viperdoc

Well, I am sure some of you will be glad to know that I finally got rid of my F sport. Now at least I won't be posting such frustrated comments about the issues I had with it. In some respects it was a fantastic car....the nicest I have ever had. But in other ways I could not stand driving it. I decided to look at other manufacturers and decided on the BMW X5. They are very different cars in some ways, but the BMW solved the things I didn't like about the Lexus. I was a little leary about reliability, but the dealer included a 7yr/100k warranty at a very low cost. So I feel better about the purchase. It is an absolute blast to drive, it has a softer ride than even the base RX (go figure) but better handling, and I get better gas mileage too.

Anyway, thanks to all the friends I have made on this forum who have given me advice along the way. I will be posting my aftermarket wheels and Apexi throttle controller in the classifieds section.

vlad_a

Glad to hear you found a car you like.
One thing is for sure, the X5 having a proper RWD-based platform will handle much better. They look great too.

BenRX

Good luck with the X5. I actually switched to the RX350 from the X5 50i. I just could not deal with the lack of reliability, constant engine oil toppings, and waiting for more down-stream issues to show up. I've had a few MBs and BMWs and have to say the X5 50i has been the worst. To me, I felt as if I were driving a ticking-time-bomb and I just had to move on. I'm hoping you did not pick up the 50i (E70), it has well known issues if you search online.

On the positive side, the X5 was a blast to drive when everything is functioning normally. The handling, the steering feel, and the overall driving dynamics along with power and torque were simply amazing.

greeknasty

a bit OT but i parted ways with my 3 series yesterday and its like a 100 ton weight lifted off me. hope all goes well with your x5

rayaans

Glad to know - Its odd that you've been having so many issues with the F-Sport, mines been faultless tbh.

Good luck with the BMW - pics or it didnt happen

viperdoc

I didn't get the 50i. I got a CPO 2015 35i with only 6000 miles on it. Long term reliability is still a concern, but I also know quite a few people who have had BMWs with very few issues and I don't plan keeping it beyond the extended warranty I have. So, we will see how it goes. The price I got was stellar, so i thought it would be a good idea to give it a try. Here are a couple pics....

Exterior wasn't my first choice color-wise, but I did want something light (heading back to Texas in a year) but interior color and fit/finish is awesome

RXSF

looks great, love the new X5

RDLGX

Congrats on the new ride ! Hope it will be a great vehicle for you ! Very sharp looking !! I almost went that route myself, but reliability after reading consumer reviews kept me with Lexus. I have had friends with BMW's that had zero problems with one vehicle, and many with problems with another one, so I find it true with any vehicle. Heck, the first month I had the NX, the rear differential went out and had to be replaced. Traded for the RX which I enjoy so much more ! Enjoy your ride

viperdoc

And to be fair, half my issue with the F sport was my own doing....I should have paid more attention to what I wanted, not what I liked (aesthetically). Meaning, I realized quickly after purchasing it that I really wanted a softer riding, more comfortable car, and should not have picked up the RX with the firmer suspension (my salesman was an idiot who didn't know I could have gotten the F sport appearance package on a base RX). But I lived with it for as long as I could. I even got different tires that had a higher sidewall and were H rated, which made a tremendous difference. But in the end it was just too uncomfortable in everyday driving

The other issue was the tranny, which many of you know I had issues with. It functioned terribly in my car, to the point where my wife refused to drive it, so at least I know I wasn't crazy. Lexus techs noted the gear selection issues and tendency to get bogged down in too high a gear after slowing down, but said that was normal. Drove me absolutely nuts.

Thanks for the well wishes though. I really love the X5, and with the extended warranty I got I shouldn't be out too much money (if any) if/when things break. My only hope is that it isn't so often that the inconvenience is a pain. But it's been two weeks and nothing has broken yet!

rayaans

The X5 looks fresh, I prefer the M-Sport looks but can't deal with the ride on those so went for the RX F-Sport. However, you've probably got a good balance there and that exterior colour looks sharp IMO!

Going to head to the 4RX at some point?

viperdoc

I really did prefer the M sport looks as well. But I wanted to go CPO and there just aren't many CPO M sports available....I guess people who own them really like them. They had a bunch of new M sports on the lot, but the prices started at $61-65k with not a whole lot in them options wise. The X5 I got had five different packages (included options like keyless entry/start, HUD, 4 zone climate control, cold weather package, luxury package, blind spot/pedestrian/crash avoidance and other stuff), and was $51K. Also had full front nose bra and tinted window. Only 6000 miles, and had the CPO warranty. I found that it rides significantly better than the RX F sport too. Before I bought the X5 I took it on a local road that is very, very bumpy due to bad asphalt patch jobs. In the RX, it was jarring. In the X5, I honestly barely felt a thing.....and that is with the run flats still on it (which I will get rid of soon). And I must say that the twin-turbo is awesome in sport mode. I think it clocks at 6 seconds to 60mph, but boy does it feel faster than that.

I may come back to Lexus, particularly the 4th gen RX. I figured it would be a few years before I could get a good CPO for the 4th gen, so now was the right time to try a different maker.

vlad_a

FYI, it's not Twin-Turbo. It's a Twin-Scroll turbo. Just one turbine with dual blade geometries.

Mors

All of this is very interesting. I've read many places where Lexus' 8-speed transmission is horrible in searching for gears. They mostly mention it on the RC F-Sport, but I imagine it'd be similar (i know not the same) as the RX. I'm definitely skipping Lexus 8-speed transmission until they get it "fixed".
I don't know if that has anything to do with the issues you were having, but I thought I'd mention it.
Hope all goes well with your new car.

viperdoc

Darn....I liked calling it a "twin turbo"....oh well

viperdoc

Your description is correct. That was the problem I was having. When I made rolling stops, the tranny would stay in way too high a gear (if I were going 20 mph, it would often stay in 4th or 5th- I would flip it over to manual to see which gear it was in). Depressing the gas pedal one inch, two inches, three inches....nothing would happen. In fact, sometimes, the engine would respond after a sizeable depression of the pedal, and then the RPMs would suddenly drop, as if it upshifted this happened regularly. When I had a 6 speed as a loaner, it drove perfectly. None of this weird hesitation. When I had a hybrid as a loaner, again no problem at all. Then I test drove a GS F sport (8 speed), and there was a similar hesitation, but not as bad.

We also have an acura MDX (2014) with a 6 speed tranny. Drives great. I contemplated getting a new MDX for myself (even though it would have been boring). But the 2016 MDXs have a 9 speed tranny. Compared to our 2014, it too has more of a delay as it hunts for the proper gear during city driving. My very non-scientific thought is that these large cars (the RX F sport weighs 4600 lbs) need more low end torque if they are going to handle so many gears down low. Or else you have the hunting problem to find a gear that will get you into the 4000-5000 rpm range where there is enough torque to move the car. The BMW hits peak torque (300) starting at 1300 rpm....the RX hits it at 4700 rpm, and only has 248 ft-lb of it. And the X5 only weighs 200 more pounds.