BMW X5 - do you tow with one???

[dan1]

I've been looking around at newer cars and noticed that they seem to be giving these things away at the moment!!!

I have seen a 2001 3.0i Diesel Sport and the figures look good (exept the annual road tax).

Does anyone have experience of these cars?

(PS we tow a 2008 Bailey Ranger 540/6)

Thanks.

 

[Stephen_374341239]

Dan

All I will say is my Dad has got a 2005 X5 and he just had it serviced at a BMW sevice centre. The cost of the service/MOT/Tyres shocked him he went quite white and very very quiet.

 

[WilliamLX]

As Stephen has said, the running cost is more of a problem with BMWs than the actual purchase price. In the current market cars can be gotten very cheaply, but parts for BMWs are very very over priced and if you go to a BMW dealer the labour rates etc are also very high. If you want a 4x4 there are much better cars which would be cheaper to run.

 

[Guest]

We've owned 3 diesel and 4 petrol X5's. Superb tow cars and we've had 100% reliability.

Our cars were not serviced in the UK but a good Beemer specialist will service for a fraction of dealer prices. But if you buy a premium brand car expect to pay premium prices. Land Rover parts and servicin in the UK is not cheap at the dealer and plenty have a love affair with the local service dept.

The straight six diesel lump is a superb engine, on our cars we've always had the auto transmission fluid changed regularly and have never had any auto box issues.

The X5 is a road gobbling comfortable 4x4 with great road handling that makes for sure footed towing better than Disco's and plenty of other wibbly wobblys.

 

[rambler1]

I previosley owned a diesel 2.5 5 series for 10 years completed about 120,000 trouble free miles,now tow with a Sorento(Excellent) really fancied an X5 and was considering it but then put it up on www.whatcar.co.uk there seem to be certain problems with gearboxes,suggest you take a look on their website for other persons problems and faults.I will not be getting one but would consider another 5 series,hope this helps

 

[Nidge1]

Hi Dan,

Totally agree with euro's comments. We have a 2005 X5 Diesel Sport and although it has let us down twice (nothing too serious) I still consider it fantastic both towing and solo.

We also tow with a 2007 3.2 DID LWB Shogun which is also very good, however the BMW is in a league of it's own when towing.

As others have said, the cost of running a Beemer can be quite eye-watering.If you can afford the Beemer and running costs I would certainly go for it.

Regards

Nidge

 

[DavidW1]

I have always been tempted by Beemers in general as they tick lots of towing boxes as RWD and as 4WD they are potentially excellent towcars.

Been put of though by the forementioned skyhigh service cost and high insurance premiums. Also the general consensus says you must change the oil on the auto box to prevent failure but this is not included in the service schedule apparently.

A 2001 car would be circa 100k miles and right in the gearbox failure zone if it has not had the "extra" servicing.

Looks like a champagne taste car that shouldn't be run on beer money if tears are to be avoided!

 

[MichaelE]

Just out of interest what do people regard as sky high service costs?

 

[DavidW1]

When I checked last year an indi wanted

 

[dan1]

Thanks for the replies.

High fuel consumption, insurance, tax and the odd service here and there, I can cope with. Gearbox failures etc, I cant.

Maybe not the bargain I first thought. TBH, the Mrs would only bump it anyway!!!

 

[RogerP]

I looked at the X5 last year and couldn't figure out why , seemingly , newer lower mileage X5 were cheaper than the Disco 3 and there wer shed loads of them in my area

I was looking at around 3 year old cars with upto 40k on the clock.

I then did some digging and it seemed that there was a high instance of reported gear box failure from 50-60k and dealer /BMW were washing their hands of the problem.

 

[Mikey1]

They have had a few failures but so have most other car manufactures.

The Volvo XC90 has gearbox problem too at around 30k,mercedes reported a few failures on the auto ml's

 

[Heethers]

My Brother has Beemer not the X5, is has to go in every 12 months to have the engine management system reset, autotronic gearbox won't change up or down, don't know whether X5 as a simalar problem.

NigelH

 

[MichaelE]

This thread makes BMW's sound like the most expensive and unreliable cars in the world?

"BMW were washing their hands of the problem"

If there was a known problem BMW would rectify it.

Father in law is on his 3rd one,best cars he has every owned.

Bmw write to him at the end of 3 years to have his car checked over free of charge and any warranty work that needs to be done.

On a car that had done 35k they replaced the drivers seat and it had deemed to have worn premiturely,doesnt sounds like a company washing there hands of them!

On his new one he got a 3yr service contract for

 

[RogerP]

Michael E

sorry to miss lead in any way but that was comments from a BMW X5 forum I came across when looking into the X5 last year. It was also on some well know sites like What Cars reader comments.

Nothing against BMW I like a few of their cars and would have a 5 series Tourer now if I could have found one at the time that wasn't , frankly , way over priced.

At the time I looked to change last year it was before the downturn and local dealers were just not interested in any kind of deals. Offered too little on my old car and would not move on theirs.

Even Merc and Audi were willing to talk numbers , not BMW I'm afraid.

Different now , local dealer is sending weekly 'offers' to tempt me.

 

[Guest]

As before, we've had 7 X5's. Petrol and Diesel and they have been 100% reliable. The diesel and petrols have all towed twin axle caravans and done above average mileage. We've had 5 series touring auto and family and friends have had plenty of BMW's. I drove one of the first Australian X5's again a few weeks ago and and that has done over 350000km's with only routine servicing parts replaced.

Reliability and quality is a main reason for buying the brand for most customers I guess. I know of a few problem cars as you get with all brands, compared to our problems with the green oval brand BMW is near perfect.

If I had to choose between a five year old well cared for X5 or a new RR Sport to do a years long distance towing I'd gamble on the beemer.