Buying Advice for FX Owner

[D2G]

Never been a BMW owner. Long history with Nissan and currently running a 2005 Maxima SL, 2003 G35 coupe and 2008 FX35 AWD with plenty of miles, year round driving in harsh upstate NY winters (except the G) and no problems. Nice thing about the Infinitis has been since Nissan owns that brand I take them to a Nissan dealership for the service and oil change, and don't have to pay the high prices at the Infiniti dealership. A 60K service campaign for the FX35 for example was over $1000 at Infiniti but I paid around $600 at Nissan - got a Nissan Rouge for the complimentary loaner which was nice and unexpected.

My daily driver, FX35, is going to a family member soon and I need a new car. I don't like the exterior styling of the new FX or EX and the QX is too big. But I really like the look of the X6. I haven't seen any on roads in my area, BMW dealer here doesn't even have any but I saw one on road when I was out of town and was really wowed. I was talking with the BMW dealership and financing rates are good, I was going to buy the 35i, put half down and finance the remainder for 36 months. Frankly I am afraid to buy the BMW because I am not sure of the reliability. The cost for service is probably really high too. I wonder if it is even practical to keep the X6 for say 10 years, like I am confident I can of my Maxima and FX without too much costly trouble. I take really good care of my cars, I do weekly washes for the two daily drivers in my household and all required service.

I know I am on forums with X6 fanboys, but can y'all clue me into what I can expect from X6 ownership. What I want is a car I can keep running year round and keep going for years with proper maintenance. Is this something I can expect of the X6 and BMW?

[archwerks]

Originally Posted by D2G

Never been a BMW owner. Long history with Nissan and currently running a 2005 Maxima SL, 2003 G35 coupe and 2008 FX35 AWD with plenty of miles, year round driving in harsh upstate NY winters (except the G) and no problems. Nice thing about the Infinitis has been since Nissan owns that brand I take them to a Nissan dealership for the service and oil change, and don't have to pay the high prices at the Infiniti dealership. A 60K service campaign for the FX35 for example was over $1000 at Infiniti but I paid around $600 at Nissan - got a Nissan Rouge for the complimentary loaner which was nice and unexpected.

My daily driver, FX35, is going to a family member soon and I need a new car. I don't like the exterior styling of the new FX or EX and the QX is too big. But I really like the look of the X6. I haven't seen any on roads in my area, BMW dealer here doesn't even have any but I saw one on road when I was out of town and was really wowed. I was talking with the BMW dealership and financing rates are good, I was going to buy the 35i, put half down and finance the remainder for 36 months. Frankly I am afraid to buy the BMW because I am not sure of the reliability. The cost for service is probably really high too. I wonder if it is even practical to keep the X6 for say 10 years, like I am confident I can of my Maxima and FX without too much costly trouble. I take really good care of my cars, I do weekly washes for the two daily drivers in my household and all required service.

I know I am on forums with X6 fanboys, but can y'all clue me into what I can expect from X6 ownership. What I want is a car I can keep running year round and keep going for years with proper maintenance. Is this something I can expect of the X6 and BMW?

In a word NO.
Depends on ur tolerance for car troubles & how much time & energy u have on ur hands.
From personal & friends' experiences w/ BMW FEW have been trouble free. They r usually manual trans. everything else manual also, simple late '80s early '90s, 3 Series.
BMWs r have so much "innovation" from model to model/ year to year, there tends to be reliability issues, more or less depends on ur luck of the draw.

Certainly great to drive, when everything works but don't expect appliance like reliability. For that, stay w/ Japanese.
Of course, u can get one with absolutely no troubles at all & i can win the lottery tomorrow.
Transportation / fuel costs keeps going up, so...Talk to owners beyond the casual level. Visit the websites checkout recalls , do ur due diligence.
Check out J D Powers reliability report. If u want German & reliable Porsche has better record.
If u have other cars as reliable daily driver keep driving it.
As a daily driver beyond the warranty many newer cars r not worth keeping as repair & parts costs r high. Even toyota parts r expensive when they may be pumped out of sweat shops in China!
Keep driving those older simpler to repair, less electronic, computer dependent vehicles w/ reasonable mileage.
Save ur money, spend time w/ ur spouse, kids, relatives & friends.

[hdman1216]

Originally Posted by archwerks

In a word NO.
Depends on ur tolerance for car troubles & how much time & energy u have on ur hands.
From personal & friends' experiences w/ BMW FEW have been trouble free. They r usually manual trans. everything else manual also, simple late '80s early '90s, 3 Series.
BMWs r have so much "innovation" from model to model/ year to year, there tends to be reliability issues, more or less depends on ur luck of the draw.

Certainly great to drive, when everything works but don't expect appliance like reliability. For that, stay w/ Japanese.
Of course, u can get one with absolutely no troubles at all & i can win the lottery tomorrow.
Transportation / fuel costs keeps going up, so...Talk to owners beyond the casual level. Visit the websites checkout recalls , do ur due diligence.
Check out J D Powers reliability report. If u want German & reliable Porsche has better record.
If u have other cars as reliable daily driver keep driving it.
As a daily driver beyond the warranty many newer cars r not worth keeping as repair & parts costs r high. Even toyota parts r expensive when they may be pumped out of sweat shops in China!
Keep driving those older simpler to repair, less electronic, computer dependent vehicles w/ reasonable mileage.
Save ur money, spend time w/ ur spouse, kids, relatives & friends.

It looks like you are ready for a Ford F 150 pickup. At least you are ready to move on to something that reflects your outllook on life and reality. I just don't know if you are too old to appreciate new technology or stupid because you are too young to understand, but, it is time to take your negative BS down the road.

[aas5]

I don't see any reason for harsh words, dude. I find his comments very helpful. I drive an Infiniti and am thinking about switching to BMW but a question of reliability comes to mind as a number one concern. I think you may be comfortable spending $80K+ on a car and NOT expect it to be drivable 100% of the time but I am not; I don't really buy into the whole crap of innovation = poor reliability. Japanese introduce enough innovations and their cars are very reliable (and let's not start a comparison test here).

Others - please keep the discussion going on the original question - I love the BMW drive and your real-life observations are very helpful to me and the person who asked the original question.

Thanks.

[Ultimas]

Originally Posted by aas5

I don't see any reason for harsh words, dude. I find his comments very helpful. I drive an Infiniti and am thinking about switching to BMW but a question of reliability comes to mind as a number one concern. I think you may be comfortable spending $80K+ on a car and NOT expect it to be drivable 100% of the time but I am not; I don't really buy into the whole crap of innovation = poor reliability. Japanese introduce enough innovations and their cars are very reliable (and let's not start a comparison test here).

Others - please keep the discussion going on the original question - I love the BMW drive and your real-life observations are very helpful to me and the person who asked the original question.

Thanks.

+1

Yes BMW reliability can't compare to Japanese's but the BMW drive quality is superb. I believe the most reliable engine from bmw would be the diesel.

[dmlgc]

Initially I had the wrong battery problem and and a check engine light problem that was fixed by reprogramming the car. Since then I have taken numerous trips to Nevada and Arizona in 100+ temps and the car just hummed along driving it 80-100 mph ( there are open stretches in the desert).

So I think some issues may have to do with where you live, harsh winters (not an issue on west coast) will bring out more issues. I've been driving BMW's since my first 1973 Bavaria which I bought when in Germany. Over the years on several models I had some initial problems (nothing serious just annoying) but like the X6 after they were fixed car ran like a top for the rest of the time I had it (and I drive my cars hard).

I do think you do need to consider what your climate is like when purchasing a car,
BMW's are sport sedans not family cars. After driving my first BMW on the Autobahn in Germany I was hooked on bimmers and not interested in driving anything else, to me the experience is worth the minor annoyances.

[REInvestor]

Originally Posted by D2G

Never been a BMW owner. Long history with Nissan and currently running a 2005 Maxima SL, 2003 G35 coupe and 2008 FX35 AWD with plenty of miles, year round driving in harsh upstate NY winters (except the G) and no problems. Nice thing about the Infinitis has been since Nissan owns that brand I take them to a Nissan dealership for the service and oil change, and don't have to pay the high prices at the Infiniti dealership. A 60K service campaign for the FX35 for example was over $1000 at Infiniti but I paid around $600 at Nissan - got a Nissan Rouge for the complimentary loaner which was nice and unexpected.

My daily driver, FX35, is going to a family member soon and I need a new car. I don't like the exterior styling of the new FX or EX and the QX is too big. But I really like the look of the X6. I haven't seen any on roads in my area, BMW dealer here doesn't even have any but I saw one on road when I was out of town and was really wowed. I was talking with the BMW dealership and financing rates are good, I was going to buy the 35i, put half down and finance the remainder for 36 months. Frankly I am afraid to buy the BMW because I am not sure of the reliability. The cost for service is probably really high too. I wonder if it is even practical to keep the X6 for say 10 years, like I am confident I can of my Maxima and FX without too much costly trouble. I take really good care of my cars, I do weekly washes for the two daily drivers in my household and all required service.

I know I am on forums with X6 fanboys, but can y'all clue me into what I can expect from X6 ownership. What I want is a car I can keep running year round and keep going for years with proper maintenance. Is this something I can expect of the X6 and BMW?

I was exactly where you were 9 months ago. Lease on my Infiniti FX45 was up and I didn't like the new design either. Looked too feminine compared to the previous version. I researched for about 4 months and settled on the X6 50i and we love it. One good thing about BMW is that, your maintenance is free for first 4 yrs. We ran low on oil the other day and the dealership had us swing by and they topped off the oil and all fluids within 5 minutes we were on our way. That's service. I've been a longtime BMW/Merc owner and definitely prefer BMW service, handling and performance over Mercedes anyday. The X6 is awesome. We love the styling, the handling and the fit and finish of the vehicle. What's also nice is that, there are not alot of them on the road. So there's some exclusivity in owning one as well. Hope this helps you a little in your decision.

[midwest 340xi 6sp]

I would echo the general comments already made:

Japanese cars = more value, more reliable, less refined, some of em are really fast and soulful like the "Z" - but those are the exception

BMW = less reliable, more refined, less value, more spirited driving experience, more refined finishing

Now certainly there are exceptions to all of the above...My wife loves her Lexus RX and they're pretty darned refined too...But the damn thing drives like a living room couch and I could tolerate it for about 1 week. I think these notions generally hold up when comparing across the brands...In the last 10 years I have owned:

328
540
M3
550
X6 35i
X6 50i (my current ride)

I can count on one hand the # of times I've had my cars in for problems outside of regular maintenance (knocking wood)...

Besides, BMW offers 4 years of free maintenance and a good warranty..

Drive an X6 (if you can find one) and report back to us owners what an outsider thinks...

[Hamed]

just one little advice..

Go to the dealer..go do a test drive..see how you feel...check how you get into it and out of it...take a short ride...give it a kick-down and see the response...if you like it, go for it...its a nice car..

[itsme123]

Originally Posted by Hamed

just one little advice..

Go to the dealer..go do a test drive..see how you feel...check how you get into it and out of it...take a short ride...give it a kick-down and see the response...if you like it, go for it...its a nice car..

Definitely go on a test drive. By going to the X6, you will be rewarded with a much better driving exerience at a higher cost of long term ownership. Remember, regular maintanance is completely covered for 4 years/50k miles (http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Conte...intenance.aspx), but it could get more costly vs a Japanese car after that. I think the test drive could really get you hooked

[D2G]

Thanks everyone for your responses, they have all been very helpful!

Originally Posted by aas5

I think you may be comfortable spending $80K+ on a car and NOT expect it to be drivable 100% of the time but I am not; I don't really buy into the whole crap of innovation = poor reliability. Japanese introduce enough innovations and their cars are very reliable (and let's not start a comparison test here).

My sentiments exactly. Seems like the general consensus in this thread is while BMW won't be too much trouble, their reliability doesn't match the Japanese and I have heard that before. I just don't understand why this phenomenon exists. Guess this area we will just have to accept for the marque.

Originally Posted by dmlgc

So I think some issues may have to do with where you live, harsh winters (not an issue on west coast) will bring out more issues. I've been driving BMW's since my first 1973 Bavaria which I bought when in Germany. Over the years on several models I had some initial problems (nothing serious just annoying) but like the X6 after they were fixed car ran like a top for the rest of the time I had it (and I drive my cars hard).

I do think you do need to consider what your climate is like when purchasing a car, BMW's are sport sedans not family cars. After driving my first BMW on the Autobahn in Germany I was hooked on bimmers and not interested in driving anything else, to me the experience is worth the minor annoyances.

I have some concerns here on this point and want to hear all your opinions. From my understanding the X6 isn't a sport sedan. The X6 is marketed as a Sports Activity Coupe, kind of a cross between a sports coupe and a SUV, for a best of both worlds product. Coupled with its high ground clearance, vehicle weight, and all wheel drive, up until reading dmlgc's post, I did not think that the X6 would not be a good vehicle for winter weather. If this is the case, then the X6 is definitely out of consideration for me! I see the X6 as very similar to the Infiniti FX. The FX is based on Nissan 350Z sports coupe, but also with high ground clearance, all wheel drive, and SUV-like qualities. With proper winter tires the FX has proven itself to be very capable in harsh winter weather, cold and snow. Please let me know your thoughts for the X6 on this point.

Originally Posted by REInvestor

I was exactly where you were 9 months ago. Lease on my Infiniti FX45 was up and I didn't like the new design either. Looked too feminine compared to the previous version. I researched for about 4 months and settled on the X6 50i and we love it. One good thing about BMW is that, your maintenance is free for first 4 yrs. We ran low on oil the other day and the dealership had us swing by and they topped off the oil and all fluids within 5 minutes we were on our way. That's service. I've been a longtime BMW/Merc owner and definitely prefer BMW service, handling and performance over Mercedes anyday. The X6 is awesome. We love the styling, the handling and the fit and finish of the vehicle. What's also nice is that, there are not alot of them on the road. So there's some exclusivity in owning one as well. Hope this helps you a little in your decision.

The exclusivity was one of the draws for the FX for me. Like you mentioned, I too don't like the new redesign otherwise I would have gotten another Infiniti. By the way, I see you are in NoVa. I used to live in Chevy Chase up until a year ago before moving to upstate NY. Don't miss the traffic!

Originally Posted by Midwest X6

I would echo the general comments already made:

Japanese cars = more value, more reliable, less refined, some of em are really fast and soulful like the "Z" - but those are the exception

BMW = less reliable, more refined, less value, more spirited driving experience, more refined finishing

Now certainly there are exceptions to all of the above...My wife loves her Lexus RX and they're pretty darned refined too...But the damn thing drives like a living room couch and I could tolerate it for about 1 week. I think these notions generally hold up when comparing across the brands...In the last 10 years I have owned:

328
540
M3
550
X6 35i
X6 50i (my current ride)

I can count on one hand the # of times I've had my cars in for problems outside of regular maintenance (knocking wood)...

Besides, BMW offers 4 years of free maintenance and a good warranty..

Drive an X6 (if you can find one) and report back to us owners what an outsider thinks...

The four years of free maintenance is great! I don't have that benefit currently. Once I can find a dealership that has a X6, I will let you all know what I think. I am definitely hooked just on appearances and the drive experience will probably only add to my enthusiasm for the X6.

Originally Posted by Hamed

just one little advice..

Go to the dealer..go do a test drive..see how you feel...check how you get into it and out of it...take a short ride...give it a kick-down and see the response...if you like it, go for it...its a nice car..

Originally Posted by itsme123

Definitely go on a test drive. By going to the X6, you will be rewarded with a much better driving exerience at a higher cost of long term ownership. Remember, regular maintanance is completely covered for 4 years/50k miles (http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Conte...intenance.aspx), but it could get more costly vs a Japanese car after that. I think the test drive could really get you hooked

When I am traveling for business, I am going to try and find a BMW dealership in a bigger city where I can test drive one!

[midwest 340xi 6sp]

BTW -- The X6 with snows is an absolute BEAST in the winter.

I live in Minnesota where we have plenty of snow and below zero temps...The vehicle was just amazing...

[dmlgc]

For clarification I was using "sports sedan" in the generic sense not actually trying to classify the X6. As I said I have no experience with winters. I guess you could go on forever comparing BMW's and Japanese cars , as old as the ford chevy argument. If you can find a better car ( ok 4x4 thingy) that suits your needs buy it.

[archwerks]

Originally Posted by D2G

Never been a BMW owner. Long history with Nissan and currently running a 2005 Maxima SL, 2003 G35 coupe and 2008 FX35 AWD with plenty of miles, year round driving in harsh upstate NY winters (except the G) and no problems. Nice thing about the Infinitis has been since Nissan owns that brand I take them to a Nissan dealership for the service and oil change, and don't have to pay the high prices at the Infiniti dealership. A 60K service campaign for the FX35 for example was over $1000 at Infiniti but I paid around $600 at Nissan - got a Nissan Rouge for the complimentary loaner which was nice and unexpected.

My daily driver, FX35, is going to a family member soon and I need a new car. I don't like the exterior styling of the new FX or EX and the QX is too big. But I really like the look of the X6. I haven't seen any on roads in my area, BMW dealer here doesn't even have any but I saw one on road when I was out of town and was really wowed. I was talking with the BMW dealership and financing rates are good, I was going to buy the 35i, put half down and finance the remainder for 36 months. Frankly I am afraid to buy the BMW because I am not sure of the reliability. The cost for service is probably really high too. I wonder if it is even practical to keep the X6 for say 10 years, like I am confident I can of my Maxima and FX without too much costly trouble. I take really good care of my cars, I do weekly washes for the two daily drivers in my household and all required service.

I know I am on forums with X6 fanboys, but can y'all clue me into what I can expect from X6 ownership. What I want is a car I can keep running year round and keep going for years with proper maintenance. Is this something I can expect of the X6 and BMW?

In hot weather u'll constantly need to either open all windows or turn on AC.
The vent system in x6 '08 at least vents in warn air from turbo engine/micro filter etc., not cool air from vents below the windshield.
W/ DPC, & proper snow tires, X6 runs circles around x5 or Fx.
Search for x6 /fx comparo in snow online.
Definitely x6, any version, or Cayenne ( now even w/ torque vectoring), everything else is either UV or LUV (Luxury Utility).
Imo, the sport is more about what u use it for.

[D2G]

Is it safe to assume that the factory tires on the X6 are not that great for winter weather? The stock shoes on my FX were horrible for winter weather, added some Blizzaks for those few rough months and I got a completely different vehicle in the snow.

[cfbjr]

Great posts everyone - much appreciated.

[Joeko23]

I believe that you can extend the 4 year 50k mile warranty to something like 6 years or 100k mile warranty. I think I had that option when you go build the car on bmw's site. If you plan on keeping the car around for a long time, it might be worthwhile for you to get the extended warranty, as it covers everything including basic service.

[archwerks]

Originally Posted by D2G

Is it safe to assume that the factory tires on the X6 are not that great for winter weather? The stock shoes on my FX were horrible for winter weather, added some Blizzaks for those few rough months and I got a completely different vehicle in the snow.

IMO: If u absolutely have to drive in heavy winter weather, get 19" wheels( narrower wheel) for winters, 21" for summers.