2005 BMW X5 3.0 SE Sport - Opinions

[TheArchitect]

Once again I'm turnin to the BCF collective for unbiased experience based opinions...

I'll be in need of a bigger family car soon as we're expecting our 3rd child in the spring of 2016. Currently drive a 2006 Golf 1.6 FSI. It's been the perfect car for our needs as a family for the last 5 years.. good cabin space, decent boot for a buggy and shopping bags and economical and reliable.

Now I need something bigger, equally economical and reliable and very future proof. Been checking out various cars including BMW 5 Series Estate, Audi A6 Estate and Jeep Grand Cherokee to name a few.

For my budget of £6k I feel like the X5 around the 2005 era is giving the best bang for the buck so I've settled to try to find a good example.

I just wanted to know thoughts of those that have owned this car from this year or model. Is it reliable? Are there any known issues or faults I should be aware of? What are the main concerns if any?

As usual many thanks for any input and advice given.
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[Conzar]

Don't no to much on the X5's but i know it will be pricey on fuel!

Dont think you can go wrong looking at as said BMW Audi estates.
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[weasley]

I'm surprised the X5 gives a good 'bang-for-buck' ratio, as you're paying for AWD, big wheels and a certain lifestyle caché.

Take a look at tyre prices and fuel economy... I'd guess they are not great. If you must go SUV then why not a Volvo XC90? Or VW Tiguan (or Touareg if you want road presence).

Škoda estates always do well... a Superb estate is a lot of car for the money.
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[Polarbear]

What's wrong with something like a Mondeo estate?

A lot of car for the money.
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[Keir]

I had a 2005 X5 3.0i sport......

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v383/keir_compact/IMG_3511_zpsc4pqyyp4.jpg

It was a very nice car but....
expect 15-18mpg. maybe 21 if youre on a long run.
expect £200 per tyre for a mid range tyre.
Its not got as much storage room as you would think, a 5 series estate is bigger.
The sat nav is pointless as its a very old style now so your phone will be better. the TV function is a bit pointless but if you must have it make sure its a 2005 with the digi box and get it coded to work on the move.
the subframe bushes wear around 80-100k.
If it has one of those big glass sunroofs then it will malfunction.
All of the engines in these years are quite well proven, no real issues.

if you think it will be similar running costs to a golf 1.6, think again.
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[stevo as b4]

I was told by my tyre shop that a guy paid over £1300 for 4 new tyres on his X5 last year, and was really happy to do so, as he had rang 4 tyre shops before this one and was told the tyres are out of stock and would need to be ordered in.

Seriously if your into/after a BMW then a 5-series touring will have as much cabin space, and save you a fortune in running costs too. If you don't need a big high driving position and 4wd, an estate car is nearly always a better option.

[c_dug]

My dad drives an xc90, that'll fit 7 Adults easily enough, or 4 adults plus two toddlers in child seats (you'd get a fifth adult in the car, but it wouldn't be comfortable for long). Even with the two seats in the boot up it'll fit a buggy and some luggage in the boot without too much fuss.

It feels roughly comparible with the e60 5 series he had before in terms of interior quality.

I'd go for the Volvo over the BMW.
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[JP7]

X5s were available with a multitude of options, so play with every button to make sure everything works, because things do occasionally break on them. Make sure no warning lights are lit.

Also check the displays on the dashboard and instrument cluster as they are prone to having rows of pixels going.

Aside from that they're pretty reliable, so it's a case of making sure the service history is up to scratch, and that the consumable parts such as tyres and brake pads/discs have plenty of life in them, because they're expensive to replace.

[TheArchitect]

Hmm interesting collection of thoughts. Thank you. I knew I could rely on you lot to piss on my parade!!

But on a serious note thanks for the heads up on some of the points.

Re the mpg - I've been reading the 3.0D averages 30+ mpg which isn't too far off from my 1.6 Golf.

I understand there will be an increase in general running costs. Tax will be higher, services will cost more and as rightly pointed out tyres will cost more. But.. The reason I'm even considering the X5 over the various Estate cars is that our annual mileage is pretty low. In the region of 2-2.5k miles per year for last few years. Therefore I would hope costs associated to wear and tear will be lower(? )

I don't actually mind the 5 Series Estate. It's a lovely looking car and lush to drive. But it just doesn't shout out to me. I feel like i'd be buying yet another car to fill the need. This time I was hoping to fulfil the family's needs as well as something I'd feel chuffed with to own. If that makes sense?!

Ps. What about the X3?
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[Nexus Icon]

Not the X3.

Go with the X5 if you fancy one. I was tempted by the big engined one, once upon a time, but got over it so I can see the attraction.

The X3 is not in the X5's league.
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[Jewlio Rides Again LLB]

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[TheArchitect]

[david mcc]

I had a 2005 x3 diesel, not a bad runabout but certainly not a premium motor. Cheap interiors and poor ride quality.

To replace it I looked at every large jeep under 15k. Best overall imo was the Volvo XC90 with 2.4 d5 engine, great to drive and reasonably cheap to run. Interior is excellent and it can seat 7 adults. Really safe and lots of handy connections and chubby holes.

The x5 is a sportier drive but it looks quite dated now and there's not much space in the boot for such a big car.

I bought one (2007 model) and it's been fantastic as a family car. Stick a private plate on it and it could be up to a 2015 plate as its only just changed body shape now.
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David McC
Honda Deauville 650 V3

[P.addy]

At under 3k mileage surely economy won't matter. Just grab the ML55 AMG.

[TheArchitect]

[TheArchitect]

[Kickstart]

[Robby]

As other have said, with that sort of mileage you don't need to worry about the fuel burn. This is a good thing, because nothing depreciates like a large petrol car.

You will still need to service it once a year. You'll be seriously pissed off if you puncture a tyre and it isn't repairable. The road tax will be the top band. Everyone else on the road will think you're prick on a budget. You'll become very aware that you're driving something big, which means less fitting through gaps and more waiting for a larger gap to open up.

Polarbear's suggestion of a mondeo estate is what I would go for. Similar running costs to your golf, the purchase price is less than you'll sell the golf for. You could go for a premium German estate, but having spent a bit of time driving a 2004 mondeo and a 2001 E-class back to back, I would choose the mondeo.

If you want go-anywhere all-season reliability, get a mondeo and buy a second pair of wheels fitted with winter tyres.

[Omega]

For 2,000 miles per year I'd be looking at walking boots for all the family instead. A budget pair from Aldi should do the job .

Seriously though, I'd also say get a cheap estate. I could replace pretty much anything on my Astra estate for what it cost to replace the indicator relay on my dad's Audi A6. Plenty of space, can look half decent and low cost insurance/tax/servicing/repairs. I'd only consider something more fancy if I was going to use it for playing off road or whatever.

[iooi]

[Pete.]

[TheArchitect]

thanks for input chaps and chapettes

Having considered everything I think I let my hard on for a fancy 4x4 cloud my better judgement! I'm reconsidering an estate but has to be a German one. Missus will be test driving a 2006 5 Series next week. And just to keep all my options open I've got a test drive booked in for 2005 XC90.

Will report back..
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MT09 - Almost stolen

[Alpineandy]

Basically anyone that knows nothing about cars still knows German cars are good. So they all keep their value far too well (known as car no knowledge tax).
Japanese cars are also good but not quite as big on the 'snob value' so they're usually a little bit cheaper whilst being just as good, however they're still expensive.
Best options at the moment are Fords and Mazdas.
Not sure what the X3 equivalent would be (or even if there is one) but whatever they are, check them out before making a decision unless you're more interested in being seen in a German car etc....
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[iooi]

[Alpineandy]