Going to buy a 4.8is

blofeld · Post by **blofeld** » Sat Oct 06, 2012 10:01 am

Hi newbie here looking to buy my first X.

For some reason I am obsessed wth the V8!

Been looking and there isn't that much around with less than 100k

Being a bit of a scaredy cat I was prepared to take a bit of a hit and buy from the stealership but there just aren't any.

There are a couple in Saxton 4x4 but they seem overpriced and I have no experience of this garage although their site looks slick.

I do about 12-15k a year (I have budgeted for fuel!!) so was looking for something with less than 50k miles (I will sell in 2yrs likely).

I am going to look at a 55plate on Sunday at an Indy with 67k miles- will I suffer on resale bearing on mind it will have 100k on itin 2 years?

Also for some reason I think I want the pano roof-is this mad with the problems? Or does having it outweigh them?

Sorry for the waffle but appreciate any advice from the experts.

Cheers

Alex

squeaky2 · Post by **squeaky2** » Sat Oct 06, 2012 10:10 am

Welcome to the site......hopefully youll glean lots of info here.

Theres a few members here with the V8 in 4.4, 4.6 and 4.8 so im sure youll get some info.

Any reason you wont look at the Oil Burner?

blofeld · Post by **blofeld** » Sat Oct 06, 2012 10:19 am

Hi

Seems like a great community.

Main reason for the 4.8 Is bodykit, performance, 3 level air suspension, it's the daddy!

But I am happy to be educated otherwise

squeaky2 · Post by **squeaky2** » Sat Oct 06, 2012 10:19 am

Oh and there is an excellent buyers guide in the e53 section too

blofeld · Post by **blofeld** » Sat Oct 06, 2012 3:43 pm

Yeah I saw the buyers guide, doesn't say much about the 4.8is though unfortunately

AW8 · Post by **AW8** » Sat Oct 06, 2012 5:59 pm

E53 Buyers guide covers issues that affect most models. Sorry there's not a significant 4.8is buying section. When I sourced I wasn't in market for a 4.8is, ( ironically the money I spent on my 2002 4.4i would buy a stunning 4.8is now & woiuld even get me close to a used E70.

4.8is specific issues to look for would be the 3-way adjustable suspension which can be temperamanetal & maybe valley pan gasket failure albeit the later not widely reported as an issue in UK.... I don't know great deal about it.

Comms pack is a must on these only seen one without same. Make sure all kit works..........if unsure then re function/operation then ask seller or reach for the sellers owners manual.

Pan roofs need careful checking as does auto box behaviour same.

As for depreciation at 100k it is ironic that many buy at say 60-70k indicated then spend next few years worrying about the value at 100k. Many bail out at 90k but folk reluctant to buy cars with 100k are unlikely to embrace a car with circa 90k. The more miles any car has the less it is likely to be worth. Do watch out for cars at 60-70k where owner has bailed to avoid paying for any required work.

If you have any specific E53 4.8is questions then post away..........I am sure between us we can probably help with any info you may need.

CondorX5 · Post by **CondorX5** » Sun Oct 07, 2012 10:18 am

Excellent choice although I could never be considered biased in any way, could I. ?
Always worth paying a bit more for the right car in the right condition with the spec of your desire.......4.8is came very well specced to start so even the Poverty Spec ones are pretty good. Not all of them are high milers. Bought mine in 2010 with 27K on the clock.
Hexagon usually have a few, haven't looked for a while, they are overpriced but have no quibble AUC warranties - thats where mine came from, I paid more than I would have liked but am not sorry, its a wonderful, high performance car( with all the related annoyance and expense!) but i love it and it makes my looooong commutes tolerable. Good luck finding one.

Karl.hughes · Post by **Karl.hughes** » Sun Oct 07, 2012 10:12 pm

I've just bought a 4.8is had it about 2 months now, mine has 52k fsh blue with cream leather paid just over 11k for it which I though was a good price.
I priced up the diesel vs petrol and for my mileage it just didn't stack up, plus I would of got bored with the diesel heavy right foot.
Have had two little problems so far parking sensor and bc button on indicator stalk, both fixed under warranty. Not BMW an independent, took some sorting but saved me over £300 I wouldn't have an x5 without one.
It's a fabulous vehicle to drive and I average about 19 mpg, I only do approx 6k per year so not worried about fuel or tyre costs. Tyres are huge and mine aren't great in severe wet.
As for depreciation I think any big petrol will suffer especially with fuel costs as they are, bear in mind this model started at £68k so has already lost a serious amount of money.
Pano roof is nice but will be costly to fix if it goes wrong, mine had new front suspension air bags again a costly repair.
I wouldn't change my 4.8 for anything I've had quite a few cars over the last year that I got bored with very quickly and for the money very little comes close this mine will be staying for a long time.

Good luck

Raj · Post by **Raj** » Mon Oct 08, 2012 8:12 am

The 4.8 is a superb motor and will always be hugely specced. The engine itself is pretty bullet proof but they do suffer with all the usual E53 gremlins. Electrics are very temperamental and there are plenty of common issues to look out for across the range.

The air suspension on the 4.8 is very costly when it goes wrong and it can go wrong quite a bit. I've spent a fair bit on air suspension components for example and in the end have binned it off for coilovers to save the headache. The pano roof can be expensive to repair if you decide to replace it when it fails but the failure is always with the rear vent section but again there is a cheap fix to in essence blank this out.

There are plenty on here who can offer advice, guidance and help if/when you do get any issues.

Good luck.

binlo · Post by **binlo** » Mon Oct 08, 2012 2:36 pm

Hi All, As soon as I saw this thread I had to contribute my experience as I have just become a proud owner of a 4.8is X5 and have no regrets in buying it and yes I am a newbie on this site. Actually this is perfect timing to post as I just completed my first long trip to Centerparcs in Nottingham and really enjoyed the drive and the car. Fuel consumption was not bad and not great, did about 340 miles and had 1/4 tank left on a full tank. Averaged about 18-19MPG. The BMW rear screen DVD accessory is a must if you want to keep your kids quiet ... haha.

The car I bought was a 55 plate, Exclusive Edition Carbon Black and has all the toys you can think off apart from the Pano roof. This is something I really wanted as I thought it will be good for the kids, but then I had to sacrifice this option as the car I was getting was in very good condition and already had the suspension work completed under warranty. It even has an Auxiliary heater remote option fitted and DSP not to mention the full BMWSH. It did not have the T90 remote with the car however managed to buy a T91 remote from Ebay and programmed it in, however does not provide any feedback to the remote but does start the heating though.

I picked the car up about a month ago with 63K on the clock for around 11K privately and I would say the condition overall is excellent with the usual alloy scuffs. The nappa leather was spotless considering he had young kids.

The best thing about the car was that it was bought from a BMW dealership about 4 years ago and therefore the owner kept the extended BMW warranty running and I have continued this as reading from this excellent forum of how costly these cars can be to maintain and fix when things go wrong. I generally do about 4K miles per annum so fuel costs did not concern me that much.

So my overall impression so far is that it is a great car, but make sure you get a good example and you will have a very powerfull X5 on your hands. Look forward to adding more posts and contributions in the future.

Good luck on your search!
Binlo

blofeld · Post by **blofeld** » Tue Oct 09, 2012 8:15 am

Thanks so much -some great tips here. Really appreciated.

Have been lurking on xdrivers for a bit doing some reading so the suspension/electrics I am preparing myself for!

Anyone have any experience of the BMW Insured warranty? Seems to be like an AUC but can be applied to any car with FSH. Works out about 1k per year depending on mileage so a bit pricey but gives the peace of mind.

There seems to be some variability in prices.

Been considering this

http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/clas ... out/645297

Or there is this (great spec and colour but is 40 thousand miles less really worth 4 grand??)

http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/clas ... -05/830578

The search continues.......

One thing is certain. I want one.

blofeld · Post by **blofeld** » Tue Oct 09, 2012 8:23 am

AW8,

When you say Comms is a must, do you mean sat nav plus BMW assist plus Bluetooth? Can I assume that if the car has one it has all?

I have seen one that had the monitor but no nav-odd

Thanks

CondorX5 · Post by **CondorX5** » Tue Oct 09, 2012 9:04 am

Blofeld, just a few comments on the Pistonheads ad - it looks like a nice tidy 4.8is but really does NOT have the biggest spec for a 4.8 -only extra over the "standard" spec 4.8 seems to be the Comfort seats, some people love them, others prefer the sport recaro type.

Low mileage is not always the most fantastic or desirable thing - vehicles need to be used, especially ones with big engines, and very low mileage could mean very short local trips which isn't exactly what a 4.8 is meant for- you need to decide on overall history, condition, and mileage rather than just the mileage.

The "standard" 4.8 did come with the full comms setup, but first purchaser could spec whatever they wanted, so there may be a few without one or more of the modules comprising the comms setup - general rule of thumb is it is much more desirable to have an X5 with satnav, radio, tv and bluetooth - this vintage also includes a cd changer and tape player (behind the screen). Just because a car has one of those, does NOT mean it has all of them- you need to check.

I paid over the odds for mine because it had absolutely everything. Small price to pay for the exact spec and condition you want.

Cannondale · Post by **Cannondale** » Tue Oct 09, 2012 2:38 pm

When I bough our 4.8 I wanted the best I could find, I traveled many miles and took 8 weeks looking. I ended up with a one owner from new 59,000 miles 2005 one with a good spec full BMW history in imaculate original condition. The better the spec I think will be easier to sell and more enjoyable to own.

I could have had one will less miles but I went for the better car overall and as already said very low mileage can be a bad thing especcially on a big V8. My thoughts were if its done a few miles maybe it has not just done the school run, trips to the shops and spent its life on cold starts.

My only regret in getting the 4.8 is I didnt spend a bit more and get an E70, 4.8, but I did not want a lot of money tied up in what is a second car so maybe the 4.8is was the better car. But I always want what I havnt got.

Rich...

Cannondale · Post by **Cannondale** » Tue Oct 09, 2012 2:41 pm

Forgot to say, but I wanted a pre March 2rd 2006 car as the tax is far cheaper. I againt though that when it was time to sell the later 2006 cars would be much harder to sell as most people seem to hate paying close to £500 for tax. This will be more important as they get older and the budgets of people buying them are more challenged IMHO

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