LVR, I know you had bad experience with your 4.8is, Steved also had problems with his 4.8is and BMW replaced his car and he is happy. SANguru had problems with his M5 and it was lemoned and BMW paid him every penny back and he got another BMW. Your problem is more of BMW Australia problem than to do with every BMW in general.

Actually, I took some advice given here on this forum and sent a letter to EVERY Director and board member of BMW Germany and BMW Australia (when it's all done I'll post the lot up on the forum). NADA... .

Anyway, here in Oz we don't have lemon laws so I must go through the courts and prove it all at my expense.... but today is a happy day. I've found a second 4.8is that we can use for an independent comparison by the Motoring Engineers. It porpoises front to rear but doesn't roll like mine so at least we have a baseline that is all independent of BMW

Every new model of car/motorcycle/snowmachine, whatever, has problems the first year it comes out. Look at anything made and you will see that there are changes made on the second model year. Personally, I have been burned buying stuff the first year it comes out, and I'll never do it again. So what if the problems are covered under warranty? Who wants to take the time to get it fixed and be with out the new toy you just spent a ton of money on? Wait till '08.

The only bugs I have.... are on the windshield.

1st year major redesign + new high-tech (complex) design + new electronics (flexray, etc) + new suspension = BLEEDING EDGE!!!

If you need to the first kid on the block with the latest and greatest, then go for it. Just understand what you are signing up for, beta test.

There is a reason it's called the bleeding edge. You'll bleed your free time going to the shop alot. BMW has a bad track record with first year models over the last 5-7 years since automobiles have become much more complex machines (computers).

Check Consumer reports and JDpowers for non-biased data on this.

Blasphemy.

Yeah, actually, BMW are the best German luxury car regarding issues and problems.
Audi on the bottom.
:popcorn:

my 03 x5 can search by names; but my 06 porsche 911s can't either...

It is not just the trips to the dealer. Sometimes there just isn't a fix available and you have to live with the problem. I had a 1985 325e (eta engine, for those who were around at that time). This thing would not idle correctly (surging 1,000 rpm at idle). It was back to the delaer 10 times trying to fix the problem, to no avail. The dealer eventually improved the condition but it was never really solved. After 2 years of this, I sold it and got a 325i sport. The higher revving engine was more fun to drive and it worked perfectly.

In 1999 I bought a 540iA. This was the best BMW I had owned at that point. It had very few problems although it had a bit of a surging problem as you came to a stop that the dealer couldn't seem to fix but I got used to it.

I guess it depends on how many bugs a vehicle has and how serious thay are. If I am going to send $90,000CAD on an optioned X5, I'll want to be sure it is working properly without serious problems (for which there may never be a fix). I'm too busy to keep running back to the dealership to have things fixed and don't feel it is right to have a car company do their research and development in the field at my expense. In Canada we don't have lemon laws so you're basically stuck with a problem vehicle if you get one (unless you want to hire a lawyer and spend time and money in court).

Having said all of this, I haven't heard of too many problems with the new X5's (other than availablilty) so I'm eagerly awaiting some 4.8L units when they finally arrive at my dealer so I can test drive one with and without the sport package and make a purchase decision.

Guys, remember, i-Drive has been around for awhile. It went through it's intro period with the 745Li. And IIRC, almost every day the X5 was being built in the first week or two, at the end of the day an X5 was pulled just after production and was looked at by factory workers, execs, managers, etc. for issues/flaws and what to strive to do better the next day. And right now, at 900 mi, I am trouble free.