[touareg]

A good friend of mine got a used 2003 RR last year from a local RR dealer. There were a few things that needed to be fixed at the time of the sale, but the dealer did it all for no charge (I assume it was part of the negotiation that anything broken would be fixed). Since then the car has been faultless.

Remember that the current RR is a clean-sheet BMW design, with Ford/Jaguar performing the facelift and shoehorning the new engines in. Statistically it could be less reliable than an X5, but don't think an X5 is perfect in that department either.

Overall I'd pick the RR. It's so much more special than the X5. It makes no attempt to be sporty, so the ride is very smooth. The interior is such a nice place to spend time. Every time I ride in my friend's RR I always forget how comfortable the seats are. The boxy cabin makes it feel like there's tons of room.