Thoughts on the X5?

[Vivek]

Depending on where you live, an accident does not require a rebuilt/salvage title. I am fairly sure it doesn't in Tennessee unless the car was a total loss, and I believe the same applies in NC.

My buddy's father in law was looking at one of these recently. It was super clean and priced right, but when we told him about all the things that could/would need attention on it the deal wasn't quite so appealing. Although if the warranty being offered covers EVERYTHING (including the cooling system, driveline and transfer case), go for it.

I always thought salvage titles were only for total losses..?

[mikeedler]

they def. have their problems, but when it is a good 3 year warranty, sounds like it's a great deal.
the E53s are getting old now and we see alot of suspension problems, as well as the interiors are falling apart, but I think any car that old has these same problems.
make sure the front end is tight (CV boots, and all of the bushings and balljoints)

The V8s have a ton of heat under the hood and seem to turn all plastic and rubber pieces into dust also. personally I would go for an I6 M54, but the V8 are nice too.

who care about a salvage title on a 8000 dollar car........ as long as it looks straight and was repaired fairly correctly.

[MattAvino]

the v8 may not be as reliable as a 6, but this seems like a good deal with that sort of warranty, be sure to look it over thoroughly.

[BoxDriver86]

Got the Carfax, noted as a major front end collision. However, it wasn't a total loss so the car doesn't have an R title.

They do have a 3.0 on the lot that I am going to drive later on. I have no concern for performance and this one is the same price with far less mileage. It's also a manual. This one is much cleaner as well. If it's not too much of a dog I may end up going that route. Carfax on it is clean.

I appreciate all of the advice here folks!

[agent]

I always thought salvage titles were only for total losses..?

Correct, though as I understand it the only time they issue a rebuilt title in TN is when the vehicle first is given a salvage title, then repaired and deemed fit to drive. It is also my understanding that other states will issue a rebuilt title simply for body work.

[agent]

They do have a 3.0 on the lot that I am going to drive later on. I have no concern for performance and this one is the same price with far less mileage. It's also a manual. This one is much cleaner as well. If it's not too much of a dog I may end up going that route. Carfax on it is clean.

The V8 is a lot of fun, though if it's practicality you're after I think you'll be happier in the long term with the I6.

[nomansland92]

my dad has the 4.4 V8 and i think its a little nicer then the x3 that we had before. The 3.0 x3 are under powered IMO. So far we haven't had any major problems with he x5 besides the rear hatch button went bad. I've heard a lot of people say they have transmission problems but i think that's just for the older ones not the 4.8. That does seam rather cheap though but it has a warranty so i would get it.

[ohthejosh]

Be sure the other one comes with a similar warranty. To be honest the warranty is what is best about the deal. After 3 yrs you can pretty much get anywhere from 50% to all your money back on it.

If the repairs were not done properly and you get electrical or mechanical gremlins use the warranty, when it becomes extremely common occurence and you are more and more frequenting the dealership for service. You have the lemon law on your side I believe. Because it should have been completely fixed and inspected before resale.

[e30Nicko]

My parents own a 4.4 v8 03 model x5

While it is a fantastic car, the engine pulls great and it feels incredibly safe (big yet not clumsy)
The ride isn't the best, and there has been a few problems (exhaust manifold gasket) and transmission (auto) not changing through the gears correctly (would rev to 4k before changing even when driving normally).

Put all those probably isolated problems aside and its a great car! comfy interior and engine is nice!

Go for it

[agent]

You have the lemon law on your side I believe. Because it should have been completely fixed and inspected before resale.

Lemon laws typically apply to new cars.

[SpeicherBimmer]

X5s are nice and that warranty, if it covers EVERYTHING, is great. I would personally go for the manual 3.0; the simpler the drivetrain, the less that could go wrong. I heard some bad stories about those panoramic sunroof motors going bad and costing north of $3k to fix...

[Vivek]

Make sure you read all the fine print on that warranty. I wouldn't trust anything that the dealer tells you. Make him wait 5 min for you to read it, it's your 8k. If the warranty looks good, like josh said you can likely get quite a bit of your money back after 3 years.

[LJ851]

X5 with manual trans are rare machines. The 6 cyl ones stress the drivetrain less thus making them more reliable, particularly with higher mileage.

My girl has a '04 4.4 X5 , i tried to talk her into a 6 cyl one but she wanted the V8 power.

[ohthejosh]

Lemon laws typically apply to new cars.

My brother and I bought a used 06 645i that constantly turned on the check engine. The car battery would die if it were not driven more than 15 miles at a time. How did I get that figure? The dealership explained it that way. Sounded like a load of shit to use and we grew tired of constantly going back and forth to see why the service light kept going off.

After almost 3-5 visits to the dealership a month for 3 months. My brother had enough evidence to prove the car was a sold as a lemon.

[Raxe]

Most problematic vehicle BMW has built to date. When I was still at the dealer it wasn't uncommon for literally half the work load on any given day to be E53's. But other than that... go for it... I guess...