It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that where used vehicles are concerned, high-end, few-year-old German products tend to appeal more heavily on the bases of styling and driving enjoyment than those of bottom-line pricing and fuel efficiency. Despite expensive repair parts and a reputation for fussy electronics, a 5 or 10-year old BMW, Audi or Mercedes Benz is often a machine with dynamic pros that outweigh any reliability cons.
Back in 2000 when the Sport Ute scene began amassing its tremendous momentum, BMW decided to take aim at the new ML320 from rival Mercedes Benz with their new X5. A four-door five-seater with standard V8 power, this four-wheel drive hauler was designed for confident and comfortable travels over any road, trail or weather condition. It was a properly luxurious Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)-- though BMW’s marketing department would prefer you call it a Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) instead.
The X5 came to Canadian shores initially with a 4.4 litre, 270-horsepower V8 engine, five-speed automatic transmission and automatic All Wheel Drive (AWD) for year-round traction. Power was bumped to 282 after its first year on sale, when the X5 line was joined by a straight-six powered model with 225 horsepower and an available five-speed manual transmission. You remember: the kind you shift yourself! All V8-powered X5 models were available solely with an automatic transmission, and later in life, the 4.4 litre V8 was jacked up to 315 horsepower, then replaced by both 4.6 and 4.8 litre units with up to 355.
As the X5 aged, a mid-cycle makeover was carried out, and transmission choices were switched to six-speed units for better performance and mileage.
When shopping the market, look for features like triple-zone automatic climate control, full leather trim, a power steering wheel, auto-dimming rearview mirror, sunroof, power accessories, parking radar, stability control, cabin air filtration, a 10-speaker stereo and much more. Additionally, split-folding rear seats and a generous cargo hold mean that a used X5 should provide plenty of room for you, your family and your things.
First-generation X5 owners tend to rate the machine’s styling, acceleration, overall performance, braking and handling the most highly, with some noting a comfortable, heavy and planted feel in most situations. On one forum, the owner of a 2001 X5 calls it the “Ultimate 5600 pound Driving Machine”. Generous roominess and a high-luxury atmosphere round out owner-stated positives.
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| 2003 BMW X5 (Photo: BMW) |
Back in 2000 when the Sport Ute scene began amassing its tremendous momentum, BMW decided to take aim at the new ML320 from rival Mercedes Benz with their new X5. A four-door five-seater with standard V8 power, this four-wheel drive hauler was designed for confident and comfortable travels over any road, trail or weather condition. It was a properly luxurious Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)-- though BMW’s marketing department would prefer you call it a Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) instead.
The X5 came to Canadian shores initially with a 4.4 litre, 270-horsepower V8 engine, five-speed automatic transmission and automatic All Wheel Drive (AWD) for year-round traction. Power was bumped to 282 after its first year on sale, when the X5 line was joined by a straight-six powered model with 225 horsepower and an available five-speed manual transmission. You remember: the kind you shift yourself! All V8-powered X5 models were available solely with an automatic transmission, and later in life, the 4.4 litre V8 was jacked up to 315 horsepower, then replaced by both 4.6 and 4.8 litre units with up to 355.
As the X5 aged, a mid-cycle makeover was carried out, and transmission choices were switched to six-speed units for better performance and mileage.
When shopping the market, look for features like triple-zone automatic climate control, full leather trim, a power steering wheel, auto-dimming rearview mirror, sunroof, power accessories, parking radar, stability control, cabin air filtration, a 10-speaker stereo and much more. Additionally, split-folding rear seats and a generous cargo hold mean that a used X5 should provide plenty of room for you, your family and your things.
First-generation X5 owners tend to rate the machine’s styling, acceleration, overall performance, braking and handling the most highly, with some noting a comfortable, heavy and planted feel in most situations. On one forum, the owner of a 2001 X5 calls it the “Ultimate 5600 pound Driving Machine”. Generous roominess and a high-luxury atmosphere round out owner-stated positives.
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| 2003 BMW X5 (Photo: BMW) |