XSeries-forum

Hi All,

I am in the market for an E70 and would really appreciate some advice.

My current BMW is a 16 year old E46 M3 which I have had for about 6 years. It has been a great car, and still goes like the clappers, but it is looking really tired these days. The bodywork is showing signs of rust, the interior is looking tatty, and the car is starting to develop a few faults. I also only tend to drive to and from work or short trips at the weekend and the urban fuel economy (20mpg) is painful.

I have recently come into a little money and decided it is time to change cars. I was looking at alternative fast saloons/hatchbacks, but with my budget I wouldn't be able to get anything with the performance of my M3, so would only be disappointed.

I figured maybe it was time for a total change, to something a bit more luxurious and more suited to trips around town etc.

So that got me thinking about X5s, a car I have always liked the look of since the E70 model came out. The trouble with buying BMWs is that there are so many trim levels and optional extras it is hard to know where to start.

I have a load of questions so have numbered them so anyone wanting to answer one or more can just refer to the number!!!

1. I have noticed that some look 'chunkier and more aggressive' than others. The chunkier ones all seem to have rectangular exhausts rather than the round ones. Is this a trim level or is this standard for post LCI models?

2. I like the look of the X5 with larger wheels - what are the standard wheel sizes available?

3. My wife has an Audi TT with the DSG transmission which I had hoped the X5 had but I believe from my research that the Steptronic transmission is more of a traditional auto like the Audi Tiptronic system? Is it any good?

4. One thing I love about my M3 is the seats, which have about 8 electronic adjustments with memory meaning you can get a really comfy position. Does the X5 have this as an option, if so, what is the option called.

5. One thing I hate about my M3 is the really crap audio system. Does the X5 have an upgraded audio option? I know they do HK upgrades in some BMW models - is it the same for the X5? If not, how hard is it to upgrade? In my M3 it isn't really an option because the system is based around an amp/controller that also does things like the satnav so cant really be changed.

6. Are there any other recommended options to look out for?

7. I want to go diesel with my X5. Which is considered 'best' - 3.0d, xdrive 30d, xdrive 35d or xdrive 40d? Bear in mind I am used to 0-60 in 5.5 seconds!

8. Are there any known major issues with the E70? The E46 had a major known issue, where the boot subfloor would crack due to the high torque. BMW had an unofficial replacement programme, but it was a real ballache to get it sorted.

9. What is considered high mileage for the X5 diesel engines?

10. I have a budget of about £18000. I would like to buy from either a BMW dealer or a well respected Independent BMW specialist as I have been burnt when buying private. I know this will mean I will get less for my money but at least I would have piece of mind. What is my best option at this price range, bearing in mind I want something a bit chunky/sporty looking, with a good set of options and good audio? I would like to buy something from 2009 or newer ideally.

I found this today which seems pretty spot on: http://www.quirkscarco.co.uk/bmw-x5-d-m-sport-in-essex-for-sale-6095952

Thoughts?

Sorry for all the questions, but this seems like a really helpful place, and I really want to do my research before I buy.

Matt.

Can't help as I have an X3 other than say I would recommend the 35d as the 3.0l twin turbo engine is powerful and economical for the power you get.

Something like this:

http://usedcars.bmw.co.uk/X/3.0TD-xDriv ... =se_na_re_

[quote="EggDaddy06"]

1. The chunkier ones all seem to have rectangular exhausts rather than the round ones. M Sport trim models, but can be added as an option to any.

2. what are the standard wheel sizes available?19-21"

3.  LCI models come with a standard 8-speed ZF auto.  It is much better than the Audi DSG (which I have on my škoda too).

4. Seats option, if so, what is the option called.  You need the Comfort Seat option - 14-way adjustment

5. Does the X5 have an upgraded audio option? I know they do HK upgrades in some BMW models.  No HK version but there are three options.  Professional system has 12-speakers, twin subs, DSP.  There was an Individual version too.  Changes mean new amp as well as speakers.

6. Are there any other recommended options to look out for?  Comfort Seats, full Bluetooth, Pro Nav, HUD, electric-tailgate, Xenon (HID) lighting, all round cameras.  If a harsh ride bothers you then consider one with Sports suspension delete as it is a better ride.  RFT tyres do spoil the ride on sport suspension cars but see the caution about non-OEM tyre types - you can get non-RFT versions.

7. 3.0d, xdrive 30d, xdrive 35d or xdrive 40d? Bear in mind I am used to 0-60 in 5.5 seconds!  40d.  Comes with 8-speed box and twin dissimilar sized turbos.  They are all 3.0L engines.  The N57 series (40d) is cleaner and gives 306bhp and 700Nm of torque - which you can remap for even more.  The 'xdrive' is just a marketing ploy as they all have it.  35d is the older 6-speed twin turbo.  You won't get 5.5 secs but you will get <8 and it feels quicker as you are higher up and hurling 2.2T of metal down the road!

8. Are there any known major issues with the E70? Check that all recalls have been done.  The front driveshaft (2010-11 builds) is a serious one and should have been done by BMW.  Beware of any car equipped with non '*' marked tyres as the xdrive system is intolerant of wide tyre tread depth front-rear and non OEM tyre combinations.  Get this wrong and you break the diffs!  No issues with gearboxes.  Usual electronic gremlins but nothing regular.  eBrake (electronic handbrake) actuator is a known weak spot and is £1k to fix.

9. What is considered high mileage for the X5 diesel engines?  150,000 plus.  They should be good for 250,000.  It's the electronics that fail well before the engines.

10. I would like to buy from either a BMW dealer or a well respected Independent BMW specialist as I have been burnt when buying private.  Buy from a main Dealer and get an AUC warranty.  You will pay more but you will have a much better warranty and some comeback should anything go wrong.  Do plenty of research before you buy.  If you can, buy a 2010 build or newer.  These are the LCI models and are cleaner (less tax) better equipped, nicer to drive IMHO.  As a general not, upgrading things is harder on these cars due to the way BMW configured the on board systems to use licence keys for options.  It just gives more of a challenge if something is not listed as a retrofit.

[/quote]

And

Hi and welcome

There are good questions, and I see X5Sport has been able to help on a lot of answers but as you have mentioned your budget of circa £18k as Jagr said the either the 3.5d or 3.0sd are the earlier twin turbo cars, and have the smaller round exhausts, and a few owners have changed them to the later rectangular shape, and cost was approx £150 to do iirc.

Since you would be out of warranty a few have had their cars mapped, improving the performance and torque of the cars and they have sung the praises of that, and if you look in the performance section their is info on that. They did do a 4.8i petrol but again rare and high road tax and lower fuel consumption than your E46 but can be had quite a bit cheaper as less desirable for most people, but again it depends on what you want.

If you could wait and stretch to a later 2010 LCI 4.0d model a different front look these have the later 8 speed box which is more efficient and a bit more refined than the 6 speed.

Again if looking at the 3.0d or 35d check the log book for the Co2 as early cars had higher emissions and so higher road £490-500 tax.

There is a good buyers guide in the E70 section see link
http://xdrivers.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,6350.0.html

Again the comfort seats are nice but rarer to find cars with them, and the Msport models have the painted arches over the SE models but it may be worth trying both versions as the SE are generally have a better spec, but usually don't have the arches painted some have had them painted and fitted the aero kit which may improve the looks, but it's personal choice.

Most of the features are options like folding mirrors, heaterd seats, upgrade sound system, so check carefully the car has them as some retro fits are expensive to do.  But the more you look at and try the better the idea you have of the car for you, some have taken about 6 months to find their cars, but it depends what's out there. Again looking at an X5 now as we head into winter the demand for these rise and so can the price  and fall in the spring.

When checking the cars make sure the electrics work and if pan roof these on the earlier E53 were prone to probs but worth checking but appear to so far be better but agin the cars are newer. Also check for damp patches in the rear footwells could be the sunroof or block drainage tubes.  Again with all cars maintenance on them is important to avoid probs so check for the service history. There are a lot of cars out there and best to decide on the spec you need and want and walk away from from any poor cars, and take your time.

As said earlier with BMW or a dealers you will get a warranty and piece of mind can be worth paying for should the worst happen.

Hope that helps a bit ad good hunting.
Graeme

To be honest, I would question whether you would like the X5 anyway. The X5 is no doubt a very, very good car and certainly is more luxurious, but your commute may warrant for something smaller or petrol. There was the 4.8i which I think would suit you best for short miles, but is a guzzler and running costs are high, and I may be wrong but the engine might have had problems with oil seals etc.

The advice everyone here has offered is great, but other alternatives such as the 6 series (635d/630i) or 3 series (335i/335d) could be better for you. Even the 5 series (535i/535d) could get you what you need. The X5 is no M3 in any way - while it handles very well we rarely see 22mpg average, from mixed motorway and school runs (with a lead foot however) . Don't forget about the M3/5/6 as that budget will get you in to a tidy one of any of those offerings. At least, thats what I think, as if we were lucky enough to not have to use motorways so much, then we may well have had an M5/6 on the drive instead of our X5.

Other than that, if you do want an X5, they are very very good cars which can be used nicely in town.

To answer some of your questions:

-The M-sport package did come with full electric seats in the front - not comfort ones however and known as Sport seats

-BMW Professional Hi-Fi sound system is very good for what it offered, was only £390 option and gave 210W

-Important options to look for (on top of everything said here) is the heated seats, as that affects resale for some reason, and the Media package, which comes with Bluetooth telephone prep, BMW assist, and Professional Media (larger iDrive screen + sat nav) as standard. Power tailgate is nice too, as this wasn't standard. Always look at what tyres the car has! Previous owner regretted putting non-runflats on the car when he had it, as he felt it shook at high speed and he simply didn't feel safe with them so he promptly replaced them with star marked RFT's before we bought it. Rear climate control was rare, but great if you regularly carry family etc. Rear heated seats are nice too!

-Engines are important when choosing:
3.0d has 235hp and 0-60 is 8.1s to 60. £500 tax. Known as xDrive30d right before LCI, same specs.
3.0sd has 285hp and 0-60 is 7.0s to 60. £290 tax. Known as  xDrive35d right before LCI, same specs.
xDrive30d engine in LCI has 245hp, 7.5s to 60. £270 tax
xDrive40d engine in LCI has 306hp, 6.5s to 60. £270 tax.
4.8i/xDrive48i engine has 335hp, 6.5s to 60, £500 tax.
xDrive50i (LCI) 407hp, 5.5s to 60, £500 tax.

Pick of the bunch for your budget is a low mileage 3.0sd as M57 engine is stronger than the N57 engine in LCI, 3.0d engine with single turbo gets lots of strain and thus turbo failure at times. 3.0sd is much more reliable, but smaller turbo still has issues, as advised by a specialist to me. We avoided the N57 engined cars as they were low spec for our budget.

Pre LCI gearbox does the job fine, but I imagine the 8 speed is simply better and more economical, as the 6 speed is slick but a bit stupid at times.

-Listen to turbo in engine when looking. Oil level sensor can fail, easy fix.

- We got lucky when we bought privately, but be careful. AUC isn't always best bet, as for your budget there will be at best SE spec 2007-9. LCI in AUC is at least £20k+

Happy searching!

Thanks all for the very detailed answers 

I think AUC is probably the way to go, although being in the south east there is nothing sub £20k within 100 miles of me at the moment - am I right in thinking that prices will come down in the spring?

I will print out all your responses to use as reference material.

It does worry me somewhat that actual reported MPG for urban driving is around 24MPG - not much better than my M3!!!

Hi mate I have an M3 e46 but it sounds in better shape than yours as it's not my daily. My daily is a 245 bhp e70 3.0 lci

The x5 is a genuinely good drive obviously nothing compared to the m3 but it's a different type of car completely. Mpg wise  expect 26 -27 average no more
I honestly can't recommend one to you though mine is 2011 and is rusting - battling with with dealer now symptom of big wheels firing stones down the side  , eats tyres , wheel arches are covered in stone chips again thanks to the big wheels (m sport wheels) various faults in my ownership from snapped springs to electronic failures.
Yes it looks nice and drives well but I have been very disappointed with mine. Mine was auc tbh it doesn't mean much to me bmw have been a nightmare aswell which maybe why I am disappointed with the whole x5 experience. I won't bore you with the other problems I have had like I say more bmw then car related.

I suspect I will sell next year but hopefully get some of the paint problems sorted soon.

Firstly, welcome 

x5Sport has covered more or less all of your questions, but I thought I would add my experience of AUC ownership  - I still have an elderly 4.8is E53 which is still covered by the extended warranty from BMW, as well as my daily drive, a 2012 E70, again, an AUC purchase.

I would not buy a used BMW outside of the AUC network, but that's just my personal opinion. My E53 has had loads and loads of work covered by that warranty over my 6 years of ownership and it is likely I will keep my E70 the same way when the initial year is up.

Having owned Mercs, VW's, Audi's , Fords, Range Rovers over the years, I must say BMW have been the best of the main dealer shambles out of all of them - certainly not perfect and in some respects corrupt and crooked too, but thats down to individual bad behaviour, not an entire dealership.  Overall, my experience with the AUC warranty has been firstrate, long may it continue that way. 

As the cars get older, as has already been said, electronic gremlins and issues tend to pop up before mechanical failures. 

I managed to get a very decent 2012 E70 albeit more expensive than I had wanted it to be, but then I was keen to avoid early E70s as I wanted an LCI model and CIC as opposed to CCC system and the gearbox change as already mentioned in earlier responses. Dealer had fitted a very expensive set of 21" wheels and tyres and as the car had had a service pack, a lot of maintenance and brake changes have been completed up to 2018. 

MSport models can have comfort seats by the way - mine certainly has - they are optional extras but very desirable. As for SE models being better specced than MSport models - that is a sweeping generalisation, it all depends on what the previous owner specced!!  Check the VIN out on one of those sites which gives you the factory specs as dealers do not always give accurate details of the factory build. You can get the VIN of any AUC from its numberplate in the photo via the BMW site. Worth checking for any car that interests you.

The AUC site did not have anything under £20k, although AT etc do have older cars in that price range.

Personally I would wait a while and go for a newer car if I had the choice, but that's entirely a personal choice.

Good luck with your search, though, and hope you find the right car for you - they are great cars to drive but not without their foibles and don't expect wonderful fuel economy, but the performance is excellent for such a heavy, large vehicle.

Bear in mind the warranties offered too. I have managed to get a warranty from warranty wise for half the price of AUC - covering the iDrive too, breakdown cover and DPF/Exhaust systems too. For your budget, if you must buy AUC, then wait about a year and drive around in that M3. I certainly wouldn't mind doing a year in a M3  )

Thanks all.

A couple of questions:

A few have said wait a year before buying - whet is happening in a year that will drop the price of E70s?

How do I get the VIN from the Reg Plate?

What are these sites that tell you factory spec from VIN number and does it work for all cars or just X5s?

Go to bmw-warranty.co.uk and plug the reg in there to get the VIN as if requesting a quote - there were other ways, but that is the one I use. Other makes are similar -  obviously not via the bmw warranty site though, use the manufacturers sites for other makes.  I think eurocarparts and some spares sites have a software setup that can access the VIN as well, but not sure how to access them.

If you wait another 6-12 months before buying, say, a 2012 car with a price tag currently of around £30k, depreciation will mean the same car will cost you less to buy in 6-12 months time -so maybe £20-25k.  One of the things that happens with cars, good old depreciation........lol.