Looking at a couple of X5s

[TwinsPoppa]

Originally Posted by vegasX5

... Every wonder why you can buy a Rolls Royce from the 1980's for +/- $15k when that's a fraction of what they cost new? Because you'll spend that money +/- $15k every year you own it if you want to drive it

I thought Rolls Royce built things to last!

[MSUSaul]

I have an X5 with 115000 miles, fully loaded. I'll take 10,500.00 for it. It's a 4.4 with the sports package. let me know what you think.

[Daytomann]

Well, while you guys were posting some very helpfull info, I went back and looked at the 3.0i...

From your replies, its not looking good, but heres one last ditch effort.

I have definately nixed the 4.6is.
I've turned my attention to the 3.0i. I was mistaken on the year of that vehicle..
The 3.0i is an 2001 with 88k miles. I found out its a local car. I talked to a BMW enthusiast friend of mine. He's a bit more optimistic about the vehicle, not sure if he's got his BMW homer hat on but between him and his dad, they have owned several older, high milage BMWs. There is only one BMW delaership in my town and because of this, my friend says that there are 2 or 3 very good indy's around.
I got the VIN off the 3.0i and called the local dealership. Sure enough, it had been serviced there. They had all the records. The service guy ran down the list and said all the regular maintenance was done to the letter and that it had been well maintained. The #1 inspection was done and checked out. Hoses and elts replaced, bushings replaced, some kind of seal was replaced, air bag sensor module replaced. He basically said that everything that normally goes wrong with these vehicles has been replaced and all service bulletins and recalls had been done...a few other things but I cant recall. The last time he saw it was Seept 09 with 85K on the clock. The guy said it due for #2 inspection at 90K mikes and that I might wanna change the plugs at 100K.
My next step is to drive it over to the Indy shop my friend suggested and have it checked out and see if I'm in for anything major.
What do you guys think so far?

[Supernatural]

I love my 3.0 X5 5M Sport

[Werewolf]

Originally Posted by Daytomann

Well, while you guys were posting some very helpfull info, I went back and looked at the 3.0i...

From your replies, its not looking good, but heres one last ditch effort.

I have definately nixed the 4.6is.
I've turned my attention to the 3.0i. I was mistaken on the year of that vehicle..
The 3.0i is an 2001 with 88k miles. I found out its a local car. I talked to a BMW enthusiast friend of mine. He's a bit more optimistic about the vehicle, not sure if he's got his BMW homer hat on but between him and his dad, they have owned several older, high milage BMWs. There is only one BMW delaership in my town and because of this, my friend says that there are 2 or 3 very good indy's around.
I got the VIN off the 3.0i and called the local dealership. Sure enough, it had been serviced there. They had all the records. The service guy ran down the list and said all the regular maintenance was done to the letter and that it had been well maintained. The #1 inspection was done and checked out. Hoses and elts replaced, bushings replaced, some kind of seal was replaced, air bag sensor module replaced. He basically said that everything that normally goes wrong with these vehicles has been replaced and all service bulletins and recalls had been done...a few other things but I cant recall. The last time he saw it was Seept 09 with 85K on the clock. The guy said it due for #2 inspection at 90K mikes and that I might wanna change the plugs at 100K.
My next step is to drive it over to the Indy shop my friend suggested and have it checked out and see if I'm in for anything major.
What do you guys think so far?

You can have a reliable x5 but it will cost you money (not maintenance-free)

Also consider a MDX or an older LX470/gx470 if reliability really matters. Nothing else will drive like a x5 though.

Stuff that should break soon if it hasnt
- water pump
- CV joints
- tranny (if you're unlucky)
- cam angle sensors

[4.8bro]

Originally Posted by Daytomann

Well, while you guys were posting some very helpfull info, I went back and looked at the 3.0i...

From your replies, its not looking good, but heres one last ditch effort.

I have definately nixed the 4.6is.
I've turned my attention to the 3.0i. I was mistaken on the year of that vehicle..
The 3.0i is an 2001 with 88k miles. I found out its a local car. I talked to a BMW enthusiast friend of mine. He's a bit more optimistic about the vehicle, not sure if he's got his BMW homer hat on but between him and his dad, they have owned several older, high milage BMWs. There is only one BMW delaership in my town and because of this, my friend says that there are 2 or 3 very good indy's around.
I got the VIN off the 3.0i and called the local dealership. Sure enough, it had been serviced there. They had all the records. The service guy ran down the list and said all the regular maintenance was done to the letter and that it had been well maintained. The #1 inspection was done and checked out. Hoses and elts replaced, bushings replaced, some kind of seal was replaced, air bag sensor module replaced. He basically said that everything that normally goes wrong with these vehicles has been replaced and all service bulletins and recalls had been done...a few other things but I cant recall. The last time he saw it was Seept 09 with 85K on the clock. The guy said it due for #2 inspection at 90K mikes and that I might wanna change the plugs at 100K.
My next step is to drive it over to the Indy shop my friend suggested and have it checked out and see if I'm in for anything major.
What do you guys think so far?

I think you're right on target. If you have a good indy shop that does reliable work and won't try to sell you on things you don't absolutely need, that will help you out a lot. If I were you, I'd have your indy mechanic go over the car with a fine tooth comb and pick out anything that might need replacing, focusing especially on suspension (control arms, cv joints etc). Also Brakes - they're expensive. If the engine has been maintained as well as you say, it'll go for 300K miles. The other thing is that you'll never find another SUV that drives like an X5 and it will drive tight and solid for a very, very long time. I have a friend with a Nissan Xterrra and its been a maintenance nightmare. You never know but if this 3.0 has been well maintained and driven well, you should be in good shape. Worst case scenario is that you're unhappy with it and sell it in 2 years. If it's had the maintenance done on schedule, with a little luck you should be able to get a few years out of it without anything major. Keep us posted....

[meltdown325]

Originally Posted by Daytomann

I've turned my attention to the 3.0i.

I got the VIN off the 3.0i and called the local dealership. Sure enough, it had been serviced there. They had all the records. The service guy ran down the list and said all the regular maintenance was done to the letter and that it had been well maintained. ... He basically said that everything that normally goes wrong with these vehicles has been replaced and all service bulletins and recalls had been done...a few other things but I cant recall. The last time he saw it was Sept 09 with 85K on the clock.

Damn, the way this thread is going you'd think that every X5 is a time bomb incapable of driving 5 miles without breaking. While they do need maintenance and repairs, as do most used cars that are 7-9 years old, X5s are uber solid and feel like they're carved out of a block of solid steel.

I think that one primary consideration is whether you can DIY your maintenance and repairs. The insane costs you see on here for maintenance and repairs are drastically reduced/mitigated if you can spin wrenches. I do all of my own work on all of my vehicles, and like you I also have a third car that can be used in an emergency if the X goes out of service for a few days. Those two factors let me save money (likely thousands of dollars by now) on maintenance and repairs.

The 3.0 you are looking at sounds well maintained to this point, which is a huge. There is a risk buying any used car, and Consumer Reports (which I think sucks in most auto advice) does show the X5 3.0 as "average" for used car reliability, so it can't be that bad. Yes, I have also had to do maintenance and repairs on my X, but it was nothing unusual (radiator, alternator, belts, etc...), and the X is so sweet to drive on a daily basis it is worth it. If you can do your own work, or have the resources to pay someone to do it, then I say go ahead.

[c4racer]

They are great vehicles - I love driving mine. I also have no issue doing almost any repair job and all maint myself, plus I own several other vehicles so it makes everything work well for me. While I didn't own mine the entire time, I have all the records on mine through BMW since it was a CPO car up until last year.

Here is what went wrong:
- water pump
- alternator
- coolant expansion tank
- valve cover leak
- oil pan leak

the suspension is all origional and still in good shape. Wear on those items depends alot more on use than strictly on miles. Seems mine was mostly a highway driver.

Anyway - nothing too major or unexpected for a vehicle that has now travelled over 100K miles. And currently it is as solid as could be and runs and drives like a new car. I would take it anywhere. In fact, it was driven 4K miles from KY to CA last year when I bought it and had over 90K miles on it at the time. Zero issues with the trip.

Best driving SUV out there including the much more problematic Cayenne. I have a buddy with a new 09 GTS that has been having so many issues with it already he is thinking about selling it already.

Anyway - it's a great vehicle, but I just wanted to give the OP some perspective on what it takes to own one going up into the mileage range he is considering.

[cheappc]

I also love my X!

Its incredible but my car feels like a 50grand+ car, everybody thinks so and compliments me on it... And "I" am also impressed... If you drove it, you know what we mean.. there isnt any other like it on the road...

I just got it like 3 weeks ago, and its been a blast (at least for now knock on wood), but I also kept in mind that what everybody has said on here - i have budgeted for those things when they do come up (and I try to do preventive maintenance as well).. I bought mine for $18.5k, 2004 X5 triple black on black on black, with 59,000 miles.

However, I did have to replace my drivers door carrier, I did it myself for $88 dollars (the second day I owned it).

[jpnut]

They are great trucks. Fun to drive and great features. The maintenance is pretty steep, I would image the middle 50% pay around 1000 annually after 55k miles on the odometer for basic repairs like brakes, CV boots and others on the boards. Good luck, I am looking at an E83 under CPO. The warranty has saved me thousands.