# PCD for an X5



## dankeschoen (Dec 30, 2016)

Hi everyone--

I placed an order for an X5 on Saturday. My salesman forwarded me a message from the Performance Center that they want me to go on Wed 2/8. They did say that if it doesn't work to recommend 3 other dates that are within 9 days, and that Fridays fill fast.
I asked for Thurs-Fri 2/9-10 or the following Thurs or Fri 2/16 or 2/17.

Do others have luck getting a different date? 

I've never been to South Carolina. I'm thinking that after I take delivery, I should be ready to leave around 5pm, does that sound right?

I'd be driving back to metro Austin, so my tentative plan is:
* night 1 (after PCD): Atlanta, west side
* night 2: Shreveport, LA
* then another day to drive back to Austin

It sounds like it is 2-1/2 hours to Atlanta, so it shouldn't be too bad getting into town around 7:30-8pm. Does that sound right?

Has anyone else done a similar drive?

Of course that whole thing is subject to change if there's bad weather.


----------



## Shon528 (Oct 3, 2003)

Getting a later date usually isn't a problem. Getting a Friday or Monday is the hard part. After delivery, you're usually on the road around 3, give or take.


----------



## dankeschoen (Dec 30, 2016)

Thanks! They were able to move it to the following day, a Thursday :thumbup:


----------



## driveandride (May 27, 2015)

I drive Atlanta to NC (passing PDC) regularly and have done the western part of your route as far as Dallas. Some Atlanta advice: if you leave PDC at 3, you'll be arriving Atlanta area 5-6ish, but it's hard to be against traffic here at that time. I would recommend walking around downtown Greenville (lots of shops and such) for awhile and leaving there around 4:30-5. You may hit a little traffic leaving there but it will be horrible in Atlanta between 4-7. If you left at 3 it may take you as much time to get through Atlanta as to get to Atlanta. Watch your traffic alerts on your nav regardless. The area around I-85/I-285 junction can be bad. It may be quicker to take I-85 downtown to I-20 instead of going I-285 westward to I-20. Leaving town in the am westward on I-20 won't be much of an issue. 

Atlanta to Shreveport is a straight shot for the most part and not much traffic even in the cities between. Birmingham is about 2 hours from Atlanta (CST zone is at the AL border). Tuscaloosa is another hour. Jackson is about 2.5 hours past Tuscaloosa. I think it was about 3 hours from Jackson to Shreveport. It is likely about 9-10 hours to Shreveport from Atlanta factoring in a stop or two and lunch. I-20 is not the most exciting road but definitely the most efficient route. 

Congrats on the X!


----------



## dankeschoen (Dec 30, 2016)

Thought I'd check back to see if anyone had thoughts about another route:

* After PCD, drive through Ashville, NC (possible stop), then on to Knoxville, TN
* Day 2: Knoxville to either Shreveport (very long day) or Monroe, LA
* Day 3: back to metro Austin

I've heard good things about the Ashville area. Is the drive worth taking a longer route?


----------



## driveandride (May 27, 2015)

My 2¢ is, if you decide to do that, turn south afterwards and head towards Atlanta (3-3.5 hours from AVL) and continue along your original route. You're only adding 2-2.5 hours to your trip that way as well. It sounds counter intuitive, but going all the way to Knoxville and then heading south will take you longer. Plus the smokies can see more weather than the Piedmont in February. As the other thread going says, the weather is a roll of the dice this time of year. The mountains as a whole are great and Asheville is cool. There's a similar vibe to Austin you'll recognize, but less traffic and fewer tall buildings. And mountains of course. 

PS sorry for reference of PCD as PDC above.


----------



## dankeschoen (Dec 30, 2016)

Thanks for the reply. I don't really have a need to go to Ashville, so I'll just stick to my original plan, leave the PCD and head south toward Atlanta.

Also--does anyone know if the hybrid will come fully charged? I'm getting the X5 40e.

Do vehicles usually come with a full tank of gas?


----------



## Gluhwein (Aug 21, 2011)

Shon528 said:


> Getting a later date usually isn't a problem. Getting a Friday or Monday is the hard part. After delivery, you're usually on the road around 3, give or take.


Same for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process but one would think they'd be more accommodating doing weekend pickups. Give the staff off Wednesday-Thursday and offer PCD on Saturdays and Sundays so that the paying customers can fit it into their schedules.


----------



## dankeschoen (Dec 30, 2016)

The PCD must have a backup or something.

I've been following my vehicle through production, and yesterday it reached the, "Production Complete," stage. This morning I received an email from my sales consultant that said the same.
Tomorrow will be 3 weeks since I placed the order.

I do the paperwork next Thurs 2/2, and PCD the following week. So the vehicle is essentially sitting for ~2 weeks.


----------



## ksuderman (Mar 15, 2016)

dankeschoen said:


> Thanks for the reply. I don't really have a need to go to Ashville, so I'll just stick to my original plan, leave the PCD and head south toward Atlanta.
> 
> Also--does anyone know if the hybrid will come fully charged? I'm getting the X5 40e.
> 
> Do vehicles usually come with a full tank of gas?


I don't know about fully charged, but I assume so. It will come with a full tank (or at least my 340 did).


----------



## dankeschoen (Dec 30, 2016)

Just a quick follow-up...

PCD was incredible! I highly recommend it. The whole experience, from airport arrival, to when I drove off, was simply fantastic.

And to answer my own questions:
* car did have a full tank of gas
* car was fully charged. there was an electric charging station in the showroom/garage where they showed me my vehicle. they also showed me how to plug/unplug it, and it was handy to have it charging while they showed me everything.

Before I left, we put my hotel's information into the nav so I'd have that all set, and they showed me how to do it (by voice, manually, etc.)

Of course before I left I went back to the museum (you go there during the day too), and took a bunch of pictures... here's one that a BMW employee took for me (he was going to the museum after work).

I was on the road around 4:30pm (after stopping at the museum), and arrived at my hotel in midtown Atlanta around 6:45. Just a little traffic right at the end.
From Atlanta, I drove to Shreveport on Friday, about 9 hours of driving, plus a few stops to stretch my legs (I highly recommend the park along the Mississippi River at the I-20).
From Shreveport it was about 5 hours to home. 
The worst of the trip wasn't far from home, the I-35 between Waco and Temple, TX. There's been construction there forever, and a tractor trailer was broken down, with just 1 lane getting by.
The trip put about 1100 miles on the vehicle, but more importantly, between the trip and PCD, I feel pretty comfortable with the vehicle.


----------



## ksuderman (Mar 15, 2016)

Nice looking ride. You should post more pictures!

My biggest problem after doing a PCD is now I want to ditch my 6 month old car so I can order another one and do it all over again!


----------



## Shon528 (Oct 3, 2003)

Gluhwein said:


> Same for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process but one would think they'd be more accommodating doing weekend pickups. Give the staff off Wednesday-Thursday and offer PCD on Saturdays and Sundays so that the paying customers can fit it into their schedules.


So between someone on another post mentioning his wife doing a driving school over the weekend and also thinking back on some of our conversations w/ our instructor, I'm putting 2 and 2 together. I think that us as "paying customers" taking delivery of new cars are restricted to week days because the weekends are saved for those paying to take the full M and performance driving schools.


----------

