Topic: Day-by-Day Review: 2013 BMW X5 xDrive35d; Day 1

[Autos_Editor]

Behind the wheel of the new BW X5 Diesel -- James wonders if this $80,000 vehicle will wow him.
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[sailor723]

I'll be interested in your take on this car. I briefly considered the X5 but the 12-13K premium over the comparably equipped ML seemed excessive at the time. My conclusion was "nice car but not good value"

[whaddaiknow]

I'll be interested in your take on this car. I briefly considered the X5 but the 12-13K premium over the comparably equipped ML seemed excessive at the time. My conclusion was "nice car but not good value"

My sentiment too. Good solid ride but the asking price of a nicely optioned one is too too much. The X3 has grown to be pretty much the same size as the original X5, so no small car by any stretch and can be had for ~40k in base trim. A bit bigger car for double the coin (regardless of the tech jammed into it) appears to be on the gouging side aimed at status people, IMO.

[Northernridge]

The X5 has never done anything for me and north of 80k the Mercedes GL BlueTEC is more compelling because it is far more luxurious.

[OliverD]

I'll be interested in your take on this car. I briefly considered the X5 but the 12-13K premium over the comparably equipped ML seemed excessive at the time. My conclusion was "nice car but not good value"

My sentiment too. Good solid ride but the asking price of a nicely optioned one is too too much. The X3 has grown to be pretty much the same size as the original X5, so no small car by any stretch and can be had for ~40k in base trim. A bit bigger car for double the coin (regardless of the tech jammed into it) appears to be on the gouging side aimed at status people, IMO.

2013 X3 28i with freight: $44,445
2013 X5 35i with freight: $63,795

So the price premium for an X5 is < 50%. Obviously if you add the diesel motor and load it up with options that difference increases significantly but to say that the X5 is "double the coin" is disingenuous.

[carcrazed]

I'll be interested in your take on this car. I briefly considered the X5 but the 12-13K premium over the comparably equipped ML seemed excessive at the time. My conclusion was "nice car but not good value"

My sentiment too. Good solid ride but the asking price of a nicely optioned one is too too much. The X3 has grown to be pretty much the same size as the original X5, so no small car by any stretch and can be had for ~40k in base trim. A bit bigger car for double the coin (regardless of the tech jammed into it) appears to be on the gouging side aimed at status people, IMO.

2013 X3 28i with freight: $44,445
2013 X5 35i with freight: $63,795

So the price premium for an X5 is < 50%. Obviously if you add the diesel motor and load it up with options that difference increases significantly but to see the the X5 is "double the coin" is disingenuous.

   X3 is definitely big enough for most people, but X5 buyers, especially ones who can afford $80K for a car, are in a different class from the X3 buyers, IMO. 

FWIW, X3 28i with Premium and Executive packages with freight is just over $50K.  35i is $55K.

[Vanstar]

A close friend has one of these and I have spent a lot of time driving it. My verdict is the car is not worth the price. The interior is nothing to write home about, the materials not befitting a car of this price. The diesel is noisy, too. On the upside, the torque of the motor is excellent. Really, BMW needs to do a completely new car for the X5.

[Fobroader]

Friend of ours had a 2006 or 2007 CPO X5 with the 4.4 V8. Nice enough car to drive, plenty of power and I thought it looked decent. Holy electrical problems batman, they had all sorts of issues with the power windows, sunroof, lights, radio, climate control, sensors and the final nail in the coffin was that the engine started to knock and burn oil.......at 90,000Km of extremely thorough servicing and strict adherence to the manual. Nice enough car....no thank you because of the reliability.

[sailor723]

I'll be interested in your take on this car. I briefly considered the X5 but the 12-13K premium over the comparably equipped ML seemed excessive at the time. My conclusion was "nice car but not good value"

My sentiment too. Good solid ride but the asking price of a nicely optioned one is too too much. The X3 has grown to be pretty much the same size as the original X5, so no small car by any stretch and can be had for ~40k in base trim. A bit bigger car for double the coin (regardless of the tech jammed into it) appears to be on the gouging side aimed at status people, IMO.

2013 X3 28i with freight: $44,445
2013 X5 35i with freight: $63,795

So the price premium for an X5 is < 50%. Obviously if you add the diesel motor and load it up with options that difference increases significantly but to say that the X5 is "double the coin" is disingenuous.

I think you're splitting hairs here.  The point that the X5 is a lot more money than the X3 for not a lot more car is still valid.  As I said in my earlier post....not good value.

[whaddaiknow]

I'll be interested in your take on this car. I briefly considered the X5 but the 12-13K premium over the comparably equipped ML seemed excessive at the time. My conclusion was "nice car but not good value"

My sentiment too. Good solid ride but the asking price of a nicely optioned one is too too much. The X3 has grown to be pretty much the same size as the original X5, so no small car by any stretch and can be had for ~40k in base trim. A bit bigger car for double the coin (regardless of the tech jammed into it) appears to be on the gouging side aimed at status people, IMO.

2013 X3 28i with freight: $44,445
2013 X5 35i with freight: $63,795

So the price premium for an X5 is < 50%. Obviously if you add the diesel motor and load it up with options that difference increases significantly but to say that the X5 is "double the coin" is disingenuous.

I think you're splitting hairs here.  The point that the X5 is a lot money than the X3 for not a lot more car is still valid.  As I said in my earlier post....not good value.

Thank you for clarifying. That's exactly the point I was trying to make but didn't want to get into an argument over this.
I was at BMW last Saturday, and both the X3 and the X5 were sutting next to each other looking not that much different in size. The sticker difference was striking though. My X3 deal fell through, unfortunately, for a completely unrelated reason, so I'll have to wait a bit (hopefully not too long).

Similar to a gorgeous 528i with an absolutely rich interior and a 650i right next to it with double the sticker price. I mean, the 5 is that good inside, that I would have to be absolutely loaded to not care about plopping another 5-series worth of a premium to get into a 6-series that really isn't bigger or made of a different "class" of materials. Well, I don't belong to the "club" otherwise they would have "explained" it to me, I guess.

[Fobroader]

The 6 series is a "lifestyle vehicle" so therefore they can charge double......I wouldnt pay that as the current 5 series is a beautiful car and the 6 has a bit of a Ford Thunderbird vibe to me....

[X-Traction]

"BMW X5 xDrive35d"  Do people actually memorize the names of these things?

[2JDM]

I'll be interested in your take on this car. I briefly considered the X5 but the 12-13K premium over the comparably equipped ML seemed excessive at the time. My conclusion was "nice car but not good value"

But would it have been less troublesome? 

...

Nah, probably not. 

[dutch]

I'll be interested in your take on this car. I briefly considered the X5 but the 12-13K premium over the comparably equipped ML seemed excessive at the time. My conclusion was "nice car but not good value"

But would it have been less troublesome? 

...

Nah, probably not. 

ouch!

[tazcubed]

Friend of ours had a 2006 or 2007 CPO X5 with the 4.4 V8. Nice enough car to drive, plenty of power and I thought it looked decent. Holy electrical problems batman, they had all sorts of issues with the power windows, sunroof, lights, radio, climate control, sensors and the final nail in the coffin was that the engine started to knock and burn oil.......at 90,000Km of extremely thorough servicing and strict adherence to the manual. Nice enough car....no thank you because of the reliability.

That was my experience with a 2008 5 series touring. Really, I see a lot of posts about similar issues, yet for some reason the word never really gets out to the street. BMW would sell a lot less vehicles if it were well known for the issues that come with owning a BMW.

[OliverD]

That was my experience with a 2008 5 series touring. Really, I see a lot of posts about similar issues, yet for some reason the word never really gets out to the street. BMW would sell a lot less vehicles if it were well known for the issues that come with owning a BMW.

Did you have issues with the sunroof?

[tazcubed]

That was my experience with a 2008 5 series touring. Really, I see a lot of posts about similar issues, yet for some reason the word never really gets out to the street. BMW would sell a lot less vehicles if it were well known for the issues that come with owning a BMW.

Did you have issues with the sunroof?

Not directly - it worked fine, HOWEVER, if the drains ever get blocked - watch out! The drains are not accessible and when they get blocked then the overflow heads to the trunk where the main electrical components are for the car. A neighbour had a problem with his sunroof on his X3 - they wanted $1500 to fix the burnt out motor. He elected to have the sunroof closed, passed on the repair and doesn't open it any more. 

[bluelines]

I'll be interested in your take on this car. I briefly considered the X5 but the 12-13K premium over the comparably equipped ML seemed excessive at the time. My conclusion was "nice car but not good value"

My sentiment too. Good solid ride but the asking price of a nicely optioned one is too too much. The X3 has grown to be pretty much the same size as the original X5, so no small car by any stretch and can be had for ~40k in base trim. A bit bigger car for double the coin (regardless of the tech jammed into it) appears to be on the gouging side aimed at status people, IMO.

2013 X3 28i with freight: $44,445
2013 X5 35i with freight: $63,795

So the price premium for an X5 is < 50%. Obviously if you add the diesel motor and load it up with options that difference increases significantly but to say that the X5 is "double the coin" is disingenuous.

I think you're splitting hairs here.  The point that the X5 is a lot money than the X3 for not a lot more car is still valid.  As I said in my earlier post....not good value.

Thank you for clarifying. That's exactly the point I was trying to make but didn't want to get into an argument over this.
I was at BMW last Saturday, and both the X3 and the X5 were sutting next to each other looking not that much different in size. The sticker difference was striking though. My X3 deal fell through, unfortunately, for a completely unrelated reason, so I'll have to wait a bit (hopefully not too long).

Similar to a gorgeous 528i with an absolutely rich interior and a 650i right next to it with double the sticker price. I mean, the 5 is that good inside, that I would have to be absolutely loaded to not care about plopping another 5-series worth of a premium to get into a 6-series that really isn't bigger or made of a different "class" of materials. Well, I don't belong to the "club" otherwise they would have "explained" it to me, I guess.

Funnily enough, the current X3 is about the same size as the last gen X5, certainly when it comes to interior room. For me the X5 diesel just isn't worth the premium over the Touareg, and for a big SUV the ride quality is terrible. I did look at an X5 back in 2010, and the most annoying thing was that some of the desirable options are jammed into silly packages and not available separately (a problem across the BMW range...). Getting what you want ends up at $80k very quickly.

[johngenx]

X5's were everywhere in my neighbourhood a few years ago.  Today, they're all gone, replaced mostly by RX350s and MDXs.  Lots of horror stories.

[nlm]

Hmmm....Acceleration 4.5/5; Handling 4.5/5 and its still only somewhat fun to drive?

Maybe there needs to be a separate "Fun" category?