You have to remember that any forum generally has more hate stories than love stories only because fellow motorheads are looking for some type of help with an issue.* People who have perfect running cars probably won't post or even research a forum.* An example is my mother in law who owns a '06 3.0 X5 and doesn't know or understand the first thing about the car other than her dog doesn't like it!!! Like almost any Bimmer, the X5 is expensive to maintain but DIY is not overly limited - there are a ton of minor issues that anyone can handle. Search this site for common problems and overall satisfaction - I did and it helped alot - I feel very educated by this site and am armed with knowledge when I visit my dealer. The X5 is a great vehicle !!!