Test driving X5 Diesel this weekend

[Moofoo]

Hi there everyone,

I am testing the X5 Diesel this weekend, I am an AUDi guy (sorry) but as I do 20-25K miles every year and being English I know about about diesels, so I am trying to get some extra MPG.

I have looked at the Tourag and MB but am leaning to BMW, this would be my first ever Bimmer! but I was wondering if any of you who have the 2012 X5 diesel give me some honest input about the car,

BMW has such a bad reputation for reliablity (or did) i was wondering if it is justified or have they improved, Having done some reading there are some horror stories about X5, although I am fully aware if I read the Q5 forum they have the same stories,

So, any input would be greatly appreciated, i would like to know what the real world MPG of the diesel is and if there are any major issues,
Thanks for your time in advance, I am sure you get these sort of requests regularly and get pissed off with it all the time,

I hope I hear good things and become a BMW owner and continue to be part of this forum for all the right reason,

[1HOT BMR]

Originally Posted by atlanta2004m3

Touch wood, no issues currently and we're at 14K miles and almost 1.5 years of ownership now, aside from a front wheel toe problem that led to premature tire replacement .....not cheap, but on a positive note it did get me to replace all run flats a bit quicker than planned. That was a big improvement in ride quality and tire noise. I think this was primarily due to my wife's driving style, combined with our day-care provider's driveway and the weight of this vehicle along with the low profile tires.

I moved to non RFT tires immediately (odometer read 60 miles) so I had to check the alignment, it was WAY off and it would have caused uneven wear and a need for early replacement of the run flats. I suggest to anyone buying a new X5 to have the alignment checked as soon as you take delivery of your car. Isn't this something the dealer should do before delivery? Isn't this something a good quality control at the factory would prevent?

To the OP: The interior of the X5 looks and feels cheaper to me than my 550i in every way. The Comfort Seats are also a touch smaller and cheaper looking than the same seats in my 550, but they do have the side bolster adjustment that my F10 seats are lacking. Do pay attention to the heaviness of the steering at low speeds and make sure you are OK with it because this does not go away by replacing the RFTs with regular tires. The running boards are a nuissance when getting in and out of the car - i still ordered mine for looks and convenience at washing time and my wife and I have developed a way to get in and out that makes it comfortable for us but beware.

The engine is noisy accelerating from a stop and at idle it sounds very diesel like (I like this), but as soon as you are up to speed it quiets down to a whisper. The engine is not as powerful as you might think, partial throttle brings on the torque which is nice but full throttle does not add much more to it which is a bit disappointing to me - then I'm used to my 550i's power so this may not be a fair evaluation of the diesel. Finally, there is very little cargo room available for such a big car unless you fold down the back seats.

Overall, we like the car very much and we would buy exactly the same thing if we had to do it all over again. Our first tank of combined driving brought us 22.5 mpg.