I want to buy my wife an X5 4.6is or 4.8is. Any advice?

[///MARINE]

I'm thinking of buying my wife a used X5. I would love any and all advice from people who have experienced these vehicles (X5s in general) or just want to add thier thoughts. I particularly thought about the "is" versions because they are essentially "M" versions of the X5 and as such should have a heartier, albeit pricier, drivetrain. This vehicle would replace her current E46 325i. Thank you in advance.

-Orlando

[woodym3]

Orlando,
Other than towing, driving rutted dirt roads, or the beach on the Outer Banks, I've never understood why someone would rather drive an SUV than a real car. That being said, I did drive an X5 in the Oktoberfest night rally and was very impressed with it's uh, abilities.
Oh wait, that event was on rutted dirt roads.

Unless she's trying to blend in with all of the moms in my neighborhood, keep her in the E46.

[1996 328ti]

How about the MX5?
Oh wait, that's a Miata.

How about the X5 M?

Edit: Nevermind, I reread the OP.

[///MARINE]

Ironically,

She wants an X5 so she can fit me in it! I am 6'4" and she is 5'4". Our last two road road trips were over 800 miles. My E36s feel more spacious than her E46. Maybe its all the extra airbags and padding? She also thought about a 7 series but that might actually be LESS sporty than an X5 4.8is.

[mcoupemindy]

Ironically,

She wants an X5 so she can fit me in it! I am 6'4" and she is 5'4". Our last two road road trips were over 800 miles. My E36s feel more spacious than her E46. Maybe its all the extra airbags and padding? She also thought about a 7 series but that might actually be LESS sporty than an X5 is.

No Way! I'd take a 7 over the X any time.

[pseto]

the X5 is a great SUV and i've enjoyed it throughout the years. not sure if you've read about my transmission issue, but once you get past 70k miles, the tranny may become a problem. this also seems to be more of an issue with the V8 engine, but its also affected the 6 cylinders as well. also, become accustomed to no more than 15 mpg with a heavy foot, and 18 mpg if you're lucky

the 'is' versions are similar to M cars in terms of reliability/maintenence. the parts will be more expensive, harder to find, etc, but if you do some preventive maintenence, you should be fine.

some other items to look out for are missing pixels on the dash/cluster, valley pan leaks, expansion tank, window regulators, final stage resistors, and CV boots all seem to die prematurely. i've been a longtime member on x5world, and there's a ton of great info there.

[woodym3]

Ironically,

She wants an X5 so she can fit me in it! I am 6'4" and she is 5'4". Our last two road road trips were over 800 miles. My E36s feel more spacious than her E46. Maybe its all the extra airbags and padding? She also thought about a 7 series but that might actually be LESS sporty than an X5 4.8is.

Road Trips? Take the M6!

[///MARINE]

Road Trips? Take the M6!

Woody,

As our late, great, friend of the marque, Dan Erwin (R.I.P.) used to say: "When its Shark time, it is road trip time!" We do take the Shark to Sharkfest in North Carolina and we may even drive it to Octoberfest this year. The last few trips however, have involved snowy excursions to the likes of Chicago and New York, home of some pretty bad drivers (i.e. my siblings) and potholes that would make the craters on Jupiter's moons blush. Although the M6 is not a Concours Queen, it is in one piece and I will try to keep it that way by keeping her below the Mason-Dixon line.

[///MARINE]

the X5 is a great SUV and i've enjoyed it throughout the years. not sure if you've read about my transmission issue, but once you get past 70k miles, the tranny may become a problem. this also seems to be more of an issue with the V8 engine, but its also affected the 6 cylinders as well. also, become accustomed to no more than 15 mpg with a heavy foot, and 18 mpg if you're lucky

the 'is' versions are similar to M cars in terms of reliability/maintenence. the parts will be more expensive, harder to find, etc, but if you do some preventive maintenence, you should be fine.

some other items to look out for are missing pixels on the dash/cluster, valley pan leaks, expansion tank, window regulators, final stage resistors, and CV boots all seem to die prematurely. i've been a longtime member on x5world, and there's a ton of great info there.

Thanks for the info Paul. The threat of early transmission death definetly gives me pause. I'm sorry you had to go through that. What did you decide to do about your X5?

[pseto]

Thanks for the info Paul. The threat of early transmission death definetly gives me pause. I'm sorry you had to go through that. What did you decide to do about your X5?

i've found a few transmissions priced around $2-3k. i'm trying to find a place to put it in for a reasonable price AND that knows what they are doing.

[Nick325xiT 5spd]

If your wife is happy with an E46 325, why on earth would you go to an X5 is? Get the 3.0 or the 4.4 - either is quite decent, without the absurd expense of 20" tires and an extra finicky drivetrain.

[///MARINE]

If your wife is happy with an E46 325, why on earth would you go to an X5 is? Get the 3.0 or the 4.4 - either is quite decent, without the absurd expense of 20" tires and an extra finicky drivetrain.

From what I understand; the 3.0 gets the same gas mileage as the 4.4 in real world driving. I also understand that the 4.4 has all of the same maladies that 740i and 540i owners have been struggling with for over a decade. I was just trying to figure out if anyone knew if the "is" versions were built to a higher standard. The only three vehicles my wife currently has interest in are: the Range Rover, the E46 M3 convertible and the X5. She does love her E46 but she wants something bigger.

[Nick325xiT 5spd]

From what I understand; the 3.0 gets the same gas mileage as the 4.4 in real world driving. I also understand that the 4.4 has all of the same maladies that 740i and 540i owners have been struggling with for over a decade. I was just trying to figure out if anyone knew if the "is" versions were built to a higher standard. The only three vehicles my wife currently has interest in are: the Range Rover, the E46 M3 convertible and the X5. She does love her E46 but she wants something bigger.

The "is" is built to the same standard - but with lots of extra parts.

I keeping eying the the late year 6-spd manual X5s... One of those would make for a nice beater.

[pseto]

From what I understand; the 3.0 gets the same gas mileage as the 4.4 in real world driving. I also understand that the 4.4 has all of the same maladies that 740i and 540i owners have been struggling with for over a decade. I was just trying to figure out if anyone knew if the "is" versions were built to a higher standard. The only three vehicles my wife currently has interest in are: the Range Rover, the E46 M3 convertible and the X5. She does love her E46 but she wants something bigger.

mpg for both engines are about the same, so too me, it came down to which one felt better. IMO the 3.0 was severely underpowered for such a heavy vehicle.

as far as the 'is' version being of a higher standard...from what i remember, they had the same non-engine related problems as the 3.0 and 4.4.

the 4.6is was a pretty rare X5, so finding one that doesnt have a premium on it, would be hard IMO.

[raymondalombardo]

Orlando-
A few thoughts here on top of the sound advice you have received:

1. Don't be afraid of the v-8s. The v-8s are reliable motors, aside from issues that it largely shares with the I-6s. For whatever reason, there's a lot of urban legend out there about these motors.

2. While the I-6 is a tad underpowered for the X5, if you are using the car for highway driving it is less of an issue. The big advantage of the I-6 is that you can find a manual transmission. They do come up for sale with some regularity, you just have to be willing to travel.

3. If you need AWD, well then you need it but a set of good winter tires might be cheaper. X series BMWs love to eat front half shafts, and this is an expensive job. Someone mentioned this, but I would price this job and then think about whether it is still worth it to you.

4. Finally, no one mentioned the water cooled alternators on the v-8s. These are fairly reliable, but very expensive if they head south. Needless to say, have any prospect checked out thoroughly.

Personally, if I were in your shoes, and were looking for a long distance tourer, I would find an e61 530XiT manual wagon. The e60, weird styling aside, is a pretty good car. And the N52 is a reliable motor, as compared to the N54. The half shaft issue is still there as always, but the rest of the car is better. We've looked at X5s several times, and each time I've been turned off by the fact that they don't seem to hold up that well. Maybe it's just me.

Hth, and good luck.

Raymond Lombardo