Jb's New Ride

[Grass]

Grass this vehicle weighs roughly the same as a lot of large sedans or wagons so why should it be in a different catergory? and as for the auto they are much better of road than a manual imo.

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The old rule used to be if it broke 2000kg it was a light truck....and 2000kg is a VERY heavy sedan. These T's at 1800Kg are becoming a joke.

As for Auto's being good off-road... No engine braking ?

You find me a Troupie that is Auto..... Or any other SERIOUS 4WD....

Hey JB, I hear you and glad to see it will be used as intended on dirt. I agree, it is so many of the Urban "Private School" brigade that insist on having them and driving them badly way about the speed limit, like sports cars....

[Turbo6man]

Grass> I'm not sure what hill-descent system the beemer uses but I can assure you that nowadays engine braking is no longer an issue with modern autos. They have retarders (hydraulically activated) built into them in most cases and I wouldn't be at all surprised if that is what the X5 uses.

PS We have a Volvo coach at work with an auto trans with built-in retarder. The thing weighs 14 tonne, unladen, and has just clocked over 350,000km and the original brakes are about 50% worn. Not bad eh?

[OwnaXR6T]

Nice ride JB.

Hard to go wrong, strong resale, good economy, high build quality, looks great and goes well. Just wait until it gets "bangle-ised" 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank the good lord Bangle doesn't work at BMW anyone. So it won't be Banglised at all.

I don't know why people get so upset when soft roaders such as these are driven in the city areas and never off road. If I had a family and needed a wagon it would be something like the X5 and I probably would hardly take it off road. Im sorry but station wagons are ugly unless they are in a soft roader format.

[ktford]

Grass this vehicle weighs roughly the same as a lot of large sedans or wagons so why should it be in a different catergory? and as for the auto they are much better of road than a manual imo.

\

The old rule used to be if it broke 2000kg it was a light truck....and 2000kg is a VERY heavy sedan. These T's at 1800Kg are becoming a joke.

As for Auto's being good off-road... No engine braking ?

You find me a Troupie that is Auto..... Or any other SERIOUS 4WD....

Porsche believe their 4wd is very serious, the capabilities of Range Rovers are well documented, tis the 1st time I've ever heard that a Troupie might be a considered a serious 4wd, I thought they were just another sh*t box Toymota, which need manual transmissions because they have pissy little engines.

I never found a hill on Fraser that my Bronco couldn't handle with its stock 351, standard tyres & C6

[JB]

Grass> I'm not sure what hill-descent system the beemer uses but I can assure you that nowadays engine braking is no longer an issue with modern autos. They have retarders (hydraulically activated) built into them in most cases and I wouldn't be at all surprised if that is what the X5 uses.

PS We have a Volvo coach at work with an auto trans with built-in retarder. The thing weighs 14 tonne, unladen, and has just clocked over 350,000km and the original brakes are about 50% worn. Not bad eh?

Got some further info on the 4WD system on the car, as indicated in low to medium 4WD conditions, it negates requiring low range gearing.

BMW X5 3.0d

Background:

BMW’s X5 gets its third 4WDOTY guernsey, courtesy of a major mid-life revamp, which includes the introduction of xDrive, a ‘smart’ self-proportioning and self-locking electronic centre differential that replaces the open centre diff on first generation models. Electronic traction control is retained to limit cross-axle wheelspin. As ever, the 3.0d is the pick of the X5 range, its second-generation 3.0-litre straight-six turbo-diesel, now with 150kW and 480Nm, ever mightier than before.

Set-piece 4WD hill climb/descent:

xDrive proved its worth on the set-piece hill climb, the new X5 considerably more capable here than its predecessor. Its shorttravel suspension means that there’s still lots of wheel lifting, but traction still finds its way to the wheel(s) that can use it most. With a little bit of determined driving, the X5 even made its way up the more difficult of the two hills. The new speed-adjustable Hill Descent Control works well and engine braking is quite good for a single-range vehicle. All-round visibility is a bonus for climbing and descending.

Set-piece 4WD loop:

Again xDrive is a great help with the X5 completing the set-piece 4WD loop with less fuss than the first-generation model. Still, there was lots of wheel lifting - more than any other of the finalists - due to the short-travel suspension. For a so-called soft-roader, X5’s ground clearance and approach and departure angles are quite reasonable, but - as before - the large rear mudflaps added to Australian X5s for ADR compliance are very vulnerable - we partially dislodge ours. The ADR mudflaps are best removed altogether leaving the smaller, less vulnerable factory mudflaps.

Beach driving:

xDrive has bought about a complete change of character to the X5’s sand ability. Previously, the X5 diesel was only just okay on the beach and would struggle in softer going. Now, with xDrive, it’s a brilliant beach runner - better, in fact, than any of the other finalists.

Trail driving:

X5 copes with easy to moderate trails, but doesn’t have the clearance or low-range gearing for rock crawling or badly rutted trails. Still, it does a better job than the Territory, or even the Rexton, despite the latter’s low-range. The short-travel, firmly sprung suspension makes for what can be a very uncomfortable ride on rough trails.

General touring:

This is where the 3.0d is at its best. Superb performance and economy (a best on test of 9.8L/100km) from its stunning diesel engine, great road feel - even on gravel - and secure handling under all conditions make the X5 a touring car that’s hard to go past. Only the intrusive tyre noise on some road surfaces detracts from the overall driving experience.

Cabin:

The well-appointed but conservatively styled cabin seats five in reasonable comfort. Luggage space (and rear-seat head space) could be better and electric seat adjustment is an extra-cost option, even at this price.

Practicalities:

Long touring range (93-litre tank) and fullsize spare are positives; standard 17-inch wheels means ever-expanding tyre choice, and removable towing eyes can be used for light-duty recovery (with care). Cleaning the air-filter in the boonies looks like it could be difficult, while the air-intake is under the bonnet lip. Nudge bars and the like are available but, in general, X5 is not catered for by 4WD accessory manufacturers.

Sum-up:

Unless you want hard-core 4WD ability, don’t buy any other luxury SUV (including an X5 petrol) before you drive the 3.0d

[JB]

And....................

( BMW touts the new four-wheel drive system -- called xDrive -- as a big plus. Fact is, it's an incremental improvement over the previous generation, but impressive nonetheless. We've taken an X5 up a long, steep, rock-strewn dirt track that it had no right to conquer, and one that few owners are ever likely to tackle. Suffice to say the X5's four-wheel drive system handles mountainous terrain capably -- the question is; is it any better than before on soft sand? At this point in time, we don't know.

xDrive operates via the vehicle's enhanced DSC Dynamic Stability Control to sense wheel slip and open a multi-plate clutch, thus reducing power to the slipping axle and increasing it to the more stable one. As a further guard against loss of traction, the DSC system can apply brakes individually and even cut engine power -- thanks to an electronic throttle which removes the traditional mechanical link between driver's foot and engine.

BMW also rifled the Land Rover parts bin during its short time as owner, snaffling Hill Descent Control for its X5 range. The system effectively lets you crawl down the steeper hills at a controlled 6-25km/h without the need for a low range transfer case.

The diesel engine, a 3.0-litre inline six, is one of the more advanced diesels currently in the automotive world. It's the second diesel engine BMW has offered in Australia, and sets new standards in performance, economy and emissions. Significant improvements in power (150kW) and torque (480Nm) characteristics mean this engine, when coupled to the new six-speed ZF transmission, accelerates from rest to 100km/h in 8.8sec, 1.7sec faster than the superceded model. Fuel consumption is marginally improved, the diesel now rated at 8.6 litres/100km on a combined city/hwy cycle. )

[69ADY]

Nice ride JB .....

Enjoy fun of plenty in the world of the mud monkeys

[Mr Turbo]

Nice one buddy, but hey you will always be in the family

Rob...

[tab]

Do Ford own BMW?

Nice ride JB - how goes the driveline on this little sucker?

Trent.

[theeone]

Even though they offer the 4.8, the Turbo Diesel has to be the weapon of choice, I know what your talkin about with the turbo note JB, its one sweet whistle.

Ford need to get a hi-tech Turbo Diesel in the Territory to bring the fuel economy back down to reasonable levels, 800 k's out of a tight engine, that FN phenonminal JB, how bigs the tank?