Patsy Kensit, Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand, my Uncle Richard. I could go on but it will get tedius. What do these people all have in common? They have chosen to buy BMW X5s. Now they paid full price, buying them new from the main dealer.
Then they sold them. So we can pick up these highly spec’d cars after some of our favourite celebrities have paid the worst bit of depreciation for us. How kind. If a BMW X5 is not for you, then you could like Royalty in a used Range Rover or Toyota Land Cruiser. The former being one of the preferred tools for moving Princes William and Harry about, the latter being popular with Arab Sheiks.
BMW X5 (2000 - Present)
The first of the sports 4 x4s and probably still the best. Very practical and very refined, a sort of high rise 5 series. V8 petrol models falling rapidly in value and worth buying because mpg not that different.
Most economical: 3.0d 32.5mpg
Best used buy: 4.4I especially with Sport pack.
Buy from: Specialist dealers. Private sellers with full history.
UsedCarExpert.com checks to make: 11
Guide price: A 2001 3.0 d will have done around 72,000 miles and should be around £15,672 - £17,035.
Land Rover Range Rover (1994 - 2002)
Best on and off road performance on a budget. More refined than the pervious generation and yet again petrol engines make them even more affordable.
Most economical: 2.5 TD 27 mpg
Best used buy: 4.8 HSE
Buy from: Specialists and private owners who never used them off road.
UsedCarExpert.com checks to make: 24
Guide price: A 2001 2.5 td will have done around 86,000 miles and should be around £9,506 - £10,446
Toyota Landcruiser (1996 - 2003)
Supersize 4 x 4 which is spacious and unbreakable. Cheaper and tougher than a Range Rover and with more space. Costly to run, but utterly reliable and brilliant off road.
Most economical: 4.2 TD 25.2 mpg
Best used buy: Amazon GX
Buy from: Off road and Toyota specialists.
UsedCarExpert.com checks to make: 9
Guide price: A 2001 4.2 TD will have done around 70,333 miles and should be around £14,491 - £15,752
Guide price source: Used Car Expert magazine. Words: Matthew Tumbridge & James Ruppert.