Demand for X5 SUV may push BMW ahead of Mercedes in U.S. luxury sales

[NFS4]

<< Well, first off, the Xseries are NOT SUV's! They are SAV's! You can't compare them to anything but the Mercedes, Lexus, and now Porsche equivilants. So, my opinion still stands, the XTerra is the best SUV. Best looking and one of the best performing. The X5 is the best SAV. There is a difference folks! >>


Of course it's an SAV (sport activity vehicle), but considering that X5's spend 99.99% of their time on the road just like the other 95% of the SUV's on the market, you might as well call the rest of the SUV herd SAV's as well

As for the Xterra being the most beautiful SUV, PFFFT!! The charcoal, plastic lower body cladding immediately throws it out of the running And without the supercharger, it's a relative slug on the road.

The best looking "SUV" IMHO is the Land Rover Range Rover HSE

The Mercedes M-Class is a true "SUV" by definition. It has a full ladder frame and all. The X5 is based on the 5-Series.

 

[NFS4]

<< Hey guys, This thread is about BMW's sales and products.
If you want to talk about Meg Ryan, go start another thread!!! :|


lol >>


Hey, I was comparing the X5 to Meg Ryan's oh so cute looks

 

[BigSmooth]

<< The Mercedes M-Class is a true "SUV" by definition. It has a full ladder frame and all. >>


That must be what the salesmen tell all the soccer moms when they come in to buy one.

 

[NFS4]

<<

<< The Mercedes M-Class is a true "SUV" by definition. It has a full ladder frame and all. >>


That must be what the salesmen tell all the soccer moms when they come in to buy one. >>


Well, those "soccer moms" are what BMW and Mercedes are craving The M-Class, RX300, and X5 are what have made Mercedes, Lexus, and BMW kings in luxury sales.

 

[Beau]

I'll agree that the MB is a suv in design, but from the suspension down, it is a SAV. Not intended to drive anywhere but the road without some mods.
The Landrover Discovery is a good looking SUV, but frankly (and I am speaking from experience) the body is too heavy and too broad for the wheel base. Much similar to the Toyota Landcruiser. The best LR SUV ever made was the Defender 90. A true brute. But, with a price tag (new) of ~$50k, it was not that desirable and too expensive for most to take off road, which is the problem with BMW's, MB, Lexus, and Hummers.
Now if you want to know the true KING OF SUV's, price tags aside, take a look at the Lamborghini Cheetah or LM series. They used the same 435 HP V12 power-vault that powerd the Countach to 175+ MPH. Completely designed from the tires up to handle going 90+ miles per hour in the roughest of terrain for days at a time. I would imagine that if this were to be paired with a current hummer, the Lambo would blow it away!

I still say that for performance, features and price tag, the Nissan XTerra is the best SUV. As they say, everything you need, nothing you don't.

Links to the Lamborghini LM and Cheetah Series Specs

 

[NFS4]

<< I still say that for performance, features and price tag, the Nissan XTerra is the best SUV. As they say, everything you need, nothing you don't. >>


I'd have to side with the Jeep Liberty in the same price range Jeep off-roadibility, sweet interior, nice looks on the outside, and solid chassis at a manageable price.

Also, why should MB give the M-Class a rugged off-road suspension when they KNOW that 95% of them will never see anything more than a dirt road in it's life time?

 

[Beau]

[qI'd have to side with the Jeep Liberty in the same price range Jeep off-roadibility, sweet interior, nice looks on the outside, and solid chassis at a manageable price.[/i] >>


The Liberty? Gawd thats FUGLY!!! Looks like the poor inbred bastard child of a cherokee and wrangler.... yuk!



<< Also, why should MB give the M-Class a rugged off-road suspension when they KNOW that 95% of them will never see anything more than a dirt road in it's life time? >>


Exactly my point. You can't classify it as an SUV because it's not one. The chassis may have been designed as one, but the intention was never there.

 

[NFS4]

<< [qI'd have to side with the Jeep Liberty in the same price range Jeep off-roadibility, sweet interior, nice looks on the outside, and solid chassis at a manageable price. >>


The Liberty? Gawd thats FUGLY!!! Looks like the poor inbred bastard child of a cherokee and wrangler.... yuk![/i] >>


Haha, and the Xterra is any better??

Looks like a Land Rover Discovery got freaky with an early 90's Nissan Sentra

 

[Beau]

<<

<< [qI'd have to side with the Jeep Liberty in the same price range Jeep off-roadibility, sweet interior, nice looks on the outside, and solid chassis at a manageable price. >>

The Liberty? Gawd thats FUGLY!!! Looks like the poor inbred bastard child of a cherokee and wrangler.... yuk! >>

Haha, and the Xterra is any better?? Looks like a Land Rover Discovery got freaky with an early 90's Nissan Sentra[/i] >>

LOL!

Oh... and:
**** CONFIRMED *****
The X5 IS a shoe!!!

 

[NFS4]

<<

<<

<< [qI'd have to side with the Jeep Liberty in the same price range Jeep off-roadibility, sweet interior, nice looks on the outside, and solid chassis at a manageable price. >>

The Liberty? Gawd thats FUGLY!!! Looks like the poor inbred bastard child of a cherokee and wrangler.... yuk! >>

Haha, and the Xterra is any better?? Looks like a Land Rover Discovery got freaky with an early 90's Nissan Sentra >>

LOL!

Oh... and:
**** CONFIRMED *****
<a class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.priceyoursite.com/bds/bmwshoe.jpg" target=blank>The X5 IS a shoe!!!</A> [/i] >>


And it STILL looks ten times better than a Xterrible

 

[Beau]

Apples and Oranges baby, apples and oranges.

I guess you'd have to see my XTerra in person to see it's real beauty. Far better looking than the ones typically out there. And I agree that stock XTerra's are not that attractive. But if you ad some killer 17" Perfect 360 wheels and 36" tires, and bush guards, it really makes it look mean.... those pics I guess don't do it justice. But that's just my opinion.

 

[BigSmooth]

I like the looks of both the Liberty and the Xterra (although the latter could do with a bit less plastic), but hasn't the Liberty had some problems lately? A recall, a failed rollover test, horrible performance on a low-speed bumper test?

 

[Beau]

<< although the latter could do with a bit less plastic >>


Liberty has just as much plastic as the XTerra. Then again, so does the X5, Grand Cherokee, MB, etc.... Plastic bumpers and linings are cheap and effective.

 

[BigSmooth]

<< Liberty has just as much plastic as the XTerra. Then again, so does the X5, Grand Cherokee, MB, etc.... Plastic bumpers and linings are cheap and effective. >>


It's more the way the Xterra uses the plastic so prominently in the front fascia that bothers me, I guess. I still like its looks overall.

By the way, plastic bumpers aren't too effective, at least in the Liberty's case.

 

[Beau]

The '02 Xterra does look bad with the plastic. The '01 is better looking. But that's also why I bought the bush guards.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Let's not forget that the X5 is the safest car on the road today. No small achievement, IMO.

As far as that baby Merc. C-Class Coupe goes, I've only seen one on the road, and I bet it will suffer the same fate as BMW's 318ti. That's unfortunate, because the current incarnation of the TI is the BMW 316i/318i/325i Compact. According to those who have driven it, it handles better than the larger 330i/330ci with Sports suspension. I wish they'd bring it back to this side of the pond.

 

[NFS4]

<<

<< although the latter could do with a bit less plastic >>


Liberty has just as much plastic as the XTerra. Then again, so does the X5, Grand Cherokee, MB, etc.... Plastic bumpers and linings are cheap and effective. >>


It's not so much that the Liberty's bumpers are plastic, it's that they are BODY COLORED. On the Xterra, they are that ugly charcoal grey.

 

[auyong]

for all you BMW bashers out there, admit it, you're just jealous!

 

[Beau]

<< It's not so much that the Liberty's bumpers are plastic, it's that they are BODY COLORED. On the Xterra, they are that ugly charcoal grey. >>



What's the point of painting an ABS plastic bumber? You bump it once on anything, and the paint flakes away..... at least with Chryslers quality paint jobs.

Edit: Spelling. It's a painful problem of mine.

 

[Beau]

<< for all you BMW bashers out there, admit it, you're just jealous! >>



<---- Loves BMW's.
<---- Loves the X5.
<---- Thinks that it shouldn't be classified with SUV's so generically.

 

[GTaudiophile]

BMW: The Ultimate Driving Machine

or

BMW: Freude Am Fahren

Either way, 'nuff said!

 

[NFS4]

<<

<< It's not so much that the Liberty's bumpers are plastic, it's that they are BODY COLORED. On the Xterra, they are that ugly charcoal grey. >>



What's the point of painting an ABS plastic bumber? You bump it once on anything, and the pain flakes away..... at least with Chryslers quality paint jobs. >>


LOL, you humour me

When's the last time that you saw a new Altima, Accord, Camry, Taurus, Celica, Eclipse, Audi, etc. with charcoal colored bumpers?? Charcoal bumpers are usually relegated to base model forms of vehicles (Grand Cherokee Laredo, Liberty Sport, Explorer, etc.)

 

[BigSmooth]

<< You bump it once on anything, and the pain flakes away..... >>


I didn't know fender-benders had a morphine-like effect...

 

[Beau]

<< LOL, you humour me When's the last time that you saw a new Altima, Accord, Camry, Taurus, Celica, Eclipse, Audi, etc. with charcoal colored bumpers?? Charcoal bumpers are usually relegated to base model forms of vehicles (Grand Cherokee Laredo, Liberty Sport, Explorer, etc.) >>



But you are missing the marketing behind the XTerra. The Xterra, like the Jeep Wrangler, is being marketed as a TRUE SUV. Out the for the pure, rugged sport of it. Altima's, Accords, Camry, etc., are all ROAD VEHICLES!!! They are meant for nothing more! Hell, the grand cherokee may have the best 4-wheel drive unit ever built, but it was made for the road and for comfort more than anything. The XTerra is made for, and is marketed for, off-roading.

 

[Beau]

<<

<< You bump it once on anything, and the pain flakes away..... >>

I didn't know fender-benders had a morphine-like effect... >>

Doh! Busted....