....and she drove a BMW X5 today

[MC1]

Might have been a big mistake on my part.

Noticed an 06 BMW X5 today and suggested to the bh that we check it out.

Looked like new inside and out with only 96,000Klm's.

$15,000 was not out of line either so we got the saleman to slap a plate on it and off we went. I immediately was impressed with the road feel, handling and braking. Just amazing. About 10 minutes later we switched sides and the little lady took over. We weren't 50' down the road and the words WOW came out of her mouth. Now realize she, as a rule, has little interest in cars and I don't get much of a reaction from her when we do test drives and we do a lot of them. Five minutes later down the highway she was talking about how "hoe-hum" life would be without owning this vehicle.

Anyway when we got back to the car lot we found out it had the 4.4 V8 and it likes to burn premium fuel I also explained to her the cost of a new set of summer tires and the cost of a set of winter tires. Plus the cost of maintaining a high end German car. Well the wind fell out of her sails as we drove away. Fun to dream!

PS... For those of you who have never had the experience of test driving one of these engineering wonders give it a try. So nice.

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by MC1

Anyway when we got back to the car lot we found out it had the 4.4 V8 and it likes to burn premium fuel I also explained to her the cost of a new set of summer tires and the cost of a set of winter tires. Plus the cost of maintaining a high end German car. Well the wind fell out of her sails as we drove away.

Well, I'll huff and puff a bit to put some wind back in. I'll use our vehicles as a comparison.

Hers is an E320 wagon V8 premium fuel. It gets better gas mileage than my V6 Ranger that uses regular. Same mechanic, same rates, most parts are in the same range. Replacing some things on the Benz can be more expensive on labour, since some things are really buried in amongs other things. Eg. heater core involves removing the entire dash (8 hrs). On average, every year more $$ in repairs go into the Ranger, and parts are getting harder to find. That's simple things too - like brake cables and drums. Ford don't stock them no more.

Tires? You are not far from the border. You can't beat the Tire Rack with anything we have up here. The price difference pays for more than a night in the USA and the tires don't take up your purchase limits before taxes. We bought Continentals in the USA last year and they sent us the warranty card for Canada.

Biggest difference? The Ranger is rated to tow, the Benz is not. Bet you that Beemer is ...

[MC1]

Hey Roy, you made some good points. Back in the 80's I had a 450SEL and it was not that bad on the expenses. But it had a lot less electronics too. Heard the other day BMW wants $3,100. for their in dash GPS part replacement.

You are right about the X5 and it's towing ability. No problem in that department.

Re US tires. Thnxs for the tip. I have considered the prospect and the more I hear the more I like the idea.

[Mike Magee]

Oh, just go back there and dicker them down another $1000 to offset the tire cost. Treat the wife!

[emers382]

I second Mike's advice, after all his advice is worth every penny

I can just see that Beemer towing your Airstream!

Adrian

[MC1]

Yup, I can't seem to get my mind of this vehicle.

Funny, not that long ago I stated on this forum that there would never be an 8 cyl engine in our driveway ever again. But after saying that I find out that the same X5 with the 3.0 gets worse fuel mileage than the small 4.4 V8.

The premium fuel requirement may be the straw that breaks the camels back on this one. At least on our Infiniti which also requires premium, it has been running fine for years on the mid grade, which we buy here in the city for the same price as regular. (today 1.35per L).

Anyway, gots to keep my BH away from these posts. Don't want to give her the impression it's on my mind. LOL

[MC1]

PS... I just got called for lunch. Kraft Dinner! If we spring for this vehicle that may be the main course for many years to come!!

[emers382]

Come on Wayne go for it! Premium gas, can't you slip across the river and get it much cheaper, oh, forgot you have to pay a toll to get back into Canada

We are fortunate to live next to a prairie crossing less than three miles from the closest US gas, we can go over anytime free of charge

Adrian

[MC1]

Good day Adrian. You are right about living near the Niagara Falls Border and many here in the area do drive over once a week to shop for gas, etc. Like most other folks here though we don't bother. Line ups at the bridges here can be nasty and the Falls area this time of the year is a place to avoid.

We are fortunate to have a gas station near by that sells mid grade gas for the price of regular. That works well for us since the G35 runs OK with mid grade and the price is fair. This saves us about $10. a tankl.

I wish we were in a spot like you where the crossing are easier.

[Roy in TO]

Originally Posted by MC1

But it had a lot less electronics too.

They all have electronics now. I recall someone saying recently the dash module (with the speedo, tach, odometer etc.) for a GM product was $2G+ for the part alone, add in the R&R and programming they decided a new vehicle was in order.

[Roy in TO]

I sort of expected to hear that you slept on it, went back and negotiated a good deal. Or am I being premature?

[MC1]

Hey Roy. I have been doing a lot of thinking about this vehicle. We went back and drove it yesterday. It is so stable on the highway at speed but driving in town the ride is rough. We found out it has the optional sport suspension pkg which is very firm. Great for towing the trailer but not so comfortable with every day driving.

The CR ratings on this vehicle is not good either and since we have been spoiled with 30 years of driving Toyota's, Mazda's, and Nissans, it would be hard to go back to a vehicle that needs a lot of fixing. So we've kinda back away with this one for now.

[honda03842]

W- Now that I'm aware of the X5s, I noticed them while on the Interstate down to CT yesterday. At least a 1/2 dozen passed me (still in the right lane even though I wasn't towing).

It's a nice looking vehicle but if reliability is a concern for you I'd go with your gut.

[Wallo]

I owned a 1993 BMW 325i. Bought it used in '96. It had been leased the prior 3 years, maintained by BMW service and certified. I loved to drive that little car. But, it averaged $200/ mo for maint. and repairs the 4 years I owned it. Traded it in 2000 for a new Camray. Maint. for that car dropped to $15/mo. over the time I owned that car. Still like BMW, but would rather use the $185/mo. to do other things.

[MC1]

yes guys, it is the cost of ownership after the buy is what makes me nervous.

I have been communicating with a guy from Texas that has a 2001 X5 and has towed his 31' Airstream with it for many years. The reliability has been good but he just got a leak in the braking system. The part from BMW is $4,000.

PS.... He reports that you couldn't shake the trailer from the X5 if you tried. It just sticks to the back of the X5 like the combo was on rails.

[MC1]

OK, a bit of a left turn here. We drove a Honda Element a couple months ago and really liked the drive. For sure it is no X5 but they are reliable. Anyway one showed up on Kijiji this morning. They are rare around here and there are none on the car lots within 50klm's. So we are going to check this one out tomorrow.

[Glenn Baglo]

My buddy has one, but he is enamored with transformers and can spend all day re-configuring the cargo area. He collects Matchbox toys too.
I've never been in it, but my wife has and, for somebody who can't remember what we have ( it's a RAV dear, not a jeep ), she dislikes it intently ( as a passenger ).

[Mike Magee]

Doesn't the Element have just a 1500 lb tow capacity?

[MC1]

All true folks. The cabin is designed for flexibility. Moving people (4 max), cargo, bikes, etc.

[MC1]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

Doesn't the Element have just a 1500 lb tow capacity?

Not sure what the actual capabilities of the Element could be but we would still use our car as a TV for now.
The Element would replace our aging 97 Nissan Van that we use as a 2nd vehicle, general utility, multi purpose use. You can drive these things for a few years and sell them for almost what you pay for them in the first place. Very good value.