Anyone own a BMW X5 4.6?

I do not own a 4.6is but I have driven a couple and now about 3 people how have the vehicle. They have had no problems with the truck. BMW seemed to fix most of the glitches after the first model year of the 4.4, so the 4.6is is pretty reliable. It has limited cargo space (all X5s do) and is awful in the winter unless you buy a special 18' wheel/tire package for it. The ride is pretty complient, and the driving charateristics are almost identicle to a 540 sedan with regars to handling, turn in, etc. The engine does not feel that powerful until you get onto the highway at higher speeds. The torque allows the car to pull strongly (in between 540 and M5). If you want a truck that is sporty and quick, I would definately recommend picking up a used 4.6is. Prices are low on used cars with the bad economy and I am sure the 4.8 will command a premium for awhile. The 4.6is should be quick enough to keep you happy and there are quite a bit of aftermarket goodies. I highly recommend the AC Schnitzer susepsnsion and SuperSprint or Eisenmann exhaust. Hope this helps.

 

I own a 2001 4.4i sport and it has been relatively trouble free (there's currently an annoying rattle in the driver's door) and we've been thinking of replacing it with the 4.8 but will probably wait for the next major restyle. I think this would be 2006 but am not positive. The X drive is supposed to be a big improvement over what already (IMO) is a fine handling SUV.

Dealer service has been fantastic; the truck is fun to drive and has been a great tow vehicle too (we have a Porsche 993 that is towed to the track).

While I would consider a Cayenne, I too believe they are ugly as sin as well as overpriced. But the real killer for me is service- I am no where near as impressed as with the Porsche's service as I am with BMW's and I've owned several varieties of both makes. I know for a fact that the local P mechanics did not even receive Cayenne training until well after the introduction. Not good.

We also have an older 528i (a 98 sport long out of warranty- one of the most reliable cars I've ever owned) used as a daily driver and are still treated like kings (free loaner etc.) when it comes to service.

 

I'd drive the Cayenne as well if I were you. I drove a Black Turbo Cayenne and came away very impressed - the looks (esp in Black) are growing on me slowly.

My Wife's current ride is an X5 4.4 ('01 - before the 4.6 was announced). But we're going to chop it in this year. I hear that the '04 4.4 is a big improvement, so we'll test drive the new 4.8 before we make a Cayenne/X5 decision.

One thing in the Porsche I really like is the Bose noise cancelling. I have the headphones for on airplanes (which are great) but its really cool in a car as well.

Any idea how much the 4.8 is going to sticker at?

PS As you can probably infer my wife also has a "lead-foot"

 

Porsche would sell a lot more Cayenne's if they changed the styling. A lot of us think it is one hideous truck.

Lowering the price would help too. A Cayenne S, nicely optioned, retails for the same price as a 4.8. The TT is at least $20K more. That's way too many k's IMO.

 

I've had a 4.6is for a year now. It is my wife's daily driver. She wanted an X5, and to me, the 4.6 was a substantial improvement over the 4.4, although I'm not sure the additional cost was justified. The power and handling are excellent, although the steering is a little vague. The car (truck??) also looks great.

I'm not sure how practical the AWD is, as you'd never take the thing off road, and as mentioned with 20" wheels it would be awful in the snow. Luckily in Texas that's not a big problem...

I'm anxious to see/drive the 4.8 when they arrive.

Mark McKenzie