XSeries-forum

How do everyone.
I have been on here previously with a x3.

anyways. i have a boxster i drive daily and a pajero 2.8td 1995 which has been my tow car for my racecar (mazda rx8, trailer and car come to 1800kg)

so the pajero died, it has cracks in the head and not worth repairing.. i was going to buy a 3.2did shogun .
But as the wife has given me 5k to spend as nice as the shoguns are, i was wondering about a x5

Am i mad. i know its a silly question to ask on a x5 forum. but wanted a proper opinion

I need to rely on it to tow pretty much everytime once or twice a month up and down the country

so with 5k to spend (less is always better) i have seen a few face lifts with around 100k on them 3.0d
also seen a few 4.4 and 4.6 v8s..

should i expect huge bills or is it all internet scaremongering? and as whole fairly reliable?

so do they come with tow bar attachments as standard or is it an extra i need ot look for..

then which engine? 3.0d or v8 ( i have always wanted a v8) then 4.4 or 4.6 whats the difference?

any help would be great..

i asked on the shogun forums about the 3.2did and most say they are fine but expect a 2k bill for the fuel pump at some point  :'(

the only other consideration is a touareg..

any help would be great..

at the moment i am torn between a 3.0d facelift x5 and a 2.3did shogun

thanks
pete

The Buyer’s Guide on the Forum will help.

At that money you are looking for an early E53 and that will come with potential issues typical of a car approaching 15-20 years of age.  If you are good with spanners then you will be fine changing suspension bushes etc.  Most parts can be sourced cheaply on line.

The biggest hit (should it occur) will be the gearbox.  Manuals are as rare as unicorn poo, and the autos can be upwards of £1,500 to rebuild.  Incorrect tyre choices can break diffs or transfer boxes.

Luxury car means luxury car bills.  V8s are thirsty but the soundtrack makes up for it.  If you want a V8 then have a very good look for leaks and if there is any sign of rattles from the front of the engine then walk away!  Timing chain guide failure can be terminal or expensive if not caught in time.

30d engine’s are 185bhp up to late 2003 rising to 218bhp thereafter.  The later ones out torque the 4.8.

They are very good cars to own, but as they age they get crusty and expensive.  There are some really good ones out there though.

I purchased a 4.6is a few years ago and it was fully loaded and a bargain at 4.5k.  Mileage was 82,000 miles.  Had it 2 weeks and the timing chain guides collapsed and wrecked the engine.  No one could rebuild it and a new crate engine from BMW was 16k + vat

About 6 years ago we decided to sell our horse lorry and downsize to a 2 horse trailer (wife and daughter who compete so the we was the royal type) looking at potential tow cars we settled on the X5 and brought a low mileage 4.4 that ran LPG. Like you, all up weight is about 2000kg the X5 had plenty of power to tow and more important the weight and brakes to stop when needed.
The 4.4 was pretty much faultless FSR failed and Radio unit needed replacing but all in a great car until out on a shoot and a 100ft tree got blown over squashing 4 cars parked in the farm track. It was 3ft high and a write off the insurers found me a 4.6 as the replacement 75k and full history with detachable tow bar.
Like the 4.4 the 4.6 tows without effort but sadly has not been as reliable, however I had a warranty so the rear diff, water pump, rad, header tank and full engine rebuild were covered pretty much. I replaced the suspension bushes all round and had the gearbox serviced which I see as normal maintenance items.
So after all the tales of woe I still like it a lot, my sons description is "it drives like his GTI" quick when I want it, enough offroad ability for my hobby (shooting) in the winter and has pulled 2 horses in the trailer out of many muddy fields, and being the V8 my neighbours never think I have come home in a taxi.
The downside for me is compared to the many other cars I have owned the X5 is like a second wife, very High Maintenance but then it is 15 and on 130k now.

My advice petrol or diesel get a Warranty, when buying make sure everything works as it should and make sure the history is up to date. A tip check the MOT history online it will give clues to what advisories were given so a warning of its potential to dent your wallet.

Would I buy another X5 yes is the answer

Eh Up Pete,

For what it’s worth I ran a 02 Shogun V6 before, great car in all weathers and when I decided to go back to a 4c4 considered exactly same as you.

From my time with the shogun I knew most of the pitfalls, rotting fuel filler necks, timing belts tension  on the 3.2 and poor underbody rust proofing. I looked at a few 07 - 11 plates and walked away as underneath they were shocking!

Touareg a great car,but too complex for me to work on and pricey.

BMW came too when I began seriously looking at overall condition

I found i one owner 55 plate X5 in great condition and easy enough to spanner on. I really like the car although massive difference to the shogun. Given I only really need it for bed weather it performs well shod with Pirelli winters all round- snow this year no issues.

Hope you find what you want .

Big plus is this forum too, I was in the Shogun forum and prior Volvo XC70 and contributed to all when I could but this one is great loads of useful advice and nice folks, it helps when you are maintaining on a shoestring.

Cheers