XSeries-forum

Try and keep this as brief as possible!

been looking for a couple of months, narrowed down to 2 when I was ready to buy:
09 59plate, black msport, 54k, prof nav, 20" rims, mem seats. - Franchise £23890
'10 10reg, grey msport, 51k, prof nav, mem seats, 20" rims. - Private sale £23995

Had a look at both, '10 model was immaculate so I made an offer of £23000.... Accepted!

Did I make the right choice? The black one would have come with a 12 month warranty whilst mine has a month left on the bmw warranty. Should I extend with Bmw? Or go independent(warranty direct, rac, etc). Should I have gone for one of the other pre facelifts with more extras, pan roof, 7 seats for around the same price?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

You have bought your car. Arguably the time to deliberate over spec and inclusive warranty would have been prior to purchase.

Spec is a personal choice and can be a bit of a lottery for many used buyers. There are often some compromises between cars. If it makes you feel better - new buyers also have to make compromises between desired spec and price.

You could pay extra for additional warranty.

Don't dwell on any spec shortfalls too much as it may spoil your satisfaction in ownership.

You can perhaps later make subtle changes here and there courtesy of eBay if so motivated but be mindful that costs to upgrade spec will be unlikely to add relative value to your car.

You have saved your self £995 by making an offer. That money will buy you another 12 Months BMW warranty. So for about the same price, you have a slightly newer car and less miles and as you said in very good condition.! 
I think you have done the right thing. Maybe worth looking into a 2 year bmw service plan also, carnt remember what i paid for mine but was good value including the brake fluid change needed every 2 years and the micro filter which cost a small bomb.! Had my X5 msport nearly a year and really enjoying it still, enjoy.

The 2010 I'm assuming is an lci model, you get a newer engine, gearbox and lower tax so running costs will be cheaper and the car will be  more desirable come resale. Sound like a good spec for the money. I purchased  my lci 2010 x5 a month back and paid a fair bit more than you, so sounds like a good deal.

Warranty is a personal choice. It comes down to how much you depend on the car, amount of usage and access to decent dealers or Indys. I've opted not to get the warranty renewed as I had the same engine on my last 535d and the engines are solid if serviced and looked after, gearbox is also reliable. A good friend of mine is also a senior bmw mechanic, service parts are cheap enough and his labour rates are much cheaper than taking it to his dealer, having the right diagnostics equipment is a must as these complex cars log everything.

Thanks for the advice, I can't help but ponder after  I make big decisions(before too) so the wise words are appreciated. I really have enjoyed my last week with the car And can see myself keeping it for some time. There doesn't seem to be a better alternative when it comes to premium Suv's. I looked at Range Rover Sport, Disco 4 and Cayenne before I bought but it was either disappointing/ unreliable/ too pricey.

I will look to do the following over the year to come:
Remap
Change to non run flats
Possibly slight upgrade to sound system

Should I be looking at anything else?

If you looked at both cars and chose yours, it must be the right one for you! I'd say extend the warranty- these are dear cars when they go wrong!