x5, What year? Reliable?

[bpowa]

Point taken.. At least you guys are not bashful and biased about the reliability..

She wont be using the car anywhere far.. 15 miles to work and we have AAA tow, that we pay for and never had to use..lol

As much as I want a used x5.. The RX reliability is definitely a consideration. But even they have transmission issues.

It just seems for a used vehicle the x5 is alot more for the money. Price wise they average the same.

[nate13]

I bought a 3.0 for the same reason; I wanted a partner for the 330i, and knew the engine was solid. If you proceed with the x, choose a face lifted version with less than 100k. I found a great example with all the stuff your looking for (sport, pano, i6, no air suspension, 1 owner) for 14k. Been great for the last 10k, replaced air intake boot and changed oil and air filters.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by bpowa

JCL: im not sure if it was you.. I recall reading older post that you regret not getting a V8?

Definitely not me. Wouldn't have a V8 BMW unless it was a Z8.

Agree with posts above, 2004+, I6, no air suspension. But I also wouldn't get a ten year old X5 for a dd for my wife, even though I can maintain it myself.

[Buguyed]

In February I picked up a 2004 i6, no air suspension, no nav, with pano, most all options aside from that, auto, and 76k miles for my wife for only $13.5k. It's been great so far. Has 82k on it now.

Also, this past weekend we went on a 300+ mile drive through the Rockies here in Colorado to a friends wedding (With me driving) and we averaged 24.7mpg. Around town I've never seen less than 19 unless we have our little camper behind it.

BMW has been building and using the inline-6 engine for almost 100 years (including the Rapp and BFw years..). I'm a firm believer in this engine and it's also been great in my E46 daily driver.

[bcredliner]

I would look for a 4.4 that has 60-75,000 miles. It should be 25-40,000 miles from the major suspension and engine issues-- that may or may not take place. You might be paying more than you have budgeted but the odds are in your favor that the total cost of ownership will be lower, depending of course on how long you keep it.

The cost of ownership of a 3.0, on average, will be lower as there is less stress on most of the critical and costly components and a couple less cylinders. (Remember that an average is a culmination of big and little numbers) I would still look in the same range of mileage as the 4.4 if possible.

As far as which get the better mileage, that is always relative to how it is driven, where it is driven, city or highway miles, etc etc. Where torque is needed the 4.4 could reign supreme. In a combination of normal city and highway miles it could be quite close. The greater the percent of highway miles should favor the 3.0. However, the 3.0 has a higher final drive ratio that results in the engine running at higher RPMs at a given speed that will impact mileage. I suggest most owners of any vehicle hedge a bit on mileage achieved to the best they have ever seen and who knows how they did the calculations anyway. I don't think you will find a concrete resolution to the mileage issue.

Whether you decide on the 3.0, 4.4 or some other used vehicle, the key is to find one with as complete a history as possible. It is also imperative to do a pre purchase inspection by a certified mechanic specializing in that vehicle. If you can find a private seller that is a one owner you have someone to ask about the X that is a big help. It will take some patience to find the right choice but well worth the effort

If it were me, and the choice was only between the 3.0 and the 4.4, I would go with which ever one I could find in my price range that had the lowest miles, the most complete history and a PPI that verifies the history as much as is possible. Whichever was the winner would decide who gets to drive it.

[bpowa]

^^ My thoughts on this is very similar. Hopefully I can pick one up this week.
I like the idea of mpg.. But the 2 mpg difference is negligible.

However I dont really any 4.4 owners with 250+ miles without issues???

My acura TLs is reliable and feel there are no issues. However the transmission was replaced under warranty at 70k miles. currently 90k on it and still no issues.. all it needs is oil changes and tires. im sure it will last another 100k easily.

So I feel that as reliable as a make and model is its always going to have some glitches.

I guess I am going to have to take a risk on an x5.

[mrbmwx5]

However I dont really any 4.4 owners with 250+ miles without issues???

I know one guy in my neighbor his 4.4 had 2000k + miles ... He replaced the coolant pipe four time and one engine block .

[x5Alpine]

The M62 (4.4i and 4.6is) engine will run just as long as the 3.0i. timing chain guides will have to be replaced on the 4.4i at some point but this should be considered preventative maintenance on the m62. Take care of the v8 with proper maintenance and it will go for just as long as the I6 I promise

[PropellerHead]

Drove both the 3.0 and now have a V8 (4.8is) E53. My '04 3.0 was a VERY early build, so I did not have the pano roof or the wandering front lights but they were HID. I absolutely LOVED the face lift with the smaller roof and non-air suspension. VERY much lighter than the pano roof way up high when running through the curves, infinitely more tossable (you know... for a truck.. compared to.. another truck).

I also loved the the 3.0 did not have Nav. I have Nav in the '00 E39 540 and the '02 E46 330. At the time those cars were new, Garmins and TomTom's were more than a few hundred bucks and Google maps on a mobile device was the stuff of the military. We've had them both since new, but we rarely use the Nav.

Also agree with the i6 offering consistently better mileage, but not by enough to really matter. Over my 100k miles (and 7 years), a couple miles per gallon would net out to ~$2k in additional cost. About $30/month. Meh. My wife's E46 is an oil burner and so was my X5. About a quart every few thousand miles for her, but less for my X5. My mother-in-law's '01 3.0 does not burn oil. So far, neither of my V8's burn oil.

Having said that, I do like the V8. As happy as I was nearly every time with the i6, I am thrilled every time with the V8. I still see my little 3.0 when my neighbors who bought it drive it. It still looks great. 7 years of OCD paint polish and sealants will do that. But I have to say that I have come to appreciate the newer one as I spend more time in it. Just as I did the i6.

The thing to keep in mind is that you will probably come to appreciate either choice as well. The E53 is a great platform. Quiet. Solid. Too early for timeless, but still not 'old' and years away from tired. People cannot believe that mine is 9 years old. If you take good care of yours, people will start to talk about how much money you make.

Let them. Your $ is your business. Drive what you love and love what you drive.

Or yeah. Buy a Lexus.

[championscooter]

I own a 2001 BMW X5 3.0 with 145K miles since 2005 . Along the way, I have spent a lot of money to maintain and repair this vehicle such as: struts axle, valve cover gasket, crankcase vent kit, oil filter housing gasket, CV boot assy, window regulator (a few times), heater resistor and the list goes on.......not to mention fair gas mileage (15-17 MPG average). But it's always fun to drive my X5 and I still enjoy it. If I had owned a RX300, it's probably had better reliable track record as Lexus is very well known for its reliability and dependability. Others have suggested you to buy a 2012 or newer, but that will cost you around $35K plus, heck I can't afford that kind of money either. So if you have the heart on the X5 at around 15K, then stick with the 6 cylinder, it's provened to be very solid engine and easy to work on. And since you're a mechanically incline person, you can DYI and save money. Good luck