Just got back from two roadtrips in the X5 (2008 4.8). Houston to Nantucket and back, then Houston to Aspen to Santa Fe and back to Houston. Around 7000 miles. Never once had to use a roadmap- relied completely on factory nav for both trips. More than adequate- couple of times it didn't want me to go the way I wanted to go (tends to prefer interstates), but after a while it came around. Also liked the traffic info that warned about problems ahead- even if there wasn't always a way around it (like I-95 NYC through Connecticut.) The nav even directed me to a 30 mile unpaved forrest service road in central Colorado a friend had told me about that goes from Crested Butte over Kebler Pass to Carbondale. No problem. A little strange listening to satellite radio out in the middle of nowhere though. Also useful to be able to locate reststops, gas stations, CARWASHES, motels, restaurants and then decide if you want directions there or phone ahead for reservations.
Daily mpg varied between 19.8 - 22.1 depending on terrain (flat vs mountain), AC on or off (not always necessary at altitude or out east) and whether or not sunroof and/or windows were open. Speed was usually 3-4 mph over posted limit.
Favorite features besides nav: the active/ventilated comfort seats. Extremely comfortable. Massaging really helps reduce driver fatigue on long trips, and the vents help reduce back/butt sweating in west Texas heat. Altimeter is useful in mountains- usually kept the map facing north in the larger left-hand screen, current position (with altimeter) in the smaller one on the right. Also enjoyed the BMW cooler that plugged in the rear console. Also appreciated the way cruise control will not let you exceed your speed when going downhill on curvy, steep mountain roads. Set it as low as 30 and it held me there. For the 10-20 mph curves, steptronic shifting was easy- tried not to use the brake if I could avoid it. Goes without saying that handling, power, and braking were all superb on every road. Like the size of this truck too, it's not too big, but has plenty of room for two adults, all our gear and two big golden retrievers.
Least favorite features: I've had two of the AC vent tabs break- one on the rear console, and now one on the center dash. Seems pretty strange for a car less than a year old- the one in the rear cost $700 to repair (covered by warranty) i don't yet know about the front one- it goes in Friday for the fix and an oil change. Wonder if anybody else has experienced this. Another gripe (very minor): my right knee has a tendency to hit the mute button on the radio.
08-01-2009, 11:50 AM
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