jacksonian

I emailed my local dealer today about getting a new GX with the new features and hopefully the new GVWR, here's his reply:

"The GX 470 that you have outlined in your e-mail, Kinetic Suspension, Tire Pressure Monitor, and Roll-Sensing Airbags, will not begin production until December of this year. This means that we will not see them until sometime in January or February. And this vehicle will be the first series to qualify for the over 6,000 pound gross vehicle weight. The 2004's that we have received so far still do not qualify."

I really like the GX, but it's not worth it when I can get the tax break on something very comparable like the X5 or a TLC.

looknow12

X5 4.4 liter is 2650 KG or 5842lbs. This does not qualify for the tax break.

What's a TLC? The Learning Channel? :-)

jacksonian

That's weird, I lease a 2002 X5 3.0 and its GVWR is 6005 lbs. And all the articles I had seen about the tax break this year listed that GVWR. I can't find it on the BMW website, but you're right, it does say 5886 on www.new-cars.com. I'll have to call my dealer.

I may change my mind about the learning channel, I may try that discovery channel instead

looknow12

jacksonian

looknow12,
I called the dealer yesterday and checked. The '03 X5 3.0 GVWR is still 6005 lbs. And they plan for the '04s arriving next month to have the same. I don't know where the inaccurate numbers started, but I did find them on that new-cars.com site. Regardless, the weight is >6005lbs. even on the 3.0, so it qualifies.

I'm just hoping they'll have a GX with a higher GVWR before year end.

looknow12

BMW's website has the information about the X5 GVWR that I cited above. You may want to double check.

jacksonian

I cannot find the X5 GVWR listed anywhere under the technical specs section of the X5 on the BMW website. I had the salesman go out on the lot with me on the phone and read to me what the sticker said. I looked at my 02 X5's sticker this morning and it says 6005 pounds. If it's on the website as 5886, then it's wrong.

looknow12

Here's the link. I was using Max permissible value and converting it to lbs.

http://www.bmw.com/generic/com/en/pr...sheet_44i.html

looknow12

Ohh, and if you look at the 3.0 it shows 2600 KG or 5732lbs.

Am I not converting this correctly?

looknow12

But, I do agree if it shows it is on the vehicle sticker, that has to be the most accurate information.

jacksonian

looknow,
I think the problem is that you're looking at an international site, and that "max permissible weight" is not the same as the GVWR issued by the US. Your conversion is correct, but it's just not the same spec.

allisonb1013

edmunds.com:

X5 (3.0) at 6005 for both 03 and 04
04 GX is listed at 6000!

funny thing is the 03 GX is still listed at 6100!

looknow12

I find their site so confusing to enter. You can get to the main page http://www.bmw.com and need to try to work through the menus to find US. It is just not intuitive.

jacksonian

I just skip it and go to www.bmwusa.com

jacksonian

I just emailed another Lexus dealer in my area and here's the response I received:

"Unfortunately, the GX470 does not qualify for the 6,000 lbs vehicle tax
break, as of yet. It will be reviewed and changed February 2004. To receive
the tax break before the end of the year, the only vehicle that we have that
is over 6,000 lbs. is our LX470."

That sounds like to me that there's no way that we will see a GX with a GVWR>6000lbs. this year. I've emailed back for clarification. I honestly don't know if this is something that requires some governmental regulation agency to certify or what. If it is, and they only do it once a year or so, then that would answer our questions. On the other hand, they have to put SOMETHING on the sticker for the trucks that roll off in December, January, and February, and it would have to be accurate, so if they do change it, that's what would be on the sticker. Maybe it would be February before it was official by the gubment, but it would be OK. Of course, then you run into the chance that maybe that's exactly what happened last year with the recall situation and it could potentially happen again and we'd be screwed. AHHH! I think I better get the TLC and quit torturing myself.