From the E60 forums
 

they were discussing a rendering of the PAS concept, saying it looked like an X6, when:

"The X series cars are a blemish on the BMW brand. Let's take a 5 series, make it heavier and taller and sell it for more. What happened to the ultimate DRIVING machine? I wouldn't be caught dead in one. "

Wow. What snobs. I'm guessing the guy has never drive an X.

Annoyingly, I don't like the concept of a BMW SUV either, although the marketing folks want to call it an SAV. I know it's hypocritical of me to say that, but then again, the X3 wasn't really my choice either.

Hah. I think the X5 is hella fun to bomb around in, even after my E90.
mmmmmm... s-bends and nobody in front of me :bmw:

Honestly, the only thing stopping me from trading my 3 for a 4.8is is the lack of black sapphire on cream sport seats cars, and the loss of my happy pedal... that and the CFO says "too much horsepower" and that means I am on my own for insurance so maybe not till i get that X6 in 5 years. :(

x2. Too many people are obsessed with ride height, including my parents who've boughten two X5's so far. Every loaner from the dealer reminds me how lousy the X models feel to drive compared to the cars. The X3 is much better than the X5 in that regard.

I have both the X and E60 but enjoy the X more as ultimate driving machine, but than my X is also different than most Xs. ;)

4.8is or not, you're insane for preferring it over the 535.:stickpoke

Its lot more sporty and ///M like drive than 535. :nanana:
Did your parents got their new BMW?

My 535 accelerates much faster than X5 4.4, it also handles better. It take nothing to go from 50 to 80 in the 535, when getting around slow moving cars the 535 is great. The fact that it quiet helps if I did the same passing move in the X5 my passengers would hear it and question it.

The X5 is bigger and has more space the height. The larger presences helps in city traffic, it seems like cabs are much more likely to cut in front of me in my 535.

As for me, I've been driving the X for the past week due to light snow. Since I got the winter setup on the M, she's not that much fun and really not as firm on the ground during hard driving. Too much power I think.
The sd has done a great job so far and will be taking her for a 2500kilometer ski trip next month for the first time. The E60 is a rocket monster that doesnt like winter. Will post a thread about how the X coped.

"boughten" ? :confused:

I disagree as well, I was picking up a '06 M3 Convertible fully loaded and there was my X sitting right next to the car I was doing the deal on and ended up liking it more

Yep, they ended up picking up an 05 X5 CPO a few months back ago after driving the 535 and E70. They loved the 535..but it's not an X5 (height) :rolleyes:. Not so surprising of an outcome since the same thing happend when they bought the 01. It was cross-shopped against a 530i.

Drove the E70 3.0si the same day as the 535, felt it it was too sluggish off the line, and didn't want to pay for the 4.8. So the solution was to pick up a CPO X5 and toss it for an E70 diesel before the warranty ran up.

car > suv :cool:

yea yea

Hold on, Hold on, Hold on...

You can please go back to the E60 forums and tell them that B-Line said, their all a bunch of morons.

I have owned two X5's, 4.4i with sport package and 4.8is, both of them were outstanding drivers vehicles. Matter of fact, I also own a 7-series and that think drives like a U-boat compared to my X5's.

So why is BMW wrong for making the X5 but not wrong for making a 7 series? Furthermore, I used to use my X5 to tow my Porsche to the track:

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...brary-3148.jpg

And would then take hot laps with it:

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...brary-3133.jpg

The X5 with a sports package was much more enjoyable to drive than a 5-series without a sports package. So why does BMW make cars without sports packages then? What's more sporty? A 5 series on a soft suspension or a X5 on a stiffer one?

Of all the cars I have ever owned, and I have owned quite a few, the X5 has been, overall, my favorite. It's a great daily driver, it's an amazing tow vehicle and it's performance out drives almost every other sedan I can think of.

Matter of fact, outside of technical gremlins that a lot of X5's have, I have NEVER heard of anyone who actually owned an X5 that didn't absolutely LOVE it. And I can't say the same for a 535.

:drool: Two of my absolute fav cars of all time!!

I've never driven a 7-series long enough to really get a feel for it, but I'd rather have a 528i (even non-sport) than any X5. And I prefer the 3-series over the 5's. Of course Sport package is better, but the non-Sport BMW cars aren't that soft and easily acceptable relatively speaking.

My main problem with all X5's is steering. No X5's steering feel comes even close to any BMW car, not even remotely close. The stiff spring rates feel artificial too, like they're just masking the true problem. It's kinda like fwd cars.. no matter what do you do, the inherent problem is still going to exist. Guess I'm just not comfortable in suv's irregardless of paper performance. To plainly answer your question, a diesel 5-series without sport package is sportier than a 4.8is.

Maybe when 'I grow up' I'll appreciate suv's with automatic transmissions, some day. When I was younger, both my parents drove cars with manual trans', now they refuse to apart from driving the Prelude once in a while.

And of course..all IMHO.

It's clearly a matter of preference, but I disagree. When I picked up my S2000 nearly four years ago, it had 18k on the odo. It was my daily driver and I found the X5 for a smokin price and picked it up to merely to flip it (picked it up for ~$17k under book from a friend who takes in lease returns!). I thought I would drive the X for a couple of days just see what it was like because I have always been an Audi guy and wanted to know what the whole BMW fuss was about. Since then, the S2000 has seen about 3k per year and the X about 10k. Of all the cars I have owned from an S4, a TT, A6 twin turbo, MKII GLI Jetta with roll cage/harnesses/1.8T, Volvos, Jeeps, Land Cruiser, etc. etc. I have enjoyed none as much as the X5. It's not because it's the most sporty vehicle or the fastest or the flashiest or the best handling, but it's the phenomenal balance and blend of all the above. I think it handles great and performs great, but I feel safer in this car than any other and love the driving position. I have taken it offroading, camping, skiing, taken it through the desert to CA at 130mph, and I have valeted it at high end restaurants/clubs the same night and not felt out of place. There's a short list of vehicles that have that kind of versatility and I think the X5 is at the top of that list!

May I remind this picture. :nanana:

You mean "yeah yeah"?

"Yea" is the opposite of "nay" and rhymes with it. I have been waiting for gresch to come back on you :rofl:

Yes, you could. But then we could ask if it was a fuel truck, or a milk truck that is being overtaken. Either one would create great fodder for comments about the X5. Or we could say that the 4.8 driver saw his reflection and thought he was driving an F1 car :nanana:

It was still a neat advertisement.

The new BMWs are just plain dull to drive, period. They're competent and technically brilliant pieces of engineering, but not very exciting. So naturally, a E60 535i isn't going to be as interesting as a E53 X5. The fizz just ain't there.

Driving the E90 325i and my X3 are two very different experiences. The 325i is very fast and corners very well. The X3 leans more, rides poorer, has a higher centre of gravity, and accelerates more moderately out of bends. But at the end of the day, the X3 is preferred because it's just more enjoyable to drive fast. Everytime I go around a set of good roads quickly, I want to make a U-turn and do them all over again (and I have). This only occurs in the X3. In the 325i, I'm too busy screaming at the complicated computer stuff.

So in the end, I would rather just have a E46 M3. None of the excess bulk of the X3, more of the fizz.

I have owned a X5 4.4 in past and now 535 and 4.8is and between the 535 and 4.8is I prefer 4.8is as it has more oomph and sportiness, and better lane changing capabilities and acceleration responses on highway. My 535 is stock (and not 550) and not as sporty. If I had a M3 than it would be a different story. But sorry to other 535 owners, I prefer 4.8is to 535. ;) :)

That, and the F1 car the 4.8is is delusional about, isn't even a BMW. It's a Williams LOL!

You should try the 535 with the M-Sport package (including M-Sport suspension), and the manual transmission. :)

Seriously, I think the X5 is great. I really enjoyed mine. I thought it was a very competent, good handling, SUV. (It is an SUV and not an SAV) It is just that I find a comparable sedan handles that much better. I got tired of having a pretty good handling and very useful vehicle (the X5) and a very good handling vehicle and not very useful vehicle (the Z4), and so found one that could cover both bases. I can't tow a trailer, or put the top down, but most of the time I have a smile on my face when driving it.

But it would be boring if we all drove the same thing :thumbup:

I traded a E39 to get my X5 and I find that it is equally nice, but really needed the Xdrive and the higher clearance to get around in the mountains here. That said, I think it handles almost as well as my old E39.

As much as I love driving sporty ass cars, and believe me... I've driven ALL BMW's available as a dealer tech. When I had small, nimble, sporty little cars, I just missed my big, powerfull old trucks and SUV's... and the ability to haul a decent sized trailer for my other toys and home improvement runs... So I bought the 4.6is and haven't ever been happier with a vehicle. And have out run and out-handled many friends with supposed muscle cars and sport trucks. And we have customers trade in big domestic 4x4 deisel duallys for X5's saying "the X5 pulls my offshore boat out of a wet slip much better than the dually did"