What should I Look out for?

[m5james]

Originally Posted by tekman

It's not a CPO, or at least the one I test drove is at a GMC dealer, was a trade in. The local BMW dealers don't have any CPO ones in stock. I've seen a few CPO's online, but none that are near enough to do a test drive, so if I bought one over the internet at a BMW dealer, I'd have to fly there and pick it up and drive it back, or pay for delivery without having driven it before I get it.

CPO isn't the holy grail of warranties, so I wouldn't invest too much time into worry about that. Warranty work is very similar to taking a car to a body shop...there can sometimes be a HUGE difference between what the shop charges per hour vs what the warranty/insurance company is willing to pay. Contrary to AEGGroup's experiences, you'll find varying experiences all over the highway with original and CPO...even to little mundane crap like not replacing the delaminating headlight switches by saying the customers were too rough with them. I'd say AEG's experience is definitely a rarity compared to what I've witnessed over the years.

[tekman]

So I finally found a dealer that has both the 4.8i and 3.0SI I could test drive. I think the 3.0SI has enough power for me. The 4.8i was nice, but I actually felt the 3.0SI had a smoother start from a complete stop. The 4.8i I drove tended to torque out then jerk forward then it would accelerate. On the freeway, they performed similar, so I think the 3.0SI with the sport package is the one I want. Now to just get rid of the GMC Denali and find the one I want.

[aeggroup]

Originally Posted by tekman

So I finally found a dealer that has both the 4.8i and 3.0SI I could test drive. I think the 3.0SI has enough power for me. The 4.8i was nice, but I actually felt the 3.0SI had a smoother start from a complete stop. The 4.8i I drove tended to torque out then jerk forward then it would accelerate. On the freeway, they performed similar, so I think the 3.0SI with the sport package is the one I want. Now to just get rid of the GMC Denali and find the one I want.

You have to get used to 4.8i engine to drive it smoothly from my expirience. 4.8 has endless power and it's pleasure to drive when you know how and when to press on the gas pedal. It took me about 2 weeks to learn. I agree 3.0 is enough..its a matter of personal preference. Gas mileage is almost the same IMO. Whatever you buy - enjoy it.

[Noodle555]

I agree with the majority of the points above.

One thing you have to remember on a forum is that people usually only post to notify of problems or when they need help locating the cause of an issue. There are far more X5 owbers out there who have not had an major issues. I say major as the few minor things were covered by warranty (power steering pump and a light switch that was peeling).

[Fergcougar]

Jmiller: Wow I need to take my 4.8 to your guys cause I had the same probs and they denied me Cocksuckkers

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by Sarge

- Check to be sure the interior tailgate plastic isn't loose - it's a crappy design and the tabs break off, resulting in rattles. BMW says the tailgate isn't designed to take the weight of a person sitting on it, which is absurd, and a lot of them brake.

Particularly since the Owners Manual says the tailgate can handle up to 550 lbs. Though I guess it doesn't say it can handle 550 lbs without breaking!