BMW X5, fast but does it handle? |
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Peter Fenwick
Bavarian-Board Contributor Joined: 27-August-2003 Location: Lost somewhere in time... Status: Offline Points: 6484 |
Topic: BMW X5, fast but does it handle? Posted: 13-May-2005 at 08:40 |
I was driving along the other day when this big black X5 appeared in my rear view mirror. Not content with driving at 40mph, which was the speed limit, he decided to see just how close he could get. Now it's bad enough when you have a car tailgating, but a big vehicle like an X5 is even worse. I resisted the temptation to put my foot down until we entered the 60 zone where I floored it but only up to about 70. Alas these big X5's have a lot of grunt and this failed to shake him off my tail. However we were approaching a roundabout with a slip road curving off to the left which takes you onto the A19. Noticing the road was clear I entered the sliproad at about 60 and just before the apex or the curve, dropped it into 3rd and floored it. The X5 driver tried to do something similar except, as I noticed in my rear veiw mirror, he only succeeded in understeering and almost hitting a traffic island. After he regained control he didn't bother me any more and kept a respectable distance. What I did wasn't big or clever but it made me feel good. |
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Entering an age of Austerity and now driving a Focus Diesel.
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EvoDude
Really Senior Member I Zymol + Optimax Rock!! Joined: 30-April-2004 Location: Southampton, Hampshire Status: Offline Points: 292 |
Posted: 13-May-2005 at 11:52 |
Its embarrasing when people think that they are safe, secure and more powerful than us in are old E36's. LOL. |
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E36 ///M3 Evo - Dyno'd at 323.3 Bhp
Modded. Mint. |
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jamie (e39)528i
Really Senior Member II Joined: 03-January-2005 Location: chafford hundred essex Status: Offline Points: 1093 |
Posted: 13-May-2005 at 15:36 |
Hi peter im glad you showed him up!!!! Us car drivers are getting few and far between we seem to have been taken over by the 4x4 brigade!!!! |
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micky_h
Really Senior Member II Joined: 17-February-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 798 |
Posted: 13-May-2005 at 15:42 |
They are big but they ain't clever
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Peter Fenwick
Bavarian-Board Contributor Joined: 27-August-2003 Location: Lost somewhere in time... Status: Offline Points: 6484 |
Posted: 14-May-2005 at 06:44 |
I couldn't agree more |
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Entering an age of Austerity and now driving a Focus Diesel.
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b7 eater
Senior Member II BMW anoraks Joined: 16-November-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 163 |
Posted: 14-May-2005 at 10:01 |
I was given a passenger ride around the ring in an X5, trust me it does handle! I suspect it was more to do with the inability of the driver than the ability of the X5.
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E34 M5 M3 GT |
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sharon....
Really Senior Member I Joined: 03-May-2005 Location: walsall Status: Offline Points: 396 |
Posted: 14-May-2005 at 10:33 |
hi guys
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look....cut the cr4p and show us ya willy
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Goldryder
Bavarian-Board Contributor Illegitimi Non Carborundum Joined: 02-April-2004 Location: Acomb, North Yorkshire Status: Offline Points: 5301 |
Posted: 14-May-2005 at 10:47 |
Well, I'd have thought it would have gone 'over' the roundabout instead of around...
maybe the owner didnt lke to navigate anything bigger than a kerb.. (posted by Rhys, as I'm round at Ally's pad and can't be bothered logging onto my account.) |
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Doive
Really Senior Member II Joined: 09-February-2005 Location: Clinging to a turbine, Hexham Status: Offline Points: 1212 |
Posted: 14-May-2005 at 11:08 |
Well on a slightly tenuously unrelated subject, we had a Range Rover
parked in our car park last night. Sorry, I meant randomly aimed in the
direction of several spaces. Now either the owner is either a) utterly
incompetent at driving, or b) arrogant in the extreme by taking up
several spaces. The shame of it is that the Range Rover is a very nice
vehicle, a bit big granted, but an engineering masterpiece nonetheless.
The fact that such an enormous vehicle could quite happily climb
various mountains only amazes me further. So why oh why do people feel
the need to buy such devices and drive around city centres in them?
From what I've heard about the X5 with a few subtle mods it does indeed handle very well, never going to be a sports saloon with the ride height but with stiffened springs it improves things no end. Perhaps the driver in your case Peter was suffering from a bit of a) above. |
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1987 BMW 525e Lux Auto (sadly deceased)
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Goldryder
Bavarian-Board Contributor Illegitimi Non Carborundum Joined: 02-April-2004 Location: Acomb, North Yorkshire Status: Offline Points: 5301 |
Posted: 14-May-2005 at 11:25 |
Personally I have found that alot of 4x4 drivers ain't a clue how to drive them. Some only buy them as status symbols anyway. Oh and Rhys went a short while after posting, had to collect the other half from work.... |
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phb10186
Really Senior Member I Joined: 18-April-2005 Location: North London Status: Offline Points: 331 |
Posted: 09-July-2005 at 19:08 |
Jolly good show, I hate X5's - we should all be driving hydrogen powered Smart cars anyway Edited by phb10186 |
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Peter Fenwick
Bavarian-Board Contributor Joined: 27-August-2003 Location: Lost somewhere in time... Status: Offline Points: 6484 |
Posted: 11-July-2005 at 05:54 |
LOL... I just think it's such a waste. Sure the engines in them are big and they are quite fast but imagine how fast they would be if they weighed less than 2 tonnes. What's the point of hauling all the bulk around and having a 4x4 sysetm in a vehicle that is probably never going to go off road. |
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Entering an age of Austerity and now driving a Focus Diesel.
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M BLUR
Really Senior Member II ZeeMax ROADSTER Joined: 04-August-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1557 |
Posted: 14-July-2005 at 11:30 |
I can't yet comment what the big X is like at the limit but AFAIK the sport suspension (inc. active dampers) makes a massive difference given the mass of the thing. When hiring one point-to-point the culmination of diesel torque and completely planted chassis allowed me to easily stay with an E46 on some back raods and on a dampish day. The experience is quite surreall: In sport-trim it corners amazingly flat, with virtually no roll and the front shows amazing reluctance to wash out.. at limit it's even supposed to show a tendency to oversteer on lift or limit.. as shown by Tiff on 5th Gear. In fact I've seen them going round roundabouts faster than you'd dare normally,... a combination of 4wd, fancy electrics and active dampers. Of course entry speed is everything.. That said you can't cheat the laws of physics but relatively speaking the X5 is a better handler than many other beemers (particuarly older models) when you take into account size, weight and cog. Given the example you gave it's no surprise the X5 struggled but over a range of handling disciplines I'm sure you might rethink. It's no sport car but it's a lot of fun.. Ok they're not that eco but in diesel form they're not the worst culprits either - the fact that they're bonkers is what makes them appealing.. and I see them as no less excessive as uber audis or Jap 4wd banzai machines.. 4wd adds another level of grip, traction and stability which in Scotland is a huge plus. However owners don't tend to hare about in them but instead waft with a smug smile.. Not sure if it's fair to slag off other models and it simply comes across as a case of the green eye guys.. It's a bit like in the school playground.. having spent years being picked on, as an E36 owner, from E30 owners, are you now looking for the fat kid to bully.. come on.. he'll squash you.. Edited by M BLUR |
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1998 Zeemax M Roadster 2005 X5 3.0D Sport 1991 Esprit SE Race car |
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Peter Fenwick
Bavarian-Board Contributor Joined: 27-August-2003 Location: Lost somewhere in time... Status: Offline Points: 6484 |
Posted: 14-July-2005 at 15:21 |
M Blur, I didn't start the thread trying to slag off the X5, it was more the bahaviour of the driver that anoyed me. Like I said it is bad enough being tailgated by a car but a vehicle like an X5 would do far more damage if he failed to stop in time. I have to admit I am not a fan of 4x4s at all. Ok I accept that some people need them because of their job or where they live must most owners will never venture off road. I just think it's such a waste to own and drive one around a town centre. Why? They are much much more expensive to run, harder to park and like I have said the 4x4 system is totally redundant. It's like buying a rally car to got to the supermarket in. However my biggest bug bear is that many owners use them to bully car drivers. Yeah sure you may be safer in the event of an accident, but you make it much more likely that you will kill the occupants of the car you hit. Also it's a nuisance when they park next to you in a car park since because of their size it is impossible to see past them. The same goes for pulling up at a roundabout or junction. If a 4x4 pulls up next to you, you have to wait till they pull out since you can't see if the road is clear. I would however never condone banning 4x4s, it is after all a free country, and if you chose to own one then that's your choice. My problem with them is more than just looking for someone to pick on, but yes part of my concern is that they will squash me! |
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Entering an age of Austerity and now driving a Focus Diesel.
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stephenperry
Bavarian-Board Contributor Joined: 20-April-2004 Location: Elgin Status: Offline Points: 7213 |
Posted: 14-July-2005 at 16:11 |
ive driven some lesser 4x4s in the past - discovery.... land rover 110....range rover... ford maverick... these jeeps (i wince at having to call them cars) all had one thing in common - roly poly handling with a high centre of gravity, makes me feel very uncomfortable, i much prefer being in contact with ye olde terra-firma, the closer to it the better i don't mind admitting that "green-laning" is something that would terrify me, all these massive lumbering behemoths titled over at crazy angles and navigating down sheer drops, and all at walking pace too, but yet give me a car and an open track and ill happily drive the wheels off it without any kind of fear - strange eh? Edited by stephenperry |
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2007 Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCI Titanium X Auto 1983 Ford Sierra XR4i 2000 Alpina B10 3.3 #118 1999 BMW 323Ci 1995 BMW 318i SE 1994 Vauxhall Omega 2.0 GLS 1995 Ford Mondeo 1.8 LX 1990 Honda Concerto 1.6 EX 1986 Ford Orion 1.6 GL 1989 Ford Fiesta 1.1 Firefly |
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M BLUR
Really Senior Member II ZeeMax ROADSTER Joined: 04-August-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1557 |
Posted: 15-July-2005 at 04:57 |
Fair point as always Peter - it was more others jumping on the bandwagon.. but I agree there are a lot of to**ers out there driving X5s and SUVs in general but then many a BMW owner (of all models) makes me embarressed of the marque on occasion... the X5 (as with any BMW) is a fine car and until the Cayenne and RR Sport was pretty unchallenged in the handling stakes.. no denying their massive and shouldn't be driven like a sports car but instead with some maturity but I'm also aware that some owners loon around in them and lord it up over other drivers.. it's a 4x4 thing.. |
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1998 Zeemax M Roadster 2005 X5 3.0D Sport 1991 Esprit SE Race car |
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M BLUR
Really Senior Member II ZeeMax ROADSTER Joined: 04-August-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1557 |
Posted: 15-July-2005 at 05:00 |
Agree with you on most SUVs Stevie but the X5 with sports dampers etc rolls less than most family saloons I've been in.. no.. really! It's surreal ad if you can get down for a southern meet you can jump in ad see what ya think.. |
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1998 Zeemax M Roadster 2005 X5 3.0D Sport 1991 Esprit SE Race car |
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Peter Fenwick
Bavarian-Board Contributor Joined: 27-August-2003 Location: Lost somewhere in time... Status: Offline Points: 6484 |
Posted: 15-July-2005 at 07:37 |
Just for the record, if someone held a gun to my head and said "you have to buy a 4x4", I would get an X5. The Cayene is just plain ugly and the RR Sport....well if they're as reliable as my mates Discovery then not thanks.
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Entering an age of Austerity and now driving a Focus Diesel.
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M BLUR
Really Senior Member II ZeeMax ROADSTER Joined: 04-August-2003 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1557 |
Posted: 15-July-2005 at 08:56 |
and clealry I'm biased as you can guess... |
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1998 Zeemax M Roadster 2005 X5 3.0D Sport 1991 Esprit SE Race car |
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stephenperry
Bavarian-Board Contributor Joined: 20-April-2004 Location: Elgin Status: Offline Points: 7213 |
Posted: 16-July-2005 at 06:16 |
thanks, i'll take you up on that |
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2007 Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCI Titanium X Auto 1983 Ford Sierra XR4i 2000 Alpina B10 3.3 #118 1999 BMW 323Ci 1995 BMW 318i SE 1994 Vauxhall Omega 2.0 GLS 1995 Ford Mondeo 1.8 LX 1990 Honda Concerto 1.6 EX 1986 Ford Orion 1.6 GL 1989 Ford Fiesta 1.1 Firefly |
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