Ok we can drag this on forever so in light of that fact, and the fact that I still have my 2001 X5 up and running albeit with quite a few defective parts, Ill end it with this latest article from BMW regarding the new 2011 X5 Apparently, it has 4000 NEW PARTS, LOL! I find that beyond hilarious I guess the 4000 old parts werent very good or up to par, so hopefully they fixed quite a few things....

BMW Manufacturing Launches New X5


New Model includes 4,000 new parts

Spartanburg, S.C. – March 23, 2010... More dynamic, efficient, and luxurious than ever, the new BMW X5 continues to strengthen its leading position within the four-wheel drive, premium vehicle segment. The new BMW X5 has a fresh new look and features new engines, drive trains, and thousands of new parts. The associates at BMW Manufacturing have been planning the launch of this new model for over 18 months, which involves nearly 4,000 new parts.

Since launching the original BMW X5 in 1999, this new model X5, the fourth generation, features a completely revised range of engines, standard eight-speed automatic transmission and innovative driver assistance systems that ensure the driving pleasure of the new X5 offers even greater fascination. The production launch of this new model occurred as a digital changeover within Plant Spartanburg, meaning that production associates learned new vehicle processes alongside existing processes and parts were seamlessly transferred into the new model X5. This changeover took place over a single weekend, with no ramp-down of the 2010 model on March 19 and no ramp-up of the 2011 model on March 22.

"The new model X5 features exterior design changes including new front and rear bumpers, new front fenders, new headlights and new tail lights. This adaptation significantly enhances the presence of the new X5, making it look fresher and more elegant," said Bobby Hitt, Department Manager for Corporate Affairs, BMW Manufacturing Co. "In spite of significantly improved performance, thanks to BMW EfficientDynamics, fuel consumption and emission levels are lower by up to 10%."

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Posted by BMW of North America
Tags:
Categories: Design & Innovation,Events & Programs,X5 SAV

So, other than all that, how do you like the car? ;)

I was confused on "Sunny"/Sonny, too...:rolleyes:

Thanks for the clarification on Sunny - kinda funny actually. Glad I watched my tone responding.

Again, agree do disagree, now on another point. Your Mitsubishi and Toyota are not performance vehicles regardless of the HP difference to the X5 3.0. Putting a race car engine into an Avalon won't make it a high performance vehicle either. The brakes, transmission, suspension, steering, tires, wheels, driving position and a bunch of other things including a host of electronics are involved here. Moreover, it's the packaging of all these technical & mechanical components/systems that gives a vehicle a performance label. Sorry to tell you but your Toyota and Mitsubishi (albeit nice cars in your view) are among the farthest from performance you can get in late model cars.

Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play? :rofl:

Motordavid,
other than that I love it, :-)

Sorry bro, but I have to put my $0.02 in. First and foremost: Learn how to use the period. It is a fantastic punctuation tool.:rolleyes: Seriously, I took one look at your "sentence" above and you lost me about half-way through. You may have some valid points, but they get lost when you ramble on and on without clear and concise statements.

Second, JD Power is NOT an objective resource in terms of ratings. Since they accept advertising, as well as allow their ratings to be used in auto advertising, one needs to view their rating with the proverbial "grain of salt". I'm not saying they lie about everything, but they would have a hard time biting the hand that feeds them. The most objective resource out there, if you were looking to quote one, would be Consumer Reports. They do not "whore out" their publication to advertising. Their revenue comes from subscribers only. And while BMW (on the whole) has not gotten stellar ratings from CR, they have never been in the cellar the way that many Range Rover, Suzuki, and Mercedes models have.

Lastly, most educated folks on here did not purchase their BMWs for "reliability". I wholeheartedly agree that Honda and Toyota are the perennial reliability champions, although Toyota's recent issues with the acceleration and braking may have knocked them down a notch. We'll see how that plays out. I am still a fan of Toyota: they are excellent in terms of knowing what their consumers want and adapting their product lines to specific markets. YOu cannot go wrong with Toyota if your main goal is to go from point A to point B in a calm, relaxed manner. (Again, I am putting aside the current issues with the electronic bugs that seem to be causing a 0.00001% chance accelerating out of control).

Can BMW do a better job in terms of reliability and durability of their components? Yes. Should they pay more attention to detail in terms of quality control? Yes. However, what BMW lacks compared to say Toyota... it makes up for in other areas: handling, steering, braking, curb appeal, and an un-paralleled feeling of being connected to the road. BMWs handle like a gem and they look beautiful doing it. THESE are the reasons folks buy BMW. No other automobiles in this class steer and prance about as tightly and controllably as a BMW. Except perhaps Porsche, but one could argue that Porsche is in a higher class. Anyway: THESE are the reasons folks come back to BMW even after experiencing some maintenance headaches with their previous Bimmers. They are sporty, they are beautiful, and every Bimmer driver knows it.

I disagree that all BMW's are not reliable vehicles.

We've had two 3 series. The first we kept for 7 years and 100k miles. I can count on 1 hand the things that broke beyond normal maintenance on it and those weren't big. 2 window regulators (warranty), water pump (warranty) and then the final stage resister. Otherwise it was just maintenance. The new owners have put about 35,000 miles on it since and it's been nothing but regular oil changes and 1 set of brakes for them.

The 2006 325i we've had has had normal maintenance, a peeling door handle and a cooling leak. Otherwise, 3 1/2 years and 40k later it's still solid and a blast to drive. We were just discussing yesterday how to long keep it and if we needed extended warranty of which we won't buy for it. We plan at least another 3 years if not longer.

Granted I only owned the 2001 X5 for 2 years but it was great; final stage resister, 1 window regulator, brakes and 1 CV boot. The new owners have had 1 thing go wrong on it, sensor of some kind, but not earth shattering. Granted it only has 60,xxx on it now but still good for a nearly 10 year old car.

The 2004 V8 - not as stellar - but I knew going in that there were certain issues after doing my research from this site and bought an extended warranty to deal with that. I've had some major $ repairs (mostly the transmission cost) and had that happened with no warranty I would have driven it off a cliff or sold it. But overall I love this car and I will stay in the BMW family when it's time to replace.

The bottom line here is that choice is a wonderful thing.

The J.D. Power figures you are looking at are about as irrelevant as can be in your situation. You are quoting initial quality ratings, which cover the first 90 days of ownership. This period ended for your car about 3,195 days ago. :rofl:

You should be more interested in their overall dependability data, which at least goes three years into ownership. It lists the 2001 X5 as 3.5 stars.

Even that is dated for a 9 year old car. Not sure why you are looking at J.D. Power data for such an old car anyway.

As written in my post, it was the 2010 JD Power and Associates RELIABILITY REPORT BY BRAND. So, it takes the entire lineup as a whole. And, BMW didn't rate that bad....average. That is what is expected with BMW's.

As far as the 2001 or 2002 X5, those were the FIRST two years of production. If you get any car (doesn't even matter with the manufacturer) that's in the new year of production, you're going to encounter problems. That INCLUDES Hondas and Toyotas. To note though, Consumer Reports rated the 2001 and 2002 X5 below average. Sorry, but that's typical of BMW's....average to below average reliability. Throw in the fact that it's a new production year, it would certainly be below average.

I totally agree. Once we got our X5, it just wasn't the same when I was driving other cars.