Dirtiest X5 :)

Bavarian · #1 03-13-2005, 08:45 PM

These are pictures I took after travelling in the X for 700KM to Mount. Tremblant, Quebec from Toronto. What you see is a layer of road tar, salt, dirt and sand. I didn't even need to censor the front license plate, as you see.

I stayed in Montreal at the SpringHill Marriott for a night on Friday. On Saturday morning, I drove up to Tremblant from Montreal, where I spent a night at one of their hotels. Finally, on Sunday I started heading down to Toronto.

In total, the X travelled 1672km this trip, which is 1045 miles. Across the entire trip, I averaged 12.5 L/100km, which is 18.9mpg.

On the highway, I averaged a speed of 127km/h (79MPH), and 11.7 L/100km, which is 20.1mpg.

For more info on the resort, check out www.tremblant.com

It's a decent-sized resort with just under 100 runs, over 2 meters of average winter snow, and many lifts.

Larger version from above...

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Chris F. · #2 03-13-2005, 10:36 PM

Looks like a very nice place. Do you guys use Salt up there? Doesn't appear that you do looking at your X (salt is only useful down to a specific temperature isn't it?). The mountain looks very very busy....

Curious Joel · #3 03-13-2005, 10:55 PM

Wow... I've got some pics of my X5 that I posted on Bimmerfest a while back when it was covered in dirt/salt but I don't think that it's any match for yours! One question.. It looks like the X5 badge on the trunk is misplaced.. Is that so?

breytonX5 · #4 03-13-2005, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris F.

Looks like a very nice place. Do you guys use Salt up there? Doesn't appear that you do looking at your X (salt is only useful down to a specific temperature isn't it?). The mountain looks very very busy....

Chris they use salt every time it snows. They also use a mixture of sand in there to lessen the negative effects of salt on the asphalt as well as X5s.

Ian, I would've taken the X directly to a nearest car wash if I were you before I park the thing.

Bavarian · #5 03-14-2005, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curious Joel

Wow... I've got some pics of my X5 that I posted on Bimmerfest a while back when it was covered in dirt/salt but I don't think that it's any match for yours! One question.. It looks like the X5 badge on the trunk is misplaced.. Is that so?

In the metropolitan areas like Toronto and Montreal, they have trucks sprinkle granular salt combined with sort of sand or gravel, as Phong said.

But in the Tremblant area, they did not use any salt. They just used sand and gravel. Those pictures were taken in the hotel's parking lot in Tremblant. You must understand that in Quebec, I did not see ONE car wash in the 10+ times I've been there. You're lucky to find a gas station even. For some reason, to find local services like that, you must leave downtown and midtown for the outskirts.

Needless to say, the X was washed here in Toronto before I parked her home. I had to use the automatic "touchless" robotic carwash...which isn't good in high dirtiness. Anyway, today my "touch" soft-cloth car wash is open and I'll wash the X at lunch again.

Curious, yes my badge is in a different location. The trunk thing was re-painted somewhere earlier in the life of this X, and according to my sales rep who dug up documentation, the previous owner wanted the badge put there to be like the sedans.

I don't mind!

Curious Joel · #6 03-14-2005, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bavarian

Curious, yes my badge is in a different location. The trunk thing was re-painted somewhere earlier in the life of this X, and according to my sales rep who dug up documentation, the previous owner wanted the badge put there to be like the sedans.

I don't mind!

I think it looks kind of cool there... It's unique. Did you notice that every time you back up when the car's really dirty the PDC yells at you? It might not be dirty enough on your car... But cleaning off the PDC sensors is one thing I don't miss about the X5!

Bavarian · #7 03-14-2005, 04:43 PM

Yeah, the PDC yells at me several times each month. It's usually the rear sensors, particularly the rear side sensors.

Oh well - I had rear PDC on the old 330i, so I just didn't see how I could live without PDC on this larger beast.

There are many things I love about the X5 more than in the 330i. For example, the cargo space, the people space, the rumble of the V8, the softer ride, the AWD...

On the other hand, I miss making spirited turns, listening to the low rumble below 2000RPM in 2nd gear, the raw steering feel of the 330i.

That's why I'm following the release of the E90 really closely. If money permits, I shall keep the X5 until it dies, but hopefully a 330i E90 would be a fine addition to the stable as a weekend car to be driven only on dry roads.

Curious Joel · #8 03-14-2005, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bavarian

Yeah, the PDC yells at me several times each month. It's usually the rear sensors, particularly the rear side sensors.

Oh well - I had rear PDC on the old 330i, so I just didn't see how I could live without PDC on this larger beast.

There are many things I love about the X5 more than in the 330i. For example, the cargo space, the people space, the rumble of the V8, the softer ride, the AWD...

On the other hand, I miss making spirited turns, listening to the low rumble below 2000RPM in 2nd gear, the raw steering feel of the 330i.

That's why I'm following the release of the E90 really closely. If money permits, I shall keep the X5 until it dies, but hopefully a 330i E90 would be a fine addition to the stable as a weekend car to be driven only on dry roads.

I decided to get PDC on the X5 when I backed over a wheelbarrow one fine day... It makes parallel parking so much easier. I'm getting it installed on my 330 tomorrow. I miss the space of the X5 and the V8 the most, and I miss how relaxing it was to drive... but how it could really get you excited about driving at the same time.

Bavarian · #9 03-14-2005, 09:07 PM

You should feel right at home in terms of performance with the 330xi. Naturally, you might feel boxed in inside...

However before I had the X5 and the 330i, I had an Audi A6 2.8 - that was a large car - more legroom front and rear than a 5-series. Going from that into a 330i was tight for the first 6 months. Plus I declared the trunk in the 330i as useless due to the hanging HK subs.

But you get used to it after a while, and with the 330i, you can move into small holes in the traffic easily. LOL I still perform such manuevers with the X5 - scares the s*it out of people; sometimes me too.

The 330xi is a VERY fine automobile, which would be my natural replacement for the X5 if I didn't need cargo space.

Curious Joel · #10 03-14-2005, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bavarian

You should feel right at home in terms of performance with the 330xi. Naturally, you might feel boxed in inside...

However before I had the X5 and the 330i, I had an Audi A6 2.8 - that was a large car - more legroom front and rear than a 5-series. Going from that into a 330i was tight for the first 6 months. Plus I declared the trunk in the 330i as useless due to the hanging HK subs.

But you get used to it after a while, and with the 330i, you can move into small holes in the traffic easily. LOL I still perform such manuevers with the X5 - scares the s*it out of people; sometimes me too.

The 330xi is a VERY fine automobile, which would be my natural replacement for the X5 if I didn't need cargo space.

I'm certainly not complaining about driving a 330xi, it's an excellent car. Its performance is on par with the 4.4i, but I miss having all that torque. I feel very enclosed in the 330 because I learned to drive on an X5, XC70, and Audi A8, which is like switching from driving a barge to a cigarette boat. Yes, the trunk is very useless. When I go skiing I can't fit a darned thing in there. Only enough space for two people's gear even with the ski bag. It's easier to dart through traffic, yes, but I still prefer riding above it all!

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