Hello , this is probably for people who had an encounter with both cars... can u plz post up some comparative information concerning handling, ride, interior space etc.. All I know that in a straight line the Jeep would devour it , but what about the other areas ??

P.S : I'm talking about the old X5 4.8IS not the new 4.8I ...

Thank you :)

The Jeep!
Mind you the fiancee just bought a 07 X5-4.8I and when she test drove the 3.0 she said it had no balls compared to the GCSRT8 and opted for the 4.8I with a little more power but nothing close to the jeep, but I am sure it will be plenty for her.

My old man just bought a 750LI. I went with him when he was test driving the cars. The BMW salesman asked if I was in the market for a car. I told him I just bought an SRT8, and it was too bad BMW didn't have a faster SUV. The salesman said it might win in a straight line, but he said throw in a few cones and the BMW would win every time. Being the polite guy I am, I just let the comment go. :p

My old man just bought a 750il. I went with him when he was test driving the cars. The BMW salesman asked if I was in the market for a car. I told him I just bought an SRT8, and it was too bad BMW didn't have a faster SUV. The salesman said it might win in a straight line, but he said throw in a few cones and the BMW would win every time. Being the polite guy I am, I just let the comment go. :p


This is a few years old (2004), but all I could find in the few minutes I had to search: BMW X5 4.8i
Zero to 60 mph: 6.0 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 16.0 sec
Street start, 5-60 mph: 6.4 sec
Standing 1/4-mile: 14.5 sec @ 96 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 128 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph: 168 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.83 g
EPA fuel economy, city driving: 16 mpg
C/D-observed fuel economy: 15 mpg

Note the 0.83 on the skid pad. The jeep is between 0.88 - 0.92 depending on who you read. Guess another FOS salesman.

How does the skid thing work, it sounds like higher is better???

Its how much lateral "G" force is registered when the vehicle is going in a circle as fast as it can without spinning out. Yes higher is better.

Since I have owned both I can give you first hand input. (But watch how many individuals on this board tell me I don't know what I'm talking about anyway).

First, and most important, it all comes down to what you are looking for in a truck.

If you are looking for a brute, with awesome accelleration and not much else then the Jeep should be your only choice.

If you are looking for a refined vehicle that you can use as a daily driver then you should look toward the 4.8is.

I purchased my first GCSRT8 to use as my daily driver. While the power was a blast and it was a lot of fun to drive the novelty wore off quickly due to a host of build quality issues, abyssimal dealer service, awful gas mileage, and unpredictable handling.

Within 5 weeks (the truck didn't run for two of those) I found a leftover '06 4.8is and dumped the GC. I have never looked back since. The BMW is an awesome truck with great power, solid build quality, and I get almost 400 miles out of a single tank of fuel. No matter what anyone here says these two vehicles are miles apart in build quality and engineering.

Most here will disagree with me but there is much more to life than stoplight to stoplight. Granted, it's easy for me to say because I have several other vehicles that I can do that in.

i would agree with mri that the bmw would make more sense as a daily driver for the average person - it's a luxury suv, and drives & handles like one. the back seat is fit to take adults for long trips, in comfort. and with the smaller motor and less aggressively geared transmission, it gets better fuel economy. that being said, if comfort and mpg are near the top of your priority list for a vehicle, you probably would not be looking at the gc srt8 to begin with. this truck is beastly. the engine & xmission are built to propel you off the line with bowel shifting speed, and the suspension is configured to give this 5000lb brick handling on par with that of a Shelby GT - http://www.cherokeesrt8.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3782

another perk is that the gc really has character, performance & look-wise - the bimmer looks - and drives - kind of average and boring.

I won't address the reliability issues, as these are inherent to every vehicle - just scan the bmw x5 boards.

Well what is the MPG in the BMW? I read almost 400 miles to the tank but how many gallons? I can't imagine it getting much, if any more MPG than the jeep due to the 5300+ pounds weight of the vehicle and a V8. I also think there is more to the jeep than stop light to stop light. It has 4 piston brembos (BRAKING), and there is a thread that stated it hung with the new shelby on the road course track (HANDLING). Mine has every option so again, more than just raw power (navigation, steering wheel controls, 6-disc, rear camera, park sensor, AWD, sunroof, factory installed dual headrest 7" monitors with separate DVD players, power steering cooler, etc., etc. No doubt I think BMW takes care of their patrons, but for the price of most of their cars I think a DD blonde should come with it!
Lateral G force / skid plate #'s are as real as quarter mile #'s and top speed #'s. They are what they are, regardless of what the vehicle is (SUV or corvette). The drag coefficient is 0.39, New Z06 = 0.34. Not such the brick we once thought, eh!? Everyone will of course be proud of what they bought and stick up for their financial and driving decisions but bottom line (according to almost every article you read) - the jeep is more than a straight line launcher.

07 Jeep SRT ....lists around 40-45K. 07 X5 4.8 lists around 65-70K. Power goes to Jeep. Handling, luxury, reliability, quality, service....BMW. My wife has an 0-6 4.4 X5. Had an initial Start problem that was resolved with new injectors, since then, 14 months later, it has been flawless, and averages 18 MPG combined cty/highway.

Its all what you want that matters. I believe the new 07 4.8's get to 60 in around 6.4 seconds, and the 03-06's in around 5.9. The 4.4 is supposed to do it in 6.9 seconds, but to me, compared to the jeep, it is a turtle.

Well what is the MPG in the BMW? I read almost 400 miles to the tank but how many gallons? I can't imagine it getting much, if any more MPG than the jeep due to the 5300+ pounds weight of the vehicle and a V8. I also think there is more to the jeep than stop light to stop light. It has 4 piston brembos (BRAKING), and there is a thread that stated it hung with the new shelby on the road course track (HANDLING). Mine has every option so again, more than just raw power (navigation, steering wheel controls, 6-disc, rear camera, park sensor, AWD, sunroof, factory installed dual headrest 7" monitors with separate DVD players, power steering cooler, etc., etc. No doubt I think BMW takes care of their patrons, but for the price of most of their cars I think a DD blonde should come with it!
Lateral G force / skid plate #'s are as real as quarter mile #'s and top speed #'s. They are what they are, regardless of what the vehicle is (SUV or corvette). The drag coefficient is 0.39, New Z06 = 0.34. Not such the brick we once thought, eh!? Everyone will of course be proud of what they bought and stick up for their financial and driving decisions but bottom line (according to almost every article you read) - the jeep is more than a straight line launcher.

The fuel problem is not limited to the Jeep. It just suffers from the same problem as my '06 BMW M5 (which I also did not like and sold). Lousy mileage combined with a tank that is too small. My gripe was not with the MPG, it is with the fact that if someone is going to make a vehicle that gets <10mpg why don't they put a bigger tank in the damn thing. Nothing worse then barely squeezing 200 miles out of a tank.

Comparing BMW and Jeep is like comparing apples and oranges. A BMW is truly a drivers car. It has a quality that can only be experienced behind the wheel. A certain aura that can't be explained. Damn right, the Jeep is going to smoke the 4.8 in acceleration, but the 4.8 isn't meant for pure acceleration. It is meant for all around driver's enjoyment. Don't get me wrong, I love my Jeep. I love the power, handling and actually was really surprised about the all around driving enjoyment to be had with this vehicle. I would never trade my Jeep for an X5...unless BMW were to throw that V10 in there...that would be something to talk about.

The fuel problem is not limited to the Jeep. It just suffers from the same problem as my '06 BMW M5 (which I also did not like and sold). Lousy mileage combined with a tank that is too small. My gripe was not with the MPG, it is with the fact that if someone is going to make a vehicle that gets <10mpg why don't they put a bigger tank in the damn thing. Nothing worse then barely squeezing 200 miles out of a tank.


Amen to that!!! As was previosuly mentioned, we need another overdrive.
%50 OD in a 6th gear would do just fine.

i traded in my x5 for the srt8gc and have no regrets. Both are mostly my daily driver and i do find the srt8 jeeps more comfy on long trips(crazy huh).

BMW will offer the V10 in the X5 & also the new X6 coming out

I am working with Dinan on a "stroker" motor - it's the 5.0 V10 bored out to 5.8 liters producing 620HP with throttle bodies, etc.

this motor will first debut in a Z4 M coupe as a static vehicle & then avail to customers

Thank you so much for the information ... One question though... People who drove both, how does the ride compare ??

Thanl YOu :)

I think that was indirectly covered in the posts and has been said in other threads. Long and short is that the BMW will have a softer ride because it does not have the performance suspension of the Jeep. I came out of an Audi and expected a terrible ride from the Jeep, but it is not terrible. Its actually very good. Just hits the bumps hard in the back seat due to the sport suspension setup.

Long and short is that the BMW will give a smoother ride - no doubt at all.

The X5 is a nice rig no doubt. But for me I prefer the Jeep. The X5 I drove(it was an 04') had no character. The interior was bland and the ergonomics weren't great. Also to say it is a drivers car that is true but nobody else was taken into consideration. BMW is a different animal though. I am in the process of getting my Jeep and have test drove them like 15 times. I love the ride, and the power is awesome. Plus the potential factor for mods is huge. I look at a BMW as a vehicle you buy and leave it stock then trade it in 5 years. It all comes down to preference.

My gripe was not with the MPG, it is with the fact that if someone is going to make a vehicle that gets <10mpg why don't they put a bigger tank in the damn thing. Nothing worse then barely squeezing 200 miles out of a tank.

Less than 10 MPG? You must have really romped on your Jeep when you had it.

I have a lead foot and pull 12.9-13.2 in the city.

i get about 9 in city driving. in nyc the distances between stop lights / stop signs are much shorter than in jersey. and that's where you lose gas - setting the brick in motion.

Less than 10 MPG? You must have really romped on your Jeep when you had it.


Isn't that what it's for? :)

My soon-to-be-ex wife has a 2003 BMW X5 4.6is (the 4.8is is the newer version). I have driven it enough over the last 4 years to evaluate its handling and performance. While the GC SRT8 may have higher performance handling capablilites, the X5 4.6is does it without drama. The roads don't have to be perfect to enjoy the performance (unlike the GC SRT8). The X5 communicates where it is on the road....the GC SRT8 is much more floaty and has a mind of its own. The best communicating car that I have had is my former 2002 BMW M5 (please no Knight Rider quips). When I went from the M5 to occassionally driving the X5...it was not that much of a drop in handling communication, which speaks volumes about the 4.6is' chassis. Additonally, the braking is better on the X5 4.6/4.8is. The size of our Brembo's are impressive...but the weight distribution and weight shift under hard braking favors the BMW. I think the GC SRT8's chassis is not as tied down and causes the front brakes to be a bit over burdened.

It all comes down to preference. I love the GC SRT8 for what it is...a brutish SUV that is entirely focused on performance with a preference for straightline domination in its class (at least up to 70mph).