DOTS: Would You Rather...

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
06/27/2019 at 20:20 • Filed to: dots

... E39 wagon (beautiful dark green) or X5M (black)

Sorry for the tragic image crop , I was trying also to cross the street and not get hit by an oblivious texting teenager.

I know which one I’d have, and I could probably buy it with the proceeds from my E46 sale. If I hadn’t just bought a new cover for my boat, that is. But l et’s not discuss what percentage of the wagon sale went toward a single piece of fabric .

Which would you have?

DISCUSSION (30)

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > functionoverfashion
06/27/2019 at 20:22

X5M, but I’m likely in the minority here.

ihm96 > functionoverfashion
06/27/2019 at 20:28

It’s kinda dependent on what E39 Wagon, but either way probably the E39 because I can build something cool and swap it even if it’s a lame 525. Assuming I get the difference in price between them I’d have a lot of money to play with

I’ve driven the X5M (and plenty of other “hot” SUVs) and the only thing they do well is doing straight line pulls which get boring quickly to me. Whereas even a manual 525i, I could throw some coilovers on and have a blast

ihm96 > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
06/27/2019 at 20:30

Jamming on the throttle for straight line pulls is only fun so many times. I’ve driven X5M, ML55s, GLE63s etc and they all only really do one thing well performance wise. Plus not much more practical in this case

InFierority Complex > functionoverfashion
06/27/2019 at 20:31

I’ll take the surfboard, never been but why not? I’m sure they’ve got some nice hiking boots in Treads Footwear.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > ihm96
06/27/2019 at 20:32

I just overall prefer SUVs and technology.

Edit: and straightline speed, if I’m being honest. Not many curves around here where I could go fast enough to have fun.

ihm96 > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
06/27/2019 at 20:38

I just hate the driving dynamics of SUVs. It’s not even that I need to take turns fast, but a car that can handle well is much more fun to me whereas a boat like SUV actively detracts from the fun for me

WilliamsSW > functionoverfashion
06/27/2019 at 20:48

I’m with ihm96. I don’t like driving SUVs every day.

ihm96 > WilliamsSW
06/27/2019 at 21:22

The loaner fleet at my dealer has slowly transitioned from mainly C300s with some GLAs, GLCs, to now mostly GLCs and it makes me so sad.

Anytime I had to run any work errand or go on those two hour drives to a clients or into center city philly I’d get to take a nice C300. So much better to drive than a GLC. The manual mode is nice and snappy on a good backroad, it’s comfy, the awd is rear balanced so it handles well and it’s not too powerful to be scary. I had many fun drives in them

boredalways > functionoverfashion
06/27/2019 at 21:35

E39 Wagen. The X5M is just a fad — just like Jazzercise. I mean c’mon, if it can’t survive between Ski & Sports and Treads Footwear....

WilliamsSW > ihm96
06/27/2019 at 23:48

I got a CLA loaner recently and it was pretty meh.

Haven’t driven the C300, but I really liked the E300. A little underpowered, but otherwise just like you describe the C.

ihm96 > WilliamsSW
06/28/2019 at 01:11

The E is a little too big for that engine although they did give it a power bump this year. Also 300$ to Dinan gets you like 30 horses and 40 ft of torque controllable from your phone which is cool.

The CLAs are shit, the new A class tho is way nicer. Feels like a baby c class in ride and drive plus has all the new MBUX displays and tech which are kinda sweet

pip bip - choose Corrour > functionoverfashion
06/28/2019 at 06:57

e39

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > functionoverfashion
06/28/2019 at 07:56

Ummm, neither?

If you’re forcing me, the wagon.

arl > functionoverfashion
06/28/2019 at 08:35

Wagon. With the surfboard on top.

benjrblant > functionoverfashion
06/28/2019 at 09:08

i’ll take a breakfast sandwich from chase st please.

functionoverfashion > BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
06/28/2019 at 09:25

Probably, which is what makes this fun. Ask just about any human which one they’d take and they’d take the newer, shinier, faster, objectively better one. Oppo is a different breed. The next question is, which would be more expensive to maintain and I don’t think it’s the older one.

functionoverfashion > ihm96
06/28/2019 at 09:27

It’s a 525 and might even be an automatic, but I’m not sure. There was someone sitting in it so I didn’t want to walk up and look in the window haha. Now if you want to talk about modifications, for the price of the X5M you could do a hell of a lot with the E39, like, just hypothetically speaking, make an M5.

functionoverfashion > boredalways
06/28/2019 at 09:29

haha I think they moved the Jazzercise to a new location but yeah. What I don’t get about Jazzercise is that it’s not exercising to jazz music. I mean, that’s not the only thing I don’t get, but I’ve never been a fan of group exercise.

functionoverfashion > benjrblant
06/28/2019 at 09:30

Haha I’ll accept that. I would have also accepted “a beer and a boa from Biederman’s” which is my lunch plan for today.

I was on my way to Chase St. for a coffee, in fact.

functionoverfashion > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
06/28/2019 at 09:31

Well I wouldn’t say I’m forcing you haha. I assume you’d have taken the 1961 Ford parked in the lot behind me.

functionoverfashion > arl
06/28/2019 at 09:32

The wagon is probably worth about as much as that board. It’s a stand-up paddleboard but... semantics. I’ve surfed on our stand-up paddleboard, because that’s what they’re supposed to be for... but I digre ss

functionoverfashion > WilliamsSW
06/28/2019 at 09:34

When we had my E46 and my wife’s X3, I drove them back to back quite a bit. The X3 handled surprisingly well, but you paid for it with the harsh ride. The E46 handled the same or better - or at least it felt better - and it was smoother over our bumpy roads. The extra space in the X3 was also pretty much useless.

Still, I’d like to drive an X5M just once.

functionoverfashion > InFierority Complex
06/28/2019 at 09:36

The surfboard is going to be more reliable than either car, that’s for sure. It’s a big-volume stand-up paddleboard, though, I wouldn’t want to take on more than a 2' wave with that beast.

ihm96 > functionoverfashion
06/28/2019 at 09:46

Yeah I’m not sure how new that X5M is but I’d much rather build a badass E39 Wagon than drive around an X5M . Plus I currently own three oxford green BMWs from pre 2000 so it would fit well with my stable

functionoverfashion > ihm96
06/28/2019 at 10:03

I currently own three oxford green BMWs from pre 2000

I did not know this, and I am now jealous.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > functionoverfashion
06/28/2019 at 10:07

Now you have my attention!

ihm96 > functionoverfashion
06/28/2019 at 10:19

To be fair, one of them is purely a donor car. I have the clownshoe, the 530i, and then I just purchased (this past sunday) a same year 540i with a bad valve body in the trans and pretty rough cosmetics to rip the engine and a few other bits from. Provided the engine checks out good once I get it running this week (think its the ecu is bad, the PO had a chip installed and wanted to keep it and then of course it wouldn’t fire with the original ecu) then I’ll swap it in and have a manual frankenstein 540i with M5 nurburgring pack sway bars and coilovers.

Even if the engine isn’t good though, I’ll still make out well from the other parts in it that I need/can sell. Only cost me 500 (was 600, but then I got him down more since the car was cranking but not starting). As far as engine swaps go its one of the easiest since they’re the same physical size and block on the outside, you can use the same ECU, wiring harness, etc. It all just drops right in with all the same stuff

WilliamsSW > functionoverfashion
06/28/2019 at 10:34

My wife leased an X3 “ 3.5" back in 2015, and it did handle well for what it was. A hell of a lot quicker then my E46, too.

But there’s a certain feel to corner entry and exit that good RWD chassis have, that no SUV will ever achieve.

Also, in my experience, BMW SUVs are stiff enough that they develop rattles inside. I’d love to drive an X5M too, but I would never own one.

functionoverfashion > WilliamsSW
06/28/2019 at 11:35

There are several reasons I’d never own an X5M, handling probably doesn’t even make the top 5.

WilliamsSW > functionoverfashion
06/28/2019 at 11:53

Yeah I can quickly come up with probably a dozen reasons why not too, cost, reliability, and wife are probably the top 3, then handling falls somewhere behind that...