2001 BMW X5 3.0i - Soft-Roading on the Cheap

[Jake]

Well, we're home! What an epic weekend. I am putting a full video together of our adventures, but here's some teasers until then.

$1500 AWD cars:

• 2001 BMW X5 3.0
  
• 2005 Volvo XC90 V8
  
• 2001 Subaru Forester S
  
• 1995 Subaru Legacy 5-speed
  
• 1994 Chrysler Town & Country AWD
  

Support vehicles:

• 2004 Land Rover Discovery II 
  
• 2001 Toyota Tacoma 2WD + Diff Locker
  
• 2005 Lexus GX470
  
• 2011 Jeep Wrangler
  

We ran Flagpole Knob on Friday and Peters Mill Run on Saturday. Flagpole was pretty simple, and Peters Mill was not. It was rocky, muddy, and washed out in places. With that said, every vehicle completed both days of the journey under their own power and we never once deployed a tow rope. The Legacy was riding on some WRX wheels with teeny-sidewall tires, and eventually busted one on Saturday. They completed the trail on a donut spare. The Town & Country's (third) transmission had enough by the end of Saturday, and the owners drove it 45 minutes to dinner on I-81 stuck in 3rd gear. Once cooling down, it found all the other forward gears again.

The X5 did very well, even on Walmart-special Black Lion tires. I think with some actual all-terrains, it would be pretty capable. We had one mud pit that was a huge challenge toward the end of Saturday's trail, and the van and I elected to go around instead of through. It worked but we got some pretty solid hang time. More to come soon. Also, I'm selling a 2001 X5.