[2thdr]

Are you pretty happy with the quality of your vehicle? If responding, could you please mention how long you have had it?

Considering a M50i, but wondering if the quality is there or it's lipstick on a maintenance suckling pig.

Thanks!

[rmorin1249]

Bought mine in Feb 2019. No major issues. One software update and 1 recall that I have not addressed yet. Goes in next week for its first annual service. Driver aids are too intrusive and the idrive is wonky. Have to reboot about once every 2 weeks. No big deal but BMW needs to improve its technology. A bit disappointed with the 2nd row legroom and cargo space. Again, not a big deal but I'll probably go back to a sedan next time. I guess I'm just not a SUV person.
Mine is a lease so after only 3 years I'll be moving on.

[zhangyi17]

not yet an owner, but also considering a m50i

what concerns me is the N63TU3 engine in m50i. The original N63 engine has some serious issue because of the hot Vee configuration. Obviously, BMW improved over time by introducing TU1, TU2 and now TU3 variant. However, some people claims that the heat dissipation problem is inheritedly from the basic hot Vee configuration, no matter what BMW tries to do, it can only mitigate, but not eliminate. On the other hand, the B58 in the 40i has been rated as one of Wards 10 Best Engine for a few year now. I test drive both. The B58 is smooth as butter, but nothing compare the raw power of a V8 TT. So my plan is to get the m50i and get the extended warranty for 7yr and set aside few k every year for the repair bill after 7yr.

[NWAviator]

Bought mine in November. Zero mechanical or software issues to date, but I agree that some of the driver aids are a bit aggressive at times. There are some elements of the interior build quality that are inconsistent though and it drives me nuts. Most everything feels refined and durable and then there's little things like the sun visors. They feel cheap and are stiff to move. It is embarrassing when the visors in my wife's Prius seem to be better quality.

[randybobandy]

Echoing what everyone else said, I overall like the vehicle. Mechanically, it is a 10/10. The electronics work. The only gripes I have are with:

1. Some of the tech is difficult to understand without really diving deep. This is more of an operator issue, but take your time getting to know everything without just assuming. This is really the Driver Aids and what was mentioned before.
2. Some interior rattles and creaks, but nothing loose. The inside and outside is very solid, the interior is quiet and comfortable. I feel like my windshield has these weird fiber-like marks, but may be due to the acoustic glass. I only notice it when the sun is coming up and at night when light hits it at the right angle.
3. Rear doors. I feel like it can be difficult to get in and out. It almost seems like they need a little bit more opening, but I really don't notice, since I am driving.
4. Promises from BMW. When I purchased the vehicle, I was under the impression (and have already paid into with the cost of the vehicle) I would get remote software upgrades. This has been a big fat lie. There's no release notes to accompany any updates done at the dealership, as I think BMW is just shooting from the hip. It isn't the end of the world, but would be nice if I had this option. There is no indication that the MY2019s will get certain features the MY2020s have, which for instance is the Drive Recorder and Assisted Driver's View (I think that is the name). This would not be an issue for you since you'll be looking at 2020s, but still...will probably happen to 2020s once the 2021s start rolling out.

Overall, I do like the vehicle and enjoy it. I'm not blown a way by it, especially considering the price tag. Will I be getting another BMW after it, since this vehicle has exceeded any and all expectations? Probably not. Again, your experience may vary, but you can't go wrong with this vehicle. I would just make sure to test drive it a couple times, and compare to other vehicles you may be experiencing. Best of luck!

[Paladin1]

Comparing actual ownership with two other high end brands and cars - Audi and Toyota (Lexus) - BMW quality (fit, finish, performance) is on par with either, and better in performance. Technology in the G05 is more advanced than either (particularly Lexus). Value proposition is equivalent, probably with a slight nod going to Lexus. First year problems are no better or worse IMO, and I've owned first year in all. You pays yer money and you takes yer choice - maybe someone can weigh in with experience for MB or Porsche, if the German market strikes your fancy. RR is consistently dinged in reliability, but usually considered top tier in quality. Genesis is reportedly high in quality, and Lincoln scored well with the Aviator, but no experience with either. For a solid 4-cylinder Granny's car Volvo is a consideration, but took quality and reliability hits in the 2018/19 models by report. Very happy with the X5, and would buy another.

[BMPHIL]

Originally Posted by Paladin1

Comparing actual ownership with two other high end brands and cars - Audi and Toyota (Lexus) - BMW quality (fit, finish, performance) is on par with either, and better in performance. Technology in the G05 is more advanced than either (particularly Lexus). Value proposition is equivalent, probably with a slight nod going to Lexus. First year problems are no better or worse IMO, and I've owned first year in all. You pays yer money and you takes yer choice - maybe someone can weigh in with experience for MB or Porsche, if the German market strikes your fancy. RR is consistently dinged in reliability, but usually considered top tier in quality. Genesis is reportedly high in quality, and Lincoln scored well with the Aviator, but no experience with either. For a solid 4-cylinder Granny's car Volvo is a consideration, but took quality and reliability hits in the 2018/19 models by report. Very happy with the X5, and would buy another.

Odd, in the UK Toyota is considered a run of the mill brand, certainly not high end.

[Paladin1]

Originally Posted by BMPHIL

Odd, in the UK Toyota is considered a run of the mill brand, certainly not high end.

Toyota as in Lexus. Not much argument with high end on this end of the pond. And the Land Cruiser as an offering is not considered chopped liver.

[MystroX5]

1 year. Love it. Many luxury vehicles from Audi, Porsche RR, in my history. My latest loaded X5 50i M-Sport is the best vehicle I have ever taken on our 2200 mile family vacation. The massaging merino seats are the most comfortable. It’s a rock star.

[buze]

Had mine since september. I had two software updates (07 and now 11.2019) -- the car had a couple of very minor nags from the go, but there were sorted efficiently.
+ I have one nag about comfort access. If you are the only person with a key to the car, all is well. If my wife is around and has her key, we get countless problems and annoyments. I don't think they thought about it that much really.
+ I have another nag about the door sills. They 'stick out' and my wife being 5"1/4 or somethign, the back of her boot rubs agains the sill, and they are now almost sanded down. Bit stupid for a design!

+ Drivewise, I have the 30d (europe) and it's pretty much perfect. I do ~38mpg on most journey. I SOMETIMES do like 41mpg if I'm light footed. Not bad for a boat that size. The air suspension is fantastic, I dragged mine into pretty rough terrain, and I'm quite confident doing so. Only problem is not scratching it ;-)
Otherwise, it's great, on small roads I go 'adaptive' and lower the car one notch, and it has a /tad/ of oversteer but just enough to make it easy to go into corner, and it has fantastic grip, I absolutely love it.

+ Software wise, I had a mega-nag about not having Spotify, but it now works beautifully with the latest software, so I'm happy with that.
I use all the driving aids, and I have no problem with them, in fact, it's a bit spooky how you start relying on them -- I used to dread the start/stop traffic, now I can just relax and let the car drive itself; same for 'busy' motorway driving, I have complete confidence in the system, I absolutely love it.
The parking aids are also super. 3D view, the 'panoramic' front/back cameras to get out of tight junctions of parking space, and I even use fairly regularly the 'macro' reversing aid. Once you get the hang of it, it's a really great tool.

[champkindwhammy]

M50i owner since early November. Best car I've ever had and I've had a few nice ones. Awesome engine. Quality interior finish (get the extended leather for $1k) and great tech.
I've got the all black with black 22's and it just looks sharp as fuck

[nvsocr7]

had my m50i since 10/2018. no major issues, small quirks still exist but thats expected. for example, when i sit in the car after using key fob remote start, the car sometimes turns off instead of staying on when i press brake/start-stop button but this could be related to the magnetic keyfob for the apartment. sometimes the connected app doesn't work. my carplay works really well, sometimes i have to open spotify in the phone for it to open in idrive but this is rare. driving aids work well but i turn most of them off because i like to be in control; the assisted drive/distance control work extremely well imo. extremely fast and smooth engine, DHP is outstanding, well built interior, nothing creaks or is loose, my seats are not wrinkly like others, all the leather is up to par. wish i got the higher end sound system though, especially since it's leased. definitely get the upgraded leather luxury seat package, the merino leather is incredibly comfortable as others have mentioned. oh, and replace the runflats, i had a vibration that disappeared upon replacement with michelin cross climate SUV.

[RVAGuy]

Originally Posted by BMPHIL

Odd, in the UK Toyota is considered a run of the mill brand, certainly not high end.

I’ve always considered most Japanese cars as highly reliable. Not very technology advanced or performance focused and with a soft ride. Kind of car that will last 10-15 years, get you from point A to B but not make the trip enjoyable.

[scotchy]

Originally Posted by randybobandy

4. Promises from BMW. When I purchased the vehicle, I was under the impression (and have already paid into with the cost of the vehicle) I would get remote software upgrades. This has been a big fat lie. There's no release notes to accompany any updates done at the dealership, as I think BMW is just shooting from the hip.

Interesting. While thinking this was true had no bearing on the decision to get the X5, this was one of the first things the first SA I talked to bragged about. "Over the air updates just like Tesla"

[magna6882]

I have had my 50i for a year now and have been happy with the vehicle.The quality of components and build more than meet my expectations. My only complaint is with BMW corporate.Having software glitches and the lack of communication is not acceptable. They don't inform there dealers anymore then us.
Its sad because they built such a great car and then dont admit to features not enabled due to software.
I have had no mechanical or warranty claims since ownership.

[Poodle]

I bought my xDrive40i last June. The buttons near the gear shift plate, including traction control, PDC switch, auto start/stop, and driving mode selection, all stopped working. It seemed there were some harness/connection issues. The dealer fixed it. My car is equipped with advance parking, so maybe the wiring is a little different from the standard.

[polychromatic]

Originally Posted by magna6882

I have had my 50i for a year now and have been happy with the vehicle.The quality of components and build more than meet my expectations. My only complaint is with BMW corporate.Having software glitches and the lack of communication is not acceptable. They don't inform there dealers anymore then us.
Its sad because they built such a great car and then dont admit to features not enabled due to software.
I have had no mechanical or warranty claims since ownership.

I said this on another thread and I think it applies here as well: While it’s easy to blame BMW for the glitches, more than likely it’s the peripheral technologies that are the culprit, ie Apple, Google, etc. They make changes to their OS without regard or testing how it impacts other users. Just say’in.

[Marty in NY]

Originally Posted by polychromatic

I said this on another thread and I think it applies here as well: While it’s easy to blame BMW for the glitches, more than likely it’s the peripheral technologies that are the culprit, ie Apple, Google, etc. They make changes to their OS without regard or testing how it impacts other users. Just say’in.

Personally, I believe its the other way round. If BMW, Lexus, Audi, etc want to incorporate other companies products, then its up to BMW, Lexus, Audi, etc to keep abreast of the other company's tech and make the appropriate changes to assure continued operation.

If BMW is significant enough in the eyes of, lets say Apple, then Apple will assign a group to work with BMW but its still up to BMW in this example.

Same with all the companies who make products and software that run on the Microsoft Windows platform, they too have to keep abreast of what Microsoft does, like when going to Windows 10, they have to change their products to remain compatible.

[polychromatic]

Originally Posted by Marty in Bgm

Personally, I believe its the other way round. If BMW, Lexus, Audi, etc want to incorporate other companies products, then its up to BMW, Lexus, Audi, etc to keep abreast of the other company's tech and make the appropriate changes to assure continued operation.

If BMW is significant enough in the eyes of, lets say Apple, then Apple will assign a group to work with BMW but its still up to BMW in this example.

Same with all the companies who make products and software that run on the Microsoft Windows platform, they too have to keep abreast of what Microsoft does, like when going to Windows 10, they have to change their products to remain compatible.

You may be right, but I certainly don’t think BMW is much concern to Apple. Yes, BMW has the ability and I believe does monitor the OS updates, but how many updates has the iPhone had in 2019? Probably at least five, and each time BMW has to address the potential problems that may occur, and probably gets feedback first from service complaints. A relentless and thankless job, imho. In my personal experience, I have talked with customer service about problems I was having with my Garmin products, or my TV, etc., and many times it’s traced back to a recent IOS update.
I’m not giving BMW a pass, just know that it’s not always BMW that is at fault, but the manifestation of something outside of BMW.

[LexxM3]

Originally Posted by Marty in Bgm

Personally, I believe its the other way round. If BMW, Lexus, Audi, etc want to incorporate other companies products, then its up to BMW, Lexus, Audi, etc to keep abreast of the other company's tech and make the appropriate changes to assure continued operation.

If BMW is significant enough in the eyes of, lets say Apple, then Apple will assign a group to work with BMW but its still up to BMW in this example.

Same with all the companies who make products and software that run on the Microsoft Windows platform, they too have to keep abreast of what Microsoft does, like when going to Windows 10, they have to change their products to remain compatible.

I am not one to defend BMW, but as a guy managing a group trying to deal with Apple's (and Android's) bugs — nobody can keep up.

In fact, even Apple can't keep up with Apple bugs. Point of evidence: IOS 13 native Apple email client is still completely broken and unusable if you have an Exchange mailbox and at least 1 other email mailbox — even Apple engineers can't fix it almost 4 months after public production release, almost a year after external beta release, and I am sure well over 1.5 years Apple internal release.

Apple has become like everyone else and like Facebook specifically: "Run fast and break everything". That's not a badge of honour, that's a sign of shitty engineering.

[plutnicki]

I’ve had an X6 M50 for 2 months now.

The car reminds me a bit of a line from Star Trek V, Scotty says “ She’s got a fine engine, but half the doors won’t open”. That’s an exaggeration of course, but it feels that way a little.

First problem was the sensors weren’t hooked up right, which would cause the driver aids to shut down. Dealer tried to tell me it was normal in the rain, but I pushed and they found an issue.

Then after sitting unused for 4 days or so the clock/date lost its mind and all the trip odometers reset. From that point on the car stopped communicating with the Connected servers or something because the app wouldn’t show the car location, all the remote starts would fail. It wasn’t the app because my wife’s car showed up just fine.

They found Ethernet errors, updated the firmware, rebooted iDrive, reinstalled my profile ... seems to be working fine now so we will see.

The car is delightful to drive, fast as hell, very comfortable and I like the way it looks (controversial). I think BMW just got ahead of themselves on the tech side. At least I hope it is not something more insidious that’s wrong with the car (we’ve not yet explained the initial failure of losing the date/time/trip info).

[SHARMAATL]

I've had my X5 40i since May 2019. Since then, I've really only had one major issue. The Bowers and Wilkins system had a speaker with a distinct rattle in it after the volume went past 50%.

Had it checked out and they confirmed that it was actually 2 speakers with the rattle. They swapped out the speakers within a couple days. No issues since.

Something minor ever since I got upgraded to the newest software in October was that, when I move my car from Reverse to Drive, the camera no longer switches to a forward view. I've seen a thread about this, and I hope BMW gets this fixed.