Anyone run a BMW X5 Diesel?

[justcuz]

For a few reasons we've been kicking this idea around of getting rid of the Outback and picking up a used X5 Diesel. Anyone run a bimmer diesel? Are they a pain in the dick? Just looking for general "had one and here's why I loved/hated it" comments.

We would use it for:
-Skiing
-Biking
-60 mile R/T daily commute
-Kid hauling round town
-Putting in our boat once a year (beg./end of season)


I'm am frankly pretty concerned about the cost to own this car. Specially coming from the Suby. Have heard of folks who say it's not bad, they're not much worse than anything else. And have heard the flipside. But it's all hearsay and I've never actually talked to anyone who has owned one. So looking for general comments.

[jackattack]

That last statement/concern is a red flag.

Couldn’t you hire someone to put your boat in once a year for less?

[justcuz]

That last statement/concern is a red flag.

Couldn’t you hire someone to put your boat in once a year for less?

For sure. We have people close with capable vehicles. I probably over sold that. I probably should clarify; there's a lust factor here for sure and perhaps that's the crutch we're leaning on as an excuse.

[KyleLanTheman]

Not many cars depreciate quite like an x5. How 'used' are you talking?

[justcuz]

Not many cars depreciate quite like an x5. How 'used' are you talking?

Pretty used. Like at least 60k miles. Would consider something with as much as 100k. Whole point here is to limit exactly this. They seem to depreciate to a level that I could swallow once you get north of 60k miles, but then again that's my research.

This whole thing makes no sense I realize. It's probably the dumbest thing I've ever considered....getting rid of one of the highest residual value vehicles and heading the other direction.

[Cocximus]

I go a lot to europe and drive lots diesels. They are not that much more efficient especially for sprinted driving, and with the the premium in price the savings are small. If it would cost the same sure.If you find the right mechanic general is not that much more to fix, but german cars can come up with ways to really complicate reapairs that can cost a lot. Research the car really well. See what preventive maintenance forums recommend and do them.

You are smart... you get it. Subbies suck. If its auto it's not even full time awd.

[plugboots]

You've prolly checked here:
https://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=970052
and here:
https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/fo...play.php?f=179
I assume.

[XXX-er]

I go a lot to europe and drive lots diesels. They are not that much more efficient especially for sprinted driving, and with the the premium in price the savings are small. If it would cost the same sure.If you find the right mechanic general is not that much more to fix, but german cars can come up with ways to really complicate reapairs that can cost a lot. Research the car really.

This ^^ I'm pretty sure the diesel fuel was cheaper than RUG in Portugal last year when I rented a diesel 2 series BMW

if Diesel fuel is < than RUG you might save a little which might get spent on higher maintenance costs but if RUG costs > Diesel you probably won't save any $$$, do the math its all about cost per KM

I ran my own VW diesels for 8 yrs for business and did the whole expense claiming & CCA thing, the TDi made sense cuz at the time cuz Diesel was almost always an average of 50cents a gallon cheaper, now days i would just go for a gasser

[Cocximus]

The cars themselves also cost more usually.

[BobMc]

I don’t think I’d buy much of anything they’ve made in the last 10 years. I like the way the older stuff drives, the newer stuff not so much. The diesels can be problematic, we replaced turbos in one a month ago and we’ve been fighting broken plastic vacuum valves ever since. Particulate filters can be another problem area. If you’d rather pay for constant oil leak repairs and coolant leaks get the V8 gas version.

[justcuz]

I don’t think I’d buy much of anything they’ve made in the last 10 years. I like the way the older stuff drives, the newer stuff not so much. The diesels can be problematic, we replaced turbos in one a month ago and we’ve been fighting broken plastic vacuum valves ever since. Particulate filters can be another problem area. If you’d rather pay for constant oil leak repairs and coolant leaks get the V8 gas version.

Mmmm sounds great. Thanks for the beta. Guess I’ll steer clear!


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[jmedslc]

For a few reasons we've been kicking this idea around of getting rid of the Outback and picking up a used X5 Diesel.
-.

What are your reasons?

Any bmw vehicle is going to cost way more than a Subaru to maintain.

[arild]

Might not be applicable,since I'm in Norway,but here goes, the bad stuff first: (10/11 x30d)
-Brake pads have to be changed all the time,usually around time for changing from winter to summer tires. I look at it as a yearly event. Seems no pads are better than others, either. They all suck.
-The windshield wiper fluid line cracked and caught fire our first winter with the car. Not fun,electrical system and iDrive were out of commission for a while there.
-Brakes can suck,just in general. Swapped out the entire front brake assembly last year. Worked somewhat,but the pads/ discs needed a lot of time to break in. Driving hard in the winter became a more thrilling thing than it had to be.
-Tires are expensive as fuck. Do not buy runflats! Can't stress that enough. Those things make the ride harsher than it has to,and seems to be bad for traction. I have 20" 275/40 and 315/35(standard M-Sport dims),and if at all possible,get 20-275/40s all over. Makes your drifts more fun. My winter tires are 19" 255/50. Work well.
-Tiny boot. Think the regular 5 series' is bigger.

Good stuff:
-Cheap to run,fuel wise.
-Torque is perfectly acceptable. Overtaking is rather fun. Keep the switch in sport mode all the time, just for the possibility of higher revs(pointless for torque reasons,but lots better sound). Manual mode is pointless.
-It's essentially an RWD car,with some help from the front.30/70 as the default split, I think. Keep traction control off. If you know how to drive an RWD car in the winter,that is. Makes you able to do powerslides like a hero. In a 2100 kg (dry) SUV,that's a shit ton of fun. Understeers quite a bit initially,kinda like an Audi, but work that throttle to balance it out with the rear,and it's all good.
-Spacious rear seat row,can fit my three kids in their bolstered seats just fine.
-Wife likes it.

Would buy again? Not a chance. I wanted a 5-series touring,wife wanted an SUV. I'm now turned off buying any modern BMW ever again,looking hard at the new Jag XE and the Volvo S60/V60 T8 awd(or a used giulia qv/rs4/m3 for about the same price) for my own car purposes, but since I'm in school 350km from my family,those decisions aren't mine to make for the time being. I did rent an Infiniti QX80 the past summer,and while N/A big v8 is fun, it made me appreciate the x5 a bit more. The qx80 is a giant soft shit of a car. Other options: currently renting a jag f-Pace down in sw Florida, and that's great fun. About the same or slightly smaller boot than the X5, fun turbo petrol, same good gearbox, but narrower rear seat row and less rear passenger leg room). I think out of the bigger german SUVs,the X5 is pretty decent,but they (q7,GLE,Cayenne,X5) all have a decent amount of suck in them.

Why in the fuck would you want an SUV? They fucking suck. Buy an RS4/6 if you want traction,power and fun. SUVs are top heavy and dynamically challenged. And pigs.

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[sk8rat6587]

Might not be applicable,since I'm in Norway,but here goes, the bad stuff first: (10/11 x30d)
-Brake pads have to be changed all the time,usually around time for changing from winter to summer tires. I look at it as a yearly event. Seems no pads are better than others, either. They all suck.
-The windshield wiper fluid line cracked and caught fire our first winter with the car. Not fun,electrical system and iDrive were out of commission for a while there.
-Brakes can suck,just in general. Swapped out the entire front brake assembly last year. Worked somewhat,but the pads/ discs needed a lot of time to break in. Driving hard in the winter became a more thrilling thing than it had to be.
-Tires are expensive as fuck. Do not buy runflats! Can't stress that enough. Those things make the ride harsher than it has to,and seems to be bad for traction. I have 20" 275/40 and 315/35(standard M-Sport dims),and if at all possible,get 20-275/40s all over. Makes your drifts more fun. My winter tires are 19" 255/50. Work well.
-Tiny boot. Think the regular 5 series' is bigger.

Good stuff:
-Cheap to run,fuel wise.
-Torque is perfectly acceptable. Overtaking is rather fun. Keep the switch in sport mode all the time, just for the possibility of higher revs(pointless for torque reasons,but lots better sound). Manual mode is pointless.
-It's essentially an RWD car,with some help from the front.30/70 as the default split, I think. Keep traction control off. If you know how to drive an RWD car in the winter,that is. Makes you able to do powerslides like a hero. In a 2100 kg (dry) SUV,that's a shit ton of fun. Understeers quite a bit initially,kinda like an Audi, but work that throttle to balance it out with the rear,and it's all good.
-Spacious rear seat row,can fit my three kids in their bolstered seats just fine.
-Wife likes it.

Would buy again? Not a chance. I wanted a 5-series touring,wife wanted an SUV. I'm now turned off buying any modern BMW ever again,looking hard at the new Jag XE and the Volvo S60/V60 T8 awd(or a used giulia qv/rs4/m3 for about the same price) for my own car purposes, but since I'm in school 350km from my family,those decisions aren't mine to make for the time being. I did rent an Infiniti QX80 the past summer,and while N/A big v8 is fun, it made me appreciate the x5 a bit more. The qx80 is a giant soft shit of a car. Other options: currently renting a jag f-Pace down in sw Florida, and that's great fun. About the same or slightly smaller boot than the X5, fun turbo petrol, same good gearbox, but narrower rear seat row and less rear passenger leg room). I think out of the bigger german SUVs,the X5 is pretty decent,but they (q7,GLE,Cayenne,X5) all have a decent amount of suck in them.

Why in the fuck would you want an SUV? They fucking suck. Buy an RS4/6 if you want traction,power and fun. SUVs are top heavy and dynamically challenged. And pigs.

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Agreed with everything, except we don't get the RS4 or 6 in the US and haven't since 2008...and we've never gotten the ones worth getting...the avants.

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[arild]

Hmm. Didn't know you couldn't get the good RS cars over here. In all seriousness,look into a Volvo wagon, v60 or v90,with AWD. My friend has a t8 he loves,and it actually drives quite nicely. If a t6 could be swallowed financially(about 10k more than a t8 in Norway,due to emissions), that's what I'd probably settle for. Lighter due to no huge lithium packs,and supposedly a more evenly distributed AWD system. More 50/50 instead of 80/20 with the T8. If you're into hooliganism,that's key, I think.

I did forget to mention how fugly the X5s are,all gens of them. There are times I think my e70 looks all right, but then I need a five o clock angle looking upwards. The older e53(I think) is even worse,and the f16 looks better in the front,but worse in the rear. The A-pillar of the latter is a bit of a mindfuck. How did they do it? The Merc M, now GLE,is actually going the right way in the looks dept.



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[plugboots]

Jaguars? You’ve got to be kidding. Land Rover’s trying to dump them because they don’t sell, etc.

[arild]

Jaguars? You’ve got to be kidding. Land Rover’s trying to dump them because they don’t sell, etc.

I get that. JLR is apparently trying to market Jags as BMW competitors. Not hitting the Ms,but the regular threes and the fives. The XE looks so good,I want to try one. Even without a V6 and AWD. The F-Pace is,from my very limited experience, a lot better than its equivalent X3, which is worse than an X5 in every aspect (space, not enough weight reduction, still an SUV). I've learnt that if good stuff won't sell,it's mostly due to a market comprised of idiots. See: long thread about long radius,sub fat 190s skis.

I'll get to drive the i-Pace in a while,looking forward to it.

By the way; the only modern BMW I'd seriously consider owning is the i3. I'd even buy it new.

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[Nevada29er]

VW Golf Alltrack Wagon

[alpinevibes]

VW Golf Alltrack Wagon

While I love our Alltrack 6MT for it's drive quality and price, it's noticeably smaller than any recent Outback. Not great for hauling kids, especially if you have stuff.

[Breomonkey]

Didn’t read the thread. Had one. Mixed love hate with it. The one thing that drove me nuts was the throttle tip in/turbo lag. It didn’t suit my driving. It’s a torque monster and can get 28-30 pretty easy. 13 towing our camper. Running avg was about 22. I had a JBD chip on it. Seats super comfy, great handling. Only other complaint was the alignment. Somewhere I had the targets I switched over to. Much better tire wear. It will eat tires if you don’t watch it. Depending on your wheels get winter snows. It was an ice skate with whatever came on it. Nokia’s were way better, but not a subie.


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[Breomonkey]

Oh, and the 3rd row version is a joke, don’t go there. The split hatch tailgate was the best part. Great place to sit down after a ride and peel the gear off.


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[Nevada29er]

While I love our Alltrack 6MT for it's drive quality and price, it's noticeably smaller than any recent Outback. Not great for hauling kids, especially if you have stuff.

Part of me wants it cause it's one of the only options for a 6MT, but on the other hand, as you say it's pretty small inside, pricy, and poor mileage. But 6MT!!

[arild]

Manuals are overrated. Newer autoboxes are the only good thing about new cars. If it's a ZF 8 speed, at least. Seems like the curve for suckiness with manual boxes is directly correlated with automatic awesomeness.

[plugboots]

You’re insane, the reason you buy a manual is because it’s fun and keeps you connected to the driving experience.

[arild]

Yes, but no money goes into manuals any more, so they're getting shittier (except for the obvious candidates that are meant to actually go fast). I like an old manual as much as anyone, prime examples being an E21 or E28, but they're full on manual and drive like it. They truly connect you to the road.

An Alfa Giulia QV and BMW M5 (newest iteration) both have ZF 8 speed autos, no manual option on either. I've yet to read either of them makes you feel disconnected from the road. I don't think AMG has produced a car with a manual for years - they all sport some kind of 9 speed auto. For diesels of any sort, an auto is a no-brainer, if you don't like decoupling the clutch every two minutes because you're redlining at 4500rpm (ie - not really conducive to active driving).