Talk Morgan Forums Community Vehicle Talk (non-Morgan) 4 x 4 and SUV Advice

BOUNCE....

Been offered a very nice 2005 BMW X5 3.0 diesel... any pointers or things to look for etc welcome.

P.S The off road and rough road capability is not a big requirement anymore as we are buying a villa in a nice village.

Hi,
My brother owns one and is happy with.
The only real thing to look for is tire wear.
As a full 4wd, you can't change one tyre but the four
in order to keep the balance of the drive chain (front diff,
central and rear diff.) in order, otherwise it will cost you
a lot of money !
The engine is bullet proof if correctly maintained and
the bodywork too, it's german engineering built in..usa !
Don't forget that this suv Weight as a ford transit and
you have to thing twice before braking hard on motorway for
instance.
This Suv is a good ratio sport/utility/pleasure and keep
is value on second hand market in uk or europa but beware of
thief risk...
Best regards.

Depends of what you want it for, if its for carrying the x3 has more boot space!

Loved my X5 - completely reliable nice to drive and always felt special. 26 mpg all day long in mixed driving nearer 30 on long journeys.

Pricey to service.

Ignore Asbo he's biased (he might be right on boot space but the X5 rides - and more importantly looks - so much better than the X3)

BtG

Boshly your have to be right the missus x3 was to much of a bone shaker. But I was amazed at how little the x5 will carry for such a large car.

I haven't owned a diesel X5 but I have had two petrol versions (4.4 Sport and 4.8is) and both were excellent.

I'd look for one with a full BMW service history and then check for the obvious signs of imminent work being needed: - smokey exhaust, tyres wearing unevenly, cars doesn't handle (these cars are not sports car but will embarras a lot of 'sports sedans', so they should handle well) and any switch that doesn't work.

There were a batch of diesels that had turbos that went but if you're buying a 3-4 years old, this shouldn't be an issue because it should have blown by now; however, if you can extend the BMW warranty, it is money well spent imho.

In terms of resale, Comms Pack is a must (SatNav, fixed phone, etc) and manual cars are the kiss of death.

Thanks for all the advice ... I'll let you know what happens