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      05-26-2019, 12:15 PM   #20
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Drives: 2023 iX xDrive50 & 2020 M850i
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Seattle

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Based on your description of off road and living in the PNW myself I think you'll be fine with the BMW X5. Tires are going to be the biggest issue in anything you'll likely do in the X5. Forest roads, mountain passes, and snow/ice covered roads to the ski resorts will be impacted by the tires more than anything else. Air suspension will help with the potholes, and the limited slip differential will help provide that extra bit of traction assuming the tires have grip (up slick roads).

The benefit of the Subaru is that it's a light car which helps overcome physics of driving on slick surfaces. They generally also have short wheel bases which helps "off-road". Good cars in our part of the country but they have really bad CVT transmissions.

The Land Rovers really just rely on their reputation of past models that where coil sprung and had solid axles with at least one (center) locking differential. Current Land Rovers are NOT off-road vehicles anymore despite their marketing. They do look good but you'll also get on a first name basis with your mechanic. As an aside, my mechanic appreciated gifts of Jack Daniels at Christmas and a box of donuts when I dropped the car off for service. Unless you're looking at the used Land Rover market (P38A Range Rover and earlier, a few years of the Discovery II that has the CDL, or pretty much any Land Rover pre-1999), I would say keep moving along as there are better options unless you're buying for the look and the name.
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