New owner intro 17 X5M impressions pics

[Terminator02]

Hey all, I have been researching this forum for a few months and actually bought my 17 Mineral White X5M in October. I planned on posting but had some weird posting restriction that didn't resolve for awhile but it looks all is well now.

It is a 2017, mineral white with Mugello Red full leather interior, B&O sound, Exec, driving assistance, that had 5800 miles when I purchased. I bought used, and did a country wide search as I had two objectives: a desirable to me interior/exterior color combo, good deal and optioned as I would have done so. While I didn't get the "best" deal in the country, I got a great deal with a much above trade in value (which surprised me) in the exact combo I wanted and about a 700 mile drive to North Carolina from Michigan (Metro Detroit).

This is my first BMW let alone X5M. I currently have a 2016 SRT Jeep grand Cherokee, and a 2014 Orange Viper TA 33/93 with a Stage 2 Arrow Heads and Cam package putting about 770 all NA HP. So I guess this is also my first foreign high end luxo go fast SAV.

Driving Impressions 2,000 Miles later:
1. Leaving the Dealer in North Carolina on October 4th 2017 I was ambivalent over this. The dealer I purchased from was awesome, but they specialize in mostly porsche, ferrari, other exotics. This was their first X5M. The ONLY thing they told me was "park in gear and lift the brake." (Good advice as I didn't know that). I sat in the lot for 20 minutes just staring at the buttons, screen, roof and was on tech overload...or button overload. I had to look up how to open the moon roof as I am used to pushing a button not having the ability to push the button to "slightly crack open" and pull the button to open it. "Man, if this function I had to look up, I am in trouble."

2. Driving home, I was exhausted, I didn't even want to stop, I wanted to just take in everything and night driving is preferable to me anyway. However with all the police around, the numerous buttons and my lack of knowledge, I just ended up using cruise control the majority of the way. I had no opinion of the drive really on that 700 mile ride home. ONE HUGE CONCERN HAPPENED:
- I was using cruise control, after a few hours I noticed after I braked and resumed the cruise control I was having a hard time braking and I noticed I was creeping up in speed well past anything I set. So I pulled off an exit ramp to go find a parking lot.
- I end up at a cross intersection off the exit ramp at a red light. When the light hit green and I tapped the accelerator, the engine was red lining in milliseconds. I turn the engine off then on, put into drive same result. Put on my blinkers, tried a few different things, nothing fixed. Turned car off, opened hood, nothing glaringly stood out, waited about a minute, turned car on...and I was good to go.

I looked this up and a few threads on "unintended acceleration" were written but it appeared it all came down to user error. My buddy, a huge bimmer fanatic couldn't think of what would trigger this and there was just no obstruction of the gas pedal. It hasn't happened again, I haven't put on cruise control, but I will get to my local Bimmer shop and have them pull the reports and check things out.

Otherwise, I am now accustomed to the tech and buttons, have set up my profiles, better understand the powerband and LOVE LOVE LOVE the drive.

Interior: a 10/10 for me. I absolutely love the red interior while I know many do not prefer that color. The carbon fiber has a gorgeous weave, the headliner is much higher quality than my SRT Jeep and the whole interior FEELS much roomier likely due to the regressed and smaller dash.

Exterior: I personally really like the exterior. My wife likes it to, and while this car I thought would be for her, she wanted the SRT Jeep. I have blacked out a lot of it, tinted it and she just likes the more aggressive looks, hood and easy to use U Connect which I now completely understand. The instant and very predictable power band she preferred too. Fine with me, I love the exterior. I have seen the new pictures on the mules and while I am sure it will pleasantly surprise me, I see a few things I don't think I will like. Curves tend to look better to me than edgier very modern designs. Curves age better imo.

Performance: Took me a few hundred miles to understand the turbo lag and set up the right profile. I tend to like either D2 or 3 (or paddles in 2/3) with sport or sport plus, street or comfort suspension and sport steering. Sport plus just doesn't serve me on regular roads. I feel it gives a "feeling" of very tight steering but to me it just is a very tight steering wheel having me work my core lol.

Pleasantly surprised with:
1. When washing the car the next day, I saw a complete clear bra wrap over the ENTIRE SAV (Roof to rockers). Most viper owners don't even cover the entire car so it is nice to know I can just have it nano coated in CQuartz and not worry about the paint correction which is the biggest cost. Looks like the first owner had it for 5k miles over 4 months, did a complete clear bra installation and traded in on a sports car. Fine with me!

2. I had NO idea these engines were underrated. It sounds like the advertised 567hp is more akin to 640hp? If so, I think this makes sense as the trackhawk, from the FEW reviews that don't just quote manufactured times, are doing between 11.9 to 12.4 depending on driver etc. I do know it has had some issue with hitting the times listed same as the Demon. 640hp would also explain beating similar SAVs with more HP relatively easily (outside of the trackhawk). So while it is not the fastest, I think it is easily the best value proposition out there.

Values:
1. Performance: 9/10 (so much usable power on the streets/highways
2. Exterior: 8/10. A little subdued, could be a bit more aggressive
3. Interior: for the price, considering comparable competition 9.5/10
4. Overall: 10/10. The best performance SAV one SHOULD buy atm.

I am about 2k miles in and I still love everytime I get to drive her. I am located in Michigan US so it is very snowy often during the winter, this is my daily so I will have plenty of updates, questions and activity with this SAV.

Pics (hopefully they load). Thanks all for reading.

Dave

Edit: spent 20 minutes trying to upload pics. Keep getting error I am missing a security token. Hopefully admin or mod can resolve this?!

[m32]

Welcome and congrats on the x5m! I too agree the x5m's exterior is a little too subdued for my taste. I ended up getting the RW carbon front lip, sides and rear. It definitely adds a pop to it.

Waiting patiently for pics

Edwin

[Skyracer]

Congrats on the new vehicle! I got mine in October, too. I was lucky enough to get a few days in between my break in service and the onset of winter weather to really stretch its legs, and yes, I think it's safe to say the official power output is underrated. For a 5300 lb. SUV it can really hustle!

[Travis1807]

Congrats and enjoy the new ride!

[Terminator02]

A few pics. I guess they are sized all wrong so I have to edit a lot.

[r33_RGSport]

Congrats on the beast!!!

[onfireX5]

Very nice ! You are mod ready.

[carlos@velosdesignwerks]

Congrats! Enjoy in good health.

[Terminator02]

thanks all. I am mod ready. I am first going to remove the chrome exterior trim and replace with black pieces (kidney grilles, side m vents, rear m badge front m badge etc) along with a tint.

Not sure about the chip if it's worth to sacrifice warranty, etc. I have looked at the exhaust options and even that I am debating it's worth right now as I think it should be chip, headers, titanium catback. Loving it so far overall.

Is there anyway to log 1/4 mile, 0-60 times, or other performance data like the SRT Jeeps have with the performance apps? I can't seem to find anything. Also, since I did have that weird issue on my drive home, I have wondered if maybe the car has been modded with some sort of ECU and just would like to know where to look for it or if I would need to take it to a BMW dealer and have an OBD scan performed? Another reason I wonder this is my wife says the car on start up says "automatic start has malfunctioned please see owners manual" and I have read that the X5M does not have auto start? If not, I cannot figure out a reason it would display this message?

Thanks again everyone. The mineral white is much better than I thought initially. I am a fan of the bright whites like the Jeep and the classic M white. The clear cover actually muddies the brilliance of the mineral white but I don't mind the benefit of the entire truck being covered. I have seen comparos online but really the appreciation can only be experienced in person. It has a lot of deep colours to it and in ways reminds me of my header orange TA in that it changes colour depending on the days lighting. It is very very rich in depth.

[Maverik259]

So you have a SRT Jeep and X5M?

[r33_RGSport]

Originally Posted by Terminator02

thanks all. I am mod ready. I am first going to remove the chrome exterior trim and replace with black pieces (kidney grilles, side m vents, rear m badge front m badge etc) along with a tint.

Not sure about the chip if it's worth to sacrifice warranty, etc. I have looked at the exhaust options and even that I am debating it's worth right now as I think it should be chip, headers, titanium catback. Loving it so far overall.

Is there anyway to log 1/4 mile, 0-60 times, or other performance data like the SRT Jeeps have with the performance apps? I can't seem to find anything. Also, since I did have that weird issue on my drive home, I have wondered if maybe the car has been modded with some sort of ECU and just would like to know where to look for it or if I would need to take it to a BMW dealer and have an OBD scan performed? Another reason I wonder this is my wife says the car on start up says "automatic start has malfunctioned please see owners manual" and I have read that the X5M does not have auto start? If not, I cannot figure out a reason it would display this message?

Thanks again everyone. The mineral white is much better than I thought initially. I am a fan of the bright whites like the Jeep and the classic M white. The clear cover actually muddies the brilliance of the mineral white but I don't mind the benefit of the entire truck being covered. I have seen comparos online but really the appreciation can only be experienced in person. It has a lot of deep colours to it and in ways reminds me of my header orange TA in that it changes colour depending on the days lighting. It is very very rich in depth.

Check out onfireX5 post. He logged a few runs after every performance mod using the VBOX.

[Terminator02]

Originally Posted by Maverik259

So you have a SRT Jeep and X5M?

Yup 16 SRT Jeep, 14 TA header orange Viper and this 17 X5M.

[Maverik259]

I hate you

[secretariat]

Nice car especially since mine is the same. T he mineral white is difficult to keep clean during the winter months. But that's my only negative so far so no worries. Good luck with it. Mine is a 2016 and I debadged it.

[mcvaughan]

Congrats on your new beauty!