First "luxury" vehicle
 

Hey all,

Well, my wife and I picked out a BMW x5si 4.8 fully loaded with everything except the rear DVDs ($3,200 seems a bit obnoxious to me for that option).

We're going in to sign the papers this evening, and we're buying it for just a tad under what Edmunds lists as the TMV for our area.

So, as a guy who's never owned a luxury vehicle before and who's idea of a good time is rock crawling in my 2005 Dodge Power Wagon and writing web applications, what things should I be concerned / interested in with the new purchase.

It's the wife's vehicle, and while I'm a mod freak with my truck, it's probably going to be hands off on her X5 unless it's minor mods.

I'll admit to being behind the power curve on her X5 as she more or less decided on it, so I've got a lot of reading and learning to do about it.

Looking forward to being part of the group.

Thanks.

Welcome to the world. You're going to love your new X5. The 4.8i goes and goes and goes. There is nothing wrong with keeping it stock. It's beautiful just the way it is.

You may want to invest in a radar detector :D

No doubt.. Especially the way my wife drives! <grin> Being that I drive a monster sized truck, I've gotten really used to taking it easy on the go fast pedal. She on the other hand, has never owned a vehicle with a motor bigger than a four banger. Should be interesting for a little while! LOL!

So, why do you want a 4.8? Has she driven a 3.0? No complaint on the 4.8, but the 3.0 is perfectly adequate (a matter of opinion of course), gets slightly better mileage, and will hold its resale value better.

Just a thought.

Go find a twistie and don't be afraid of the go fast pedal. You can thank me later, after the pain in your cheeks goes away from the grin that you will have plastered on your face.

We did a few test drives between the 3.0 and 4.8. We debated the issue and me coming from a 5.7L V8, I liked the oomph of the 4.8.

Right now we use my truck for towing our 3,000 lbs popup, but I could foresee a few times it might be nice to tow with the X5 for the comfort level. The 4.8 will be a better fit for that duty.

You've piqued my interest though on why a 3.0 would hold value better than the 4.8. Why would that be?

No debate on you coming from a 5.7 litre V8, and wanting a V8. I get it.

My 3.0 towed 5000 lbs fine, and the new models have more power and a 6000 lb rating. It is fit for purpose.

The 3.0 will hold its value better because of the public perception of SUV fuel economy. History shows the results. Sixes are better than eights. In the real world, this is only slightly true; in the mind of the public, a six cylinder SUV is more palatable than an eight cylinder SUV. If oil goes back to $60 per barrel, no issue. If it doesn't, your risk.

Ahhh. Makes sense. There's not going to be any surprises with the fuel cost. My PW (Power Wagon) gets 14.5 city and 18 highway which is pretty close to the numbers on the X5. The nice thing (at least according to the sales lady) is that because we're at altitude (5-6K feet) we don't need premium gas. Now, for my truck this is definitely true as it's recommended using 89 octane and I typically fill up with 87 octane with no knock and my oil analysis shows great wear.

Was going to ask that question, but gotta search the forum first. If I don't find it, I'll post a new thread.

I wouldn't believe the recs of the sales lady. BMW has always recommended premium for their newer vehicles. I would trust a Service Advisor before I would a sales lady.

Just my $.02

Normally, I'd agree with you 100%, and I still plan on checking with them. The only reason she had any real credibility on that statement is she owns an X5 4.8 as well and runs 89 in it. She said she ran 87 for a few tanks with no problems but decided to play it "safe" with 89.