Different Models To Consider Before Buying A Used BMW X5

People interested in owning a used BMW X5 will have a variety of models to choose from. BMW prefers to call their luxury version of the sports utility vehicle as a sports activity vehicle. The first generation of the X5 is the 2000 model, which made its first appearance in 1999; a year later, it was the second best-selling car at BMW.

That first model is powered by the big V8 engine and comes standard with a 5-Speed automatic overdrive transmission. With 282 horsepower under the hood, drivers revel in its power and speed, in addition to the superb handling of this truck-like vehicle. Many claim it is more like driving a 5 Series sedan than it is a truck; however, sitting up high off the road is different, adding that it does give them the advantage of a having a better and broader view.

For 2001, a 3.0L in-line six-cylinder engine became standard in the X5 3.0i model. The following year, 2002, BMW added another model to this series, the X5 4.6is. This one has the high-performance, 340-horsepower, V8 engine with sport suspension, twenty-inch wheels and tires, and distinctive interior and exterior trim. Three years later, 2005, the 4.6is is replaced by the 4.8is which has a 4.8-litre engine and produces 358 horsepower.

One comment that is repeated by some owners of a used BMW X5 is the poor gas mileage it gets: Only thirteen miles to the gallon in the city and barely seventeen miles on the highway. This was exclusive to the earliest models with the big V8 engine. Another frequent comment, but specific to highway driving, is the noisiness of the engine accelerating and a whistling noise from the wind that can be heard when driving highway speeds.

Further changes came in 2004 when a 315-horsepower V8 engine goes into the 4.4i and five-speed transmissions in the six-cylinder models were replaced with six-speed manual or automatic transmissions. This somewhat improved their gas mileage. If fuel consumption is, or becomes, a deciding factor, the 2005 4.8is with the big V8 gets the same mileage as the earlier models with the smaller six-cylinder engines.

The 2007 BMW X5 4.8i comes equipped with a set of heavy tread tires, making it very suitable and safe for winter driving. Driving any model of a used BMW X5 on snow and ice is also possible because every model has all-wheel drive, as well as a stability control system that re-balances the vehicle when it detects any spinning wheels or loss of traction.