Review
I have been leasing this car for 1.5 years and I have 16,000 miles on it (about 65% highway, 35% city driving). WHY LEASING? I wanted to buy, but everyone told me that I am crazy and that BMWs tend to have lots of problems as soon as the warranties expire. Is that true? Perhaps not and I am sure how one drives them and cares for them has a lot to do with the issue, but I felt uncomfortable and so I got a high-mileage lease which costs me a lot, true be told. A professional at Honda, during a conversation we had (my second car is a Honda) told me that "BMW will last, but maintenance does not come cheap!" That is the real issue: does one want to be stuck in expensive maintenance? Each of us has his or her own answer to this. IS IT REALLY THE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE? No. Period. Perhaps, if one gets the X5 M, but the 6-cylinder X5 with 300 hp and 4700 lb of weight is just good for 0-60mph in 6 seconds. Nobody gets overly impressed by that. Visibility is good, but not great and even maniacs who drive in and out of lanes have to pay a lot of attention. Sure, in Sport Mode, it is on the fun side, I will admit to that and on occasions I hit the canyons around here and push it and have fun, but for everyday use it is not a dream come true. IS IT COMFORTABLE? The basic seats for me are ugly and as uncomfortable as they get. In fact, my Honda's seats are more comfortable! However I upgraded the seats to the next level (cannot do the top trim as they only come in ivory white which I do not like for my daily ride) and things improved more than a bit. The rear seats are not bad at all for rear seats, however. Quite good. DOES IT HANDLE WELL? Yes, it does. That I must admit.. Even at 90mph or more on canyons, the car has an excellent behavior for such heavy vehicle. I have the Dynamic handling package as well though. OPTIONS. That is the best part about purchasing or leasing a BMW, i.e. most is customizable a la carte unlike other brands in the same segment. EXPENSIVE TO OWN? As it is a lease and I am under warranty, no. But fuel economy, while good for the segment, is nothing to brag about. I am getting on average 22 mpg. I can get 26mpg on highway alone (mine is the 4 wheel drive model), however in city driving I feel like I want to cry. I am lucky if I get 17 mpg, probably 16 mpg more like it. WOULD I BUY/LEASE IT AGAIN? Tough. Leasing is not my thing, I like the cars to be mine and keep them forever. The warranty program for me is weak. I would like 6 years or 100k miles. If a brand does not do that, to me it means they do not believe in their vehicles as I would like them to. That is at the of the day, my real issue: I am ok to pay more for a vehicle but, if I take care of it, it should hardly ever have any issue. Like my Honda CR-V, 21 years together, 303k miles on it and never a major issue. Fun is good, but reliability is very desirable as well. HOW WAS IT DEALING WITH BMW DEALERS? Pleasant, surprisingly very pleasant. I am confident that it varies from dealer to dealer, but my experience was A+. I did rent the car for 4 days before purchasing so I knew how it drives, the positives and the negatives and all I had to do was to select the options I needed/wanted and deal on price. Mine was custom ordered as I am picky on colors and combinations of interiors/exteriors, but dealer worked with me and never rushed me. WHAT DO I REALLY THINK THE 6 cylinder X5 needs? Either to lose some weight or gain another 50 hp (without fuel consumption go higher), then it would be near perfect. Brakes could be a bit more powerful too. Stopping this vehicle in tight spaces, is not a breeze. On 405 Freeway, there was an accident in the car pool lane and I was traveling on it... I kept a reasonable distance, but with the delays in braking.. I came within inches of hitting the car in front. Downhill braking always does not feel very powerful. Other than that, so far thumbs up.