Yeah, brake dust is ghastly...but all German cars are like that. Just the price we pay for awesome performing brakes. BMW and Benz turn black after the first short drive.

-The key fob REALLY annoys me. MBZ came out first with these electronic key fobs in 1998/99...but their's made/makes sense. Why does BMW insist upon entering the fob, pressing a separate button to start/stop and then to boot...you have to press in, for it to release?? Either make Comfort Access standard, or use a Smartkey (one step system) like Mercedes does on models not equipped with Keyless Go (Comfort Access)!!

-The front windscreen (glass) is not thermal glass...and in hot weather (90F+) A LOT of heat is generated thru the front glass. It is very uncomfortable. The 7 Series is the same way. Ughhh!

-Interior door handles/pulls feel cheap and thin. For a car in this price range, they should be metal (as in the 7 series, S class and Porsche/Audi).

-Gas mileage is horrific. I know the car is BIG, and the V8 is big...but it still sucks!

-Rear blinkers should be Yellow/Orange as is mandated in Germany, and up until the 2006 3 Series sedan...all BMWs had yellow blinkers. I find the red blinkers to look very American, and in bright sunlight....they're hard to see mixed with brake lights. That's the reason Germany requires different coloured blinkers, compared to brake lights.

I do love my X5 though. The engine sounds great, it is VERY comfortable, looks aggressive, free maintenance and it is very safe & solid.