Here were my other options when looking:

BMW X3
Toyota Highlander
Lexus RX300
Honda CR-V
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Land Rover Freelander

I spent A LOT of time looking at cars before getting the X5 (it's kind of ridiculous really but my countless hours of due diligence got me a great deal). I would have liked to go with the toyota, lexus or honda for reliability/affordability reasons but when looking for those makes I realized that to get anything that looks nearly as good as the 9300$ x5 I would need to spend 15,000+ for a car with similar functionality.

I know the purchase price doesn't take into account the cost of ownership/maintenance but DIY and a trusted friend who owns an indy bmw shop have helped that out.

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