BMW X5

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $55000.00 from Wyoming Valley BMW

Year / Model Reviewed:
2009 X5 3.5d

Summary:
I have driven my new X5d a little over a thousand miles. The suv is solid and handles almost as well as my 535. The engine is wonderful, with the power of a V8, yet on higway driving I'm seeing about 28mpg, in town im getting about 21mpg. Build quality is excellent. The Idrive system although cumbersome, is functional. I assume since this is my second vehicle with idrive it gets easier with repetition.

Strengths:
Amazing powerplant, great handeling, fun to drive

Weaknesses:
A bit of turbo lag off the line

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 1 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $75000.00 from Dealership

Summary:
BMW's poor response to recurring issues lost a 20 year customer! My 2007 X5 has been nothing but a nightmare and is the worse vehicle I have ever owned. I've owned many new BMWs (3, 5, and 7 series) and all have their own "unique" (sometimes annoying) traits that can be overlooked because of their great performance and driver feedback. The best by far was the 750IL 12 cylinder. But my X5 has been a different experience – a huge disappointment in terms of quality control and recurring problems. The worse part though, is BMW’s handling of the issue. Hey, sometimes lemons are produced. But how a company responds dictates customer satisfaction. On that end, BMW has failed. To give some perspective on my experience, the X5 spent 75 days of the 1st 2 years in the shop. Check Engine light errors, start engine issues, windows that go down/up on own, warning lights that vehicle is dangerous to drive, dripping cosmoline, and a rear hatch door that decides on its own when it wants to stay closed and when it wants to unlatch itself. BMW seems to think this is ok, and refuses to do the right thing, which is take the vehicle back. BMW's response to my issues has really been the most disappointing aspect of my ownership experience. I've had to retain an attorney and keep in mind I have had almost half million dollars worth of new BMWs over past 20 years. You would think there would be some customer service involved. The "lemon" is really the company management philosophy itself at BMW NA. Perhaps losing money over past year has caused BMW to lose focus on customer relations, but that is clearly the case as it seems all personnel are well-trained to say the exact same thing. I don't blame the employees - they are hired and directed to say, do, and likely think in the same exact terms as directed by upper management. BMW's management is too detached from the customer and perhaps too concerned about their stock option portfolios, but if BMW continues down this road, they will surely lose credibility with more and more long-term loyal (formally) customers like myself. BMW, the time to "up" your customer service is when things are tough...get real if you think customers will spend the kind of money we do on cars with a company that clearly doesn't care. Wait til you see what happens with stock value and bonuses if you start losing more customers like myself!

Strengths:
Comfort seats are great

Weaknesses:
BMW NA customer service and lack of response to recurring issues.

Similar Products Used:
3 series, 5 series, 740I, 750IL, 745IS, and the "lemon" (X5)

Price Paid:  $70000.00 from The BMW Store

Year / Model Reviewed:
2007 BMW X5 3.0

Summary:
Car drove gret for approx 2,000 km. Then SEVERE HESITATION problems that over the course of the next 9 months caused me to have 7 or 8 NEAR MISS accidents that would have been 100% my fault! These near misses (Broadside or rear end collissions) were avoided by the diligence of the other drivers involved and were caused by my X5 engine severely hesitating on acceleration. It's like you push the gas pedal expecting to accelerate and there's a 1...2...3...4....sometimes 5 second delay! The dealer kept saying that the onboard computer was "learning" how I drove and was reacting to my driving habits! CRAZY!!!!! ANY vehicle that reacts that way should be banned from the roads! Thank God for the other alert drivers on the road who could avoid my virtually stalled BMW!!!! After almost a year of complaining to BMW Canada they finally agreed that perhaps my 2007 X5 3.0 was a lemon and they replaced it with a brand new 2008 X5 3.0 at no charge! I was impressed but disappointed at the length of time they took to correct the problem.

So.....my new 2008 X5 3.0 drives great....DROVE GREAT for maybe 5,000 km.... SAME HESITATION PROBLEMS are back!!!!!

Back to the dealer (different dealer) and the head mechanic said that "yes we are experiences this problem with some of our X5 3.0's!" Supposedly a "computer problem"!!!!!

I worked hard to save money to buy my "dream car", paid cash for it and this is the product that I dreamed about?!?!?!

We'll see ehat happens but perhaps I should have stuck with my American built car? No hesitation problems there!!!!

Strengths:
WHEN there's no hesitation.....it does drive very nicely and is very comfortable!

Weaknesses:
besides the above....NO SPARE TIRE! Not even one of the small emergency tires!

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $42000.00 from BMW of Concord

Year / Model Reviewed:
2007 BMW X5 4.8i

Summary:
Ever since my collegiate infancy, I've been a bimmer-phile, starting with an ancient 320i of some unknown year which constantly needed work that was always more than the car was worth. I then moved into a 2000 330i after completing professional school which I still fawn over for it's sheer visceral delight and complete lack of problems... EVER! I then one day found myself test-driving a 2002 745i while waiting for routine servicing on my beloved 330i - and was sold. I traded the 3 in right then and there (stupidest thing I've ever done) and that began my way too frequent appiontments with my service advisor. My 7-series, dubbed Gretchen, was paradoxically my biggest financial mistake ever, yet somehome my biggest delight. It was constantly shop-ridden, but it was always turned over to the sevice attendants with love and longing for it's return to me. It was a love-hate relationship of the purest kind. After my warrantee was up, I found that Gretchen needed $5k worth of repairs which I new in my heart of hearts was going to be an ongoing battle with her, so I decided to trade her in. Since my college years, I have always dreamt of piloting an X5 (odd, I know), but I finally got my chance. I opted for a certified pre-owned model since it was absolutely flawless. This vehicle now know as Edleweiss, looked and smelled like a show room virgin and I figured she would save me about $10-20 grand over a brand new one; and I could view the service history and see if I was getting myself a lemon - I wish I would have done this with my 7-series as it would have saved me a lot of headache (I'm telling you - certified pre-owned is THEE way to go). After looking over her clean bill of health and taking her for a test drive, I instantly knew she was the car for me. Immediate gratification takes over from the moment I park my posterior on her coddling, supportive seats. The way her engine roars to life at the touch of the start button, and the unsurpassed luxury and convenience of her multitude of gadgets and doodads is the kind of thing that Christmas' as a child is made of. This car is the embodiment of soul and passion and fervor and elegance. I smile from the get-go to the bitter end of a daily romp. I'm always left yearning for more and am never fully satisfied by any trip of any duration in her as I simply can't get enough of her. You have to experience the way the engine snarls and roars when pushed to the limits, yet purrs like a kitten when traffic restrictions forbid you to tap into her potency. And when you push the shifter column over to the left to access her sport mode: it is truly something legendary. Then revs immediatley fly up to upper end of the tachometer and the whole vehicle lurches forward and you are pinned to your seat as you fly through the full rpm bandwidth. The whole time, the transmission holds the gears so every tiny tap of your foot produces sensations of butterflys in your stomach... It is truly intoxicating. When you switch the supension to sport mode, you get a noticable tightening in the steering and suspension which is not bone-jarring, but firm - and it makes you feel in control of the vehicle and the very road itself. But when you back off, the vehicle is instantly transformed back into a luxurious traveller, capable of taking you to the grocery store or a black tie event in complete composure and utmost comfort. (My much-lamented Gretchen had NOTHING on this beast. Do not let the other not-so-shining reviews deter you. You are dealing with a vehicle that is at the mercy of it's prolific technology, which as we all know is going to be prone to glitches, but at it's heart beats a savage lion with the composure of a kitty cat. Do yourself a favor: ignore those dissidents and take one for a spin; I guarantee you, you won't be disappointed.

Strengths:
Impeccable service, head-turning styling, racecar-like handling & acceleration, throaty V-8 growl that sounds like a Mustang, plethora of technological features, a sport mode that actually pins you in your seat - all with the practicality of an SUV.

Weaknesses:
Back up camera is a bit heasitant to come on, computer is somewhat sluggish when running through the never-ending functions, can't disengage my nav once it's dialed in, interior trim work is peeling back - not acceptable for a car of this caliber!

Price Paid:  $57000.00 from motorwerks bmw minne

Year / Model Reviewed:
2007 bmw x5

Summary:
Broken down before the first oil change! 3,000 miles and in the shop for days - due to the notoriously bad i-drive system's on-going failures. I'm going to look to dump the car after 11 months - the biggest disappointment of a car I've owned.

Strengths:
good looks

Weaknesses:
unreliable, a computer controls everything and software meltdowns shut the car down completely. only buy this car as an extra ride b/c you will need a back-up. And when it does meltdown, you cant do little things like put it in nuetral, remove the key, etc. Just for fun, the "roadside assistance is AAA so get ready to sit in a dead car for hours.