X5 as a Daily?

[Lurker27]

X5s are very well put together - it's the X3s that suck.

[Rodoni]

X5 = chick car.

Why not?

thats an m5 towing not a 540..close enough though

[scforeigncar]

My X5 is excellent. I have the 3.0 liter and have had it for 5 years now. We've put a few grand into it in the last 3 years, but nothing that has killed me yet. i love it for a DD. It doesn't feel like a truck.

[ldsbeaker]

3.0 manual though. Wife drives a 2.5 and when we drove up to Washington through the mountains with a cargo hatch full still never felt like it was straining.

yeah, we have the 3.0 manual.
We had to get some CPO stuff done, and they gave us an x5 3.0 for a loaner.
Dude. Night and day.
1) IT WAS HUGE!! Like seriously, my wife and i felt like we were in different rooms.
2) Gas mileage sucked with the 3.0 in such a big truck (of course)
2A) Small engine = no cojones in such a big truck (of course x2)
3) No manual.
4) HUGE!!
5) IIRC, the towing capacity is the same for both (no matter what engine)? No, that can't be right. (maybe it has to do with the hitch)

I think the best way to break it down barney style is like this:

x3 is to x5 AS e30 is to e28

... yeah.

[rneedham1979]

I have an 05 4.8is. My wife and i love it. She is the one that gets to drive it everyday though... I love BMW's and I will always have an X5, we are seriously considering the X5M.

OK, my X5 is 100% stock, when I am on the HWY cruising, i will average 22-26mpg depending for how long I can set the cruise. Around town its 15-20 again depending how I drive it.

The car has had a bunch of problems though. Luckily for me it is warrantied but I have had to replace a few items. Some were just annoying and others were important like the transmission. That said the vehicle never and i do not believe would have ever stranded me and my family. I highly recommend buying one.

We love the versatility of the X5, it s a great vehicle.

Ryan

[Package]

Go for it. My wife and I got a 4.4i a few months ago and absolutely love it. If you're buying used, get one under 50k miles (original warranty) or with a CPO so you know you'll be covered when something goes wrong...and trust me, it will. So worth it though, the V8's are a blast to drive and have plenty of power...the 4.8is is a monster.

Unless you want to spend 2x as much on a Cayenne, no SUV comes close to the X5 in terms of power, handling, and driving pleasure.

[machined]

x3>x5

False.

I have a 05 4.8 for sale.

http://r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=127076

^OP - this is the only one to have.

[2002maniac]

5-series wagon has more interior room and cargo room than X5 and better mileage.

Plus they are more fun to drive IMO

[machined]

Ground clearance?

[rneedham1979]

Really? Where did you get that info? I have been in a 540it and the X5 has a bunch more room, both in the passenger seating area and in the cargo area.The X5 is a good deal wider and the cargo area is much taller than the 540. We had a 325xit and it was very small so we upgraded to the X5 after looking at e39 wagons as well. I also have an E39 M5 and I assure you the X5 has more room in the front and back seats when compared to the E39 M5.

The 4.8is is actually very fun to drive. It handles very well for an SAV. I love the brakes and the overall looks.

My family and I do do a fair amount of traveling, typically in the winter, in New England or in the mid Atlantic mountains. The X5 has proven to be incredible vehicle to travel in, especially in inclement weather (winter tires of course) having the additional ride height and X drive makes it very versatile.

Something else we really enjoy is the higher ride height. It makes loading and unloading people, kids and groceries, cargo much easier.

I do wish it got a bit better gas mileage but... 24+HWY mpg is fine for me. I will be buying a tune, CAI and possibly having some headers made for it which should help pick up some power and fuel mileage.

The 4.8is will hold us over until I can get a CPO X5M...

Ryan

5-series wagon has more interior room and cargo room than X5 and better mileage.

Plus they are more fun to drive IMO

[meidlin]

The rest of the world manages to tow heavy shit without buying SUVs and pickups.

http://www.gunsmoke.com/cars/540i/hitch/index.html

+1.

We need to get out of this american lifestyle, and start living smaller.
Living large < Living efficient

[Eric Giles]

Go for it. My wife and I got a 4.4i a few months ago and absolutely love it. If you're buying used, get one under 50k miles (original warranty) or with a CPO so you know you'll be covered when something goes wrong...and trust me, it will. So worth it though, the V8's are a blast to drive and have plenty of power...the 4.8is is a monster.

Unless you want to spend 2x as much on a Cayenne, no SUV comes close to the X5 in terms of power, handling, and driving pleasure.

+1 Very well said!

All of this talk has me wanting to unload my E39 M5 and pick up another X5....

[rneedham1979]

Very true!

So I guess I would not need a lifted F-350 to tow a jet ski LOL

+1.

We need to get out of this american lifestyle, and start living smaller.
Living large < Living efficient

[tjts1]

5-series wagon has more interior room and cargo room than X5 and better mileage.

Plus they are more fun to drive IMO

+1

Really? Where did you get that info? I have been in a 540it and the X5 has a bunch more room, both in the pass4nger seating area and in the cargo area.

This whole SUV fantasy is beyond me.
2002 X5:
Maximum Cargo Capacity: 54 cu. ft.
2002 E39 wagon
Maximum Cargo Capacity: 64 cu. ft.
http://www.edmunds.com

+1.

We need to get out of this american lifestyle, and start living smaller.
Living large < Living efficient

Live large or go broke trying. Its the American way.

Ground clearance?

So you can look like a total douche when you get stuck in 3" of snow on your summer tires.

Do you really want to be that douche in a chick car?

[ldsbeaker]

This whole SUV fantasy is beyond me.
2002 X5:
Maximum Cargo Capacity: 54 cu. ft.
2002 E39 wagon
Maximum Cargo Capacity: 64 cu. ft.
http://www.edmunds.com

Also on edmunds:
2004 x3 3.0i
Movable tie-down points in the cargo floor allow the most to be made of the
71-cubic-foot capacity.