Do you ever just want to be rid of your X5?

[c4racer]

OK - brakes, batteries, drivebelts are all maint items that ALL cars need.

Leaking valvecover is a PITA, but that can also happen with any vehicle - tho for some reason the gaskets used on these german engines don't make it much past 80K miles - and that goes for all 3 major german automakers btw. Front axles I assume is due to split CV boots - also a common failure on many 4WD vehicles although again seems the Germans don't use the best rubber there either.

Anyway - BMW's are not like Acuras. The payoff for a much nicer vehicle with superior driving dynamics is a bit more upkeep. Volvos seem to be hit and miss with reliability.

If you want Honda / Acura / Lexus level of reliability and trouble free driving - you just are not going to be happy with a BMW. But there is a big difference in driving dynamics and overall quality between BMW and the Japanese luxury brands. So you need to decide for yourself if the hassle and additional expense of a BMW is worth it to you. For me it is, but then again the expense isn't that great since I do nearly all the work on them myself.