piatkowski

Hi there!

Since roads in Poland are more like battlefields of Iraq and the only highway we have connects my city (fortunately with the German border, I would need a safe car for intercity journeys. The choice has been narrowed down to LX570 and other big SUVs. And while the heart screams "get me the new Bimmer 650" the brain says "you will get stuck in mud and snow for 5 months in a year and a drunk driver of a 30-year-old communist-made truck won't even notice you". An obvious exaggeration but unfortunately not by much.

Please share your opinions about the safety of these SUVs. Price, MPG, etc. is of lesser concern.

CarGuy89

Get the 650!! I would if I were you, then maybe by a cheap used 4x4 for those days of bad weather. I've only driven the X5 out of all your choices and it drove brilliantly! Felt extremely solid and buttoned down. The ride was excellent, very smooth for BMW without too much body roll. The steering was a bit numb, but precise. Idk I've always like the RR a lot, the GL looks pretty sweet too. Idk my vote still goes to the 650i, that thing is beautiful.

AKoch

Get a 650. Looks like you have an obsession with the communists anyway.

I-FORCE

iTrader: (3)

LX570 and you will never look back

RX_330

Get the LX570. Safe, excellent offroad, reliable, etc.

piatkowski

The 650i is not an option for many reasons. The only real option is one of the big SUVs.

The main difference (in my opinion) between the LX and the others is body-on-frame vs. monocoque and the question if it translates into grater safety. The lesser differences: height and maneuverability. More than 20cm for LX vs Touareg, on the other hand Touareg or X5 might just get one out of trouble when LX flips over.

Anyone ever experienced an accident driving one of these cars? Of course it would be highly subjective, nevertheless could give some insight.

PS. Try living in a country that was subject to communist rule for 50 years and tell me if you like the commies

LXurious

X5M? 650 handling and speed with 4 wheel drive capabilities. The only real 4x4 vehicles there IMO are the LX and RR. everything else falls short

AKoch

The frame vs monocoque is the question of personal priorities and preferences. If no importance is placed on the off-road capabilities and longevity - the monocoque bodies offer a host of advantages for the on-road vehicles.

PS. I did, that's why I laughed at you. Never had a problem and lived well, each has/had its own good. And I like them no better than the capitalists.

albertr

+1. Not to try to poke at topic-starter, but there's an old russian saying that goes like "Winners try to find the ways to win and losers try to find the reasons to blame..."

-albertr

ERC4

AKoch, Re your quote- "And I like them no better than the capitalists."

Like they say, ignorance is bliss. I guess you never noticed how the democratic countries have to put up walls to keep people out and the communists have to put up walls to keep people in.

Carl L

All the SUVs listed above are very safe. To concentrate on the LX, I own the Land Cruiser version. In europe that is available with the 4.5 TTD (we only get the 5.7L gas in the US).

Anyhow, safety is very good on the LX570/LC200 with 14 airbags and a frame 140% stiffer than the LX470/LC100s. Also, the roof structure (A-pillar in particular) has been totally redesigned and is much heavier duty to protect occupants in event of a rollover. Obviously myriad traction aids are there to stop this happening in the first place but good to know it's there.

I prefer the lower-profile nature of the 535d to the 650i, not to mention it's more practical. If you want a gas 6-sries and don't get about cost then wait for the M6. I have a 2008 M5 and love it. Both are passively also very safe safe and have better active safety than any of the SUVs (RWD not withstanding), though if I were to be hit by a truck I would prefer to be in a large and new 4x4.

Justin2JZ

I say go w/ the LX or the RR. Seems like it'll suit you. A 650 will come someday lol.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

though keep in mind with rr, more than likely you will get a lot of chances to visit the dealership

AKoch

I agree. Perhaps you might want to look up the definitions of the concepts - democracy, autocracy, ochlocracy, communism, capitalism, socialism. This is a very good start since it is all mixed up in your posting. Regarding the second part of the comment - let's just agree that there are various views on the subject, each as good as any other. Hope you had a chance to live in each of the societies you refer to for 20+ years to pass judgements and compare.

ERC4

Am I moving to a communist country for 20+ years as you suggest? No thanks, I’m not crazy. But I’m not a hypocrite either. I’m not living a cozy life in a democratic country, driving a Lexus LX, Mercedes SL, and Audi RS4 while espousing the benefits of communism. That’s what you’re doing. Feel free to try it out for yourself though. Put on your Che t-shirt and head down to Cuba. Expect more than a few stares though from Cubans who have risked life and limb to escape the “workers paradise”. When you go, be sure to bring the Lexus, Mercedes, and Audi. The only people down there that have even seen vehicles like that are communist party officials. The Cuban people have lived through what Winston Churchill once observed- “Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy; its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.”