SirKater
02-24-2008, 12:48 AM
HI everyone.
This is my 4th BMW and I have to say that by far this is the best one i've ever owned. I've had an 2006 X3, 2004 Z4, & 1998 528I.
The purchase...
The lease on my X3 was about to expire. I was looking to make my next purchase. Something my wife thinks i'm a freak about. But, i'm a car guy...so i enjoy this stuff! After months of shopping and comparing, I was 1 week from plunking my money down on a new MDX. We looked at the XC90, MDX, & X5. I'm not a fan of the XC90. It has dated styling and rides like a Ford. The X5 was too expensive. For the money, you get all the gizmo's and do-dads at a price that's easy to live with in the MDX. I loved the back end, but really didn't like the way it looked from the front. Every time i looked at it, it reminded me of the beak on a bird! However, with Japanese reliablity, resale value, and comfort, the MDX was the decision. I contacted my sales guy from Stevens Creek BMW and scheduled an appt. to return the X3. During the call he mentioned BMW was throwing $2500 of trunk money toward the X5 from Feb. 14 to Feb 29th. I asked him to get me the best price possible. He called me back with a price i couldn't believe....49K on a car that had an MSRP of 55.5K. I couldn't believe they would go almost 2k below invoice. Perhaps it's because this was the third car i purchased from him. Long story short, my wife and i went down to the dealer and made the purchase. I was giddy like a school child! The X5 is simply AWESOME! We ended up with 3.0L, Space Gray/Blk. It has running boards, premium, cold weather, tech & easy access. When i drove it home, i was in awe. It drove as well as i could have imagined. The reason i buy BMW. They simply are drivers cars, and there isn't a single car on the planet that feels like a BMW. Simply the best.
Initial thoughts:
Cons - the 3.0L is underpowered. BMW should add more torque to the engine. 260HP is fine, but the 225lb ft. of torque is simply too little for a car of this weight. But, I can live with it.
The back seat isn't "ideal" for kids 2years & up. With a car seat, my daughter still kicks the back of my seat. I'm 6'2".
BMW Navigation is sub par. The japanese have the germans beat in this dept.
Pro's - EVERYTHING ELSE! I love this car. It's simply incredible!
I look forward to participating and viewing the board in the years to come. Thanks to all the members/enthusiasts for making this board what it is!
My salesman at Steven's Creek BMW is Steve "papa" Hill. Tell him James sent you! He's an extremely nice guy. There was no pressure. Again, i've bought 3 cars from him. People buy from people they like. You'll like Steve. I felt bad for getting the car at such a cheap price, i bought him a bottle of Duckhorn Cab! He called me the next day to say what an awesome wine it was! My 2 weaknesses....Wine and Cars...much like the rest of you, i'm sure!
-James
This is my 4th BMW and I have to say that by far this is the best one i've ever owned. I've had an 2006 X3, 2004 Z4, & 1998 528I.
The purchase...
The lease on my X3 was about to expire. I was looking to make my next purchase. Something my wife thinks i'm a freak about. But, i'm a car guy...so i enjoy this stuff! After months of shopping and comparing, I was 1 week from plunking my money down on a new MDX. We looked at the XC90, MDX, & X5. I'm not a fan of the XC90. It has dated styling and rides like a Ford. The X5 was too expensive. For the money, you get all the gizmo's and do-dads at a price that's easy to live with in the MDX. I loved the back end, but really didn't like the way it looked from the front. Every time i looked at it, it reminded me of the beak on a bird! However, with Japanese reliablity, resale value, and comfort, the MDX was the decision. I contacted my sales guy from Stevens Creek BMW and scheduled an appt. to return the X3. During the call he mentioned BMW was throwing $2500 of trunk money toward the X5 from Feb. 14 to Feb 29th. I asked him to get me the best price possible. He called me back with a price i couldn't believe....49K on a car that had an MSRP of 55.5K. I couldn't believe they would go almost 2k below invoice. Perhaps it's because this was the third car i purchased from him. Long story short, my wife and i went down to the dealer and made the purchase. I was giddy like a school child! The X5 is simply AWESOME! We ended up with 3.0L, Space Gray/Blk. It has running boards, premium, cold weather, tech & easy access. When i drove it home, i was in awe. It drove as well as i could have imagined. The reason i buy BMW. They simply are drivers cars, and there isn't a single car on the planet that feels like a BMW. Simply the best.
Initial thoughts:
Cons - the 3.0L is underpowered. BMW should add more torque to the engine. 260HP is fine, but the 225lb ft. of torque is simply too little for a car of this weight. But, I can live with it.
The back seat isn't "ideal" for kids 2years & up. With a car seat, my daughter still kicks the back of my seat. I'm 6'2".
BMW Navigation is sub par. The japanese have the germans beat in this dept.
Pro's - EVERYTHING ELSE! I love this car. It's simply incredible!
I look forward to participating and viewing the board in the years to come. Thanks to all the members/enthusiasts for making this board what it is!
My salesman at Steven's Creek BMW is Steve "papa" Hill. Tell him James sent you! He's an extremely nice guy. There was no pressure. Again, i've bought 3 cars from him. People buy from people they like. You'll like Steve. I felt bad for getting the car at such a cheap price, i bought him a bottle of Duckhorn Cab! He called me the next day to say what an awesome wine it was! My 2 weaknesses....Wine and Cars...much like the rest of you, i'm sure!
-James