Yeah, reliability aside I really liked my X5 but if I were to get another, lease only.

During my ownership of an E70 X5D (bought at 12k mi., got rid of it at 105k), basically every single major part of the diesel emissions system was replaced. Mostly paid by BMW but even then a painful experience. My experience was not uncommon. I wouldn’t do it again even if BMW stilloffered a diesel in the US, and…

I dunno, VW seems to sell enough 6spd GTIs to make it worthwhile to keep offering it. There’s probably a fair overlap of the market for GTIs and Mazda 3s, especially for a hot(ter) one.

The 6GT, like the 5GT before it, is basically a hatchback version of the short wheelbase 7 series.

I bought a CPO BMW and the dealer had no problem letting me take it to my local mechanic for a pre-purchase inspection. But I agree with the sentiment that it’s less necessary for a higher-end brand because they generally have a balance of the warranty remaining (and usually the CPO extends that) and dealers usually ha…

Every “piano black” finish I’ve ever seen looks terrible after the first 10 minutes of use, when it picks up fine scratches that are easily seen in bright lights, along with all the smudges. I guess if you drive an S Klasse you can afford to have someone in the back seat with microfiber cloths constantly polishing the…

Do they have the fake (and blind and non-functional) exhaust tips molded into the bumper cover like most other modern Audi’s?

According to the BMW Individual visualizer, you can choose from 5 different purples, all it costs is money (from what I’ve read, around $5k):

Like the split tailgate, it’s one of those features that you don’t miss if it wasn’t there and you don’t know about it, but once you know about it and use it, it sucks that it’s omitted on many vehicles (likely for cost cutting reasons).

Light up kidney grill is still nowhere near as ostentatious as the light up 3 pointed star available on its Mercedes competitor.

German cars. On top of typically needing premium fuel, you usually also have to use synthetic or even a specific synthetic (i.e. BMW diesels require BMW LL04 rated oils, which are few and far between and not cheap) plus a filter is usually around $20, regardless of whether you get if from the dealer parts counter or a…

Sucks that you can get the locking rear M differential (part of the off road package) or the M sport package, but not both at the same time.

I think next year.

Never though I’d say it but I’d pay the $650 or so for the crystal shifter:

As a former X5 diesel owner, the juice isn’t worth the squeeze. I only bought mine over the gas version because with incentives the price was the same at the time. I’d wait for the upcoming PHEV version with the straight 6 (the xDrive 40e variant)

Why does Mercedes persist with the puckered bunghole air vents in all their newer models, ruining otherwise pretty elegant interiors?

Because Subaru is more interested in selling mass numbers of grossly underpowered, CVT equipped Crosstreks and the like.

Sadly that split hatch did not make it to the 6GT, but in exchange the back end looks much better, so I think that’s a fair trade.

Don’t hate on it, it’s a very useful body style. It’s basically a short wheelbase 7 series hatchback for 5 series money. When the time comes, I will probably replace my 3GT (which sadly will not have a successor) with a CPO 6GT. I find my 3GT about as useful as the X5 it replaced without the weight, handling, and fuel…

Yup, my old X5 had it too, and I loved it.