BMW X5

Author
Discussion

Jimmy Recard

17,540 posts

178 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2016
quotequote all
Get the X5 with a V8. Terrific cars yes

Speed addicted

5,561 posts

226 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2016
quotequote all
nickfrog said:
The fear of getting caught is the only thing preventing you from being on your phone one handed while driving ?

I use a brand new X5 at work as a pool car : it's way too big for Europe, let alone London. In the US it would be OK I guess with the space and cheap fuel but here it makes little sense. Parking is just a PITA. Not to mention car park ramps.

As for kids, yes if you have 4 it probably makes sense in a X5.



Edited by nickfrog on Wednesday 23 March 19:25
The X5 is about 100mm longer than a Mondeo estate. They're not actually that huge.

I love them, I've had two E53s and an X6. Great to drive, comfortable and fast enough for most things. Get it bought.

nickfrog

20,872 posts

216 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2016
quotequote all
Speed addicted said:
The X5 is about 100mm longer than a Mondeo estate. They're not actually that huge.
The one we have at the office is huge - it doesn't fit in many parking spaces in town. It's 436mm longer than the Kadjar we also have which is a good size family car.

I had no idea that Mondeo was that long ! What a pain to park too I guess but at least it's narrower...

somynameiswhat

277 posts

128 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2016
quotequote all
In its class (luxury SUV) it's actually smaller than most of them - the RRS/FFRR, Q7, GL Class, Discovery 3 and XC90. It's just as long as my E39 and is only a bit wider(I think).

They are great cars, extremely well built which definitely shows when you step inside. It feels solid from the push button ignition to the engine. Spacious, not too big and they drive astonishingly well for its size, similar to a 5 series style ride quality. The engine is 240hp for the 3.0d and 285hp for the 3.0sd, 275hp for the 3.0si and 335hp for the 4.8i. Bear in mind that the diesels have DPF's which can be problematic at 100k miles, so the 3.0si may be a better bet. However, a run or two on the motorway should solve the DPF problem, so don't eliminate a diesel. After late 2007, tax goes down, but you have to check, it goes from £500 a year to £275 a year.

Nice options to look for on the X5, comfort seats can be nice. Heated seats are optioned on most cars, but you'd want to have the media package, which most got anyway. The M-sport body kit looks nice too and the car gets better suspension. Adaptive drive is something to consider, keeps the car almost flat when going through corners - the normal suspension is still very good anyway. For kids though, the panoramic sunroof looks good, heated rear seats or the rear TV. Other options include Heads Up display, keyless entry and an updated speaker system. Again, these are only some options that may have been ticked, it's important to check what the car has.

These are very well built cars, they are one of BMW's best selling cars. Don't listen to the crap people put on here, if you want it go for it. I personally have been looking too.

Dabooka

281 posts

104 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2016
quotequote all
Worst 'I live in London' thread ever.

And I'm not even joking.....

ugene425

Original Poster:

316 posts

158 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2016
quotequote all
Dabooka said:
Worst 'I live in London' thread ever.

And I'm not even joking.....
I am not joking either by saying worst comments listed here from Dabooka. Unpleasant, unhelpful.

Dabooka

281 posts

104 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2016
quotequote all
ugene425 said:
I am not joking either by saying worst comments listed here from Dabooka. Unpleasant, unhelpful.
Unhelpful? Check
Unpleasant? Nope

ugene425

Original Poster:

316 posts

158 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2016
quotequote all
[quote=Dabooka]

Unhelpful? absolutely
Unpleasant? absolutely
Unkind? absolutely


Vaud

50,289 posts

154 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2016
quotequote all
Look at a Lexus RX as well. Generally better dealers, the cars looks are a love/hate.

herewego

8,814 posts

212 months

Thursday 24th March 2016
quotequote all
London is congested already so don't buy a big car. London air fails our air quality regulations so don't buy a high emissions car especially not a diesel. Be a good neighbour. Babies don't need big cars.

DanL

6,177 posts

264 months

Thursday 24th March 2016
quotequote all
Had one as a loan car for a week while they fixed my 650. This was an x40d, but I thought it was excellent - easy to drive, easy to see out of, very comfortable (although I think it had comfort seats, which might explain it). Was newer than the one you're looking at, mind you.

My only thought - aren't short journeys supposed to be a problem in diesels? If you mostly drive around town, and only do a few miles as a result, don't discount the V8. Odds are it'll only cost a bit more to run overall... It's why I've got a 650! Only do 6k a year, so it really doesn't matter how uneconomical it is to me...

mat205125

17,790 posts

212 months

Thursday 24th March 2016
quotequote all
nickfrog said:
Parking is just a PITA. Not to mention car park ramps.
I find parking my X5 is probably easier than many smaller regular cars that I've had in the past. Huge mirrors and decent parking sensors make parking dead easy ...... Seeing the rear wheel in the door mirror makes parallel parking 1/2" from the kerb a doddle.

Car Park ramps can feel a bit daunting, however the car isn't actually as big as it initially feels.Draw a chalk outline around an E70, and you'll be surprised how it compares with large saloons for length, and sports cars for width.

If you are a "forwards parker" into a space then I can see why you might not enjoy parking, however it's excellent visibility and good lock make reversing into a bay simple.

I tend to park mine well away from other vehicles to avoid risks of dinks, but that's true of any car I've owned in the past.

AH33

2,066 posts

134 months

Thursday 24th March 2016
quotequote all
Move out of London. The rest of the country is nicer looking, cheaper to live in, doesn't have THAT accent and you can drive a FLEET of X5s around, farting styrofoam packing peanuts out of the window and laughing maniacally at all the wads of cash you've saved.

HTH smile

nickfrog

20,872 posts

216 months

Thursday 24th March 2016
quotequote all
mat205125 said:
If you are a "forwards parker" into a space then I can see why you might not enjoy parking
Not sure who does forward parking but I certainly don't. The problem not the parking itself but the finding a space long or wide enough compared to finding one that the Kadjar can fit in.

ugene425

Original Poster:

316 posts

158 months

Tuesday 26th April 2016
quotequote all
Thank you so much - your comments were really helpful!
somynameiswhat said:
In its class (luxury SUV) it's actually smaller than most of them - the RRS/FFRR, Q7, GL Class, Discovery 3 and XC90. It's just as long as my E39 and is only a bit wider(I think).

They are great cars, extremely well built which definitely shows when you step inside. It feels solid from the push button ignition to the engine. Spacious, not too big and they drive astonishingly well for its size, similar to a 5 series style ride quality. The engine is 240hp for the 3.0d and 285hp for the 3.0sd, 275hp for the 3.0si and 335hp for the 4.8i. Bear in mind that the diesels have DPF's which can be problematic at 100k miles, so the 3.0si may be a better bet. However, a run or two on the motorway should solve the DPF problem, so don't eliminate a diesel. After late 2007, tax goes down, but you have to check, it goes from £500 a year to £275 a year.

Nice options to look for on the X5, comfort seats can be nice. Heated seats are optioned on most cars, but you'd want to have the media package, which most got anyway. The M-sport body kit looks nice too and the car gets better suspension. Adaptive drive is something to consider, keeps the car almost flat when going through corners - the normal suspension is still very good anyway. For kids though, the panoramic sunroof looks good, heated rear seats or the rear TV. Other options include Heads Up display, keyless entry and an updated speaker system. Again, these are only some options that may have been ticked, it's important to check what the car has.

These are very well built cars, they are one of BMW's best selling cars. Don't listen to the crap people put on here, if you want it go for it. I personally have been looking too.

GruntyGrunt

19 posts

95 months

Tuesday 26th April 2016
quotequote all
ugene425 said:
Because in London police are everywhere and so are cyclists etc. If you are caught on your phone whilst driving = game over!
Tampon said:
?????

Why does living in London with the rest of us, mean your car has to have Bluetooth because of your locale?

Also you don;t seem to be doing the miles to warrant a diesel, at around 8k you are going to save about £800 quid a year. You sound like the perfect punter for a petrol to be honest.
@ugene425 - How about NOT using your bloody phone at all while driving, you complete dhead. Especially in a 2 ton tank. If you realise must use Facebook and Grinder whilst in the car, then pull over first. Otherwise it's downright dangerous to be looking at your phone while driving, regardless of where you are.

veccy208

1,311 posts

100 months

Tuesday 26th April 2016
quotequote all
The only thing I'd worry about is the diesel part. It has been mentioned but not in detail, a diesel car for such low mileage would almost certainly develop DPF problems? I'm also pretty sure it won't be too long until you see some strict rules on diesels in cities.
If it were me I'd be happier with a petrol.
I know your set on an X5 but would you not consider a Japanese/German petrol of some sort?

Rapido1

51 posts

138 months

Tuesday 26th April 2016
quotequote all
GruntyGrunt said:
@ugene425 - How about NOT using your bloody phone at all while driving, you complete dhead. Especially in a 2 ton tank. If you realise must use Facebook and Grinder whilst in the car, then pull over first. Otherwise it's downright dangerous to be looking at your phone while driving, regardless of where you are.
What a miserable cretin you are! How on earth did you get to the above dopey conclusion by the OP saying he wanted bluetooth in his next car? The poor guy asks for advice on the possible purchase of a new car and he gets replies like this!

SuperVM

1,098 posts

160 months

Tuesday 26th April 2016
quotequote all
Regarding the X53 and Bluetooth, it is fairly easy to retrofit.

herewego

8,814 posts

212 months

Tuesday 26th April 2016
quotequote all
veccy208 said:
The only thing I'd worry about is the diesel part. It has been mentioned but not in detail, a diesel car for such low mileage would almost certainly develop DPF problems? I'm also pretty sure it won't be too long until you see some strict rules on diesels in cities.
If it were me I'd be happier with a petrol.
I know your set on an X5 but would you not consider a Japanese/German petrol of some sort?
Now that possible Brexit has highlighted that our balance of payments with EU countries is 50bn a year down the tubes, maybe consider a British built car.