Now I know why I keep fixing it.

[frontman]

Had the surf off the road for a few days due to a sudden black smoke/ loss of power (sh1t on the fuel tank sir? - Why? do you think that would help) and fitting my new/used rad (£25.00 + pp and I had to supply my own water!). Anyway my mate sees me with the bonnet up again and slides out of his new Range Rover to give me that "smile".
"My X5s at home and I'm going to sell it, but it needs a run so borrow it and do us both a favour."
So now I've been posing round in a 01' 4.4 X5 sport for the last week (0-60 in 7 secs is slightly quicker than the Surf).

The thing is when I took the Surf out for a run I found it still brings a smile to my face, so it looks like I'm forever going to be a member of this forum, have oil under my nails and the bonnet up on the drive.

Best bit was when he said the X5: only does 18mpg and somehow didn't seem to phase me.

[Karma Supra]

I enjoy intimidating the posey X5 drivers around Henley in my lifted surf

[BUSHWHACKER]

I enjoy leaving X5s behind me at the lights.

[J i m s t e r]

Four of us worked away for a few days down at the Isle of Grain for a couple of power stations . It was thick snow at the time and as my mate was the only one with a 4x4, we all travelled in his 3.0 X5. It's quite remote down there so you don't want to get stuck

On the M1 at normal speeds it was only doing 18mpg too. I would have thought the game had moved on for 3 litre diesels but there you go I thought my Saab Aero was a bit thirsty but that does 30+mpg if you keep under 90.

He got his driver wing mirror knocked off a few weeks later, smashed to bits on a narrow road by a passing van. Phoned up the dealer to get a replacement...

£1000.

Yes, really.

Apparently that's where they put the computer that remembers the eleccy seat positons etc... Cynical?

"Sack that!" he said, and got one off ebay in Germany.

But that one didn't have the computer in it. Because it's the passenger mirror in Germany

So he got one of ebay in the UK. It did have the computer, but the BMW dealer wouldn't fit it (it requires "Mating up" or somesuch) because it was a used part

Eventually we were back on a job in Worcester and one bloke on site had a brother who worked at the local dealer and fitted it for him for beer.

You can imagine, working all over the place as we were, that 18mpg gets tiring. He was whinging about it all the time. Then one day BMW rang him up and asked for their car back. Yeah, apparently he'd had it on some finance deal and had failed read the smallprint or to tell them he intended to keep it.

He went down to see them to clear it all up.

Then came home with another deal.

Yeah, a 4.4V8 X5.



Now, I'm not saying all X5 owners are mugs, no. That's not my style. But he says he wishes he'd had a Surf.

[frontman]

Been on the beemer X5 forum and found out that the key that has the lock/unlock as well as your personal settings on (seat,mirrors steering wheel ect) is a sealed unit charged when in the car. You can Pay £160 for a new one or cut it open and install a new rechargeable battery and it may work?

Surf rules OK