New Member - Searching for a light in the dark world of BMW - Page 2

Juanted · #11 04-25-2005, 10:11 PM

I spoke my peace with this post. Enough said.

Good luck, and I hope you get it all fixed. The X5 is a wonderful vehicle, and I hope you get to enjoy it and love as much as we do.

Juan

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dpaanlka · #12 04-25-2005, 11:08 PM

A lot of responses. I'm impressed by the activity in this forum. I'd like to clear a few things up though:

I would much rather be driving the Tahoe. The X5 is beutiful, elegant, and much more refined than the Tahoe. But thats the point. The Tahoe is supposed to be big, beefy, and bad.

I also find it offensive (and rather ignorant), the comment someone made that a Tahoe is a "terrible choice" because it handles poorly. It handles poorly?!?! In what conditions? Of course it can't corner on a dime. Of course theres tons of body roll. It's basically a Chevy Silverado with a roof over the back. And that's how its supposed to be. The Tahoe performs excellently in every condition other than a flat, dry stretch of paved road, which unfortunately, is the ONLY condition in which the X5 "performs" well. The X5 drove like utter crap in our Chicago winters, and it would be a joke to try any sort of off-road, or even rough-road driving in the X5. The Tahoe just eats up snow and mud. It is, after all, a real genuine truck. The X5 is nothing more than a tall sports sedan.

Also I must comment on the "safe feeling" comment. My mother feels much safer driving the Tahoe than the X5. That's why the X5 had been abandoned for four months since we got the Tahoe. (In fact we had to have BMW Roadside come out and Jump the X5.) The Tahoe (especially the taller Z71 models like ours) gives you a cushy feeling that you can just plow over anything that might get into your path. For a sick example: the other guy might be pretty badly injured, but you'll jump out of your truck with perhaps a bruised knee. I feel much safer in the Tahoe than in the X5.

Every car has a purpose, and the Silverado/Tahoe/Suburban family obviously serve theres very well. They are among the best selling trucks of all time, after all.

dpaanlka · #13 04-25-2005, 11:15 PM

Oh yes, and my tone is probably not what you're used to on this forum, being an X5 fansite and all (essentially).

But, honestly, what reasons do I have to praise the X5? You're all becoming familiar with my problems. Mine has been nothing but trouble for four years. Absolutely, hands-down, the worst auto investment my family has ever wasted it's hard earned money on.

I dont want it to be that way, though. I'd like to get help, and perhaps pointers, on what I should do with my X5 (now that it's mine). That's why I joined this site. My parents didn't take the best care of it (in later years), but again what reason did they have to. It didn't serve them well, maybe I can write a different chapter as it starts it's new lease on life as a college student's daily driver.

I'm already finding this site pretty helpful, but there is still a long way to go to get me loving this X5 again.

But don't even get me started on X5 versus the-car-I-oh-so-wish-was-mine Tahoe!!!

JV · #14 04-25-2005, 11:23 PM

You tend to feel differently about any vehicle that you actually work to pay for. Something given has no value.

JV

dpaanlka · #15 04-25-2005, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JVZ104

You tend to feel differently about any vehicle that you actually work to pay for. Something given has no value.

JV

My feelings should still be valid when comparing two (or even three) vehicles that I didn't pay for, then, should it not? Should my feelings not be valid when my mother is in tears that her car is stranded in Pennsylvania (while she was on vacation) for over a month? How about when I see these problems come up constantly?

Also, let's set this "gift of BMW" thing straight...

It was not...

"Happy birthday Danny, here's your brand new BMW!!! YAY!!!!"

It was:

"Well he needs a safe car to drive to school and during the winter (anythings better than a Camaro) and we already have this BMW that's been sitting in the garage for four months, we might as well just have him drive that. It'll save us the effort of buying yet another car."

JV · #16 04-25-2005, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpaanlka

My feelings should still be valid when comparing two (or even three) vehicles that I didn't pay for, then, should it not? Should my feelings not be valid when my mother is in tears that her car is stranded in Pennsylvania (while she was on vacation) for over a month? How about when I see these problems come up constantly?

Also, let's set this "gift of BMW" thing straight...

It was not...

"Happy birthday Danny, here's your brand new BMW!!! YAY!!!!"

It was:

"Well he needs a safe car to drive to school and during the winter (anythings better than a Camaro) and we already have this BMW that's been sitting in the garage for four months, we might as well just have him drive that. It'll save us the effort of buying yet another car."

Nobody likes to see their mama cry, but be a man, get over it!

Regardless, you're basically bitching about a vehicle that was generously handed down to you by your folks. For all the problems you say it has, you have lemon laws, goodwill, your own two hands and mind as resources and aides to get that X5 in tip top shape.

You can't honestly expect to come to an X5 "fansite" as you call it, start talking smack about how great your PARENTS' Tahoe is, and think the X5 owners and enthusiasts here are not gonna be like

. A Tahoe and an X5 both have 4 wheels, and that's where the similarity ends. You wanna go mud-boggin' or drive on unplowed snow covered streets, enjoy that Tahoe, buddy.
That is not the forte of the X5. On the pavement, the X5 stomps on the Tahoe in driveability. Safer too- airbags everywhere, better brakes, lower center of gravity, more advanced electronics.

That cushy feeling when you're in the Tahoe and you feel like you could plow over anybody, that's you not feeling the road at all, cause that suspension is not geared for sportiness or handling.

You should trade in that X5 on a Tahoe immediately. A Chevy dealer would LOVE to have that BMW in their pre-owned inventory!

JV

breytonX5 · #17 04-26-2005, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpaanlka

A lot of responses. I'm impressed by the activity in this forum. I'd like to clear a few things up though:

I would much rather be driving the Tahoe. The X5 is beutiful, elegant, and much more refined than the Tahoe. But thats the point. The Tahoe is supposed to be big, beefy, and bad.

I also find it offensive (and rather ignorant), the comment someone made that a Tahoe is a "terrible choice" because it handles poorly. It handles poorly?!?! In what conditions? Of course it can't corner on a dime. Of course theres tons of body roll. It's basically a Chevy Silverado with a roof over the back. And that's how its supposed to be. The Tahoe performs excellently in every condition other than a flat, dry stretch of paved road, which unfortunately, is the ONLY condition in which the X5 "performs" well. The X5 drove like utter crap in our Chicago winters, and it would be a joke to try any sort of off-road, or even rough-road driving in the X5. The Tahoe just eats up snow and mud. It is, after all, a real genuine truck. The X5 is nothing more than a tall sports sedan.

Also I must comment on the "safe feeling" comment. My mother feels much safer driving the Tahoe than the X5. That's why the X5 had been abandoned for four months since we got the Tahoe. (In fact we had to have BMW Roadside come out and Jump the X5.) The Tahoe (especially the taller Z71 models like ours) gives you a cushy feeling that you can just plow over anything that might get into your path. For a sick example: the other guy might be pretty badly injured, but you'll jump out of your truck with perhaps a bruised knee. I feel much safer in the Tahoe than in the X5.

Every car has a purpose, and the Silverado/Tahoe/Suburban family obviously serve theres very well. They are among the best selling trucks of all time, after all.

----->

dpaanlka · #18 04-26-2005, 02:20 AM

Wow this really cracks me up.

I find it disgusting how many problems this BMW has given me and my parents, yet you all keep speaking of the car like its some gracious gift from the heavens, a wonderous thing to happen to me. I'm so LUCKY that I get to drive around in a 4 year old "truck" (?) that can't even play CDs. Oh my god it's so wonderful (of course, just because it says "BMW" on the front). DING!! "Coolant Level Low" YAY!!! I thought it would be awesome to drive around in a BMW. Now I know why they hate driving it, and now I do to.

Hah - the way this thing is, I wouldn't be surprised if all these great airbags I'm surrounded with didn't even deploy in an accident. Gee wiz, why should they work if nothing else in the car does.

Uh oh - better not run over that puddle of water, it might make the transmission fall right out the bottom and the windows roll down! Oh man this thing handles great though, who cares! And afterall, maybe it will help cool down the engine thats always "overheating" if left running for more than thirteen seconds (or so the guages would have me believe).

That reminds me, the awesome high quality BMW telescoping steering wheel doesnt telescope anymore, it just kind of sputters when you hit the lever. It takes like 20 minutes to get it to extend or retract all the way. What super amazing highly refined technology we have here! Huzzah! Tremendous! They should get more awards and accolades for this stuff!

DING! Coolant Level Low!

kirkX5m · #19 04-26-2005, 02:34 AM

aight, you're right, tahoe is great for what it does.
i think the reason why your x5 is so much out of shape is
#1 it was an early production x5, being new and everything, 1st gen models have a tendency to have a lot of inherent bugs that get fixed as the model gets older. my advice is always to stay away from the new hot models, til 3rd year on...#2 since you rents didnt like the car and all the problems it ran into early on, they maybe have erred to maintain it properly and tack on the problems with the right angle. at this point its getting too late to fix all the problems your ride has, out of warranty, too much money...maybe you can trade it in and get youself a NEW one, i don't think you will do yourself a disfavor, the x5 is now actually a pretty reliable ride dude, awesome power and suspension, a true marvel of SAVs. you say it yourself, you like to drive the X5, you just don't like the shit it gives you (and yah, i'd be fucking pissed too if the CD player didnt work and none of the power outlets worked except for the 2 in the back)!
don't write off BMWs yet, they are great machines, sometimes capricious little shits but so worth it...
my two cents.

Echoi17 · #20 04-26-2005, 02:47 AM

I understand that you may be mad based on your experiences. But you also have to realize that it could just be your car. You can't judge X5s in general based only on your experience. Think about it. Why are there so many BMW enthusiasts? It's because they make great cars. I've driven everything from silverados to H2s...then to the Benz ML...in the snow. And I have to say that of all the SUVs I have driven in the Snow, the X5 is the only car that hasn't slipped on ice for me yet. And this is with 5 years experience and two different X5s. In addition, whether your parents were lazy or not in getting you a new car, you should be gracious. After all, they didn't have to give you crap. I for one count myself very very lucky to have parents who have given me nice cars and given me the experiences of driving many different ones for that matter. Especially since I am only 24. If it wasn't for them, there would have been no way for me to afford my 4.8is. You'll find that once you enter the working world it ain't so easy making money to afford a BMW. And the people on this forum know that. That is one of the reason we know how to cherish what we have. Honestly, you really need to not be so hostile and open yourself up to new ideas and thoughts. It's called growing up. By the way, if you are having reacurring problems, instead of blaming the car, maybe you should blaim your dealership too. Not all dealerships are the same. Try going to another one to fix your problem.

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