Panoramic roof - how bad is it?

[JF1980]

Still shopping around for an LCI E70 to replace my old E53.

Up until now I have been actively avoiding cars with 7-seats and Panoramic roofs.

Seven seats doesn't benefit me in any way as it's usually just me and the wife in the car so all they give me are more weight to haul around and the inability to carry a space-saver spare under the boot floor which is not ideal on long European journeys.  I can live with this if I have to but will avoid if possible.

I'm avoiding the panoramic roof mainly because of the bad reputation they had in the E53 for breaking/leaking with a huge cost to repair.  That and I will rarely use it so seems like an unnecessary liability.

Do the E70LCI's still suffer from the same reliability issues; I'm under the impression that it's the same unit?  How about other things like rattles and general wind-noise while at high speed?

Wondering whether it's worth taking the chance on a vehicle with the panoramic roof if everything else is right.  I would be buying an AUC and if it had the panoramic roof I'll insist on a second year's warranty being included.  Given I will be looking to keep the car for 5+ years that would only provide comfort for a short while.

Guess I'm second-guessing my gut instinct to avoid at all costs and would like to know what current owners experience is.

[Reusch]

Is it more to insure with the 7 seat option ?

[rob]

I have pan roof mines seems ok

[BullyB]

I love the Pan Roof, even if you don't open it much it gives loads of light in to the cabin.

[JF1980]

No rattles over bumpy roads or wind noise on motorway?

[BullyB]

[quote="JF1980"]
No rattles over bumpy roads or wind noise on motorway?
[/quote]

not from mine  (mine is a 2009 model)

[24235052]

I had no issues with the pan roof on my previous E70 and after 6 months with the X6(no pan roof), I do miss the light which  it allows into the cabin. 

[X5Sport]

Failures are rarer than they were on the E53, but a lot depends upon how much use you make of it.  I had one in my E53 and towards the end of my ownership it began to 'pop' at the rear when putting in tilt.  I just didn't use it much anyway as I had the full climate control.  The X6 has a sunroof, but I rarely open that either....again I gave full climate.

Never had any rattles or squeaks with any of them.

[JF1980]

Sounds like it has improved a lot then - thanks for the feedback.  I don't think I'd use it much and the potential for leaks still concerns me a little but perhaps now I won't automatically dismiss a vehicle because it has the pan roof.

[DiscusbT]

I have the pano roof which is great. I also wondered about reliability, but decided to go with it, even if you don't open it, you have the light. Another thought, we don't worry about windows leaking, so why worry about the roof.

[JF1980]

Well I see what you are saying but the windows are arranged vertically so water naturally runs off and away from the opening areas - with the roof it's sitting horizontally so more opportunity for water to sit there and work its way past the seals.  Also if a window leaks the worst case is one rusty door and associated electrics.  If the roof leaks you potentially have an internally rusting roof (not replaceable like a door is) damaged roof liner and water can get behind the dash, under foot-wells and in to the boot area all of which hold the majority of the cars electrics.

I'm not saying there's much chance of that happening but in my mind if you are unlucky it's a risk which simply isn't present without the pan roof.  With that in mind I'm still going to see the pan roof as a negative point (and perhaps leverage to negotiate for a 2 year warranty) but based on what people have said I won't dismiss a car because of it.

[X5Sport]

The problems that have occurred on the pano roof are broken drive parts for the rear section, and blocked drains down the 'C' pillars rather than any leaks.

[JF1980]

Are blocked drains something that can easily be checked for when viewing a car?

[Abbot26]

I love my pan roof, just putting it u on tilt t get a little bit of air in when it's raining outside is just perfect

[kenniff]

I had the pan roof on my e70 and now on my F15. No issues with either - but that's anecdotal.

The plus for me is the difference the light makes in the cabin. I hardly ever open the roof, but I have the screen completely retracted all the time so that the light shines in. There is no great difference in terms of road noise, unless you fit a roof rack - at which point closing the the screen makes a huge difference to tone down the whistling from the roof rack.