Gas Struts. Aftermarket vs OEM
 

Looking for comments on how "bad" the aftermarket Gas Struts are vs. OEM quality. There is a HUGE price gap.

OEM-400$

Monroe- 65$
KYB-70$
Sachs-150$
Bilstein-270$
Magneti Martelli- 100$

Kind of disregarding anything below 100$, but wondering about the quality of the 150-270$ range.
Having a feeling that OEM=Bilstein.

Your input is highly appreciated.


Espen

I will go with Bilstein or Sachs anyday. Would not even look at the others.

I total agreement with you there. Both Bilstein and Sachs are OEM for BMW. Look here for some great pricing (you may need to adjust for your E70 year--just linked for pricing reference):

2011 BMW X5 xDrive35d Sport Utility E70 3.0L L6 | Suspension | Page 3

Then I think I will just go for the Sachs ones and get it over with.
300$ for the pair isn't too bad.
And the quality probably isn't too much off either.

Thanks