Looked at a 2002 X5 4.6
 

I test drove one today and everything seemed ok, however the steering seemed rather loose compared to all the other BMW's I've driven. I compared it to my dad's 2006 X5 4.4 and the steering seemed not as sharp as well.

I'm new to the forum, is it normal? Did a quick search and it seemed to show that steering is a little light?

Also, what else should I be looking for?

The only other thing is that the wheels were chromed. The car had 55k miles on it and they are asking $31k for it. Good deal?

i think it depends on who's asking, dealership? seems good

all 4.6/4.8is models have servotronic steering, and your dad's 4.4 may not have had that option installed

and

:wavey::xoutpost::wavey:

san francisco!

thats a good price for a 4.6 in your area. I have driven a 4.8 prior to buying my 4.6 and the steering felt tight to me. Im on my forth bmw and I love the way it handles.

Im sure you get some more responses on here about what could be wrong with it if it feels loose.

your 60k inspection II is coming up and that can get pricy. Also, you should be thinking about about your water pump, and replacing your tranny fluid in the near future. Not to mention you'll prob have a window regulator or CV boot that needs to be replaced soon. Im just under 54k on mine right now.

You will also want to look at the build date in the drivers door. These are things I wish I looked into such as being able to open your headlights to clear them out and/or put in angel eyes. It will also help to tell you want upgrades you can do to your car if you choose. Like a MkIII (cd based) to MkIV (dvd based) nav computer.

on the good side, it prob only has analog DSP which means if you put in a DICE for your ipod you dont have to buy/install the extra DSP module.

Check the brakes too, Im at 54k and my light just came on, which means new rotors/pads/sensors for me. over a grand at the dealer but a easy DIY if you want to save some money.

Also think about snow tires if you ever go skiing/snowboarding. The 20's have summer tires, unless these have been swapped.

This is just off the top of my head right now, Im sure more will come to me as I have only had my 4.6 for about 4 months now.

How reliable do you think the 4.6 is?

What is servotronic...I'll do a search as well....but I'm not seeing a benefit if it feels so loose?

HOw can I tell if it is dvd or cd based nav? It is the larger screen one...

its prob a mkIII unless the last owner upgraded. If its a MKIV it will say DVD right on the disk drive. the MKIV uses one disk for the whole country, while the MK3 uses a series of 6 or 7 disks depending on what area of the country you are in

Hmm, tried searching...how involved is the upgrade to the MkIV nav? Do I just need to buy the DVD drive and swap it out? Tried doing a search and came up w/ a lot of software related questions....can you give me a quick jist?

upgrading to the MK4 is just a plug and play operation (disconnect the old one and plug in the new one). the mk4 should run you $600-$1000 and then figure another $100 for the map disk

The software upgrades give you differnt featues like 3d view, and some think it makes it faster.

If you looked at the nav on the 4.6 you prob saw how dated the nav maps looked compared to what else is out there. the mk4 helps this a bit

Thanks for the quick response. So just how reliable are the 4.6?

Would you get one w/o warranty?

servotronic makes the steering lighter to "aid" in manuevering

and absolutely do not get a bmw without a warranty, it will pay itself. although x5s are reliable, there are somethings that may give you headaches

you can get aftermarket warranties if you really want one. I drive 20k-30k per year, and I dont question weather my 4.6 is reliable or not.