2012 X5

Cincinnati Kid · #1 01-12-2011, 12:14 PM

Hello All,

Does anyone know for sure when the 2012 X5 will go into production? My dealer tells me that it will be orderable in March with April delivery; says they'll get the option codes, etc. by end of Feb. I'm wondering if they are just assuming this because of last year's production cycle. Apparantly there are several other models changing over to '12 at the same time.

Tried BMW customer service 800#, but they said they can't comment.

Thanks foir any input.

deutsch100 · #2 01-12-2011, 04:17 PM

March April 2011 seems WAY TOO early to get a 2012 model. I know manufacturers are releasing models earlier and earlier...but I cannot imagine BMW would release a 2012 model in the beginning of 2011. Just a guess, but I would think mid or late summer!

LeMansX5 · #3 02-05-2011, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deutsch100

March April 2011 seems WAY TOO early to get a 2012 model. I know manufacturers are releasing models earlier and earlier...but I cannot imagine BMW would release a 2012 model in the beginning of 2011. Just a guess, but I would think mid or late summer!

I saw the actual BMW production sheet few weeks back and 2012 X5 was April delivery.
3rd gen X5 is just a little over 2 years away.

Penguin · #4 01-12-2011, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cincinnati Kid

Hello All,

I'm wondering if they are just assuming this because of last year's production cycle. Apparantly there are several other models changing over to '12 at the same time.

That would be my guess.

While BMW keeps their model changeover times close to their vest, since the just did a big powertrain upgrade to the petrol X5 models, I would put my money on the 2012 X5 model changerover being the more normal Oct/Nov timeframe.

Kloogy · #5 01-12-2011, 04:54 PM

Didn't they just do a significant change in the LCI model 2011 ? I wouldn't think you would see much difference in 2012.

rickp · #6 01-12-2011, 06:44 PM

LCI should be at least 3 years. Are we sure the X5 is not slated for 2013 with a order timeframe of maybe Mar/April 2012?

Cincinnati Kid · #7 01-14-2011, 12:31 AM

I emailed my dealer and asked them to double check on a Spring '11 launch for the 2012 X5. They replied that after looking into it, they were correct and the '12 X5 will be available this Spring; no specific month. Previously they had stated that they should have the build codes by end of Feb, order in Mar for Apr delivery. Only a couple of months so I am willing to wait. I doubt there will be much in way of changes after LCI; maybe communications, iPod integration. The '11 was introduced last Spring, so it will have been about a year.

Kloogy · #8 01-14-2011, 12:35 AM

If you're going to base a purchase on waiting for those types of things, don't ever buy anything. There will always be new things , and changes .

ukwildcat · #9 01-14-2011, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kloogy

If you're going to base a purchase on waiting for those types of things, don't ever buy anything. There will always be new things , and changes .

Oh yes. Definitely.

I buy lots of technology stuff, which of course changes constantly. My advice (for what it's worth) is two-fold..

Rule 1: Unless you know or strongly suspect that a significant update is coming - end of model year, etc. - buy it now.

Rule 2. Buy the best / biggest you can afford. That is, don't buy the 32GB iPod if there's a 64GB available now. That way, your product will (hopefully) be somewhat less obsolete when the new one comes out.

Rule 3: if a new model just came out, buy now.

This is such a PITA, for us Apple whores, there's a website..

Mac Buyer's Guide: Know When to Buy Your Mac, iPod or iPhone

It's easier with Apple, though, because they sort of stick to a schedule. It's not foolproof, though. On this one, for example, they say "iPhone: Don't buy - updates soon." Well, yeah, but not for like six months (probably). Of course, it's up to you to decide if halfway through a product lifecycle is "soon" or not.

For the X5, we know the new one isn't coming until AT LEAST 2014. My 2011 will probably have 100K miles by then so it would be TIME for a new one.

BMW though.. Not so much. I'm glad they frequently refresh their product, but I am not used to someone making substantial changes in the middle of a model year. I am used to a car maker introducing changes with a NEW model, not "well, we made four changes to the 35i Premium in the 2011 model year." It's not.. comforting.

A good friend of mine who also buys lots of tech crap is one of those "don't buy anything now. Wait." with the result that so much of his stuff is so obsolete it's useless (won't work with the new stuff).

One slight comfort is that while the PACE of changes is EXTREMELY rapid, the trend tends to be that a new version of a product is usually only a minor change. This is why, for example, I can keep a MacBook Pro for at least two years before a genuine "new model" comes around.

I can set my 2010 model next to my 2009 model and they are virtually indistinguishable on the outside or even when you open the lid. There are faster guts in it, but even still it's not a DRAMATIC change.

(no, don't ask why I bought a new one anyway..)

Cars, thankfully, don't change QUITE so often. I might have bought a used X5, but by Rule 3 (above) I couldn't go wrong.

It's true - you can't win this game. I didn't know that there would be new entertainment options. I MIGHT have waited, but by Rule 2, I hedged the bet a little bit - heeded Rule 1 - and I'm still happy.

JCL · #10 01-14-2011, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ukwildcat

Oh yes. Definitely.

I buy lots of technology stuff, which of course changes constantly. My advice (for what it's worth) is two-fold..

Rule 1: Unless you know or strongly suspect that a significant update is coming - end of model year, etc. - buy it now.

Rule 2. Buy the best / biggest you can afford. That is, don't buy the 32GB iPod if there's a 64GB available now. That way, your product will (hopefully) be somewhat less obsolete when the new one comes out.

Rule 3: if a new model just came out, buy now.

The additional qualifier for automotive technology is that Rule 3 involves significant risk of first year problems. Most new computers work fine. With new models of vehicles, the first year of production will always have additional issues. Bleeding edgers don't mind, but others should know what they are getting in to. When the 3.0tt came out, I just made sure that I bought the first production of year 2. My X5 was 2003, the last (and most reliable) of the pre-LCI models. I wouldn't have bought a 2004, even though they were only six months away. I wasn't in the market for one, but I wouldn't have bought a 2007 X5, and won't buy a 2011 X3.