First UK cars hit the road

[X5FX]

where are you ordering the grill?

[evo_s4]

the 20 y-Spokes just make it look perfect, suck is that the US only offer it with the 4.8

[cpd1]

I disagree with the 3rd row comments. If you need them for adults clearly a no go, but then again they are not sold as real adult seats, even BMW sells them as maximum passenger height 170cm. They are good for kids which is all I need them for on a very occasional basis.
As already posted 2 Yr waiting list is wishful thinking...It will be depreciate pretty much in line with the other BMWs and that's scary...
C

Originally Posted by TopgunNS

Saw two cars for the first time yesterday. Huge, beautiful front end. Drove the diesel with sports suspension

Few comments.

1 Go for bigger wheels if you can, car looks much better. But don't go for the dark 21s, they are not that great
2 Sports suspension is fine, but i'm keeping my order for the adaptive drive
3 The diesel engine is a little noisy but fast enough
4 The sports seats are great
5 Inside, it's not much of an upgrade from a five series to be honest
6 Some dealers claiming two year waiting lists. If you want one fast, go somewhere unpopular-can get one in a few months
7 Space in the back is good, but not enormous
8 The third row is a joke

If anyone has any questions, just ask.

[cpd1]

Fredo,

I would have thought BMW would have already applied these tweaks... That would be a real bummer, don't care so much about the CC but road tax sub 225g would save £95/yr..Mind U not a biggie either but would prefer spending them somewhere else

Originally Posted by Fredo

The two year wait thing is absolute bullsh1t! I got offered a 3.0d last week for June delivery. I ended up ordering one for September build as I want to wait for the Sport version. I believe there may also be a slight change to the tuning of the 3.0d so that it comes under the new car tax and congestion charge CO2 225g emissions band (cuurently 231g)

[Fredo]

Agree that it's not big in terms of road tax but currently none of the X5's pass the emissions test and as the 3.0d is so close it would be relatively easy to achieve. Whilst it's not such a big deal for the road tax it is potentially a huge deal in London with the Congestion Charge. If it is being used as the threshold in London there is every chance that it will be used in road pricing schemes across the country will will no doubt be introdcuced during the life of the E70. If BMW do "tune" the E70 to beat the 225g emissions test it is potentially a big competitive edge they have as many of the competition don't have engines anywhere near passing the emissions test.

Here's a comparison
ML 320 CDI 249 g (ML280 is identical)
VW Tourag 2.5 TDI 267g (3.0 TDI 278g)
X5 3.0d 231g

MY BMW dealer thinks that BMW GB are looking quite seriously at this.

[isuk]

Had my BMW dealer friend call me today trying to get me to go and look at a higher spec E70 but I told him he's too late and I've gone for a high spec new model Cayenne V8. He did tell me that interest in the E70 has picked up now that physical cars are on site and that orders are now looking healthier. It seems that discounts offered to buyers pre-launch are now being rethought in light of this and post launch buyers will find it harder to get a deal. I agree with cpd1 on the residual front though. All SUV's are taking a hit and the new X5 won't be as strong as the old model was in it's early years as the used market is now awash with X5's, Touaregs, Cayennes, RR Sports etc. Too many cars chasing too few buyers and the revised road fund licence rates effect has yet to kick in on the used market.

With the current trend of 4x4s becoming increasingly socially unacceptable in the UK and other "environmentally conscious" markets it also strikes me that the new X6 may just prove to be a niche too far for BMW and risks becoming infamous for being a prime case of a car being launched onto the market at exactly the wrong moment (unless of course it has hybrid power only).

[Gbay]

Originally Posted by Fastbuck

Thanks for the comments.

I put the grille on myself. One of the members of this forum kindly arranged to ship one from the USA to me in time for launch date. The window surround is the high gloss black from the Sports Pack. I personally would have preferred chrome, but I couldn't get it with the Sports. I like the Space Gray but it is darker than I imagined. The combination of the beige interior and the black anthracite headliner works better than I imagined.

The rear view camera is a joke. Not only from a picture quality perspective but also in how it integrates (or not) with the PDC functionality.

Can I ask how much the grille was please?

Looks good and glad you like it

[Gbay]

Originally Posted by Fredo

Agree that it's not big in terms of road tax but currently none of the X5's pass the emissions test and as the 3.0d is so close it would be relatively easy to achieve. Whilst it's not such a big deal for the road tax it is potentially a huge deal in London with the Congestion Charge. If it is being used as the threshold in London there is every chance that it will be used in road pricing schemes across the country will will no doubt be introdcuced during the life of the E70. If BMW do "tune" the E70 to beat the 225g emissions test it is potentially a big competitive edge they have as many of the competition don't have engines anywhere near passing the emissions test.

Here's a comparison
ML 320 CDI 249 g (ML280 is identical)
VW Tourag 2.5 TDI 267g (3.0 TDI 278g)
X5 3.0d 231g

MY BMW dealer thinks that BMW GB are looking quite seriously at this.

If you can afford a £50k SAV who worries about the little costs like CC?

[cpd1]

Fredo,

Sub 225g CO2 band would certainly be nice, would make it the only full size SUV in that band, as you said a nice competitive advantage although I am sure Ken would find a way to them slap a 4X4 tax only no matter what CO2 is, since he has already said the Lexus RX 400h won't get the Hybrid exemption anymore...
I am sure BMW will try to roll out brake regeneration and other tweaks to take it as low as possible alternatively they should move the upper band to 250g
I agree with ISUK on the fact the market offering is getting out of control and that is the biggest factor the residual front. Look at the R class, that thing is impossible to sell, The GL is nice but too big for the UK and the ML is toast with the X5...The X6 seems to me it is an answer to a question nobody has asked. The smaller SUV makes sense and the X3 has had great success but there are only so many niches the market can take as far as SUV go...
C

[Fredo]

CPD1 what you have said about the Lexus is interesting....I hadn't heard that. That is going to be an interesting one as it's going to be very hard to enforce I would have thought? If Ken singles out a specific car I wouldn't be surprised if that ends up in court somehow...restraint of trade or something like that. I am sure the government will win though. Not sure I'd agree with you about the X3 being a big success....the discounts you can get from BMW dealers on them tend to indicate otherwise!

Regardless of all this I am going to be ordering an X5 so I can't wait. Gbay to answer your question the CC doesn't bother me as I live just outside it but my boss lives in it and he's going to have an annual bill of £6500 for driving his kids to school....his new Q7 is looking mighty expensive!