Long Term Ownership Thoughts

[Keithwand]

I have a 2016 S Drive here in Fl. Purchased new Jan. 2016 so still have a ways to go under warranty.
With 18,000 miles it has been a great car other than having the steering column replaced.
The 20 inch Dunlop RFTs are wearing well but will need replacing in the future.
Considering depreciation and maintence potential is this a vehicle that should be kept long term?

[menelaos]

All my chips are on this vehicle. Want to keep it around as much as possible.
Unloading it now will cause major loss in my opinion....unless you can afford it.
That's not to say that maintenance will be cheap when the miles get high - it will not.
You never make money from contemporary cars, but you can make decisions that can help you save.

[DuSh]

Originally Posted by Keithwand

I have a 2016 S Drive here in Fl. Purchased new Jan. 2016 so still have a ways to go under warranty.
With 18,000 miles it has been a great car other than having the steering column replaced.
The 20 inch Dunlop RFTs are wearing well but will need replacing in the future.
Considering depreciation and maintence potential is this a vehicle that should be kept long term?

S Drive? So you probably have 35i? N55 engine - one of the most reliable BMW motors. Descent MPG too considering it's a S Drive and 35i. This is as good as it gets in BMW SAV world. Seriously this is probably most reliable BMW right now in a BMW lineup.

The most economical way to keep it after warranty expires is to adjust steering column to your liking and stop readjusting it (so you won't ever need steering column replacement). Besides that - there's literally nothing else that can go wrong. 2016 model year has all the quirks fixed. You guys have latest ZF8 transmission (very reliable) and so on. I would just change oil/filters once a year and keep it for loooooooooong time. Rotate tires and there's nothing else you need.

However, if you have OCD and must have extended warranty and can't sleep knowing your car depreciates fast etc. - then my friend maybe you need to look into Korean or Japanese SUVs. They are cheaper, depreciate less and can be had for minimal maintenance for a long time without warranty. In that case consider selling your X5 right now (there's no point in waiting until it depreciates a lot more after next generation comes out).

Another option is to consider leasing a new X3. You won't need to worry about depreciation or warranty anymore. Especially considering you don't drive much.

[ronmexico385]

You already took a bigger hit on depreciation by buying a new vehicle than most any repair would cost over the life of said vehicle. Your best bet at this point is to keep up with maintenance find a good Indy mechanic for once the 4yr/50k ends, and look into third party warranty options if you really want piece of mind.

[Keithwand]

Thanks all. Great idea about turning off the comfort steering column.
Tires are still good so can delay. Good European Indy shop ie 4 wheel hunter align is 119 there and 395 from dealer.
Will buy non run flats when needed.
Someone mentioned 34 pounds on all four tires rather that 36/41 form the door tag.
Will try that for the heck of it.

[Maverik259]

I'd also change oil 2x a year. I'm
Not a believer in this once a year crap. These engines just didn't suddenly burn cleaner lol

[M302_imola]

I'm going to have to look into the steering column issues. I'm new to the X5 world.

[taxjoc]

Here are my thoughts on keeping these BMW SUVs long term. I have a 2016 X5 50i on which I took delivery in November 2015 (two months before the original poster took delivery). I, too, live in Florida. I have 54,500 on the odometer now.

I have this aversion to leasing vehicles. I drive a lot and don't like the idea of being sensitive to the miles I drive. I tend to keep my vehicles for a long time; last vehicle - a Suburban - I kept for 10 years. So, I am more of a candidate to purchase rather than lease.

Yes, everyone's comments about depreciation is true. These SUVs drop in value very quickly which really sucks. Good arguments can be made that you should buy less expensive, non-luxury vehicles so that you don't suffer such significant depreciation. Good arguments but I like to drive a luxury vehicle, depreciation be dammed.

Nevertheless, I still think BMWs are quality vehicles (yes, even the 50i engine) and will last a long time if you take care of them, maintain them, change the oil regularly, and don't abuse them. I know everyone will hate me for this, but I don't think heavy coding is good for these vehicles. I see too many posts about "I coded this and now I get this error message..." (I did install an invisihitch and I did have it coded to get the back up camera zoom feature, the disabling of park distance control when a trailer is connected, and the increased number of lines for text messages).

I also purchased the extended warranty and I will purchase the extended maintenance plan (dealer says I can purchase the extended maintenance as long as X5 is under 60,000 miles and he agreed to waive the fee for renewing after 50,000 miles).

As I approach the end of the extended warranty, I plan to set up a $20,000 "rainy day" fund to cover those repairs that are bound to happen as these vehicles age (steering column, turbo charger, etc.). My goal is to keep my X5 until the latter part of 2025. My hope is that the new X5 (GO5?) that will be released later this year will go through a LCI (life cycle impulse?) at about that time and I'll buy one of those.

[Kzang]

Originally Posted by DuSh

S Drive? So you probably have 35i? N55 engine - one of the most reliable BMW motors. Descent MPG too considering it's a S Drive and 35i. This is as good as it gets in BMW SAV world. Seriously this is probably most reliable BMW right now in a BMW lineup.

The most economical way to keep it after warranty expires is to adjust steering column to your liking and stop readjusting it (so you won't ever need steering column replacement). Besides that - there's literally nothing else that can go wrong. 2016 model year has all the quirks fixed. You guys have latest ZF8 transmission (very reliable) and so on. I would just change oil/filters once a year and keep it for loooooooooong time. Rotate tires and there's nothing else you need.

However, if you have OCD and must have extended warranty and can't sleep knowing your car depreciates fast etc. - then my friend maybe you need to look into Korean or Japanese SUVs. They are cheaper, depreciate less and can be had for minimal maintenance for a long time without warranty. In that case consider selling your X5 right now (there's no point in waiting until it depreciates a lot more after next generation comes out).

Another option is to consider leasing a new X3. You won't need to worry about depreciation or warranty anymore. Especially considering you don't drive much.

I'm more worried about electronics ( idrive ) failing than anything else..
People are still experiencing the drivetrain malfunction which could be really anything from spark plugs to fuel pressure pumps but its still common.

[Kzang]

Originally Posted by taxjoc

Here are my thoughts on keeping these BMW SUVs long term. I have a 2016 X5 50i on which I took delivery in November 2015 (two months before the original poster took delivery). I, too, live in Florida. I have 54,500 on the odometer now.

I have this aversion to leasing vehicles. I drive a lot and don't like the idea of being sensitive to the miles I drive. I tend to keep my vehicles for a long time; last vehicle - a Suburban - I kept for 10 years. So, I am more of a candidate to purchase rather than lease.

Yes, everyone's comments about depreciation is true. These SUVs drop in value very quickly which really sucks. Good arguments can be made that you should buy less expensive, non-luxury vehicles so that you don't suffer such significant depreciation. Good arguments but I like to drive a luxury vehicle, depreciation be dammed.

Nevertheless, I still think BMWs are quality vehicles (yes, even the 50i engine) and will last a long time if you take care of them, maintain them, change the oil regularly, and don't abuse them. I know everyone will hate me for this, but I don't think heavy coding is good for these vehicles. I see too many posts about "I coded this and now I get this error message..." (I did install an invisihitch and I did have it coded to get the back up camera zoom feature, the disabling of park distance control when a trailer is connected, and the increased number of lines for text messages).

I also purchased the extended warranty and I will purchase the extended maintenance plan (dealer says I can purchase the extended maintenance as long as X5 is under 60,000 miles and he agreed to waive the fee for renewing after 50,000 miles).

As I approach the end of the extended warranty, I plan to set up a $20,000 "rainy day" fund to cover those repairs that are bound to happen as these vehicles age (steering column, turbo charger, etc.). My goal is to keep my X5 until the latter part of 2025. My hope is that the new X5 (GO5?) that will be released later this year will go through a LCI (life cycle impulse?) at about that time and I'll buy one of those.

Coding basically changes perimeters of different functions / features / and or options of your X5. But all others comments above I would agree with.

[puckybadger]

I put 200K on my 2004 X5 4.4 and have 82K on my 2014 50i which I plan on keeping. No issues or concerns.

[jlstyle]

I bought my lease to keep the car for a while but car has been exhibiting lots of small issues lately..at 36k mark.I'm losing my patience but loss is too much to dump it now.

[Kzang]

Originally Posted by jlstyle

I bought my lease to keep the car for a while but car has been exhibiting lots of small issues lately..at 36k mark.I'm losing my patience but loss is too much to dump it now.

I purchased my lease as well but only at 26K miles so far. can you provide a list of the small issues so that I can keep an eye on it for the future?

Thanks

[Keithwand]

Great comments. Keep them coming.

[tntp]

My 2015 F15 still has a few months of factory warranty left and at 35k mls now. So far the dealer just fixed a shock/strut sensor, door lock actuator, leather cover for driver seat. I also change oil 2x a year and keep my SAV in my garage at home and at work. But if your SAV spends most of the time under the sun and extreme cold in winter, a lot of electronics and non metal part will age and malfunction much faster. As for the peace of mind, I have Geico mechanical breakdown insurance for additional 4 years/ 100k mls after the factory one runs out.