X5 Versus Others In Class

Any car can have mechanical failures. There is a REASON the Hyundai's have a TEN year warranty and that is...because they NEED IT! My brother owns his own dent company and can tell you for a FACT that many more of the cheap cars (Kia, Hyundai, etc) than the more premium cars (like Benz, BMW, etc) for hte same age model. Now, the high end line cars DO cost more to buy and also (logically) more to repair (as parts are also more expensive). However, you can EASILY resolve any such concerns simply by buying a fairly new CPO. For example, a 2 year old BMW still has 3 years of warranty on them & the CPO adds 2 more years and up to 100K miles to those baselines. My recommendation is to figure out the most you can spend and then buy the newest CPO you can afford & let the CPO handle any issues that may arise. My 7-series did not need anything during it's CPO period. I did do a bit of (minor) work on it after the warranty conclude and before I sold it but some of that was actually optional.

As others pointed out, a new CRV can be nearly as expensive as a new X5 and the CRV is a LOT smaller & has very few of the X5's features. As an example, my 2012 X5 only cost me about $10K more than my parents 2012 CRV.

Originally Posted by ndabunka

Any car can have mechanical failures. There is a REASON the Hyundai's have a TEN year warranty and that is...because they NEED IT! My brother owns his own dent company and can tell you for a FACT that many more of the cheap cars (Kia, Hyundai, etc) than the more premium cars (like Benz, BMW, etc) for hte same age model. Now, the high end line cars DO cost more to buy and also (logically) more to repair (as parts are also more expensive). However, you can EASILY resolve any such concerns simply by buying a fairly new CPO. For example, a 2 year old BMW still has 3 years of warranty on them & the CPO adds 2 more years and up to 100K miles to those baselines. My recommendation is to figure out the most you can spend and then buy the newest CPO you can afford & let the CPO handle any issues that may arise. My 7-series did not need anything during it's CPO period. I did do a bit of (minor) work on it after the warranty conclude and before I sold it but some of that was actually optional.

As others pointed out, a new CRV can be nearly as expensive as a new X5 and the CRV is a LOT smaller & has very few of the X5's features. As an example, my 2012 X5 only cost me about $10K more than my parents 2012 CRV.

Sort of extrapolating your comments into my own scenario then, if the choice came down to a 2006 X5 and a 2007 CRV EX-L (EX-L because it's the closest to X5 in trim is all) with 60k+ miles at the same general price, the better bet as far as cost and reliability over the next 3-4 years is gonna be with the CRV?

I mean, I'd like to keep initial purchase price at $20,000-ish. Maintenance costs aren't a HUGE concern for me so long as we're not talking about a difference of thousands between the two. I understand the point about luck and the possibility that the CRV could wind up with crazy repairs and the X5 running flawlessly, etc., but generally speaking...

Another thing to consider in the Silver State is the location (or lack thereof) of dealer's service centers, and indy's, near by. You might be better served with a Jeep GC for example, or one of the other domestics if you need a true 4wd SUV out there. If you just want a rock crawler, then the Jeep, Nissan or Toyota truck based mid size (4 runner etc) would do you just fine. An older X5 with serious miles on it and far away from any kind of maintenance/repair support is not something that I personally would consider.

Originally Posted by Vex500

Couldn't agree more.......!! The driving enjoyment of a Beemer is a no brainier, have you driven a Camry lately!

I did...but I don't remember it.

Originally Posted by ndabunka

There is a REASON the Hyundai's have a TEN year warranty and that is...because they NEED IT!

I don't think this is true at all logically.. If a company stands behind their product with extraordinary warranty, then that means they are that confident. Your suggestion of Hyundai offering their cars 10 year warranty because these cars fall apart and need this warranty then that makes little sense... If your suggesting Hyundai cars fall apart then I believe Hyundai will go out of business fast.. And we all know this is absolutely not true.

Originally Posted by Mahler12x

Sort of extrapolating your comments into my own scenario then, if the choice came down to a 2006 X5 and a 2007 CRV EX-L (EX-L because it's the closest to X5 in trim is all) with 60k+ miles at the same general price, the better bet as far as cost and reliability over the next 3-4 years is gonna be with the CRV?

I mean, I'd like to keep initial purchase price at $20,000-ish. Maintenance costs aren't a HUGE concern for me so long as we're not talking about a difference of thousands between the two. I understand the point about luck and the possibility that the CRV could wind up with crazy repairs and the X5 running flawlessly, etc., but generally speaking...

Well, that's not what I said at all. I said that you should buy a 1 or 2 year old CPO BMW IF you can afford it.

However, since you now state that your "max budget" is $20K, then YES, I 100% agree that you should buy either a Honda or a Acura because those vehicles are generally more reliable and less expensive to repair should anything go wrong with it vs. a BMW at that same price point. There is a REASON for that though and it's all related to price. A BMW in "good shape" will cost a lot more than the same year CRV in good shape. However, there ARE (a few) BMW's that are actually in BAD SHAPE for the same $'s as the "good shape" Hondas. No one should EVER buy a "cheap BMW" because they simply do not exist. If a BMW is priced lower than it should be, there is probably a very good reason it it priced so low and that reason is normally that it needs a LOT of work to get it back into "decent" shape. That work might not be obvious to you but it is to the seller. He may know that the head gasket is about to blow and he is "dumping it" on the market for a sucker to buy so that the sucker can absorb those costs. To get a good feeling for this just wander over to the 7-series (2002-2008) section of this forum and notice how many are "pleading for help" with a $10K or $12K 7-series they bought "at a bargain". The bottom line is that a 2005 7-series SHOULD be worth $17K. If it's any less than that, RUN AWAY because it's going to cost an ADDITIONAL $10K to get it running right & there's no guarantee even then. Also, some of those $17K cars are the $12K cars that the dealer bought @ auction and is squeezing $5K of profit out of it selling it to an ignorant buyer who thinks he is getting a "deal of a lifetime" so just "paying more" isn't any assurance that you will get a good car.

Additionally, Honda has a history of having grown up over the years and therefore won't have the "growing pains" that the Kia & Hyundai's are experiencing. Having said that, the Hyundai Sonata is an EXCELLENT NEW car for low to mid 20's so if you are looking, that is probably the ONE Hyundai that appears to have "caught up" with the Honda alternatives.

The Kia Optima Limited is an incredible value as well -- based on the Hyundai sonata with the excellent turbo.
The Koreans are maturing with some excellent values -- the old disposable Excel days are getting put behind them, as happened with the Japanese marques at first and -- yes -- BMW too (anyone remember the rebadged Isetta bubble cars?). The only German marques that hit the ground with a quality product here were VW and MB, and both had problems -- but nothing like the Excel's Yugo type reputation. Volvo has always been solid but uninspiring and SAAB had flashes of brilliance -- even with the two cycle engine. BMW at first was quality only for their bikes and the cars not so much.

I personally like BMWs because of handling and driving characteristics. In my opinion, there are not many manufacturers than can compete with BMW when it comes to handling. I experienced engine runaway in my 07 X3 (pretty significant incident for me, posted on bimmerfest including pictures). I was treated horribly by BMW Canada when I followed up on it. I ended up trading it in (fully disclosed the condition and took a loss) and you know what I bought next? Another BMW, an X5 this time. I drove the new Acura RDX, an Audi Q5, and a MB GLK. None came close to a BMW (Q5 was my 2nd choice). If I wanted Reliability and a plush ride, I would give Lexus RX a shot.

Originally Posted by Kzang

I don't think this is true at all logically.. If a company stands behind their product with extraordinary warranty, then that means they are that confident. Your suggestion of Hyundai offering their cars 10 year warranty because these cars fall apart and need this warranty then that makes little sense... If your suggesting Hyundai cars fall apart then I believe Hyundai will go out of business fast.. And we all know this is absolutely not true.

Actually, his statement is completely wrong and entirely unsupported by statistical failure data. Have you seen hyundai's reliability ratings lately?

Originally Posted by ndabunka

Well, that's not what I said at all. I said that you should buy a 1 or 2 year old CPO BMW IF you can afford it.

However, since you now state that your "max budget" is $20K, then YES, I 100% agree that you should buy either a Honda or a Acura because those vehicles are generally more reliable and less expensive to repair should anything go wrong with it vs. a BMW at that same price point. There is a REASON for that though and it's all related to price. A BMW in "good shape" will cost a lot more than the same year CRV in good shape. However, there ARE (a few) BMW's that are actually in BAD SHAPE for the same $'s as the "good shape" Hondas. No one should EVER buy a "cheap BMW" because they simply do not exist. If a BMW is priced lower than it should be, there is probably a very good reason it it priced so low and that reason is normally that it needs a LOT of work to get it back into "decent" shape. That work might not be obvious to you but it is to the seller. He may know that the head gasket is about to blow and he is "dumping it" on the market for a sucker to buy so that the sucker can absorb those costs. To get a good feeling for this just wander over to the 7-series (2002-2008) section of this forum and notice how many are "pleading for help" with a $10K or $12K 7-series they bought "at a bargain". The bottom line is that a 2005 7-series SHOULD be worth $17K. If it's any less than that, RUN AWAY because it's going to cost an ADDITIONAL $10K to get it running right & there's no guarantee even then. Also, some of those $17K cars are the $12K cars that the dealer bought @ auction and is squeezing $5K of profit out of it selling it to an ignorant buyer who thinks he is getting a "deal of a lifetime" so just "paying more" isn't any assurance that you will get a good car.

Additionally, Honda has a history of having grown up over the years and therefore won't have the "growing pains" that the Kia & Hyundai's are experiencing. Having said that, the Hyundai Sonata is an EXCELLENT NEW car for low to mid 20's so if you are looking, that is probably the ONE Hyundai that appears to have "caught up" with the Honda alternatives.

I think there's some over thinking/rationalization going on in this thread.

BMW doesn't necessarily sell itself on it's reliability and cost of ownership ratings. Do we expect a reasonable reliability from such a high priced car? Sure. But most of BMW's draw comes (IMO) from the driving dynamics and experience. If that isn't what motivates you to want a BMW there are certainly other choices with similar functionality and lower cost of ownership that will probably make you happier in the long run.

If you won't miss the BMW driving experience, you'll never think twice about switching and there's nothing wrong with that. We all select different cars for different reasons. They are all simply trade-offs. Otherwise, we'd all be driving 8 passenger, $2000 ferrari's.

Exactly, they put BMW's ratings to shame. You may not "like" their cars but you have to appreciate they are serious players in the automotive world now. Hyundai is a huge industrial corporation that builds everything from consumer electronics, ships, industrial equipment, and yes, even cars. They also build their own diesel engines. I just wish we could get some of those in their SUV's here.

Originally Posted by ndabunka

Any car can have mechanical failures. There is a REASON the Hyundai's have a TEN year warranty and that is...because they NEED IT!

What a bunch of crap. This isn't the early 90s anymore. Hyundai has come up in the world. Recent JDPower puts them above Honda/Acura, which is ridiculous.

That being said, it's even more awesome that Mercedes-Benz is higher than Hyundai, Honda, etc.