BMW X3 vs X3 AND Cayenne vs Macan

[rattlsnak]

Getting ready to buy the wife a used SUV and she either wants a BMW X (3 or 5) or a Cayenne or Macan. The budget is @$25K.

What are the pros and cons of X3 vs X5? Certain years/engines to stay away from etc?
Looks like for that price range we can get something around 2012-2015 ish..depending on which one we go with.

What are the pros and cons of Cayenne vs Macan? Same questions as above...

Once we figure that out, then she will decide between Porsche and BMW.

And at this point, she will not consider other marques..

[Aurel]

I doubt you can find a used Macan for $25k. They are too recent to have depreciated that much. Lowest price I see nationwide on Cargurus is $33k. Cayenne will be easier to find for $25k.

[cnielsen]

My wife has a 2016 X3 M Sport. She loves it. It has some rattles and quirky bits but as long as she likes it, that's all I need. The M Sport offers much better seats etc and I think it's a worthwhile option. Hers has the turbo 4-cyl. Fine on power, fuel economy etc but I recently drove a 6-cyl and it's a much smoother car, and quieter too. Personally, I'd find an M-sport 6-cyl. Although if you were a DIY maintenance person, go with the 4 cyl as there is tons of room in the engine bay and it looks like a motor...no camouflage with a bunch of plastic etc.

I was pushing for an X5 diesel but she wanted the size of the X3. But is still think the diesels are a great rig and maybe a bit of a bargain. Again, go with the M-sport for the seats!

[WPOZZZ]

What does she drive now? I've been SUV shopping for something newer than my 06 Murano. Drove a 2013 X3 2.8 and it was a great vehicle with good pickup, handling and creature comforts. Also looked at E70 X5s and they too, were great vehicles like the X3, just bigger. Last year I was looking at Cayennes, and I almost bought a 2013. One thing about the Cayenne is it is lacking storage cubbies.

My Murano has a large storage area on each side of the cargo floor, and some storage under the cargo floor. The Murano center console has a top armrest storage and a large storage under the armrest that could hold a bunch of 10" tablets.

The BMWs have more storage than the Porsche, but less than my Nissan. Unfortunately for me, I got rear ended on 4/13 and my Murano got totaled. Fortunately for me, I got about $3k more than if I had sold it privately. My mechanic had an 04 X5 3.0 that a customer gave him since he bought a new X5, and because it needed a bunch of work. He redid the ac system, a full service, vc gaskets...and I had him install Eibach Prokit and Bilstein HDs. I needed the car lower so I could get my mom in the car in case of emergency.

The E53 X5 is a tank and it drives heavy. The newer models (X5 and X3) drive much lighter and more car like. Your wife would probably prefer the X3 because of size. However, if she came from a Japanese SUV, she will be shocked about the lack of storage. The E70 X5 has good storage under the cargo area if you don't have the 3rd row seats.

[KevinTodd]

I have a 2017 Macan base. Purchased new with reasonably high options. Still love the car after almost 2 years, and use it primarily for road trips that I deem too short to fly, such as Savannah or Nashville. Car has been rock solid, performs very well with the high-revving 2.0T, is quiet as a vault, and is extremely comfortable on the highway.
Utility is solid as well for everything that I need to carry. I still utilize my Element for bigger, dirtier jobs.

[Jays72T]

We have a 2013 X3 M Sport 3.5 with 60k on it, been a great car. Fast and fun with the turbo 6 and paddle shifters.

[James Brown]

i have a 08 cayenne twin turbo i picked up for $17k with 104 on the clock. Very well maintained and i have driven it more than 20K miles, no problems, no CEL lights, everything works and it is a blast to drive. the cheapness of these cars is amazing. but it's a crap shot as to what will break and when. Get a warrantee if you decide to buy used and enjoy it.

[RKDinOKC]

Have had X3 sport, Cayenne S and currently have Cayenne Turbo.

The X3 wheelbase is too short and too bouncy. Shakes you driving on normal streets, making it exhausting to drive. That's why I traded it off. Otherwise no problems.

04 CayenneS with air suspension. Was very affordable $10K and no problems. Much smoother riding, nice.

Traded 04 CayenneS for 05 Turbo to get the cornering lights because of some vision problems. Before getting didn't think anyone needed a Turbo Cayenne. Now think it is a requirement. Same smooth ride as S and no problems once I got the previous owners "upgrades" put back to factory. They had put LED bulbs in without resistors to match the original bulbs causing the lights to flicker or not work at all. Has to replace them all and 2 receptacles they had messed up. PO also put smaller S brake pads on instead of turbo causing problems with almost all the other brake components requiring replacement. Still was under $16K to purchase and put into top shape.

That is my experience with those SUVs. Very happy with the Cayenne Turbo.

[Halm]

We had 3 of the original E53 X5’s. Wonderful car. Looked hard at the X3 but it just lacked something. Came close to buying a newer E70 with the turbo motor but couldn’t get the deal done with the dealer.

Take a look at an Audi Q5, a first cousin to the Macan. Terrific car that will surprise you with how much car you can get for $25k. Great car for around town or occasional road trip. Loved ours but needed a better long-distance (500 mile+ trips) cruiser.

Now in a CPO base Cayenne. Meets or exceeds all our expectations. Simply the best car we have owned. I would think you can find a well cared for 2011 or 2012 in your price range pretty easily.

[rattlsnak]

Thanks everyone for the replies.. I thought I read on here somewhere that certain models had issues? Maybe it was earlier ones.. Like the earlier Cayennes had engine overheat problems, or BMW engines were prone to blow up..? Just cant find the thread or remember which models had what issues..

[wildthing]

Cayenne S 2011 can be had for that price. Miles might be a bit on the higher side but if maintenance records are available... Loving my Cayenne S so a bit biased.

[Jeff Alton]

Our 2011 Cayenne turbo is our 2nd one. (first was a gen1 turbo). Best car we have owned. Goes like mad, hauls the family and dogs, comfortable blah blah blah. I really like the Macan's I have driven, may get one someday, but not enough room for our Boxers...

My thoughts on BMW SUVs, for whatever they are worth as a European shop owner. I am really glad they sold so many, and I would never own one that did not have some sort of warranty on it.

Cheers

[Dan J]

Originally Posted by Jeff Alton

Our 2011 Cayenne turbo is our 2nd one. (first was a gen1 turbo). Best car we have owned. Goes like mad, hauls the family and dogs, comfortable blah blah blah. I really like the Macan's I have driven, may get one someday, but not enough room for our Boxers...

My thoughts on BMW SUVs, for whatever they are worth as a European shop owner. I am really glad they sold so many, and I would never own one that did not have some sort of warranty on it.

Cheers

+ 1000

08 up Cayenne FTW. Like Jeff I wouldn't touch a BMW

[onewhippedpuppy]

I’ve been in a number of very late model X5s and been appalled by the blatant quality issues. Little stuff like cracking clear coat on the interior wood trim that seems totally unacceptable for a 3-4 year old luxury SUV. Also lots of little creaks and rattles.

I had a 2009 Cayenne GTS that was a fantastic car. It basically drove like a really good sports sedan with a huge trunk. The GTS with switchable PSE sports exhaust sounded amazing and the PASM air suspension gives you several quite pronounced levels of comfort vs sport. If I needed an SUV I would buy another without hesitation.

[Gus Berges]

I had a Gen1 Cayenne Turbo and it was a blast. Did everything pretty well, but what it did best was drink fuel like nothing else. Almost made my 30'+ boat look economical. Due to local traffic conditions, I never got more than 10mpg, 8 was the norm, but otherwise, awesome truck. Beware of the coolant pipe issues. That said, if you get an 06 or newer, most of the bugs were worked out. My wife never really warmed up to the Cayenne due to the width of the car and had issues in tight parking spaces, so when I got her an Audi Q5, it was a "match made in heaven" for her.

Can't say enough positive comments about the Q5 with the exception that I had to replace (out of pocket, ouch$$$...) the mechatronic unit (think CPU for the transmission) as well as some other part that causes extreme oil consumption (think a quart every 300 miles or less). Other than those two issues that have been permanently fixed, no complaints. Wait, one more thing on the Q5: depreciation can be quite dramatic....

[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by Jeff Alton

My thoughts on BMW SUVs, for whatever they are worth as a European shop owner. I am really glad they sold so many, and I would never own one that did not have some sort of warranty on it.

Cheers

+1

Here in AZ there is a brief "lemon law" warranty for used cars sold by dealers (15 days/500 miles). I've talked to a few smaller/indy car dealers here who won't buy any BMW SUVs at auction (and are reluctant to take them in on trade).
This is due to the higher percentage of issues that arise during that short post-sale warranty window that they have to deal with/fix.