X5 4.6/4.8

[sjn2004]

I've been looking at X5's and noticed that the 4.6/4.8 versions devalue to the point where their price is very similar to the regular models. Whats the reason for this? Is the servicing/extended warranty sky high or is there some reliability issue with the engines?

thanks in advance

[stain]

I think it has a bit of the M6 syndrome of being way overpriced to begin with. (There's a guy on M6board who lost 32k in 1 year on his M6.) And an average mpg of 17ish isn't too handy either at 90 quid per tank. A diesel does nearly twice that. Generally they have been reliable with only a few air suspension related issues. Any large engined / high emission car is in for a hard time in this day and age when it comes to residuals. I'd have the 4.8 every time though.

[sjn2004]

stain said:

I think it has a bit of the M6 syndrome of being way overpriced to begin with. (There's a guy on M6board who lost 32k in 1 year on his M6.) And an average mpg of 17ish isn't too handy either at 90 quid per tank. A diesel does nearly twice that. Generally they have been reliable with only a few air suspension related issues. Any large engined / high emission car is in for a hard time in this day and age when it comes to residuals. I'd have the 4.8 every time though.

I noticed that the 4.8 has 50% more torque than the 4.6, what other major changes were in the 2004 facelift?

I was going to buy from a BMW dealer, but if I went for a 2004 / 4.8 , even from an independant, it would still have 1 years warranty left anyway.

[stain]

sjn2004 said:

stain said:

I think it has a bit of the M6 syndrome of being way overpriced to begin with. (There's a guy on M6board who lost 32k in 1 year on his M6.) And an average mpg of 17ish isn't too handy either at 90 quid per tank. A diesel does nearly twice that. Generally they have been reliable with only a few air suspension related issues. Any large engined / high emission car is in for a hard time in this day and age when it comes to residuals. I'd have the 4.8 every time though.

I noticed that the 4.8 has 50% more torque than the 4.6, what other major changes were in the 2004 facelift?

I was going to buy from a BMW dealer, but if I went for a 2004 / 4.8 , even from an independant, it would still have 1 years warranty left anyway.

There will be people who know more, but, the 4.8 got air suspension which makes it ride the best IMO. Xdrive 4 wheel drive system - pretty irrelevant really, a full length pano roof, swivelling lights were an option.

The engine is a peach with a rumble to die for, but interestingly, each car seems to drive differently. I've driven a few and some are more rumbly than others, and the suspensions seemed different too. One member on another forum rejected his car after all sorts of engine and suspension failures, but that is very rare, and it did highlight ways of fixing some of the more complex systems on the car.

There are some fantastic cars out there, the one at Murketts being the one I'd have.

[hunttheshunt]

Had both, lost £20K in one year on the 4.8......but awesome car. You'd buy it purely for the exhaust note over a 4.6. Very Taladega Nights!! Gearbox is much improved and I think the facelift looks alot better.

Great value and the MPG is not much different to an M5/M6.

[Andrew D]

It's running costs that shaft the value of range-topper off roaders. It's essentially a petrol vs. diseasel (sorry, diesel) thing, it doesn't really matter how big the engine is. The used market only appears to see in terms of fuel economy, perhaps because a lot of used buyers are on tighter budgets (hence buying used, maybe, who knows?).

I suppose the issue is that you only get the performance benefits of a petrol if you really ring it out, which is rare in an SUV, but the drinking hits you everytime you visit the petrol pump. But either way it's good for people like us because it means the interesting ones are as cheap as chips!

An added bonus of the 4.8 is that you get a load of range-topper related kit as standard, which is always nice.

[rassi]

sjn2004 said:

stain said:

I think it has a bit of the M6 syndrome of being way overpriced to begin with. (There's a guy on M6board who lost 32k in 1 year on his M6.) And an average mpg of 17ish isn't too handy either at 90 quid per tank. A diesel does nearly twice that. Generally they have been reliable with only a few air suspension related issues. Any large engined / high emission car is in for a hard time in this day and age when it comes to residuals. I'd have the 4.8 every time though.

I noticed that the 4.8 has 50% more torque than the 4.6, what other major changes were in the 2004 facelift?

I was going to buy from a BMW dealer, but if I went for a 2004 / 4.8 , even from an independant, it would still have 1 years warranty left anyway.

50 % more torque?? Not so sure about that. But most would agree that the 4.8 is more desirable than the 4.6. However, the most recent X5 with the 4.4 valvetronic engine gets pretty close in output (around 330 bhp, IIRC), though not with the superb exhaust note.

[sjn2004]

rassi said:

sjn2004 said:

stain said:

I think it has a bit of the M6 syndrome of being way overpriced to begin with. (There's a guy on M6board who lost 32k in 1 year on his M6.) And an average mpg of 17ish isn't too handy either at 90 quid per tank. A diesel does nearly twice that. Generally they have been reliable with only a few air suspension related issues. Any large engined / high emission car is in for a hard time in this day and age when it comes to residuals. I'd have the 4.8 every time though.

I noticed that the 4.8 has 50% more torque than the 4.6, what other major changes were in the 2004 facelift?

I was going to buy from a BMW dealer, but if I went for a 2004 / 4.8 , even from an independant, it would still have 1 years warranty left anyway.

50 % more torque?? Not so sure about that. But most would agree that the 4.8 is more desirable than the 4.6. However, the most recent X5 with the 4.4 valvetronic engine gets pretty close in output (around 330 bhp, IIRC), though not with the superb exhaust note.

Sorry, that was an error about the torque, I read it from a google search(on line road test from the US) but latter having checked all issues of Autocar there is very little in it.