The good news is we bought a new boat. Bad news is it looks like I'm going to have to sell my beloved G 35.
The total dry weight of the boat and trailer is about 4750 lbs. The reason for the bad news is that the 1996 Volvo 850 Turbo Wagon (son's car) we were intending on using to tow it has a 3500 lb capacity.
The FX 35/45 are also rated at only 3500 lbs. Since I do not want to drive an SUV that is like a truck, I have found very few acceptable vehicles. I really have no need for a 7 passenger vehicle or a lot of cargo space.
As of now I have narrowed my search to pre-owned BMW X5s (4.4i engine) which have a towing capacity of 6000 lbs.
Anyone own an X5? Please share your thoughts and comments on its merits and demerits.
My budget is up to the low $30s.
Can't afford to keep the G and buy another vehicle capable of reliably towing the new rig on 250-mile trips.

 

Used pickup. That's less than 10k, and you can do whatever you want with the rest-

G

2003.5 Black w/ Willow G35
Premium / Sport / Aero / Winter / Navi / Tint
<font color=blue>Z-tube, Pop-charger, Borla True-Dual Exhaust, Eibach Pro Kit, GroundingGear</font color=blue>

 

dont think ur gonna find a x5 in the low 30's

 

i just got my g 2 months ago, before that i owned 2 X5's, one was the 4.4 and the second was the 3.0. the x5 is an outstanding vehichle. looks great, great fit and finish, plenty of room, but best of all it handles, corners, and accelerates like a sports sedan. its actually alot of fun, especially with the v8. it does have a 5000lb towing capacity too. its also great riding, smooth and responsive. the downsides are although it handles well it is a big heavy vehicle especiialy compared against the g. it is also a beast on gas, especially with the v8. they also have very very high resale values which mean good luck about getting a nice example in the high 30's. i would not go for the 2000 v8's because those are the first years they came out and tend to have some bugs. if you can find one in your proce range, the X5 is a great vehicle and you wont be unhappy. best of luck
Brett

 

Thanks for your input!!

I just started looking the last few days. I drove a '01 4.4i with the sport pkg yesterday and I thought the ride was a bit rough. It has only 29k miles. The dealership (non-BMW) is asking $38,870. I've also located a '00 with 37k miles at a BMW dealership with an asking price of $33,900, it is a "BMW Certified Pre-Owned" 100,000 mile warranty that expires in Jan '06. I'll probably take a look at it tomorrow. What kind of bugs in the '00?

 

I've thought about that. Problem is, I need to have room for the wife and two kids to ride comfortably on those 250 mile excursions.
Fortunately, I am not in a huge hurry as I can borrow my brother's truck to put it in the water. We have a slip about 200 yards from our back door but I don't want to leave the boat in the water all the time so I'd like to be able to haul it locally probably once every few days.

Thanks for your thoughts...I'll dig into this option a little further.

 

Like GeoBau said get a low priced pick up for cheap and you can still keep the G35.

 

X5...for towing??That will be cool...never see one towing stuff at the back~ 30k...thats not easy to find...try hard you might find one though

 

the ride on the X5 is tight especially for an suv but i wouldnt say its harsh, but thats why it handles so well. the X5 4.4 has alot of power and the rear has a nice hidden spot for the hitch. it does fine in towing. bmw did alot of "software" upgrades after 2000 but that should not deter you from it, epecially if it is cerified pre-owned. those are usually more $ but well worth it

<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small"><EM>Edited by jgordonwin on 06/13/04 06:58 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

Hey Man. I have a G35, Lex SC, and a BMW X5. The X5 is an amazing vehicle. It responds, drives, and feels just like a sport sedan, you absolutely won't miss that part when you switch. I have the 3.0 because they didn't have any 2004 new body style 4.4s when I got my car, but I am very happy with my choice. The 4.4s for some reason cause a huge amount of wear on the front tires which make it so they have to be replaced quite often (like 12,000 miles). My 3.0 doesn't have that problem. The acceleration isn't too bad, and it is a great highway ride. I don't know if you will find a 4.4 for low 30's, but if you find a 3.0 i would go for it (although I don't know the towing capacity and if it would work for you). Hope you find what you are looking for!!

2003.5 G35s 5AT - Obsidian/Willow
2004 I35 - Dark Green/Willow
2004 X5 3.0iA Sport - Sterling/Truffle
2003 Lexus SC430 - Egyptian Sand/Creme

 

Dude,

My wife's driving a 2004 Mercedes ML350. It has a 5000lb towing cap. It's a great car, fits 5 very comfortably, and performs really well. It's not a Beamer, but it would do the job with a tow hitch. They would be probalby a little less than the X5's used but finding a used one will be tough. I'd also look at the 03 or 02 ML320's. I think the towing cap is the same and you can probably get one around the 30K range. Otherwise, try to find a good used Toyota Landcruiser or a Chevy Denali. they have huge engines, tons of tow cap., and probably won't break your budget. My call if I were you, shop Carmax for one. And you folks saying get a pickup don't read - he needs to haul 4 peeps!

'03.5 Silver/Graphite/5AT/4 Dr/Prem/Sprt/Aero/Winter
...Help - Someone's fallen and I'm not getting out of my G!!!

 

I have done a lot of towing and I will say this, tow ratings are generally optimistic. In a sort of 'Yes you can, but do you really want to' kind of way. I go with the 50% rule. In most cases towing half of what something is rated at is usually in the comfort zone. Max rating is just that, max. As in if you had to tow 'it' you could do it, slowly at midnight with no traffic no weather etc. Also think tongue weight, for your boat I would assume that would be in the 500-600 lbs range. Check whatever you are looking at's rating. 250 miles trying to tow something that wanders and is hard to stop, turn etc will put grey hairs on you faster then being President!

I would go with a used crew cab of some sort and keep the G. Perhaps not what you wanted to hear... You are going to need something with mass to tow a 4750 lb boat + family and their ton of gear. Combined weight is going to be up there.

Just something to think about.

2004 Sedan -- 3M Clear Bra - Bought on eBay and DIY -- Rocky Mounts bike racks!

 

Ever hear of a crew cab?

My $0.02.

Sport Sedan Fan - 2004 6MT Sedan
Sport/Navigation/Premium/Aero
Obsidian Black/Graphite & "Titanium"
SHE'S SILVER & BLACK - GO RAIDERS!