Newbie here - First Post
 

I've been lurking for a while here as I've tried to decide between an Cayenne S, X5 and a 535xi wagon. I decided last week that I'm going to go for the X5.

What are the must have options? I cant decide if I'm better off going with some of the packages or individual options. The Premium Package in particular is seems somewhat padded with stuff that's not worth the extra cost beyond say, BMWAssist. The Cold Weather package is another one. Is it worth another $400 to have heated steering wheel, ski bag and headlight washers?

Also, a dealer has quoted me a deal that is basically $2,400 over invoice with a mark-up of the money factor to .00245 vs. .00210. Can I get a deal done at $1000 or $1,200 over invoice?

My desired set up is a 4.8i, space gray, either beige or black (can decide), sport, 20's, heated, rear climate, premium, SAT, comfort and technology package.

Any advice or help is appreciated.

Welcome to X5 world.

The packages tend to offer overall better value for money. I like your colour preference!

> Can I get a deal done at $1000 or $1,200 over invoice?

Depend entirely on the dealer. I am sure some dealers would do $1,000 over invoice, the question is whether any dealers near you will do such a deal.

> Is it worth another $400 to have heated steering wheel, ski bag and headlight washers?

It's all personal desire. If you typically wear gloves in the winter when you drive, the heater steering wheel will not have much impact. Some people actually dislike the headlight washers as they cause the fluid reservoir to empty sooner and can get liquid onto the hood. And if you don't ski, obviously a ski bag is rather pointless. IF you'r an avid skier who carries the skis inside the vehicle, srive without gloves in the Winter, and drive a lot at night on roads with traffic where your headlights get dirty, it may be worth it.

Same with things such as sideboards. Some people like them for looks and ease of entry, others dislike them as they feel they get in the way of entering the vehicle and get one's pants legs dirty in the Winter, if you're not careful entering.

In the U.S. some things are not available except as part of the Premium Package.

I am pretty confident that you can get a good deal around $1000 over invoice. Also, given that you will spend between $60,000 - $70,000 for a 4.8, I would recommend NOT to skip out on options that improve the driving experience.

$1200 over invoice is not impossible.. especially on the 4.8 which sells but doesn't sell as much as the 3.0 model...

i would definitely get the following:
* premium pkg
* sport pkg w/214 wheels
* premium sound (because you can play DVD movies on the idrive sceen while parked, get 600watt amp, and more speakers) the DVD changer you probably wont use...(especially if you get the ipod option)
* Ipod/USB option
* rear climate pkg (which also tints the rear windows)
* tech pkg (a must have)
* aluminum running boards (not as functional but gives it the look you need)
* front heated seats (they work very well and the wife loves them)
* auto tailgate option (a very nice feature and because everyone's doing it, including Mercedes, Toyota, Honda, GMC, and even Ford, you might as well just for the bragging rights)

the rest is up to you...

welcome to x5world puzz
and i like your colour pref.

Yes! Cold weather package is a must, especially if you live in CT. Moreover, the heated steering wheel is a unique feature that turns into a must have once you've experienced it. In fact, my wife will probably not buy any other brand, just because of the heated wheel!!!

Glad you decided to jump in and post!
:xoutpost:

Options...
 

Search a page or two down, I recently posted my thoughts on the options for our recently acquired X5...

• The Ipod adaptor is a must have for Ipod users.
• For us, all we wanted was the heated seats - we didn't want the rest of the cold weather package. In fact I hate it when the headlamp washers squirt all over the hood of a car (when all you wanted to do was clean the windshield).
• Sport package is great. However if you are going to be driving in mountain snow - I'd avoid the 20's (unless you get a set of winter wheels).

Thanks for the replies so far.

What about the Premium Package? For $750 or so I can get BMWAssist w/ Bluetooth. It is worth an extra $1000 for the ambient lighting, garage door opener, auto dimming mirrors? I'm getting the lumbar in the comfort seaets anyway.

It is worth it to me. these are luxuries, but I would buy them again.

i saw your earlier post regarding the premium package, and can't say i have a good answer for you here. the self dimming mirrror is nice i guess, the ambient light i don't know that i know exactly what it is. if it is the orange light that is emitted from the rearview mirror then sure that is good to have.

however, the BMW Assist, would certainly be the portion i would want to have. the concierge service is nowhere near worth the cost, but the monitoring of the basic system is reassuring.

can't speak for the cold weather package as well it is more of a nuisance around here than it is a way of life.

but if you plan on driving this thing daily i would say bag the 20's. they are summer tires and as such worthless below 40 degrees and not real good in the rain. or as has been mentioned before get a second set of wheels and tires. personally, the 19's are fine for what i have to deal with. we stay home when it snows here. again not so helpful, but i still wouldn't have the 20's. the 19's are all seasons.

sport package is a must. premium sound is decent. rear climate as said tints windows and includes sunshades. third row is a waste as it is too small for anyone but small kids and it deletes your spare tire and under deck storage.

the tech package does nothing for me personally. most of the bitches on this forum are directed at the poor quality of the motor home option (back-up camera) and the PDC thing. rule of thumb i learned from a limo job i had, "back up until it sounds expensive". this truck isn't really that large and the blindspots are not so bad.

mine is a DD and i thoroughly enjoy it. i have no delusions that it is a luxury something or another, i do not own it as a symbol of status. i drive it as it was meant to be driven. it is one of 3 BMWs in the stable. it goes like snot, and handles like a sedan.

Premium is kind of a rip off. for us we wanted the BMW assist and the garage door opener. The latter can be very convenient: we have our doors and my mom's programmed into it -- nice not having to lug around openers (or remember my mom's when we go visit).

In a word, no, it's not worth the $1k more for what you listed, but in a nicer car like this I went ahead and did it anyway. The extra goodies is what makes it just a little bit sweeter. The ambient lighting is just plain awesome.