Except that planned obsolescence with automobiles started in the 1950s, in the US. Nothing specific to BMW, and nothing new about it.

Uhhhhh....he said he's buying it for his wife...lol!!:rofl:

Love those air cooled Porsche. Actually PORSCHE went to liquid cooled engine because of the tighter pollution requirements for engines. Porsche has taken the air cooled engine as far as they could to meet the EPA requirements without sacrificing too much performance. Being able to keep the engine at a constant temperature made tuning the engine for performance and pollution conformance a lot easier.

The first 1-2 years of a new vehicle introduction tend to be the most problematic. That's when there are the most new parts that haven't been subjected to longterm real world conditions. This includes facelifts, new engines, transmissions and suspension changes in an existing vehicle. Even when proven parts are moved from an existing application to a another vehicle in the line, there are many differences in the new application that can cause problems that were not apparent in the original offering.

IMO, BMW would never consider planned obsolescence. The positioning of brand is far to critical to allow something with such an negative impact. If there is a flaw it may be that the positioning as the drivers machine implies to the end user, not just high performance, but unrealistic demands of reliability or durability. Another flaw of the brand may be customer expectations of what the cost for parts and repairs should be are misaligned, especially as it relates their dealers.

I suspect all forums are primarily negative about that particular vehicle. Seems realistic since most are seeking a solution to a problem then didn't want. However, what is, by far, the most important point to take away, is that all the forum members still have the vehicle. That can only mean, even if the brand is falling short of realistic expectations, other aspects of that brand more than compensate.

I don't expect major failures or maintenance until my BMW is over 75,000 miles. After that, especially over 100,000 miles I am OK other than the cost of parts or labor. If I was not able to do most of the work myself I would be less OK but I would still drive an X. Even though I have always had a very selective range of criteria to purchase a vehicle based on all costs over time I think I will own the vehicle, there have been disappointments.

I think your question is very valid and a great one that will be beneficial to you. As an example, I have a 2002 X5 4.6. It was the first year for that model. Whenever I have a problem, which has been seldom, I check to see if the part was the same part in 2003. I also spend a lot of time determining if part failure of another X model is the same part on mine. One example is that the 4.6 torque convertor is different than other Xs which will impact the reliability of the transmission one way or another.

My e39 is past the 100k mark. And the X5 is getting there. As mentioned before, if you do some preventative maintenance, these cars won't let you down. Actually in my last 8 years of ownership, I wasn't stranded (Now I jinxed it!!!!!). The truth is, if you take a few minutes of your time every now and then to listen to the engine, and check fluids (level & color), and other stuff - all which is basic, there's nothing really to worry about. Also, the biggest thing I believe is to scan for stored codes every time you do an oil change (which I do). This helps you catch developing issues, and these are usually easy fixes. Once you get a solid yellow CEL, it might be accompanied by a slew of different codes, making troubleshooting harder. But that's just my opinion. And I think, this is valid for any car. As an example: I have that first generation Tribby, which still looks almost like showroom, and trouble free. Preventative maintenece also done, as soon as different sound started to develop.

0.02

whoops didn't see that one! Regardless, unless you are doing the maintenance on the X you buy for your wife or taking most care of it, it has been in my experience that most women/wives etc want to "turn the key and go", and the E53 is not always that type of car. You need to catch things preventatively and do maintenance from time to time, the electronics are touchy and the systems are more complex than a Toyota, so unless she practices good habits (like warming the car up for 30 seconds before thrusting the shifter into R right after the car starts!), I wouldn't necessarily recommend the X5 as a 2nd car for the wife to mainly drive.

If she's a car chick, and/or takes utmost care and pride in the vehicle and knows that German cars are to be cared for more attentively than say a Honda CR-V, then maybe.

DAAANG!!!!!!! :iagree:

There is always a maintenance schedule. The choices are to (1)do the maintenance before it is due,(2) on time, (3)late, (4)when you have a problem or (5)not at all. IMO the choice of number 1 will result in the lowest cost of ownership. The risk of choosing any other option dramatically increases the risk your vehicle will be a money pit for you or a horror story for someone else. This certainly applies for a BMW.

Lol.. I wish.. Lets just say My TL has seen better days.. I even once and awhile wipe down the leather and treat it during my lunch hour.

I did mention to her yesterday, that there are more cracks in the leather and does not feel soft anymore.. She did not like the comment.. :rolleyes:

Yer supposed to say that even so.. .She still gets yer motor revving.... :trustme:

Kids today. 26 years with the same woman. Happy wife. Happy life.