Quote:
|
Originally Posted by AppStoreMoney
Quote:
Originally Posted by chrisny
Asked and answered above.. 2 car seats leaves no room in the middle of an X5 let alone X3. We tried it for a while with an X3 and it was too much hassle, once you have 2 car seats in back and a stroller or double stroller in the trunk, just not much room left. x5 is miles better, but still not big enough for any extra passengers. Perfect for daily use and vacations but as soon as you want to pick up grandma or whatever, no can do.
My thoughts on an X7 is it gives me another option to a Q7 or GL (which I can't imagine I would like the driving dynamics) if/when we decide we need more room for our kids' friends when they get a little older. Could be useful now, but not enough that I would want anything bigger, yet.
|
When you have two car seats, and you need to pick up grandma, you enter minivan territory. The X7, when it comes out, won't have the driving dynamics you are looking for. You'll end up with a vehicle that has the BMW badge, but it won't drive like one. Not that you need to take turns fast when you carry that many people. But if it won't be fun to drive, you may as well get a toyota minivan.
I have one child and a 3-series. I often ride with two grandmas, my wife, and the kid. It's fine for short trips, but they complain about the lack of space if we have to spend more than 30 minutes in the car. Rather than getting huge SUV... I'm thinking I need to keep my 3-series, and have a minivan on the side. |
Obviously the bigger they get, they harder it will be to maintain driving dynamics, but the X5 has always (seemingly) defied those laws of physics. No reason to expect the X7 not to handle way, way better than a minivan. Nor does wanting one more viable seat for an adult necessitate a minivan, just a bigger car or SUV.
The exaggerations on here are both comical and exhausting sometimes. No, it won't handle like an M3. But it will drive and handle better than 90% of the other vehicles on the road of equal size. That is the point, not trying to compete with a small bedroom on wheels.
The only people that say "if you have a family, get a minivan" obviously don't have families and feel those of us that do must suddenly fail to care about how a car drives. We don't.... Kids aren't always in the car
Further, this segment, invented by BMW with the X5, is no longer new. The idea that anyone that needs more space than a 3 series should buy a Toyota Sienna is comical and ancient at this point. I've said this before, when I got my first X5 back in 2007, a friend asked me, "if you're going to buy a BMW, why get an SUV?" He had it backwards, I said, "I wanted an SUV, why wouldn't I get a BMW SUV?" So now becomes, "if I need a bigger SUV, why wouldn't I get a bigger BMW SUV..?"
Regarding the GL/Q7 comparisons, it is a direct competitor of the GL. Technically, the Q7 was an answer to the X5, but it has always been much longer.. So I can't see how the X7 won't be a more true competitor, or the Q7 may sit in between the X5/ML and X7/GL.
To me, the X5 is the perfect balance of size/utility/comfort and driving dynamics. So a bigger X7 will lose some of those dynamics, the same way an 3 series does compared to a 2, a 5 to a 3, etc. but sometimes you just need more room, so you get the most dynamic car that offers that room.