so easier to park etc. Both have brilliant handling on the road and if you go for the sd its rapido!!

nik52wrx

Thanks for the replies, even the occupational ones
Decided its the car for me for various reasons and yes some will have their views regarding image etc.
Bearing in mind i might not buy from a main stealer i have been researching warranties and i have found one which Quentin Wilson is involved with and they have given me a car specific quote of £1000 for 3 years cover. Everthing is covered engine, gear box etc so hopefully this will take away any risk of spending 1000's on repairs.
Nik.

Skoobie Dhu

iTrader: (3)

I have a 3.0sd X5 - most comfortable car I've ever driven. Wasn't fussed on the older model as the boot space wasn't good for a car that big, New models bootspace is a big improvement. It handles very well for something this size, and feels nowhere as big as the Q7 or Touareg. Can easily manage 32 mpg, have seen 36 mpg on a 400 mile tour around the highlands. 1st time back to the dealer from new was the 19k mile service (oil change basically), tyres last just over 20k miles.
I live in a rural area where the roads are poor and full of potholes and the visibility from the high sitting position really helps on the narrow roads.
Downsides so far would that the tyres aren't as good in snow and ice as I'd like, my previous Legacy GTB with snow tyres would go most places, have considered a spare set of 2nd hand alloys with winter tyres, see how this winter goes, it's managed fine so far but not as sure footed as the GTB was.
Have 2 kids and 2 dogs and at the moment it suits our needs.

Never had any problem with 'image', but I've had my V3 Sti for 10 years now so maybe I've just developed a thick skin

Karl-AL

I am thinking of selling my X5 its a 4.6is with an LPG conversion, cheap as chips to run, goes like stink (340bhp) its got all the toys and its only done 46k, its a great car never had any problems with it, i just want a change now.

Volks

I think cheap as chips to run might be slightly misleading........

Karl-AL

So why dont you explain to everyone why i am misleading people. if you believe i am not being honest.

njkmrs

I think he is more in thinking a big car like the X5 cant be a cheap car to run even on lpg .
What miles per gallon do you get and how much per litre do you pay for the lpg ???

Volks

Exactly what I was thinking!

Plus, I`m guessing tyres on the 4.6is are huge (= expensive), insurance can`t be that cheap either....ditto servicing....ditto RFL.

Maybe chips round your way are expensive!

Either way, a 4.6is X5 is hardly cheap motoring is it?

Matteeboy

A "raced" a 4.8is in my R32 Golf and it was very close - I was very slightly quicker but only because I think my gearchanges were better.
I LOVE the noise they make - proper woofly V8 noise.

Skoobie - my inlaws have the 3.0D (late model old shape) but plan to get the newer twin turbo version like yours - sounds like they should go for it pretty soon. Really like the new shape.

Volks

So, come on Karl, I`m all ears, just how cheap is your 4.6 litre X5 to run?