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BMW Beach Driving

tonyiamhetonyiamhe Member Posts: 3
edited March 2014 in BMW
Sorry to start a new thread, but I have a question which I really have not found a good answer. I am thinking about buying an X5 3.0. I have a 4x4 now and I go to the beach on it, meaning driving on the sand. Does the X5 do well on the sand? Has anyone taken theirs out on the beach? Just not sure how well xdrive will perform.

Comments

  • airbornedocairbornedoc Member Posts: 2
    Are you kidding? I just bought a used X5 five months ago. I live in north Florida. I have an 05 3.0 and it slides on dry sand. A month ago I was going around a curve on loose sand/dirt doing less than the speed limit, about 25 mph, and the car kept going straight. I managed to keep it straight and a tree took out the right fenders, tires, and mirror. I am glad to get that because I was headed into broadsiding the tree with my sons in the back seat. It gets out of the shop this week and will be traded by next week. IT IS NOT a SUV!
  • bmlexusbmlexus Member Posts: 755
    X5 is made for the best road driving not off road,

    I personally have seen many cars going to the sand but most are the japanese which are nissan patrol toyota land cruiser 1 of the best choice for off road it was name THE KING OF THE DESERT. is the cruiser

    if you want something high class land rover which i personally would not prefer it.
  • jrynnjrynn Member Posts: 162
    When I was looking for an SUV, I attended a Lexus event that showcased Lexus products against the major competitors. The X5 got around the "off-road" course just as well as the GX and the LX. The problems most people get into with SUV's trace back to the driver, not the vehicle. If you ever take a look at who's on the beach in the Outer Banks, you'll see plenty of X5's. The tires you use will matter. Tire pressure will matter even more.
  • erik10erik10 Member Posts: 4
    General consensus of my hunting and fishing pals is that the X5 is not good choice for off road use. Electronically controlled AWD is not reliable in sand. Alloy frame can not be towed w/o damage & must be flat bedded. Scrap a rock with unprotected undercarrage and repair cost can be significant. Finding a qualified mechanic or part in northern Ontario is hopeless.
  • achonkoachonko Member Posts: 51
    Tips for driving your car on a beach, desert terrain.
    1.There are special tires that have different profile.
    2. If you can't get the special tire, the best bet is to reduce the tire pressure or else, regardless of what type of car you have you will lose traction and maneuverability.
  • quattroporte12quattroporte12 Member Posts: 178
    Do you guys think an x5 4.4i would be better than an fx45 offroad, or vice versa?
    If any of you own either of the cars itd be great if you could share any offroad/snow experiences youve had with them. Im looking at buying one or the other, and i want one that handles great, but it still somewhat rugged and can do some light offroading (ive been to bmw driving school in spartanburg, and i know that the x5's are pretty capable vehicles)...im just not sure of how they compare to the infiniti fx45...?
    Thanks so much
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