I never claimed it to be. All I know is I paid well over £50,000 for a car that has been in the garage for 3 days (and counting, by the time they get round to working on it again Monday it'll be up to day 6) total since we bought it a couple of months ago.

First time, it took 5 days just to get an appointment because the service department was so busy fixing broken cars. Yesterday, car was towed at around 6pm. BMW got it first thing this morning. They phoned us at 3:30pm to say "we've just got round to looking at it. What seems to be the problem, we can't understand the report that BMW assist left us". They also said "about the tracker you've had fitted, when and where was it done?". "By you, prior to delivery", we said. Tomorrow, we are going to pick up a lovely bottom of the range 320 with cloth seats and manual gearbox. That's going to be great for the school run, not. They also said we could only keep the loan car for a maximum of 4 days, regardless of whether the X5 is fixed by then or not?? My wife took that call but if they ask for the loaner back before the X5 is fixed, I'll be taking it back at the same time as handing them a formal letter rejecting the X5 and asking for a refund.

I am a patient man - honestly - but this is strike 2. After this, if I get one more fault, the car is going back for good. The idea of the X5 was to have a very safe and reliable car which I know my wife and three kids will be safe in. Breaking down is just not acceptable. Breaking down and then not receiving first class service is inexcusable.

I am sure there are many happy X5 owners out there. I was one until a week ago. But now, the good feeling we got of stepping in to the safe reliable X5 has gone and won't return. We will always be doubting whether it's going to break down again, whether something else will go wrong. We planned to take the car to France soon. What happens if we are in the middle of France at night and it doesn't start?? You just don't want that cloud of doubt over your head in a vehicle of this class.

If the X5 was stolen today and we got our insurance paid out, I would not order another one, that is how I feel about it.

Yes this is gut feeling. No it's not scientific. But I couldn't care less - my car is broken - and I hope people reading this realise the X5 is not fit for purpose or ready for production yet. Wait 6 months, or buy something else.