Anyone have experience with this model? Looking at used 2017 or 2018 with budget around $35k

txyaloo said:

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Owning a German car out of warranty is not a great idea.

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As this morning I prepare to remove for repair the automatic transmission from my 986.

My brother had one and hated it. Uncomfortable and unreliable.

My wife's best friend had one. It was in the shop more often than not. They got rid of it after ~6 months.

Do not buy the v8. L6 is a solid motor. Buy cpo and extend warranty. Sell at end of warranty. We owned one. Good car.

Looking at the v6 model rear wheel drive

$35K is probably not going to be a big enough budget for a recent model.

I bought a 2009 X5 with the 4.8L V8 for $15K in San Francisco at the beginning of 2017. Had about 80,000 miles when I bought it. Have spent about $10K - $15K on repairs and maintenance and it has been driven at least 40,000 miles since then (I don't know the exact number because my daughter is the driver).

Really nice ride.

That 350 hp V8 is a beast. It will do 100mph like nobody's business with plenty of room to go. Perfect for a cross country trip through West Texas, NM, AZ, or a high speed jaunt down Beltway 8.

Very comfortable ride for a big dude like me.

If I had one major complaint, it is that the Navigation DVDs are difficult to come by because they changed navigation systems a year or two after this version came out.

Any time you own a BMW out of warranty, the repair bills are always going to be expensive. So take my experience and adjust it to the year model you're after.

I could have spent $25,000 on a similar year model but there's no guarantee that I wouldn't have needed $10K - $15K in maintenance and repairs anyway (over the past 3 1/2 years).

I'll tell you what though, when you mash that accelerator to the floor, hang on.

Forgot to add - the X5 all wheel drive is great in the snow.

have a 2016 E40X love it

I was once considering a used X5. Also used to covet the 3 series sedan. Every time someone inquires about BMW on this board, the answer is almost always "it's a great car as long as its under warranty." My definition of "great car" doesn't require the vehicle to be under warranty, but maybe I'm just funny like that. Based on all the discussions about BMWs on this board (and elsewhere), I would now describe the make as "fun to drive but terribly unreliable." Even if I had the coin to buy new BMWs and trade them in every few years, I think I'm just too practical for that (and too driven by quality/reliability). Having said that, from reading this board regularly, I also realize that I'm on the low end of the wealth/disposable income spectrum here.

I'm a BMW fan and value buyer. I didn't think twice when purchasing my current daily driver... Traded in just out of warranty by an owner afraid to keep it, I guess. 7 years old at the time, 104k miles for $12k. It's been great with only a couple minor things that I let an independent specialist fix. I've done brakes, fluids, etc myself easily. Plan to do suspension at some point this winter. It's a great car and I have no plans to get rid of it.

I'm glad to hear that! I still think you are in the minority here, but I'm glad it has worked out for you. They're certainly fun to drive (in my limited experience) and look great.

Aero95 said:

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I'm a BMW fan and value buyer. I didn't think twice when purchasing my current daily driver... Traded in just out of warranty by an owner afraid to keep it, I guess. 7 years old at the time, 104k miles for $12k. It's been great with only a couple minor things that I let an independent specialist fix. I've done brakes, fluids, etc myself easily. Plan to do suspension at some point this winter. It's a great car and I have no plans to get rid of it.

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I still own a 2002 X5. Owned a 2001 540 as well. Been around a lot of newer and older BMWs.. BMW has serious common design issues that persist for years across models.

On the X5, I've replaced all of my door carriers at least once and the drivers 3 times. I've also replaced 2 window regulators. The water pump has blown up leaving me stranded on I10 in the middle of no where. Currently both front seat backs have fallen off, the leather on the door panels is curling, it has the typical VANOS rattle and BMW oil leaks, and I'm just waiting for the timing chain guides to blow up.

On the newer ones, you have valve stem seals, engine bearings being a 60-100k wear item that requires an engine out to replace, turbo and wastegate issues, VANOS, injectors/coils, 100k mile cooling systems, transmission problems, etc, etc, etc. There's a real reason BMWs depreciate so rapidly once out of warranty.

On top of all of that, past the E34/E36, they're next to impossible to work on as a DIYer without the factory diagnostic software. Having INPA, ISTA, DIS, etc are really required to diagnose and program modules. Sure you can do regular maintenance, but anything involving the computers or systems that are run by the computers require a scan tool

Door carriers, water pumps, bearings, injectors, coils, and valve seals... all stuff they should've figured out decades ago like the other OEMs did.

I drove a 2020 X5 for a few days as a loaner. I loved it. I was shocked how fast the v6 was. I was surprised The dealer had similarly optioned "executive pre-owned" with 3-7k miles for well under 60; I thought I was driving an $80k plus vehicle.

I need to let y'all know when my co-worker trades in her current model. She's on her third new X5 in the five years I've known her. She probably does less than 15k a year in Houston, and I bet the speedometer hasn't seen the sweet side of 70 ever.

I'm a BMW fanboy. I currently have a 2018 X5M and am getting a F90 M5 this week.

I do lease all my cars because 1.) I have a new car itch that needs to be scratched ever 2-3 years, and 2.) I would never want to own an M out of warranty.

The new G30 X5s are nice cars for sure.

My wife as a 2019 X5 xDrive 40i and it is awesome. Perfect amount of room for a family of 4.

My wife test drove a new s40i yesterday. RWD, almost every bell and whistle available. It was damn nice. however, when we left she said "no way I'm paying that much for a car - when did they get so expensive?"

Oh well. It was fun while it lasted

She changed from wanting a little sport sedan to something with a bit more room, comfortable on road trips, and the ability to throw something bigger in the back if needed. I've offered a mini-van.