Thinking about buying an X5
 

First post.....

We are looking at purchasing either an 05 or 06 X5 and had a few questions. I’ve heard the NAV unit is not very good at all so I was originally looking for vehicles that did NOT have it included. However, I have realized that we will want to have XM and an Ipod controller into the sound system. I found BSW and it looks like these may be the guys to purchase the equipment for the integration. In spite of the poor NAV, it might be more beneficial to have one mainly for easier display of the XM and Ipod information. Is this true? Will the steering wheel controls still work for this aftermarket integration?

Also, the steering wheel looks different…..depending on the specific vehicle. I don’t really know the difference. One had a more round center and the other one is more rectangular.

I’m pretty convinced we should go with the 4.4 engine. Anything to look out for? I would like to find one with the 100k warranty if possible. Would this be advisable considering the cost of repairs?

Any other obvious things to look for before pulling the trigger on the purchase?

Thanks for all the help!

The three spoke wheel is with sport package. I recently had the same dilemna with the NAV system -- decided to go with it due to the resale value it will add for the car. Like it or not, if you have the NAV in there, you will likely be able to sell the car faster in the future (just my personal experience with BMWs).

I purchased the 4.4i a little over 2 months ago and really enjoy it. The gas mileage sucks in the 4.4i as opposed to the 3.0i, but the extra power goes a long way. I also purchased the extended maintenance package that goes along with the CPO warranty just for the piece of mind. Keep in mind there are quite a few things the CPO wont cover so you may want to purchase an aftermarket warranty -- there are plenty of threads in the search feature on this issue. If you are buying 2005 or 2006, make sure you know when the in-service date started so you'll know how long the factory warranty is valid for.

If you are purchasing from a private party, take it to a respected BMW mechanic who can look it over with a fine tooth comb -- if from a dealer, make sure they show you the CPO checklist. My car has already spent about 10 days at the dealership where I purchased (Rusnak in Thousand Oaks, CA) due to oversights from the CPO inspection team.

Good luck -- it is worth every penny (IMO)...:thumbup:

I've read that the mileage is close (almost identical) to the 3.0L. I've seen highway mileage on the 4.4 to be around 19-20 and the city driving around 16 or so. Does this sound accurate?

Is the sport model the nicer of the two?

Sorry about my general lack of knowledge on the BMW's. We came from a Volvo XC90 and it was in the shop a lot! I know the BMW is suppose to be a better build quality but I still don't know too much.

My wife had the XC90 prior to our purchasing the X as well. The X5 with sports package (depending on size of the wheels and tires) will ride a lot stiffer that the XC90 -- some like it and some don't. It will take some getting used to in comparison to the XC90, but you can always get an X without sport package and it should ride smoother.

My family does a lot of city driving and the 16mpg the sticker states in pretty much a marketing ploy and complete BS (IMO) -- we get around 14 or so city driving and roughly 19 - 22mpg on the highway (depending on LA traffic it can be as bad as city driving -- but on long trips it has been able to squeeze out nearly 20mpg). You'll pretty much forget the mpg when you need to pass someone or just want to put the pedal down and enjoy the horses under the hood. The XC90 is a slug in comparison...

The BMW will have its days in the shop too. Think of it this way -- if you are married to a hot wife, you have to treat her nicely to get the most out of her, right? Treat the X5 with respect and buy her some upgrades and make sure she has the best nourishment, keep her in shape and she'll treat you great too! Treat her like shit, let her eat 87 octane, never wash her or change the fluids and you'll get what you deserve -- another whale on the couch who'd rather watch Oprah than exercise in bed with you !!! :rofl:

lmaooo ^ good point =P

my $.02 after owning many BMW's

1. V8 vs. I6. Both are great motors and essentially bulletproof. I6 is smoother and quieter and will be very capable as a daily driver and will cruise without stress on the highway at 80-90mph all day long. The 4.4 gives you the torque many desire for around-town sprints and better towing capacity. Mileage is about the same between both. Maintenance can be slightly higher on the V8.

2. You will want the Premium and Cold weather package at minimum (I see you are in CO). Sport package adds upgraded wheels, suspension and steering wheel. I prefer a tighter ride, thus I look for the Sport package. The standard suspension is fine if you want a softer ride.

3. NAV - it's outdated and DVD based. I personally would not want one because my Garmin is superior. NAV on resale of a 4 - 5 year old car does not effect the price or choice in my opinion. If you are a heavy iPod user, it might benefit you for the display. If it has NAV great!, if not, it's no big deal .....

4. CPO - if you are not good at turning wrenches or have a good BMW certified indy in your area, CPO is probably worth the money. There are many praises and dissapointments with CPO's and extended warranties on this sight. Do some research. I personally have never bought one and been just fine. Maybe luck has been on my side :thumbup:

5. Take your time, prices have dropped quite a bit in the last year and there are some good deals to be had.

6. Most important *** check the maintenance history *** and have the car inspected BEFORE you buy. These may be the ultimate driving machine, but poorly maintained, they can be the ultimate money pit. Expect 150K - 200K miles on a well maintained BMW.

Good luck and enjoy you BMW ............

:xoutpost:

I've got a 2006 4.4i (the model you're looking to buy). I'm sure you'll get some varied opinions on what to look out for. I actually looked at the Volvo XC90 back in 2006 as I was shopping for a mid-sized SUV, before eventually settling on the X5 4.4i. If your XC90 is a V8, you will not like the feel of trading down to a 6-cylinder, so I think the 4.4 V8 is a good choice for you.

As for mileage, 19 mpg highway is a stretch. I'm getting about 15.5 mpg with 70% highway driving. I have not heard of anyone getting 19 mpg in a face-lift (post-2004) 4.4i. Then again, gas prices are not as obscene as they were 8 months ago, so I don't feel the pinch at the pump.

Obviously with any used vehicle, get its' VIN and run a Carfax history report to check for any show-stoppers (flooding, mlutiple accidents).

Getting a CPO (Certified Pre-owned) from a BMW dealer will give you peace of mind, but you WILL pay a premium for that "CPO" designation. I don't know if that's really necessary. You can find plenty of great used X5s from private parties: e-bay, craiglist, etc. But try to get one that's been serviced exclusively at BMW. Not because BMW service is always superior to independent shops, but because it will be very EASY to check the service history that way. Every time the vehicle gets serviced at BMW, it gets recorded on the microchip inside the ignition key. So that way you can get a full service history at any BMW service facility. It will be easier to assure yourself that the vehicle has gotten the regular TLC that it needs.

As for warranties, chances are that an 05 or 06 will be almost at the end of its factory 4-year/50,000 mile warranty. I would not spend extra time looking for one that already has an extended warranty on it (100,000 miles). That's a decision you can make after you already purchase the vehicle. I wound up getting an extended warranty, but I recently dropped it (and got my money back) because they refused to pay for a failed suspension part. I wound up having to pay the dealer out-of-pocket. An extended warranty will not cover every single component, so read the fine print. You can wind up paying $3 to $4 k for an extended warranty, only to find out that you still have to foot the repair bill because it was not a show-stopper failure like engine or transmission. And therein lies the crux of the matter, as it relates to X5s. X5 engines (and BMW engines in general) take a lickin' and keep on ticking. BMW makes some of the finest engines of any production cars in the world today, so it's usually not the engine that hits you in the wallet, but minor, annoying crap, like: door handles, PDC sensors, headlight condensation, thermostat, A/C, etc.
Unless you are a DIY guy or gal (and there are plenty of Forum members that can help you with that) I think it's safe to say that you should expect to budget a cool $1K per year for repair and upkeep.

Just my $0.02. Overall, I'm very happy with my decision back in 2006. Minor headaches and all, it's still a very powerful V8 SUV, a blast to drive, and also a lot of fun to "mod". There are plenty of things you can do to "spice up" the X5 and make it look and drive even better than when you bought it. Good luck in your quest!:thumbup:

Thanks for the tips. We actually had the XC90 T6 (turbo 6 cylinder) but were only averaging around 16 mpg. We really felt that the 6 should have gotten better mileage. We also had to keep bringing it into service and was a headache (CPO to 100k.....but still a headache to keep bringing it down).

We then sold that vehicle and got a Camry hybrid. Yea, it get's great mileage but the thrill is just not there. The only excitement is the gas and my wife has now decided she is not a sedan person.

I have a 3/4 ton suburban that gets around 10-12 so with the X5 our gas bill is certainly going to go up. (Camry gets 34......29 with studded tires :dunno: ).

I have been trying to stick with the CPO's and dealers but could also look around for 3rd party ones. Just a little nervious after the Volvo and a now a german vehicle. Love driving these things as a kid (dad's 533, 535, 535) but never had to pay the repair/maint. on them. I even visited the BMW museum while in Germany as a kid. Fell in love with the 2002tii.

Anyways, thanks for the tips and if any more ideas come to mind, please let me know. Thanks!

FYI.. Gas mileage on the 4.4 and 3.0 are identical.

Gas mileage is pretty much the same between the 3.0i and 4.4i. In my 05 4.4i I can easily get 16 mpg in the city. On the highway I found the x5 to get around 20 mpg on all of our trips. It got 20 mpg with the x5 being driven very hard.