Buying advice sought: X5, lo vs hi miles

[edogg]

Originally Posted by Drpellypo

You can say the same about a wife and kids to be fair.

Yup - try paying for a good daycare. It's literally as much as a mortgage payment.

When I was shopping for an X5, I drove a 3.0 and 4.4 and ultimately chose the V8 as I just love the pull off the line and passing acceleration.

I also considered a 5-series and the 3.0 felt fantastic in there.

My conclusion is that for a sedan or small SUV like the X3, the 3.0 is great. But for a big, heavy SUV, make mine a V8.

My X5 started smoking shortly after I did the first oil change (I think the previous owner or a dealership may have used a stop leak to cover it up). After the initial sticker shock of repairing it, I decided that I love driving it so much and would like to keep it for a long time that I'll save up and do it.

BTW, there was mention of 18-20mpg. Maybe if the drive is entirely highway at slower speeds like 50mph. I average 15-16mpg driving daily on the highway at 65-70mph with some side-street driving on my commute.