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Originally Posted by NewX5girl
Isn't this true of all cars or just bmw's? I own a 99 Mercedes and it does not give me a lot of trouble. I was always told German cars had longer lives...it that not true for bmw?
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True to some degree. It's difficult to describe without getting technical. One example is the expansion tank design on the X5 and most BMWs, which is pressurized - so it can achieve a higher maximum operating temperature. BUT the expansion tank is made of a composite materials, which is prone to leak or burst with age. It's also part of the radiator, so when it burst, all the coolant may be lost. On a lot of Japanese cars, this isn't the case - the expansion tank is simply an overflow (not pressurized) and therefore doesn't have this additional point of failure. So, whenever I start to see a weep (or smell coolant) from the expansion tank on the X5, I need to change it out ASAP. But on something like a Honda, I can live with a slight leak on its expansion tank for quite sometimes before needing to replace it. This is just one example.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NewX5girl
Do you guy's have other cars that are as much work? Or is it just the x5.
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The MCoupe is more of a fuss than the X5:
1. It needs a valve adjustment every 25K-30K miles.
2. Vanos hub tab(s) that can break - catastrophic if not caught.
3. Vanos hub bolts that can sheared off - catastrophic if not caught.
4. Rod Bearings may wear prematurely - need to do an oil analysis every oil change to monitor this - catastrophic if not caught.
5. Diff that makes noise if not using the BMW unicorn juice
etc...etc...
It's a matter of what you tolerate for the enjoyment of driving it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NewX5girl
Yet you continue to buy them, something is redeeming in them. So in your opinion should I keep it or no. I am not afraid of maintenance, but I am deathly afraid of a money pit. I can't figure out which way to go that has the least amount of bleeding.
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This is a tough question. I've owned my X5 for its entire life (over 12 years and 114K+ miles). I won't even try to predict if and when it will become a money pit. It's paid off. So, I'm happy if maintenance runs less than $1.5K or so a year (on average), which is a lot less than a new car payment! I'm doing a lot of the fairly easy stuffs myself and know someone who can do the tougher things so I can keep the cost down.