Buying used X5 vs Cayenne
 

Looking at a 2006 X5 3.0 with 70k miles. Seems pretty good with one owner. However after searching it seems a LOT of problems with this model. So, considering a used Cayenne as alternate choice. Thought I would ask if any experience w/ X5 vs Cayenne. I've read positive Cayenne comments on Pelican (after cooling pipe fix). Thanks for any insight.

Replacing the Porsche's brakes will put you in the poor house. You should research maintenance costs on the Cayenne

Neither one is cheap. Break a lot? yep Expensive to fix? yep
That being said my Cayenne S is my favorite car ever. It drives and goes like a
Porsche you can tow effortlessly with it, put a garbage can in the back.
It's the swiss army knife of cars. It'll pass anything but a gas station

I too have an interest in a Cayenne but cost concern me. I see you own a GC SRT-8
Do you think it makes more sense as a hot rod SUV over the Porsche, BMW v-8 versions. I currently have a 09 GC with Hemi and really like it..

2005 X5 4.4i Sport here. Wonderful car in almost every aspect, but warranty company has paid out in repairs almost as much as I paid for it. Some things are typical repairs you'd expect, but also a lot of stupid stuff. Never again.

I did a bunch of research about a year ago. I was looking at replacing my daily driver and considered Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Lexus and Porsche. In the end, I went with Porsche. The reliability and build quality seemed better with Porsche than with BMW. It seems like BMW is a crap shoot. You may get a great car or you may end up with a lemon. Porsche seems to mostly be great cars with much, much fewer lemons.

There are several folks on the board that have mentioned that they love their Cayenne with well over 100,000 miles and nothing needed other than pads, oil, gas, filters. There was one guy whose wife drove a Cayenne that couldn't keep tires on the thing.

Huh? Replacing the steel brakes on a Cayenne are about as much as an F150. If you are talking about PCCBs that is almost irrelevant to the question at hand, I don't think you can even get them on an S.

Given the choice of those two I'd take the pepper all day long. Better built, more reliable, better longevity. The coolant pipes are the only big issue and the were fixed permanently from 2008 on. I had a 2009 GTS with 75k that was a fantastic SUV. By that point an X5 is falling apart inside and out.

This is what I wanted to hear...

I have a 2008 X5 4.8 with 85K.

In my 15k miles with it I've done back brakes, water pump, and a rear suspension airbag.

Brake parts from pelican were just under $500. Ms Gogar's panamera brakes from pelican were maybe $150 more.

The rear airbag was $200.. Took about 20 minutes on a lift to replace, very easy.

Would've been almost $2k in parts for a cayenne. That's my only direct comparison. Maybe not typical, but my only first hand comparison.

I think with any of these cars you need to make a friend who can read and clear your error codes, ( or do it yourself), otherwise you'll spend a fortune on any of them. Lots of really simple tasks will throw a code that you can't clear without the right gear.

Had a 2003 X5 3.0, sold with 235,000 Miles to get a 2009 Cayenne S, biggest mistake I made! Cayenne had all kind of electronic problems, needed new drive shaft after 6 months, a few other things within the 10 months I had it. Traded it in for a 2012 X5 Diesel, best decision! I would take the BMW over the Cayenne every day.

The X5 is made out of broken. The wheel speed sensors will cause all sorts of grief. The dash quits working, the digital display is garbage, you need the dealer to vin match almost every electrical component you replace. The rear airbags go regularly, water pump is another common issue, nickasil failures, power steering pump, heater controls... My brother got his all fixed and then was too afraid to sell it for fear of getting sued. He gave it away in the end (2weeks ago). It was mint and everything was fixed but it was just a matter of time before the next issue)... 2002 X5 with 60,000 miles.

I heard X5d's were pretty good. Anyone with experience with these? My buddy has had 2 and is totally happy. I'm considering the X5d for the wife...... Any feedback on that would be great.

There are 2 different types of vehicle ownership...

On warranty and off warranty. I think that those with positive experiences with X5s (and Audis) are the people that bought them new or owned them with warranty coverage intact.

Off warranty, when they are passed their design life (length of warranty or lease), things change drastically. The issue with the X5 is that many of the 'simple' things a DIYer can otherwise do, require dealer intervention to vinmatch electrical parts once they fail.

Don't get me wrong, when they work they are awesome vehicles the problem is when they start to break (Inevitable) they get expensive real fast.

A couple other things worth noting regarding the Cayenne:

Driveshaft failure = center bearing failure, which isn't uncommon on two piece driveshafts. There is an improved OEM and aftermarket fix available. It also gives a lot of warning before failure, so it's not catastrophic (typically).

The Cayenne air suspension isn't terrible but like all air suspensions, eventually will need TLC. Arnott Industries makes cheaper but high quality aftermarket replacement parts that will save you a ton over OEM. The other option is to simply not buy the air suspension, it was optional on the S. Though on my GTS it was quite good.

For the Porsche you can get Durametric for about $300 that gives you 90% of the dealer computer capability. I'm not sure if a similar system exists for BMW DIY work.

This is also my experience. I have had several 3-series BMW and either they have been flawless (an e46, an e91 and my current f30) or have caused enourmous grief and frequent trips to the dealer (an e46 which spent 4 months at the dealer over the course of four years ownership and a e93 with numerous engine problems). The 2005 X5 which my wife drives has been in the family for 8 years now and has been very reliable. I am amazed how tight it still feels for a 10 year old car with >100k miles.

Sounds like it's a crapshoot either way. I've no experience on either of them, so if it were my money and choosing between just the two, I'd get a PPI on a gen2 or current Cayenne.

How 'bout a new Macan? Or (eek) a used Range Rover?

I think a Range Rover makes either one look like a Camry in comparison.

Our 2006 has been an amazing car. Bought with 30k miles in 2009 and now has 115. It is as solid as the day we drove it home.

The brakes are the easiest brake job I have ever done. Hands down. Got the pads and rotors on line for a fraction of the cost from the dealer.

They are so inexpensive I can hardly believe it. I can't think of more car for less money.

If you DIY, but not at the dealer...

Brakes on an '11 "S" recently cost my brother in law $3300 at his local Porsche dealer.

He was also stranded on the highway this past winter with an exploded rear coolant pipe, Porsche did him a solid and replaced it as the vehicle was only 3k out of warranty (53k mi)

But I saw him this weekend and we discussed his newest adventure...$8300 tab for a transmission rebuild, now at 56k mi.

That being said, I had an '06 with the 6-banger. I thought it was a great vehicle, fit and finish is out of BMW's grasp and despite it being under powered was still a lot more fun to drive (very balanced)than I'd ever anticipated.

Speaking of Range Rover. As much as it hurts me Judi is in love the the Range rover sport. Not to hijack but what the thought on 2011-2012?