My 2001 540ia (sport) was sold and I am said she is gone, but my wife and I are expecting our first and she wants an SUV/ SAV . My question is am I better off saving on fuel and getting the X3is, it would be a 2006 or would I be happier with fuel thirsty X5 4.4. Both trucks would have sport, and cold weather. Please weigh in on anything I should be looking for on either vehicle Thanks, Michael S.
X3si or X5 4.4? I own a 2003 3.0 X5. My parents own a 2008 4.4 X5. Engine power-wise, theirs is more fun and faster, but it definitely sucks the gas down a lot faster. It is a noticable difference when I drive theirs. Although faster, it is not such a huge difference that I notice it during slow driving situations; just when I really get on it and play hard. My 6 cylinder is still peppy and fun. I've certainly never thought of it as a slow vehicle. Mine does do well on gas though. At 80mph I get about 22mpg. Not bad for a large vehicle. The X3 should get even slightly better numbers than that. If it were me, I'd get the X3. That's assuming that everything else is equal about the 2 cars. I'm comparing the MPG, speed, and fun factor here, not size, options, layout, etc.
Thanks for the feedback! Size is not as much as a factor as coast of ownership and reliability. In the future (maybe 2 years) I may get a de/track car and then I would want a tow vehicle, but it would be a light car and a light trailer, so I guess the lighter x3 would do better then the 3.0 x 5 and being a light trailer and car the 4.4 might not be necessary.
x3is vs X5 We have both, wife's 2007 X3 3.0si and my 2006 X5 3.0i. In 2007 the X3 3.0 went to 260 hp and is much quicker than the X5 3.0. X3 gets about 23mph and X5 gets about 20MPH mostly highway. You do notice the feeling of more room in the X5, and it isn't slow the way the have geared it. If you are looking at X3 drive a 2006 and then a 2007 and you will see the difference in pickup and quickness. You'd be happy with either, X3 drives more like a sedan and X5 more truck like. Bob 2007 X3 3.0 is 2006 X5 3.0 i 1989 Porxche 928 S4
It sounds like we will be happy withe either vehicle, thanks for your input. I put a (refundable) deposit on an 2006 X 3 yesterday. It's black with black montana leather, but it dose not have the sport package . My wife really wants wght with black leather and we both like the sport package, so if one becomes available in the next week we may change out minds.
Did you buy anything yet? What were your experiences & what did you learn that you could share? If you did not, ditto on the experiences and learnings... I'm very close to buying an X3. I'm on the fence with a 2006 or 2007 CPO or a new one. Given the differences in financing, a new one vs. a used one the payments are just a few dollars difference. My wife drove them on Saturday. I'm heading down to check them out Monday morning. Thanks
It has been two weeks with the X 3 and about 450 miles. 350 miles were around town and about 100 on the hwy, and boy do I miss my 540..... There are several little things that the 5 series cars and trucks have that the 3 series don't offer. Most of which, I would think are unnecessary options, unless you have been spoiled by having them. Self adjusting and memory tilt and telescoping steering wheel, rear air and heat vents, the instrumentation cluster on the X 3 is not as ergonomic as the 5'ers (imo), however I think the 3 series (non X 3) has the same or a simmular cluster layout as the 5 series. All of the above may not matter over time, but I figured I would point them out. While we went with the X 3 for the minor fuel savings and that built proof BMW straight 6, its hard to get used to not having that low-end big V 8 torque on demand that the 540 had. All in all, its a bimmer and does not drive or handle like a truck, and I am growing to like the X 3 the more I drive it. I will note that the E 39 (540 Sport) is an awesome ride, the best I have ever owned. It offers the total package, gobs of power, handling, looks, and can carry 4 people easily. Anyway this is about the X 3 vs X 5, not e 39. We went with the X 3 because we felt it has less impact on the environment, less fuel consumption, easier for other drivers to see around (we all know what its like being stuck behind a large SUV) but if I were to do it over, I would still go with the X 3, but opt for the sports package. The last 2 BMW's I had were sports, and I enjoy the firmer ride. A few other options that are worth opting for, xeinon lights, if your current car has them, you may not appreciate how well they work, until you get a car with out them. The leather seats are a nice touch as the X 3 interior has a lot of plastic. I also would opt for the premium package with the self dimming mirror, and home link system, these are options that you don't pay much for on a pre-owned car and they are a nice convienance. As for the 2007 (X 3), the power was noticeable, but I found the 2006's power adequate, after all its an SUV. The 2006's I looked at all had 20,000 to 29,000 miles and were in the $24-$25 range after some neogating. The 2007's were $28,500+ and most were loaner vehicles, to me the extra $3,500+ was not worth it, considering how fast that depreciates, and I would not want a car that was a loaner, just my opinion. You should ask the dealers for the services were performed on all the vehicles you are considering, don't assume that all CPO's were well serviced or even serviced at that dealership. Check and compare the in-service date of all the vehicles you are considering, some 06's were delivered late in the year and will have an extra year to year and a half of free maintenance. Good luck with the purchase and fell free to PM me if you have other questions. Michael S.
Hi, Tim. I forgot to mention, my dealer told me that I was not eligible for a CCA discount, because I was getting the .09% financing for 36 months and the first two payments made by BMW. However when you check this sight, you should be eligible for $500 for buying a CPO X 3, regardless of BMW financing. I sent the form in, and hope to see a check in a few weeks,. Good luck and enjoy the new ride
Hello Tim, 2007 X3 si would be the choice, I got one which my wife drives and loves it unfortunate we need to sell, due to eco, so check it out www.Autotrader.com. We also have a 2000 X5 with 250k on it and still going strong, our best BMW we ever bought, never had any big problem with it, we travel between IL to FL frequent since our retirement and get 18-23 miles still . Great car for traveling, have heard many problem from Forum members on there newes modules 02-06. Check out webpage Xoutpost.com for more info. Peter Illinois
