SUV for $15000-25000?

[fasternyou929]

Originally Posted by pauldun170

Stay FAR FAR away from any Range Rover out of warranty.
Same goes for VW and Porche twins.

The BMW X5 will be hit or miss in that price range.

The Expedition is something you buy new, at a significant discount and for a specialized purpose (Towing+packed to the gills). Meaning ALL of the above and you need something under warranty. Otherwise a used GMC\Chevy is a better bet IF you are fine with previous generation GM interiors.

What about Infiniti FX45 or QX56?

What he said. We just went through this recently and when looking at a dealership that had an X5 and RR on the lot, even the dealer said he would only sell the RR under duress if someone REALLY wanted it. He had absolutely nothing good to say about reliability.

And I'm with you on maintenance, I don't mind shelling out a few bucks here and there to maintain a car I enjoy. But if that car starts stranding the family all over the place with complicated issues no shadetree mechanic has a shot of diagnosing, well...

With the X5, I would suggest avoiding the 1st gen (thru 2006). Second gen is supposed to be a lot more reliable. We got a ridiculous deal on a 2007 4.8i loaded to the gills with less than 24k on it. Love it so far. Based on feedback from friends we went for the extended warranty, but not the BMW-hyped "maintenance plan". Good peace of mind, considering how quickly repairs add up for anything related to the iDrive system.

Oddly enough, I found the car on eBay in Delaware. Contacted the seller and it turns out we graduated from the same high school in Michigan (8 years apart) and grew up on the same street a few miles away. And he's dating the sister of a girl I've known since I was 5 years old. I now live in NC, and he in PA... small, small world.