OT: BMW owners question
Looking for any experience with BMW (particularly X5) within the group. I have never owned one and I'm curious if any owners can chime in. 2011 with 120k for $5500. Ran the Carfax on it and its all good with documented service from BMW facilities. No rust and nothing appears out of the ordinary. Anyone lend any basic advice? The used car market is insanity right now and this comes from my FIL's neighbor who bought for his daughter and she doesn't want it. Thoughts?
I have never owned one, but I hear the service costs are high. Price looks good, though.
I cracked the headlight on my X-3 when I hit a deer. The entire passenger side headlight assembly had to be replaced. Dealer wanted $1300. Found a local body shop that replaced it for me for less than $450. Pretty much stopped going to dealer after that.
This car is incredible in the snow however.
Another high cost for service confirmation here.
But, damn, they're fun to drive.
Lamborghini owners question: Should I drive my new Lambo to work or just out on the weekends?
Work. Everybody needs a beater to get around town. Use the helicopter for weekend activity like I do.
Make sure you get a personalized license plate that reads "LAMBO."
and if that one is already taken go with "LLAMBO"
Thoughts? What kind of daughter turns her nose up at a FREE car? I’d be curious to know her reason.
PS - Buy American!
Umm... BMW SUVs are built in South Carolina
Yeah, in fact most "foreign" brands get the majority of their parts from domestic suppliers as well. I'm pretty sure my F-150 has fewer American made parts than my neighbor's Toyota. And mine has to go in for repairs a lot more often.
Although when putting it that way, I guess buying a Ford keeps local auto mechanics in business.
Yes and no. It's all super global and it'd be really hard to figure out where your "dollars" end up when you buy a new vehicle. Window stickers share a certain percentage of NAFTA vs. Global content, but it all comes out in the wash to a certain extent.
I work for an auto supplier outside Chicago, just from my plant make parts that end up in cars from: Ford, GM, Stellantis, BMW, Toyota, Nissan, Kia, Hyundai, Acura, Honda, Land Rover, Mercedes Benz, and more.
that sucks you have had such bad luck. ive driven f150s i purchased new for 30 years and only one has ever required warranty work. i had a 94 that i had ro get speedometer gear replaced when 3 months old because wrong gear was installed in factory. no other issues. ive never had any big expenses out of warranty either....the biggest has been a couple coil packs that cost a few hundred bucks on a 2007. my 2019 has been flawless and just got 26mpg driving to myrtle beach amd back in a 4wd crew cab.
Mine is a 2013 Crew Cab with Ecoboost. I feel like I heard somewhere that the Ecoboost engines are prone to a lot of problems. That and Ford Sync is always glitching on me. I do love the truck when it's working but it seems like all the fancy stuff breaks too easily.
my last 2 have been ecoboost and have had no issues. my current 2.7L is my favorite engine to date. i get excellent mileage and tows my 1950 ford pickup on a tandem axle trailer with ease (a real steel heavy truck). i was very suspect of this little engines ability, but 400ftlb torque is 400ftlb torque. admittedly i only use 93 octane...had lots of detonation issues with a 91 mustang that i put a blown 351w in and will forever use high octane with forced induction, modern technology be damned
i dont know much about the sync except i dont like how much my truck and my phone talk to each other. i handed my phone to the salesman and said set it up. he turned everything on. probably shouldnt have done that. i get rexts warning me about hearing damage when i listen to radio too loud and i get a text every time the temp drops to 32 reminding me to start it before i leave work to warm it up. just the fact that my truck figured out where i work by frequency of visits is unsettling.
sadly cars are a crap shoot. hondas are supposed to be great, but the only non ford we have ever owned was a 2013 pilot and engine blew at 79k miles. ive driven many a mustang hard and fast and never blown a factory motor or a motor i built.
I had a 2014 Crew Cab also with Eco. Had a stretched timing chain and booster issue at 34k miles. Thankfully under warranty. Then had it overheating around 75-80k miles for reasons the dealer was never able to figure out and wanted me to keep dumping money into "fixes" they weren't sure would work. These plus some other reasons had me selling it not very long after for something else.
Was disappointed I had to sell because I really loved driving it.
im beginning to think im the luckiest ford owner alive. heck i even have a 2007 explorer with a 4.6L3V with 200k miles that i keep as driver for my daughter in winter that just wont die. i decided some time ago i would get rid of it when it started costing money, but all ive had to do is routine stuff like breaks and tires...i even put a set of off road tires on it last set intending to leave it where it gets stuck in the mud someday....but it just keeps going.
Yeah I would have kept my truck if I had any confidence they would have gotten the issue figured out and quickly. But losing it for two separate multi week stretches before 100k miles for repairs was a tough pill to swallow.
Yeah mine had a timing chain issue as well. It was in the shop for about 3 weeks but yes, under warranty, which saved me a good $6k so I was told. I had to use my warranty 5 different times in total.
that seems crazy high to replace timing chain. i would think you could buy the entire long block assembly for half that.
I should have clarified because it's relevant. They had to open up the engine and they apparently found more issues, and I kinda tuned them out when they went into the details. I was just glad I didn't have to pay for it myself. I only remember that the timing chain is what they initially told me had set off the engine light.
I wonder how many people think that their Buick Envision is an “American Car” when it’s imported from China.
Uh, Chrysler...FCA....Stallantis...whatever they are called is just as American as BMW.
I work for a Tier 1 supplier that supplies every major Auto company. People love to tell you how foreign cars are made in America, have more American parts than the big 3. What they don't tell you is that the foreign companies demand you source raw materials from the suppliers they choose that happen to be located in Japan. We pay 2 or 3 times the price for things we could easily get up the road here, and Honda, Toyota, and Nissan get to claim they are buying American.
BMW and Mercedes are not like that, they just want top quality. They don't make demands on sources.
As an engineer for a tier 1/tier 2 supplier I assume you must be supplying them with either aluminum, stainless steel or HSLA parts. Those are the only times we’ve run into directed material sourcing requirements and even then it’s only on a fraction of what we’ve quoted or produced for them. There are reasons they do this. Frankly the Big 3 use the very cheapest steel they can on almost everything. Just take brake rotors. All 3 GM & 1 Ford pick up I’ve owned would have the rotors wobbling from warpage within 30k miles. My Tundra has 95k, will soon get its 3rd set of pads and still not even a slight warp. Now ask yourself. If they won’t spend a few bucks extra on something as critical as your vehicles brakes, what corner WONT they cut?
For fun, they have since 1994. Currently the factory employs around 11,000 people.
https://www.bmwgroup-werke.com/spartanburg/en/our-plant.html
They actually export 70% of the cars they make.
Isn't the most American car that you can buy (based on economic impact and in-country assembly) the Toyota Camry?
We owned exclusively Fords for a long time and they spent more time in the shop than on the road. Over a dozen recalls on our Escape alone. Wheel bearings went before 35k miles. All cabin electronics (including the speedometer) would shut off at random intervals. The skid plate on the bottom of the car dropped its front when we were on the highway and started dragging, which was terrifying. The alternator died twice. The last straw was when the engine on tore itself and the turbo to pieces at 150k miles while the Focus developed horrific transmission lurching (hooray for the idiotic dry DCT). We could no longer justify spending enormous sums of money with Ford when they didn't seem to give a rat's ass about build quality or product safety.
Switched to German and Japanese 2 years ago and have never had a single issue with either vehicle.
those lists (Camry most American) may be close to accurate based on averages, but it may depend on your engine option, etc.
When I was shopping for my car in late 2014 I drove 2 cars. Both cars used engines and transmissions built in Germany, while the car was assembled in Mexico. I ended up with the VW GTI over the Ford Focus ST, mainly because it was less expensive (supplier discount was better with VW) and the seats were more comfortable for me.
VW definitely has the best seats, IMO.
"Buy American!" he said as his Ford SUV was on it's way from a plant in Mexico, typing on his iPhone made in China, sitting on his toilet that is made in Korea before he washes his hands with the faucet made in Malaysia. Please tell me you wash your hands.
Thoughts? What kind of daughter turns her nose up at a FREE car? I’d be curious to know her reason.
A really really really really super spoiled one.
As for the dad, no matter the kind of car it was, my response to her not wanting it would be "too fucking bad, either drive it or walk to school/work until you save up enough to buy your own."
Before you purchase…. On a scale of 1 to 10, how proficient are you in cutting people off?
I both a cyclist and BMW driver I can count on being hated regardless of my mode of transportation.
Service costs will be higher than other vehicles, as mentioned by others. If you've got a local shop you like, call them and see what they think. See if they know of any typical problems.
C&D liked it when it came out
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15129003/bmw-x5-review-2011-bmw-x5-xdrive35i-road-test/
Here's a long thread on a BMW enthusiast site that you can read: https://www.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1301890
I'd also highly recommend a pre-buy-inspection. Again, a reliable independent mechanic could do that for about $100. The inspection will be worth it, and that's the same advice I'd give to anyone considering buying a 10 year old car.
I'll echo the same for Audi... I'm convinced they over-engineer everything in their cars just to keep dealer service shops busy. I've never had a major failure, but man do the sensors/window motors/power tailgate etc issues rack up. Really nice interiors though!
I'll attest to Audi. Love it when I had it but service costs will keep me from ever buying one again.
As a retired Daimler employee (MB). You picked the wrong German sports car. However, buying used or new in next 6 months is not a good idea. The market because of EPA engine issues and computer chips is insane. Maintenance is high on MB and BMW. But if you buying bmw you should be ok with that.
The fact that the X-5 is not a sports car but a full-size SUV casts some doubt on your BMW expertise.
The fact that you're a retired MB employee casts some doubt on your objectivity.
From Google,
Another expensive problem that arose in the BMW X5 is a transmission malfunction. Drivers reported issues, which include erratic shifting or a transmission warning light will show up on the dashboard. Sometimes, if you're low on transmission fluid, the car will go into the limp mode to protect it from getting damaged.
Buyer beware!
I know nothing about BMWs but that price of $5500 seems awfully cheap. I checked CarGurus.com for 2011 X5s, and the prices that came up within 200 mi of A2 were basically double what you're looking at.
Agreed OP should buy and resell for twice the price.
I owned a 2013 328i X-Drive when it was about 2 years old. Bought it with about 28K miles on it, certified pre-owned. It was the best, most fun car I've ever driven, and I miss it terribly.
I'll caution you though, the cost of ownership is no joke. Gotta use at least mid-grade gas, and as is the case with most European "premium" vehicles, everyone is going to up-charge you for any and every thing they possibly can. Expect oil changes to cost 25% more than you'd otherwise expect.
I couldn't drive past a body shop without spending $1K... Worth it, though. Man that thing was fun as hell.
Oh, and if you live in the midwest, or anywhere with winter, spring for the X-Drive. It's worth it in the snow. Heated seats and steering wheel are a bonus too.
One last thing: they hold their value very well. I ended up selling mine (private sale) for more than I owed on it. Wouldn't say I came out ahead, given how much I put into it, but that was a nice surprise when it came time to say goodbye.
Not saying I don’t trust your family, but that price is an absolute steal compared to the same car (with similar miles) in my area going for $12k+ still.
Get a mechanic to check out the transmission and other areas. Not saying I don’t trust your family, but you need to have a trustworthy vehicle.
Also, transacting with the family is potentially uncomfortable - especially if the car sucks in the coming weeks/months/year. You don’t want to start a potential squabble with family *Dominic Toretto voice* and a used car could certainly do that.
At the end of the day though - on paper, this appears to be a bargain.
I would buy it and flip it that price is so cheap. I have never owned a bimmer but currently drive a 2015 Audi Q7 TDI that I purchased new and have less than 70k miles on it.
German cars are over-engineered and everything has a sensor, and sensors go bad all the time. The only problems I’ve had are bad sensors and it’s a pain in the keester. Once the ABS sensor went bad on the driver’s rear wheel and the damn car locked up in the middle of the road, thank goodness I wasn’t on a highway and I’m lucky I didn’t get rear ended. Guys at the dealer didn’t seem to think it was as big of a deal as I did.
Also, repairs tend to take a lot longer compared to Japanese cars. If something goes wrong you will need a loaner/rental for several days vice one day.
Unless you have about $10k to drop on maintenance, I would stay away. There are very few things more expensive than cheap BMW.
There are myriad of things that could go wrong starting around 70 to 80 thousand miles. Just browse the owners forum and YouTube videos on maintenance.
Know what you are getting into before buying it. There is a reason why that car is cheap even in this market.
This ^^
I just sold my 2010 328 because the needed maintenance was equal to the price of the car. This was just after 70k miles.
With that said, I do miss the car. It was a hoot to drive and was even, dare I say, reliable. Nevertheless, it still required >$1k every year in maintenance. Not sure it is that much better than comparable non-German brands. There is a cost to ownership.
Don't buy a used car right now if can avoid it. I'd wait a year if you can. BMW's have a high depreciation rate, so I wouldn't buy new. They also don't have great long term reliability, although they are average, but I wouldn't buy a 10 year old BMW as repairs get expensive. I'd try to stick with a 3-6 year old version if you're going to buy used. If you still want an older used luxury SUV I'd try something like a Lexus RX 350. Lexus has great long term reliability and will easily last you 250k miles. Just my 2-cents. Good luck.
I'm actually waiting to buy a used BMW 330 myself, but I'll wait until they are 3 years old and buy it in 2023 with around 40k miles. That's the way to buy a luxury car IMO unless you want an Asian brand like Lexus, Acura, Genesis, etc. Those you can buy new as they don't depreciate as drastically as the German's do and they also last a lot longer so you don't see as much depreciation so you can't get as good of a deal on a 3 year old version as you can a BMW. But, Germans are great slightly used, Asian brands are great either new or barely used or a bit older so you can either take advantage of their lower new cost or their better long term reliability.
I have to buy my daughter a car in February. I'm hoping the market loosens up a bit by then. You have to think the chips will come in at some point and there will be a surge of new car supply which will help with used car prices.
I'm in the same boat as you except, next summer and my kid will get my wife's current car so we'll likely look for a slightly used compact SUV for MY WIVVVE mid 2022.
I'm itching for a new (slightly used, preferably CPO) car right now, before I absolutely need to get new tires for my car (2015 GTI) that I bought CPO in 2017. I know used car prices are inflated right now, so wondering whether the increased price I could get for my car (whether private sale or trade in) almost cancels out with the increased price of whatever I get (actually considering a BMW X2 or something similar).