BMW X5 or stick with my Disco 3?

[Ovey]

Hi guys,

I'm after some advice/experiences really. As the title suggests.......

I currently drive a 2005 ('54 reg) LR Discovery 3 as the towcar for my 6m RIB. It has been a great car and I love it BUT.......

I have a chance of a reasonably priced 2012 ('62 reg) BMW X5 30d xDrive.

Has anyone got any experience of the X5 as a tow car? I'd be interested to hear any thoughts/comments.

Background:

Boat plus trailer is around 1500kg all in. (Max tow weight for both D3 and X5 is 3500kg).
Disco has been fine, and is good shape for a 10 year old car with only a couple of minor problems along the way. (Will it start to go majorly wrong soon?)
I don't go off-road as such, but I need to know the car can cope with the odd "less than perfect" slipway/track/field.
Average mpg is about 22-25 for my D3 (quoted as 27.2 combined by LR) and the X5 is quoted as 38 combined by BMW.
I use the car every day as a work/shopping/kid & dog transporter. (My missus has a smaller car for work/shopping/kids too).
We have 4 dogs that we regularly take out to the woods, etc. as well.

Thanks in advance!

[HUMBER P4VWL]

Other than the 4x dogs and proper off-road, I'd take the X5 every time if you do any mileage. More luxurious, quicker and better mpg.

On here they'll go for the Disco.

Boot size is likely your main problem, unless you launch off dodgy slips, then the 4X4 an issue too, but then you didn't stipulate dog breed either!

[Mollers]

I've had one of each, although my X5 was a while back.
Check X5 tow weights, unless they've upped them massively, it wont be 3500kg.

Also, forget 38mpg from the X5, especially when towing.

If I never needed to leave tarmac, I'd have another X5 in a heartbeat.

If you need to go off road and/or pull a genuine 3500kg, the D4 is the tool.

[Ovey]

Thanks for the reply.

The 2007 onwards X5 30d xDrive (and above) have 3500kg tow weights (the missus works for BMW and has shown me the manufacturer specs, which do differ from some websites). Below 3L they are limited to around 2500kg depending on spec. I'm not too worried about mpg while towing, but it would be nice to get a little more than I do on a daily basis.

My boat is going to be the heaviest thing I plan on towing so should be ok on that front, and I haven't gone off-road other than through the occasional potholed car park or farm track. But it's nice to know that there won't be much that will put it off its stride if it gets off-road for any reason or has to cope with sea-weed covered/rugged slipways.

[Mollers]

Originally Posted by Ovey

Thanks for the reply.

The 2007 onwards X5 30d xDrive (and above) have 3500kg tow weights (the missus works for BMW and has shown me the manufacturer specs, which do differ from some websites). Below 3L they are limited to around 2500kg depending on spec. I'm not too worried about mpg while towing, but it would be nice to get a little more than I do on a daily basis.

My boat is going to be the heaviest thing I plan on towing so should be ok on that front, and I haven't gone off-road other than through the occasional potholed car park or farm track. But it's nice to know that there won't be much that will put it off its stride if it gets off-road for any reason or has to cope with sea-weed covered/rugged slipways.

I think that you've made your mind up. Enjoy it.

[Ovey]

Haha, no, not really. The D3 is nearly paid off and is (relatively) cheap to fix myself. The BMW would be a bit more costly but less likely (hopefully) to need fixing! And I do like the feel-good factor of having a proven 4x4 at the front of the trailer.

It's just that I have the D3 and a short notice "would you want this X5 for a reasonable price" came up. It's so short notice that I haven't really thought - hence the appeal on here!

[Mollers]

Originally Posted by Ovey

Haha, no, not really. The D3 is nearly paid off and is (relatively) cheap to fix myself. The BMW would be a bit more costly but less likely (hopefully) to need fixing! And I do like the feel-good factor of having a proven 4x4 at the front of the trailer.

It's just that I have the D3 and a short notice "would you want this X5 for a reasonable price" came up. It's so short notice that I haven't really thought - hence the appeal on here!

Other than a new box under warranty, our X5 ran fault free until disposal.
BM dealer servicing isn't so painful either. Slightly more than LR, but nowhere near Mitzy robbing b**tards.

The Disco was a tad more troublesome.

[M.Thornton]

I have a 4ltr X5 to tow "Fast Forward" 3.5 t fuelled up ,fantastic car.As the saying goes "buy a Land Rover with your heart but buy a BMW with your head "

[Mollers]

Originally Posted by M.Thornton

.As the saying goes "buy a Land Rover with your heart but buy a BMW with your head "

Maybe once, not so much now. The latest D4 is a match for anything.

[hadd]

I tow with 3.0d X5 to tow "Mr jingles" great car & great fuel consumption when towing can't fault it👍


Sent from my iPhone using RIB Net

[Bigmuz7]

I had a 4.6 i.s. model special edition X5 then a 4.8 ... fantastic towing machine on the road but poor off it. The big chassis handles the boat as if it wasn't there, and I didn't really care about my petrol consumption .. which is just as well ... my current RIB is a 5.4 and if you wanted to overtake .. it kinda forgot there was anything on the tow hook .. I did worry about the massive loadings being applied

Neither of them cost me a bean .. except I did have a screen for the ccc display in the 4.8 (£80).. the only real running cost is the tyres. They are set up with each corner having its own camber and toe in settings, and they ran with quite a bit of reverse camber on the rears meaning the inside edges wear out very fast, so much so, you may have a good 4mm across the tyre but it will be shot due to shoulder wear .. keep an eye on that as it will catch you out. (unless theyve changed that since mine was a 57 plate E70)

[mick]

Originally Posted by Ovey

Hi guys,



I'm after some advice/experiences really. As the title suggests.......



I currently drive a 2005 ('54 reg) LR Discovery 3 as the towcar for my 6m RIB. It has been a great car and I love it BUT.......



I have a chance of a reasonably priced 2012 ('62 reg) BMW X5 30d xDrive.



Has anyone got any experience of the X5 as a tow car? I'd be interested to hear any thoughts/comments.



Background:



Boat plus trailer is around 1500kg all in. (Max tow weight for both D3 and X5 is 3500kg).

Disco has been fine, and is good shape for a 10 year old car with only a couple of minor problems along the way. (Will it start to go majorly wrong soon?)

I don't go off-road as such, but I need to know the car can cope with the odd "less than perfect" slipway/track/field.

Average mpg is about 22-25 for my D3 (quoted as 27.2 combined by LR) and the X5 is quoted as 38 combined by BMW.

I use the car every day as a work/shopping/kid & dog transporter. (My missus has a smaller car for work/shopping/kids too).

We have 4 dogs that we regularly take out to the woods, etc. as well.



Thanks in advance!

I go Disco but I am biased of course see if the dogs fit in the bmw

[The Black Pig]

I find the BMW a little bit lord Flashheart for my taste driven by Baldrick, a pretend 4wd, besides no one would let you in

I understand your towing, a purpose built vehicle for such a purpose is what you require


Stick with what's best

[whisper]

Lovin my D3

[Ovey]

Thanks for all the comments! I think we're going to stick with the D3 for now. There are a couple of things I'd like to do to it to make it perfect (for me) but it's not far off.


Sent from my iPhone using RIB Net

[tony t]

Originally Posted by Ovey

Thanks for all the comments! I think we're going to stick with the D3 for now. There are a couple of things I'd like to do to it to make it perfect (for me) but it's not far off.


Sent from my iPhone using RIB Net

You know it makes sense


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[whisper]

Originally Posted by Ovey

Thanks for all the comments! I think we're going to stick with the D3 for now. There are a couple of things I'd like to do to it to make it perfect (for me) but it's not far off.


Sent from my iPhone using RIB Net

Good call dude Are you a member of the D3 forum?

Loads of good stuff on there

[Nasher]

I'm also a D3 owner, but have been lucky enough to do a bit of travelling in an X5.

It certainly helps that you can fix the D3 yourself as I certainly couldn't afford to keep mine if I was paying Mr LR £120/hr every time it's gone wrong.

It does of course come down to what you're going to do with the car.
I find the D3 great to cruise the motorway with, in fact more comfortable than the X5, but at 70mph not 80(on a private road etc......). And of course it's using more fuel than the X5 at those speeds.

On A roads the X5 is the better handling car if the road is full of corners, but again slowing down slightly in the D3 brings it closer to the X5, but it will never be as good in that respect.

However, the X5 will obviously never be as good as the D3 in any sort of situation that isn't normal on road driving, and will reach it's limit in Snow, Mud or on wet grass whilst the D3 goes sailing past. BUT, it always depends on the tyres fitted. I run my D3 on GG ATs which I believe are the best all round tyres I've used for the mixture of situations I find myself in. They are NOT noisy on the road, are great on wet slimy slipways and brilliant on wet grass and deep mud. They are also very good on wet roads.

I've not towed with the X5, but there is a reason the D3/D4 has been voted best tow car in it's category for years on end.

People at work admire my D3 and ask what I think about them getting one.
I always answer that compared to the Japanese 4x4s I've had in the past it's the best car I've ever owned, but also the one I've spent more time fixing. I advise them to proceed only if they can afford to pay Mr LR to fix it, or be prepared to fix it themselves.

I understand that a lot of the D3 issues have been fixed on the D4.

Despite everything, if I came into some money I'd be straight down the LR dealers for a D4. I'd love a new style Range Rover, but I need the 7 seats and load space which the RR just doesn't have, although it does have the glorious
TDV8 engine.

Oh, and with the all new D5 coming out soon, I'd wait until all the D5 owners have done the development testing for LR and buy a D6.

Nasher.

[Ovey]

Originally Posted by whisper

Good call dude Are you a member of the D3 forum?

Loads of good stuff on there

Yes I am, I'm ovey1 on there. So far it's been useful for a couple of things - I've been locked out of the boot (upper door not released - common D3 problem) and the EPB squealing like a banshee (currently getting stuff together to do this). I got parts for the boot through the forum and have found the how to's pretty good - it would have cost a fortune to get LR to do these jobs!

And thanks Nasher, you've pretty much hit the nail on the head there! I think I'll keep the D3 until it starts to fall apart and replace it with a D4! It is 10 years old, but runs well and apart from the 2 problems I've described, it's been fantastic. The TVs in the rear headrests keep the boys happy too!

[69cmw]

The only way a 2012 X5 can tow 3500 kgs is if it has uprated towing capacity, if it doesn't have that it's 2700 kgs, the uprated bit consists of a bigger fan, anyone tells u anything else there talking shi##, only reason I know is I have 1.