USED BMW X5 4x4 (07 - )

My car

As a loyal buyer of X5's since launch, I purchased this latest edition in November 2007.

I have had it for 6 months and 3 months of that it has been with the dealer. Car has a major design flaw, the driver’s windscreen wiper arm rubs off the tubing for the windscreen washer pipe and the electrics attached to it.

This causes internal water leakage into all the cars electrics which caused my entire engine looping system to fail and corrode resulting in the fact my car would not start.

Dealer could not rectify and sent for specialist engineer from Germany to resolve after I wrote a letter to the MD of BMW UK and finally got back last week and so far so good.

Other than that, car gives no where near 34mpg like BMW claim, I’m lucky if I average 24mpg even on motorway driving. Expensive running costs especially with rising fuel prices and I would have been cheaper buying an M3.

Will be trading in for the SD version in a few weeks so will see how that is in comparison.

My car

This replaced my Land Rover Discovery 3, which was possibly the greatest off-roader I have ever owned, spending 100 days in the garage in less than three years... hence the move to BMW.

The SD engine is amazing and the X5 handles like a regular saloon car - there's no Land Rover body roll here.

Inside, the cabin is acceptable, although there is some road noise from the run-flat tyres subject to what type of road surface you happen to be on at the time, but nothing too bad.

The ride is firm, but not uncomfortable as some have suggested here. I miss the huge boot of the Land Rover, but the X5 should do most folks that are looking to cart around travel cots, baby stuff etc on holiday.

My car

I'm writing this on behalf of my dad, who has just purchased a new X5 M Sport.

He had the previous model as well, with both being faultless. However, after having his new X5 for less than two weeks, he was driving down a country lane near his home, and a tractor was coming in the opposite direction (at speed).

One of the big spray arms it uses to spray crops came loose and swung across the road straight into the front of the X5, smashing the windscreen.

The only thing that stopped it taking my dad's head off was the A-frame on the X5. We have hear from BMW that the frame is not damaged despite the impact - it just needs re-covering.

It may be an expensive car but it has already paid for itself - had he been in a lesser vehicle, it may have been a different story !

My car

Had my nice, shiney black, 3.0d SE for nearly 2 months now and it's a good car. In fact, it's a great car - when it's not at the BMW dealers!! So far it has spent 7 nights away from my drive! And it's not even been for anything too major, just niggly little things not working, so BMW have replaced the part but then (and this is the bit that seems to cause the problems) the cars whole computer system has to be reprogrammed!! This was even the case when they had to swap the CD changer. The dealer asks for the car to be left with them overnight when programming's involved but it doesn't help when they seem to have an unreliable system that keeps crashing in the middle of reprogramming! Mind you, at lease with it going in so often i've not had to clean it myself, thanks to their complimentary valet! As for fuel consumption, nowhere near BMWs claimed but if you want an ecconomical car why are you looking at a large 4x4?!?! Otherwise though a nice car - the wife loves the image!