Welp.

If any mechanic claims he can put a car on a lift and declare the state of the bushes- using visual as well as manipulating and prying- is incompetent. Edit- maybe harsh...he just isnt giving you accurate advice. Not if your criteria is 'I want new car performance'


The truth is actually pretty depressing....

If YOU had bought that X5 new, and driven it for 4 weeks- then teleport yourself into that same car today, 11 hot years later, I believe you would be shocked.

At a minimum,
- sway bar links and bushes
- Lower control arm, aka tension strut

But the actual truth is that over time, all the rubber bushes- not just the 4 or 8 your guy looked at- but every isolation bush, strut-top body bush, rear subframe bushes, diff and transmission mounts, driveline bushs, guibo, etc,etc all will stiffen and wear with age. They just get harder and transmit vibration. The car feels noisier and less precise.

Go drive a brand new 2007 and report back.

It just gets sloppy and noisy... just the nature of age