e70 x5m questions

[the shreksta]

in a few months i will hopefully be looking at getting an x5m through the approved used car scheme.

are there any common issues with the 4.4 engine or 8-speed box?

what are the prices of replacment front discs/pads etc?

any info would be great

cheers

[X5Sport]

8-sp gearbox - rarely breaks and is far more reliable than the E53 version (not exactly difficult!).
Tyres - more critical due to loads on the transmission that you stick with manufacturers approved.

Engine - not many on the Forum with the current 4.4.  Have a look at somewhere like Xoutpost as the Americans love their big V8s

Eurocarparts may give you a clue with regard to brake parts.  BMW will charge £200+/hr to fit.  Have a look on Realoem to get the correct part numbers and see what on line prices turn up 

[IanP]

As said above, you are best off looking on the American sites for info. Try Bimmerpost, there is lots of info on there as the Yanks tend to do high mileage in these cars. Appears there might be a problem at higher mileage with valve stem seals but  I have seen nothing else that could be a common problem with these engines.
Mine is the X6M but has the same engine, no problems yet at 30000 miles, but that the way it should be.
Tyres are another thing altogether ................

[graemeX5]

Hi Shreksta

You will find the E70 X5M has a 6 speed auto box, not the 8 speed as on the post 2011 cars, the 8 speed is only on the newer F85 X5M model.

Fairly reliable, if I remember there was a chap who had probs on here a while back I think it was a misfire. Stone chipping to the sills and rear doors due to the 20" wheels is common. Alloys also corrode like th 40d ones as they are diamond cut wheels.

Engines are okay but as with any turbo car it's good allow it to get up to temperature before exploiting all the power and again after a run let it cool down betfore switching off.

Disc and pads I don't know yet but they are big had the biggest brakes on a BMW production vehicle, with 15.55" (395x36mm) rotors up front clamped by four-piston calipers, and 15.2" (385x24mm) rotors at the rear with single-piston calipers.

If going genuine BMW and being an AUC car you will probably have too, I would estimate £1000 for front disc and pads but give them a call. So probably worth checking on any prospective car, also they have run flats as standard and not too bad a fairly firm ride

One thing you do need to check is the spec as a lot of them are basic cars without say heated steering wheel, reheated rear seat, internet, upgraded sound system, power bootlid was an option on the X5M but standard on the X6M.

The one thing to remember these cars is that retro fitting is very expensive, e.g. A heated steering wheel is over £1k as you have to get the wheel and the slip ring and the coding. Bmw have sewn it up well on these and the later models, so best advice get the car with the spec you need on it, rather than retro fitting.

You will find looking for one okay but the good cars do go quickly as people who want them know what they are after.

Also make sure you get a longer warranty they always offer a year always look for the 2nd year, also check if it has any service pack included as a lot of buyers bought the 5 year service pack and if a 2013 car then get them to thro it in as it would run till 2018

Colour is a personal choice, plenty of black sapphire or carbon black or silverstone, or space grey, and melbourne red, and monte carlo blue which were metallic and then non metallic white. The standard car came with 299M wheel style and the upgrade was the 300M same as the X6M had.

Hope that helps
Graeme

[the shreksta]

Thanks guys, shame they don't have the 8 speed though. Heated steering wheel would never get used so not fussed about that.

[kkx5]

Steer clear of v8 x5m. Bad design, sky high repair cost ....buy lifetime warranty....

[graemeX5]

Hi

I know when I went to look at one I thought because the LCI cars esp the 40d had an 8 speed the X5M would have the sam, but it didn't.

To be honest as I already had 6 speed E53 X5 which was a petrol 4.4 when I test drove the X5M the gearbox box on the newer E70 was a lot smoother affair and you hardly noticed the changes and it made me wonder how the 8 speed would be much better. It's probably done also more for economy rather than pure performance or the fact that the diesel cars have a smaller power band for the torque so it keeps it in that range.

If you are after a petrol V8 with an 8 speed then it may be worth. having a look at the LCI 5.0i which is a 4.4 turbo but has slightly less power but it does have an 8 speed gearbox, and they are very underrated and nearly as quick with over 400bhp.

The ther option is the M50d but that is a diesel, but is quick and economical but very few about and they usually have higher miles due to their usability.i know that some diesels that are used for short journeys can clog the dpf filter they do need a regular good long run.

Graeme

[the shreksta]

That's the reason I'm avoiding diesel because of my short trips and also it's looking like diesels will be getting hammered by the government soon.

I will look at the 50i.

I would take an older 4.8 v8 e70 but there is never any listed on the auc bnw site

[the shreksta]

[quote="kkx5"]
Steer clear of v8 x5m. Bad design, sky high repair cost ....buy lifetime warranty....
[/quote]

Any info to support your opinion buddy?

[CondorX5]

The 50i is a much better vehicle all round, but thats just my opinion.  As Graeme said, and I was also going to mention, the basic spec and lack of options is quite a big downer in my opinion, as part of the "fun" of BMWs are the spec, not just the engine.  I have also heard of huge repair bills for the M but then my old 4.8is isn't doing too badly in that sense either, is it?    You will not usually find an AUC over about 6 -7 years old,  occasional one pops up.  Other marques main dealers reject everything over about 3 years old and it ends up outside dealer network. 

Kkx5 is a specialised BMW engineer with a lot of knowledge about the V8s and transfer boxes - but he can tell you about his experiences I am sure!

Whatever you want, though, good luck in the search.  I would have had a 50i in a heartbeat, but only one came up in weeks of searching as an AUC and I missed it. 

[the shreksta]

[quote="CondorX5"]
The 50i is a much better vehicle all round, but thats just my opinion.  As Graeme said, and I was also going to mention, the basic spec and lack of options is quite a big downer in my opinion, as part of the "fun" of BMWs are the spec, not just the engine.  I have also heard of huge repair bills for the M but then my old 4.8is isn't doing too badly in that sense either, is it?    You will not usually find an AUC over about 6 -7 years old,  occasional one pops up.  Other marques main dealers reject everything over about 3 years old and it ends up outside dealer network. 

Kkx5 is a specialised BMW engineer with a lot of knowledge about the V8s and transfer boxes - but he can tell you about his experiences I am sure!

Whatever you want, though, good luck in the search.  I would have had a 50i in a heartbeat, but only one came up in weeks of searching as an AUC and I missed it.
[/quote]

Is there not a warranty you can buy from bmw that is about as good as the auc warranty for a car you get yourself outside of the auc scheme?

[X5Sport]

Not that I have ever seen or been offered, and it wouldn't make commercial sense (to BMW) to do it that way.

If you are looking for a car as complex (and rare) as the 'M' trim, would you trust an Indy who has probably never seen one?

[the shreksta]

[quote="X5Sport"]
Not that I have ever seen or been offered, and it wouldn't make commercial sense (to BMW) to do it that way.

If you are looking for a car as complex (and rare) as the 'M' trim, would you trust an Indy who has probably never seen one?
[/quote]

True......but the same can be said about main dealers.......

Some main dealers (not just bmw) haven't got a clue about the way the cars should be maintained. 

[X5Sport]

[quote="the shreksta"]
Some main dealers (not just bmw) haven't got a clue about the way the cars should be maintained.
[/quote]

I think it's the majority now.  Cars are too complicated for the average 'technician' and so things just get changed at the customers' expense until they hit the right item  >:(

Even BMW 'life' their cars at just three years!

[graemeX5]

Hi

The other unspoken thing is depreciation and the petrol ones depreciate more than the diesels but that could change depending on future legislation.

It depends what you want if you have an itch then it's best satisfied but I would try out both the 5.0i and and X5M and see which one suits.

I was originally looking at 35d or the 40d both of which were diesels but some from BMW were poor and as it's a weekend car I then thought about an X5M. The one I have turned up after 18mths form the start. of thinking what I wanted. The one I have turned up with about 15k of options in the right colour but a light trim but on visiting it was a tan colour so for me  I went with that one.

I would say take your time as some found some very tired examples out there and look at a few, you will soon know the right one.

Graeme