Which other SUVs did you own/consider?

Originally Posted by pfbz

Placed my order for an X5 35i in Alpine White on Monday. PCD delivery next month...

Congrats on the order. I am picking up an Alpine White X5D PCD on 1/20!

Originally Posted by quackbury

The one vehicle we probably would have chosen over the X5 is unfortunately not available in the USA: the BMW F11 535D x-Drive sportwagon. Pity.

Ohhh yessss.... tells you where the American mindset is. I don't believe the X5 does anything better than that car except height.

Originally Posted by Cdnrockies

Which leads to the second bolded statement. As much as my previous statement frustrates me, I still love the S class and will consider one in the spring...lol.

I like the E-class (although haven't driven the latest one, so just looks and concept right now). But it would take a lot for me to go back there. And yes the S is nice but out of my league right now.

From all these posts one thing is clear... there are so many flavors out there it really is the consumer's domain now. We have more choices, ability to tailor options, and ability to communicate these to our networks than ever before. Which all comes down to globalization, which is of course in no small part due to the INTERNETS!

Can you imagine getting all this info 20 years ago, leaning over the fence and talking to your neighbors? (Sorry for OT but I can't stop thinking about this. These ARE the good old days IMO).

Originally Posted by Cdnrockies

Don't hold your breath...our '10 X5 hasn't been any more reliable than our '09 ML320.

I forgot to ask you earlier... could you give us some idea of what issues you've had with your X5? (And at the risk of taking this thread too far OT, any other members feel free to kick in). A skim of this forum leads me to surmise that many issues in the E70 are relatively minor. Of course, time will tell...

did anyone like/drive a Tahoe? That was also on my radar, but never got a chance to try it out.

I am trading in my 2004 RX330 for my X5 which hopefully I will have at the beginning of next week. I also seriously considered a 2011 RX350, and drove it, and felt like I was still in my own car, even though it was beautiful and has a lot of very nice new features. My husband insisted that we look at the MDX, which we did, and I test drove it. Honestly, I think I was not that open-minded as I had already spent 2 hours at the BMW dealer before I went into Acura that Saturday afternoon. Also, the model they had available for me to drive was pretty basic..... ( it just didn't have that WOW factor for me). I have so many friends that own MDX's and love them, but once again, I think I already had my mind made up. I hope that I have made the right decision!

Originally Posted by kck7

I forgot to ask you earlier... could you give us some idea of what issues you've had with your X5? (And at the risk of taking this thread too far OT, any other members feel free to kick in). A skim of this forum leads me to surmise that many issues in the E70 are relatively minor. Of course, time will tell...

Amp went out less than 12 hours after getting it. Took three trips to the dealership and a new amp from Germany to resolve it.

DEF tank warning came on at only 6000km so it obviously wasn't full at delivery.

3 (or is it 4) CEL's. One due to extreme cold. The rest were sensors I believe.

Recall and software re-flash.

Now some valve has to be replaced.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head...lol. I've only had it for 11 months, but yes they are all relatively minor, but a serious pita as I live 60 miles from the dealership. Service advisors and dealership have been fantastic to deal with which eases the pain slightly.

Sorry to hear of those troubles but even worse, the distance. That's one reason I paid a bit more to buy nearby rather than drive 3-4 hours and get a better deal. Yes of course I can service it anywhere but figured that *might* give me some leverage with service issues.

I've been wondering about that DEF tank too. I mean, how does one know the dealer filled it fully? It's too easy to just put in a few months worth. Did they charge you for new DEF?

Originally Posted by kck7

Sorry to hear of those troubles but even worse, the distance. That's one reason I paid a bit more to buy nearby rather than drive 3-4 hours and get a better deal. Yes of course I can service it anywhere but figured that *might* give me some leverage with service issues.

I've been wondering about that DEF tank too. I mean, how does one know the dealer filled it fully? It's too easy to just put in a few months worth. Did they charge you for new DEF?

Thanks man.

Next closest dealership is a further 160 miles away.

No, no charge for the DEF fluid. I haven't had to shell out a dime for any service visits whatsoever.

P.S. I also forgot I had the infamous rear bumper clip issue. Also fixed with no questions asked. Sorry for the threadjack guys.

Originally Posted by kck7

Sorry to hear of those troubles but even worse, the distance. That's one reason I paid a bit more to buy nearby rather than drive 3-4 hours and get a better deal. Yes of course I can service it anywhere but figured that *might* give me some leverage with service issues.

I've been wondering about that DEF tank too. I mean, how does one know the dealer filled it fully? It's too easy to just put in a few months worth. Did they charge you for new DEF?

DEF is cheap and you can top it off easily. Not worth fretting over. Besides no one really knows the actual rate of consumption. You may need less than the next guy. I havent had refill issues in 15k miles. I had one refill at 10k by dealer.

Originally Posted by the kidd

did anyone like/drive a Tahoe? That was also on my radar, but never got a chance to try it out.

Loved it...Would have bought it over the X5 if not for the wife who thought it was too big. Its much more vehicle for the money, and drove like a dream. the only reason i got turned onto it was because i had a brand new suburban as a rental for 3 days, doing lots of HWy driving and what not. I couldn't believe how it cornered, and handled the road as compared to my fathers 2005 GMC Yukon. They have come a long way, and now have the 8 cylinder which cuts down to 4 cylinders when cruising to attain 21MPG HWY.

However I like the X5 as well, it was like choosing between 2 pretty women. For those of you who love your X5d, you should try the 335d, its like a rocketship, and I really miss my 335d car when we are away with family in the X5. Plus it realllly sips fuel if you baby it. Got 39MPG going from buffalo to Albany once while cruising at 75mph.

Before I ultimately chose the X5, i test drove the Q7 (both the wife and I were unimpressed, big fan of the A6 though), test drove the Honda Pilot, the interior was nice, and it was roomy with nice Rear entertainment system, however, the performance was sub par, and the brakes were atrocious. I was really interested in the 2011 Touareg TDI, but couldnt test drive one b4 we fell in love with the X5 (nobody had them on the lot), and the MDX was like every other honda and acura, soft on the corners, and had to rev the hell out of the engine to get any pull from it, in addition, the rear cargo space felt cramped due to the roofline. Considered the ML320 TDI until the salesman on the phone laughed at me when I asked if he could sell a used 2009 for close to 35k (only way I would consider it vs the new X5) Overall I'm in love with the 35D engine from my 335D, hence why we chose the X5D.

Don't have an X5 - have an E83 X3 and also a 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser. Two totally different vehicles which my wife and I both love equally. The Cruiser is a tank... only drawback is the 13 mpg around town.

pfbz, you actually got to drive a 2011 Cayenne V6? Wow, that is the first one I have heard about that was in the hands of a dealer for test driving. With the new tranny and the tuned 300 hp V6 it is supposed to be much quicker than the '10 version and a pleasure to drive.

i had the ml and loved it, a good friend of mine has the ml63 and that thing is a friggen hoot to drive not to mention good looking!!!
the ml350 has much more luxury than the x5, that being said the x5 is much more sporty, which i prefer. do not like the RRS, great looking from the outside, small on the inside and too plasticky, do not tlike the MDX, feels like a honda CRV, really like the porsche GTS. ALL BEING SAID I STILL PREFER THE X5

Originally Posted by UncleJ

pfbz, you actually got to drive a 2011 Cayenne V6? Wow, that is the first one I have heard about that was in the hands of a dealer for test driving. With the new tranny and the tuned 300 hp V6 it is supposed to be much quicker than the '10 version and a pleasure to drive.

Stevenson Porsche in Denver had one on the lot and they were happy to hand me the keys... It definitely did not float my boat. Seemed to be working pretty hard, but also at 6K feet we are down about 18% on power with normally aspirated engines.

Better than the old Cayenne six? Very possibly, but I just couldn't fathom spending Porsche coin and not being able to pass-at-will on steeper mountain roads.

V8 Cayenne? Yup, definitely nice power. But again, the turbo's on both the BMW X5 gas motors with the 8-speed tranny seemed ideal (from a power/performance perspective) for Colorado mountain driving.

pf, thanks glad to know they are out there now for testing! You are right, at that altitude (out here it is around Tahoe) you need the extra ooomph from the turbo. The NA engines just doen't have it. I suspect the Porsche Cayenne Turbo might be just fine however!