BMW X5 verus Merc ML versus Jeep Grand Cherokee
Discussion
Hi Gixxer, there's quite a large difference between the cars you list. I would have thought the most immediate criteria will be how much of a budget you will have to spend because clearly the X5 will be the most expensive.
There's also a large gap in ability, so it depends on what you're looking for. The X5 drives like a car and can do anything you want it to (within reason) whereas the Jeep drives like a truck and can come as quite a surprise if you're only used to driving cars. The Merc sits somewhere in between these two with a slightly more car like drive than the Jeep but quite a bit off the X5's capabilities. For acceleration the X5 4.4 is around the 19 second mark to 100mph whereas the ML320 will be nearer 30 seconds and the Jeep further afield than that, if I remember correctly.
When I started driving SUVs/4x4s the one criteria I had that I've never compromised on is being able to drive it fast without risk of rolling or instability, say during a sudden lane change. The Jeep is rather worrying in that respect and the Merc is also short of being confidence inspiring, particularly with it's very light steering. So from a safety perspective I would say the X5 raises no concerns whereas others take some getting used to.
It depends on what you want from them. I'm sure people that prefer the looks of the Jeep and it's american character are very happy with theirs and if all you intend to do is drive modestly, tow around a trailer and do the school run then I'm sure it's fine. But as a drivers car, until the Cayenne came along there really was only one choice.
Just my £0.02 worth.
There's also a large gap in ability, so it depends on what you're looking for. The X5 drives like a car and can do anything you want it to (within reason) whereas the Jeep drives like a truck and can come as quite a surprise if you're only used to driving cars. The Merc sits somewhere in between these two with a slightly more car like drive than the Jeep but quite a bit off the X5's capabilities. For acceleration the X5 4.4 is around the 19 second mark to 100mph whereas the ML320 will be nearer 30 seconds and the Jeep further afield than that, if I remember correctly.
When I started driving SUVs/4x4s the one criteria I had that I've never compromised on is being able to drive it fast without risk of rolling or instability, say during a sudden lane change. The Jeep is rather worrying in that respect and the Merc is also short of being confidence inspiring, particularly with it's very light steering. So from a safety perspective I would say the X5 raises no concerns whereas others take some getting used to.
It depends on what you want from them. I'm sure people that prefer the looks of the Jeep and it's american character are very happy with theirs and if all you intend to do is drive modestly, tow around a trailer and do the school run then I'm sure it's fine. But as a drivers car, until the Cayenne came along there really was only one choice.
Just my £0.02 worth.
Thanks DoctorD, your views seem to very much concur with other advice I have been given.
To clarify further, I have £30k to spend, so can stretch to all 3 (with the Jeep being the newest, then the Merc and finally the BMW).
Purpose of the car if to house the new addition to the family (the TVR Cerbera was never going to manage that), and to give my partner a safer, bigger, and better car than the one she currently drives (Ford Maverick).
I do indeed prefer the looks of the Jeep, as I like things to be a little different. Living in London, X5s are everywhere (especially in silver), as are MLs. That said, the styling of all 3 are appealing.
Performance wise, I'm not really that fussy, but would struggle to not buy the biggest engine in the class of any car I buy (which means I should be going for the ML55 AMG I guess).
Stability etc, is not something I have thought of. Thanks for the tips.
I have two mates who live in the States and both have Jeeps. One is a 4.8 variant (I think), and the other a 5.7 special edition or other. They seem to like them, but would probably have an X5 if given the choice and cash.
I have no idea about service intervals and costs, but I would assume they are fairly similar (i.e. expensive). I need to look into that.
Cheers,
Gixxer
To clarify further, I have £30k to spend, so can stretch to all 3 (with the Jeep being the newest, then the Merc and finally the BMW).
Purpose of the car if to house the new addition to the family (the TVR Cerbera was never going to manage that), and to give my partner a safer, bigger, and better car than the one she currently drives (Ford Maverick).
I do indeed prefer the looks of the Jeep, as I like things to be a little different. Living in London, X5s are everywhere (especially in silver), as are MLs. That said, the styling of all 3 are appealing.
Performance wise, I'm not really that fussy, but would struggle to not buy the biggest engine in the class of any car I buy (which means I should be going for the ML55 AMG I guess).
Stability etc, is not something I have thought of. Thanks for the tips.
I have two mates who live in the States and both have Jeeps. One is a 4.8 variant (I think), and the other a 5.7 special edition or other. They seem to like them, but would probably have an X5 if given the choice and cash.
I have no idea about service intervals and costs, but I would assume they are fairly similar (i.e. expensive). I need to look into that.
Cheers,
Gixxer
mustard said:
Dont forget the Lexus RX300SE/SEL better than the Merc ML & Jeep, And cheaper than the X5, worth considering if your on a budget
Thanks Mustard. The Lexus, plus the VW Toureg and Volvo XC90 are on my reserve list. The Lexus is probably ahead on the other two, but I am not enamoured by its looks, and feel it's a little smaller than the others.
Cheers,
Gixxer
Another point worth bearing in mind is that the Jeep is really cramped in comparison with the ML and X5. For such a large vehicle its surprising how little interior room it has.
p.s. getting really irrelevant here, but you can 'slide' an X5 if you want, try doing that in an ML or Jeep...
p.s. getting really irrelevant here, but you can 'slide' an X5 if you want, try doing that in an ML or Jeep...
Davel said:
I've got a 2 year old X5 - the 4.4i sport.
Cost me about £32k and is an excellent vehicle.
Much prefer it to the ML, the Jeep and Discoveries.
You can pick lowish mileage ones up for your budget.
Good luck!
Davel, did you buy yours privately or from a dealer. A new year old 4.4i with sensible mileage would probably be top of my buying list, many of the sensibly priced 4.4is I have seen have 40,50,60k miles. Am I missing something?
Beginning of last year looked at the same cars 2nd hand.
X5, Jeep, ML
X5 , smallest boot 500litre, small rear seats, best handling and steering, ride very stiff (esp for a 4 by 4), good gear box, low profile road tyres, expensive.
Jeep 4.7, big boot 1000 litre, poorest handling loads of roll, least grip, squishy comfy ride if a bit floaty, lots of standard equipment, nice engine v8 (overlander), with smooth but basic auto, quite quick, slow to brake, best off road, on off tyres, cheap.
ML430, big boot 1000litre, full sized adult rear seats with bags of leg and head room, good ride a little jiggly, better handling than jeep some grip but still loats of roll, excellent engine + autobox smooth quite quick, next best off road, on of tyres, fairly cheap with kit on (2ndhand)Test drove a 320 as well gets a bit frantic when trying to maintain a reasonable pace (the 3.0 x5 does better)
Bought the Merc430 due to the X5's stiff ride and being too small in back, But traded the Merc for an 2nd hand S class after a few weeks because the ride comfort broke right down on a winding road and the handling and braking were fairly dangerous at speed or in an emergancy.
>> Edited by jumjum on Tuesday 20th April 14:26
X5, Jeep, ML
X5 , smallest boot 500litre, small rear seats, best handling and steering, ride very stiff (esp for a 4 by 4), good gear box, low profile road tyres, expensive.
Jeep 4.7, big boot 1000 litre, poorest handling loads of roll, least grip, squishy comfy ride if a bit floaty, lots of standard equipment, nice engine v8 (overlander), with smooth but basic auto, quite quick, slow to brake, best off road, on off tyres, cheap.
ML430, big boot 1000litre, full sized adult rear seats with bags of leg and head room, good ride a little jiggly, better handling than jeep some grip but still loats of roll, excellent engine + autobox smooth quite quick, next best off road, on of tyres, fairly cheap with kit on (2ndhand)Test drove a 320 as well gets a bit frantic when trying to maintain a reasonable pace (the 3.0 x5 does better)
Bought the Merc430 due to the X5's stiff ride and being too small in back, But traded the Merc for an 2nd hand S class after a few weeks because the ride comfort broke right down on a winding road and the handling and braking were fairly dangerous at speed or in an emergancy.
>> Edited by jumjum on Tuesday 20th April 14:26
I also tested X5s, ML 320, 430 and Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland quite recently. And also drove my dad's Range Rover 4.6 HSE, for comparison. The X5 destroyed the lot of them. True, it's not as spacious as some of them bootwise, but it offers a perfect combination of performance, handling, comfort and safety. True also, it is pricey. But, it's worth it and it has better residuals than its rivals.
The Jeep overland looks good, but has poor handling, poor power for such a mighty engine and is overly thirsty. It has had some bad reviews concerning its safety (it doesn't seem to have fared well on NCAP) and the cost of repair. Residuals are awful: but, on the plus side, a 2 year old car can be had for £20k or so (new is or was just over £30k) and it comes with tons of stuff as standard.
The Mercs were the worst of the lot: really poor build quality and truly awful handling.
In the end, I went for the new X5 4.4 Sport. The new model has a fair bit more power than the pre-2004 model and has X-drive: the engine is pretty impressive/beefy even for a former TVR owner. The 1 year old cars that I had seen, with low or lowish mileage, were all going for £40ks. Don't know if the new model has pushed down the value of the older ones yet, but it must have some effect [BMW were very secretive about the new model until quite recently].
The Jeep overland looks good, but has poor handling, poor power for such a mighty engine and is overly thirsty. It has had some bad reviews concerning its safety (it doesn't seem to have fared well on NCAP) and the cost of repair. Residuals are awful: but, on the plus side, a 2 year old car can be had for £20k or so (new is or was just over £30k) and it comes with tons of stuff as standard.
The Mercs were the worst of the lot: really poor build quality and truly awful handling.
In the end, I went for the new X5 4.4 Sport. The new model has a fair bit more power than the pre-2004 model and has X-drive: the engine is pretty impressive/beefy even for a former TVR owner. The 1 year old cars that I had seen, with low or lowish mileage, were all going for £40ks. Don't know if the new model has pushed down the value of the older ones yet, but it must have some effect [BMW were very secretive about the new model until quite recently].
Bought mine from Chris Jackson at Alderley Edge, near Knutsford.
He sells all types of s/h prestige motors and I've had two cars from him to date.
He does have X5s and Porsche and Mercs etc.
I don't mean this as an advert for him but he has good cars there. He buys and sells both....
He sells all types of s/h prestige motors and I've had two cars from him to date.
He does have X5s and Porsche and Mercs etc.
I don't mean this as an advert for him but he has good cars there. He buys and sells both....
There's a misnomer about the boot of the X5 being small. It's 460 Litres and whilst that's smaller than the 540 litre Cayenne/Touareg that's only because of the wheelarch intrusions to accomodate those very wide tyres, otherwise it would be virtually the same size. The Jeep and ML are not 1000 litres! Far from it. The Jeep is smaller than the X5 and the ML was near enough the same last time I looked.
I transported the largest 36" TV (within its box) in my X5 without lowering the rear seats, so it swallows most of the largest loads you're likely to carry.
What's this about small rear seats in the X5? There seemed more space in the rear than the Cayenne and its only clearly beaten by the Range Rover in it's class.
I transported the largest 36" TV (within its box) in my X5 without lowering the rear seats, so it swallows most of the largest loads you're likely to carry.
What's this about small rear seats in the X5? There seemed more space in the rear than the Cayenne and its only clearly beaten by the Range Rover in it's class.
Thanks folks. Lots of useful info. I need to get out there and test drive soon as I want to purchase within the next couple of weeks.
Just to add to the dilemma, a good friend has the Lexus RX300 SE-L and absolutely loves it. Used to have a Jeep and X5 and reckons this is way better. It's horses for courses I'm sure but I am definitely going to also check out the Lexus. Very high spec, easier on the petrol, a little smaller so easier to live with, cheaper to run (servicing is every 20,000 miles), high residuals. blah blah blah.
Decisions decisions.
Gixxer.
ps - I have been digging out the stats and here are the manufacturers quoted boot capacities, all in ltrs:
X5: Min 465, Max 1550
ML: Min 1070, Max 2020
Jeep: Min 1110, Max 2059
So on that basis the X5 is the smallest (by some way).
What's this min/max anyway? Is it normal and seats folded down?
Just to add to the dilemma, a good friend has the Lexus RX300 SE-L and absolutely loves it. Used to have a Jeep and X5 and reckons this is way better. It's horses for courses I'm sure but I am definitely going to also check out the Lexus. Very high spec, easier on the petrol, a little smaller so easier to live with, cheaper to run (servicing is every 20,000 miles), high residuals. blah blah blah.
Decisions decisions.
Gixxer.
ps - I have been digging out the stats and here are the manufacturers quoted boot capacities, all in ltrs:
X5: Min 465, Max 1550
ML: Min 1070, Max 2020
Jeep: Min 1110, Max 2059
So on that basis the X5 is the smallest (by some way).
What's this min/max anyway? Is it normal and seats folded down?
Gixxer, ignore the badge snobbery and some folks miss guided views on the Lexus, there a bloody good car!
I'm sure you'll be conviced when u drive one, BMW X5 is good but a bit overrated IMHO, Merc ML times passed it by, Jeeps a bit 'old school 4x4'
Lexus as you say, fully kitted, drives well and great value for money, with faultless reliabilty thrown in for free
>> Edited by mustard on Wednesday 21st April 20:59
I'm sure you'll be conviced when u drive one, BMW X5 is good but a bit overrated IMHO, Merc ML times passed it by, Jeeps a bit 'old school 4x4'
Lexus as you say, fully kitted, drives well and great value for money, with faultless reliabilty thrown in for free
>> Edited by mustard on Wednesday 21st April 20:59
gixxer1000 said:
X5: Min 465, Max 1550
ML: Min 1070, Max 2020
Jeep: Min 1110, Max 2059
So on that basis the X5 is the smallest (by some way).
What's this min/max anyway? Is it normal and seats folded down?
I suspect you're not comparing 'apples with apples' here.
The X5 numbers are correct at 465/1550 litres. The first is with rear seats in place and the is the space up to the load cover (i.e. top of the rear seats). The second number is the volume with rear seats folded and is the maximum volume that can be carried.
A Porsche Cayenne for example is 540/1770 litres.
The latest Range Rover, which I think you will agree is massive will hold 535/1756 litres.
For the ML and Jeep to be larger than the Range Rover would make them the modern version of the Tardis...which they're not.
I don't know much about the Lexus apart from you may not like the 'finger light' steering or it's tendency to hunt within the auto box. But drive it for yourself and see.
good luck,
Folks, an update:
Today we test drove:
* 2001 BMW X5 4.4i sport
* 2002 Merc ML430
* 2003 Lexus RX300 SE-L
* 2001 Range Rover Vogue
* 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.7 V8 Overland
Truly the worst, by a country mile, was the Mercedes. Terrible drive, cheap basic interior, terrible handling, poor acceleration (including a pretty sizeable response lag). And it had interior trim rattle (you know that indeterminate rattling noise coming from some unknown place). Yuk!
The Range Rover was never really under consideration but thrown in for interest only. Nice enough if you like sofas on wheels.
The Lexus was a different proposition altogether. Lovely interior, all the toys and a nice all round package, but not really what I was looking for. It feels and drives like a "normal car" which is fine if that's your thing, but not quite what I was after.
The Jeep was very nice indeed, and lovely to drive. Lots of low down torque which throws you forward at the smallest of touches on the gas. Extremely comfortable seats, and a pretty high spec as the 4.7 V8 Overland is the top of the range jobbie. Steering was a little stiff, but something you'd quickly get used to.
The X5 was very nice indeed. Couldn't fault it (apart from the price). Not as smooth a drive as the Jeep, but much more of a drivers car.
So we quickly narrowed it down to the Jeep or the X5. The actual jeep we drove had 40,000 miles which is more than we wanted, and the X5 was being offered at a very high price £38k, but had sensible mileage (24k).
On the way back home we pretty much decided on the Jeep as it's mostly a car for the wife, and she felt she didn't need the more responsive BMW drive/ride. Also, the X5 we drove was a good £10k more expensive than a typical 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee V8 Overland, and for what the wife needs from a car we felt that extra £10k was simply not worth it.
Job done I thought. All we need to do now is find a nearly new top of the range Jeep and save ourselves £10k. BUT - I have just had a look around the web and there are a good few X5 4.4's with decent miles (<30k) for around the £30k mark, so perhaps the car we saw was a little enthusiastically priced.
Next weekend will be spend doing further driving, but my gut feel now is that if I can find the right X5 (as above) then that'll be where we land.
Cheers,
Gixxer
Today we test drove:
* 2001 BMW X5 4.4i sport
* 2002 Merc ML430
* 2003 Lexus RX300 SE-L
* 2001 Range Rover Vogue
* 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.7 V8 Overland
Truly the worst, by a country mile, was the Mercedes. Terrible drive, cheap basic interior, terrible handling, poor acceleration (including a pretty sizeable response lag). And it had interior trim rattle (you know that indeterminate rattling noise coming from some unknown place). Yuk!
The Range Rover was never really under consideration but thrown in for interest only. Nice enough if you like sofas on wheels.
The Lexus was a different proposition altogether. Lovely interior, all the toys and a nice all round package, but not really what I was looking for. It feels and drives like a "normal car" which is fine if that's your thing, but not quite what I was after.
The Jeep was very nice indeed, and lovely to drive. Lots of low down torque which throws you forward at the smallest of touches on the gas. Extremely comfortable seats, and a pretty high spec as the 4.7 V8 Overland is the top of the range jobbie. Steering was a little stiff, but something you'd quickly get used to.
The X5 was very nice indeed. Couldn't fault it (apart from the price). Not as smooth a drive as the Jeep, but much more of a drivers car.
So we quickly narrowed it down to the Jeep or the X5. The actual jeep we drove had 40,000 miles which is more than we wanted, and the X5 was being offered at a very high price £38k, but had sensible mileage (24k).
On the way back home we pretty much decided on the Jeep as it's mostly a car for the wife, and she felt she didn't need the more responsive BMW drive/ride. Also, the X5 we drove was a good £10k more expensive than a typical 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee V8 Overland, and for what the wife needs from a car we felt that extra £10k was simply not worth it.
Job done I thought. All we need to do now is find a nearly new top of the range Jeep and save ourselves £10k. BUT - I have just had a look around the web and there are a good few X5 4.4's with decent miles (<30k) for around the £30k mark, so perhaps the car we saw was a little enthusiastically priced.
Next weekend will be spend doing further driving, but my gut feel now is that if I can find the right X5 (as above) then that'll be where we land.
Cheers,
Gixxer
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