BMW X5 E53- the first crossover BMW brands, which went into production in 1999. At the time of the start of production of the X5, the cost of the crossover was about $ 120,000, but despite the price tag, the crossover immediately became in demand among buyers.
The X5 crossover was produced until 2006, and in 2003 it “survived” restyling. To date, the price of an E53 body starts from ~ 400,000, it depends on the modification, configuration, condition and reaches ~ 1,500,000 rubles.
restyling
What is the difference between restyling and dorestyling ?!
Visually, as this is the first thing we see in front of us. But do not forget that it is quite possible to make a restyled model from pre-styling, and if desired, at least an exact copy of the Le Mans prototype. To find out, for example, the complete set or production date, it is possible to “break through” the VIN number of the car on special Internet services.
Various gearbox options in before restyling and restyling.
Drive differences. On a pre-styling car, the all-wheel drive system distributes torque in proportion - 38% to the front wheels and 62% to the rear. On restyled models, the moment is distributed depending on the situation - from 0:100 to 50:50.
Body
The body of the BMW X5 E53 is not subject to corrosion, but there are also reckless drivers among drivers. Therefore, check the body for an accident.
When examining a dirty car, it is worth thinking about further “studying” it, since many problem areas can be hidden under the dirt.
Pay attention to the gaps between the body elements, they should be the same. Test all door hinges for sag, especially on the driver's side by opening the door and shaking it. Loose loops may well be the result of a side impact.
The most problematic place bmw body X5 in the body of the E53 is the lower part of the rear trim under the lower tailgate, which is susceptible to corrosion due to moisture.
Paintwork this crossover can't be perfect and small chips And scratches are completely normal. Look at the backs of the doors for corrosion, and given the age of the car, pay more attention to its scale. Its insignificant and barely noticeable manifestation can still be corrected, but a serious manifestation of corrosion in the future will lead to serious problems with the body.
Interior
Being in the car, the condition of some individual elements may well give an idea of real mileage car. Inspect the driver's seat, namely its sidewalls, the wear of the pedals and the steering wheel, but you should not forget about the overlays on the above interior elements, the use of which may erroneously give an idea of the real mileage. Also check the functionality of all buttons.
Without the presence of any diagnostic equipment, it is not possible to find out the state of automotive electronics. In such a situation, check the operation of the indicators on the instrument panel. Turn the ignition key and look for the airbag light going out a little later than the others, this will at least show you that the airbag light wire is not connected to any other wire.
Engines
Under the hood of the BMW X5, gasoline engines of 3.0, 4.4, 4.6 (dorestyling only), 4.8 liters (restyling only) and diesel were installed. power unit volume of 3.0 liters.
With which engine to choose a BMW X5 E53 ?! First of all, start from your budget and what you want to "get" from the car.
Popular and reliable
The most common and popular BMW modification X5 E53 - gasoline version 3.0i with an in-line 6-cylinder power BMW unit M54. This engine has proven itself not only on the X5, but also on other BMW cars.
The BMW E53 3.0 cannot boast of particularly sporty dynamics (because, unlike, for example, the 530i in the back of the E39, the X5 has slightly different aerodynamic performance, and the curb weight of the crossover is almost 0.5 tons more), but it will not deprive you of the pleasure of driving.
In the BMW X5 3.0 with the M54, a common problem is the leakage of the crankshaft rear oil seal, which will be clearly visible when the car is raised. If this problem occurs directly during the operation of the car, you need to change the ventilation crankcase gases(1 time in 2 oil changes, that is, at ~ 30,000 km of run). The cause of this problem is the clogging of the ventilation, as a result of which the oil begins to act under pressure, and since it is more difficult to push the gasket, it seeps through rear oil seal crankshaft.
Carefully inspect the pan gasket. If oil oozes over the pan gasket, in most cases this indicates that the engine is in soon there will be problems. The cause of the leakage is the extrusion of oil gases through the pan gasket.
Economical
budgetary bmw model The E53 3.0 diesel engine with a reliable M57 engine was offered in two versions - dorestyling with a capacity of 184 hp. and after restyling 218 hp. It is worth noting that the restyled modification 3.0d in terms of dynamic performance is almost on par with the 3.0-liter gasoline version, and has significantly lower fuel consumption.
Powerful
When choosing between a BMW E53 4.4 vs 4.6 vs 4.8 with a V8 engine - again, start from your budget - for better dynamics and higher consumption, you will have to pay extra not only for consumables, but also for car maintenance or repairs. So, for example, the timing belt chain on a 6-cylinder engine will last 2 times longer, while on a V8 the chain needs to be changed 1 time per 200,000 kilometers.
In this range, the most popular 8-cylinder model is 4.4 (more than 120,000 copies were produced in total). But it is worth noting that the fuel consumption of the restyled version 4.4 with the N62 engine is almost equal to that of the 4.8-liter model with the same engine.
The motor itself (H62) is generally a reliable power unit, but given the duration of operation, time takes its toll. The main problem areas of this engine are valve stem seals, which lead to increased oil consumption and the appearance of “seizures”.
Concerning bmw choice E53 4.6 equipped with a BMW M62 engine, then you need to look at the car itself, or rather its condition. This model is available only in a pre-styling body, and the fuel consumption figures are slightly higher than those of the 4.8-liter model that replaced it in 2004.
What to pay attention to?
When inspecting the engine, pay attention to the presence of fresh oil drips on the sides.
Like any other engine, and not just BMWs, the cooling system can overheat, and one of the most common overheating problems is a clogged radiator that needs to be cleaned periodically. Pay attention to it when viewing engine compartment, and then draw a conclusion yourself based on its condition.
BMW engines are demanding on the quality of the oil, so the manufacturer recommends using only high-quality synthetic oils, as it serves not only as a lubricant, but also cools the engine.
Transmission
BMW X5 E53 was equipped with a 5-speed manual and 5-, 6-speed automatic transmission.
Before update model range in 2003, all models were equipped with a 5-speed automatic transmission, while the 3.0i/3.0d versions were also available with a 5-speed manual. After restyling, a 6-speed automatic transmission was installed on the crossovers.
In terms of reliability, there are no special complaints about the BMW X5 transmission, and with proper care, as well as at moderate loads, there will be no problems in operation.
Despite the fact that an automatic transmission is considered “out of service”, nevertheless, the oil must be changed 1 time in 60,000 km of run.
To test the automatic transmission before buying, set the gearshift lever to the "Drive" position, as a result of which the car should drive itself, both forward and reverse.
During a test drive, give acceleration by pressing the gas pedal, when you hear a shift to second gear, release the gas pedal - if at this moment you feel a "kick" ( common problem automatic transmission), this means that the gearbox has technical problems.
Suspension
The suspension of the BMW X5 E53 is structurally similar to the suspension of the "five" E39, but less powerful, since the X5 has a slightly different purpose.
The service life of suspension parts is directly dependent on driving style and the quality of replacement parts.
Outcome
In general, the first BMW X5 is enough reliable car, basically like any other vehicle, of course, given the quality assembly, its components and driving style.
When buying a crossover, look first of all at the condition of the car, be sure to diagnose it, and having two keys will be an advantage.
Good luck and enjoy driving.
The second generation BMW X5 is not only the most popular crossover with a propeller on the hood, but also the leader in the luxury SUV segment in the Russian secondary market, despite the rather high price. Consumer qualities and really excellent, but the cost of maintaining used copies ranges from high to very high.
Dream?
The car systematically developed the success of the first generation of the model in the back of the E53: it became more comfortable, more versatile and, finally, simply more beautiful. It did not reflect the experiments of Chris Bangle, she was instilled with excellent passenger habits, taught her to save fuel, and the dynamics were raised to the level of the best sports cars. In general, not a car, but a dream. And at the same time housewives and machos. One could say that it is practically best car among used ones, if not for a whole bunch of nuances, mainly related to the price of operation.
Dorestyle
The design, at first glance, remained the same as that of its predecessor. All the same motors under the hood, the same plug-in four-wheel drive, like the restyled E53, the same layout and about the same power for the most running engines.
The main changes affected the body and interior. The car became a little larger, received an almost full-fledged third row of seats and updated design. From a technical point of view, the car did not carry anything new before restyling, when new turbo engines appeared, but they did a good job of handling the car. Even the first X5 handled like the best cars, and the second X5 surpassed it.
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Pictured: BMW X5 3.0d (E70) ‘2007–10
The car was taught to steer as well as the fifth series of BMW, even a higher center of gravity and weight were not a hindrance. The rolls, however, are slightly larger, and the suspensions are harsh even in the very comfort mode. But the off-road qualities of the firstborn of the family were practically lost: although the ground clearance was left at the level of 222 mm, but with so many aerodynamic elements climbing on the profile off-road on the bottom is self-destructive. Despite the rigid blocking of the front axle drive clutch, the car gets stuck quickly on the road, because 18-19-inch tires are frankly asphalt, on the ground it instantly “washes out”.
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Pictured: BMW X5 M (E70) ‘2009–2013
However, the owners of such cars are most pleased with the salon, where not only exemplary comfort and build quality, but also a new multimedia system with a proprietary “iDrive” washer and deep integration into the new mechatronic chassis of the car. And the versatility of such a car may well compete with minivans - if desired, a large cabin allows you to transport a couple of cubic meters of cargo or seven people; or "half a cube" and five people with all possible comfort, speed and prestige. Not for nothing that many preferred the new X5 instead of the seventh series of BMW.
Restyle
The 2010 update brought new trends in the form of turbo engines, and since 2011, a new eight-speed automatic transmission has been installed with gasoline engines. The three-liter engine with a turbine in terms of dynamics almost caught up with the pre-styled versions with a 4.8-liter V8, and the turbocharged V8s allowed the bar to be crossed in 6 seconds to “hundreds” for the “regular” xDrive50i and 5 seconds for the X5M. The elasticity of new engines has increased even more, and hence the dynamics in intermediate modes.
Fuel consumption BMW X5 xDrive50i (4.4 l, 407 hp)
For 100 km
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Pictured: BMW X5 xDrive35i (E70) ‘2010–13
Problems
In the fifth year of life, the owners of the first cars faced an unpleasant feature: the highest quality of new cars at this age turned into high maintenance costs and failures of many nodes, large and not very large. Yes, and the "oil" of atmospheric BMW engines The N series in most cases manifests itself precisely in the third or fifth year of life.
Most of the owners of the X5 E70 were not upset over such trifles, simply replacing the car with a restyled one, with new turbo engines. Problems are the lot of the second or third owner of such a car, and within warranty period the number of failures is surprisingly low for such a complex design.
Dealers, of course, to the last resisted in clearly non-warranty cases. They managed to “explain” high oil consumption, and automatic transmission jerks are successfully treated by updating the gearbox software, because the adaptability of the new series of ZF gearboxes is the highest. If you are buying such a car of the last years of production, then you can safely skip almost all the text below, except that the section on motors and transmissions will come in handy. The first time X5 E70 really breaks down infrequently.
For those who are seriously thinking about buying the most inexpensive copies of the initial years, I would recommend treating the story not at all as another “horror story”.
Body and interior
Magnificent outwardly the body is tailored tightly and expensively. Expensive is not only about the quality of the painting and the materials used, but also the price of the components and labor. Many expensive decorative elements, Very high quality panel fittings, beautiful design moves like front fenders turning into a bumper, greatly increase the cost of any repair in any contact of the car with the surrounding rough reality.
Pictured: BMW X5 xDrive35d "10 Year Edition" (E70) '2009
Lots of things underneath the car plastic elements, which break perfectly when trying to frolic off-road and storm curbs. You can not look for corrosion, unlike competitors from Mercedes, the Bavarians are doing well with this at that age.
Even broken copies of clear indications of poor-quality body repairs in the form of paint blisters will not have, since the front bumper and plastic fenders. Surprisingly, even taking into account parking sensors in a circle, there are enough broken cars - family car with such a chassis very much provokes inept drivers, and even a sense of false security in tall car affects.
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Of the serious age-related troubles, one can only note the clogged drains of the windshield, and the right one is difficult to clean, but there are electronic control units above it. You can also note the ingress of water onto the motor from above due to leaky hood seals, the knock of the rear door lock and the high chances of failure of its electric drive and the tendency to drain the hatch to clog. They also lose seal rear lights- they are glued into the doorway, and on older cars they lose their tightness, silver inserts oxidize inside, and electronic stuffing goes out of order. The hood cables are also at risk - in the absence of lubrication and jamming of mechanisms, they are torn. With passive safety, everything is very good, the car really allows passengers to survive in the most serious accidents. The cost of restoration, however, will be prohibitive - only the number of airbags firing more than a dozen, and, of course, no one took care of the interchangeability of panels. After an accident, you should not take such a car, there are practically no chances for a successful restoration - new spare parts are very expensive, and used ones are rare and also cost a lot.
Salon and its equipment over the years remind of themselves more and more. There are a lot of complaints about peeling wood and carbon fiber panel inserts, this is a fairly common problem for pre-styling cars. Soft door handles are a consumable if a woman with a manicure drives a car. But the seats and steering wheel usually last a long time, unless the electric adjustments fail.
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Pictured: Interior of the BMW X5 4.8i (E70) ‘2007–10
On the smoker's cars, most likely, the driver's glass taps - it is recommended to replace the rollers and “clean up” the interior. It is also worth checking the moisture content of the floor carpet on the left side. If the water pressure rear washer weakened, and the carpet is wet, then there are high chances that it is a cracked water supply hose to rear window. It is plastic corrugated, and goes along with the wiring harness in back cars. It usually breaks in the area of \u200b\u200bthe driver's legs or behind rear doors, but the water from the washer not only wets the carpets, but also floods the electrical contacts. If it accumulates in the trunk or in the cabin - expect trouble in the near future.
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Pictured: BMW X5 xDrive35d BluePerformance US-spec (E70) ‘2009–10 interior
The FRM unit, which controls all of the car's lighting, often fails on its own. For example, after turning off the power, it may simply “not start”. Sometimes firmware helps, sometimes easy repairs. Often you have to change it to a new one.
Fan climate system is also far from eternal, after five years of operation it may fail. Mirrors with photochromium swell, and there are TopView system cameras in the exterior mirrors: they lose their tightness, the image becomes cloudy at first, and if the camera is not resuscitated, it will soon fail due to oxidation of the matrix contacts. The failure of the windshield wipers can also be attributed to salon problems - its motor and gearbox are frankly weak, often cut off the gears.
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Pictured: Interior of the BMW X5 xDrive40d (E70) ‘2010–13
crashes multimedia system – separate conversation: iDrive updates for BMW owners have long been a special sport. Here you need to either be aware of updates and changes yourself, or have a proven master. How to update navigation or "get" FSC codes - all this is on the profile forums of the model.
Electrical and electronics
There are more failures in this part on older machines. In addition to the already described “salon” problems of electronics, one can expect failures of the “mechatronic” filling of the machine. Many features in new BMWs realized by the appearance of electronic components where you would not expect to see them - in particular, in the chassis and steering.
Adjustable stabilizers roll stability, "smart" pneumatics chassis, active steering, front axle drive electro-clutches, adaptive head lighting- all these components include gearboxes, electric motors, electrovalves ... And all this wears out.
Price xenon headlight for BMW X5 E70
Price for original:
80 289 rubles
The wiring components under the body and in the bumpers, the parking sensors wiring (however, it often breaks in the interior wiring harness), suspension sensors, adaptive lighting and brakes still suffer greatly from our salty winter. Hangings of the K-Can bus due to failures of one of the components on it are common, parktronics are especially different in this.
There is also "collective farming". Often there are proposals to replace the connectors of the ultrasonic parking sensors with components from engines ... ZMZ. Even though the wiring here is of high quality, there are enough purely resource problems. At once everything fails rarely, but what older car, the more blocks will need either repair or replacement, and much depends on the qualifications of the master and the wishes of the owner.
Often the assembly repair technique has been worked out, as in the case of replacing the plastic gears of the transfer case drive, but for the most part the components are replaced with new ones. Underhood wiring and sensors of gasoline engines are at risk, because there is a very high temperature. Particularly unlucky gasoline supercharged V 8 series N 63 - they have exhaust pipes pass exactly behind the motor, heating the already heated harnesses of the motor shield.
Electric pumps and electric spools of the cooling system also have a finite resource, but they appeared only after restyling, and problems with them are still rare. But there are already failures, which means that the resource of these nodes is also limited. On average, problems don't occur all that often, but the cost of the solution often makes you think about the point of buying a premium used car in general.
Brakes, suspension and steering
The brakes on the X5 are excellent in every way. They work well and have ample resources. There are enough discs for a couple of pad replacements, and the pads themselves usually go at least 30-40 thousand kilometers. If you put non-original components, then the ratio is violated. There were no serious problems with either tube corrosion or ABS blocks. Breakage and chafing of the wiring to the ABS sensors and body level/tilt sensors occur regularly, but are relatively easy and cheap to repair.
Suspensions are strong enough, if you do not fly into the pits and do not bend the discs. Most of the trouble for them goes through the "department" of mechatronics. The standard suspension without electronics is almost never found on the E70, most of the cars are equipped with an adaptive suspension with electronically controlled shock absorbers and pneumatic pumping on rear axle. It is much rarer to find cars on a sports suspension without electronics. You can not be afraid of problems with levers and silent blocks, the components are strong and inexpensive. The resource of levers in the front is over a hundred thousand in the city, in the back it is about the same, and half of the levers have regularly replaced silent blocks and hinges.
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Pneumatics with electronics are made from a two-ton sports car, but the cost of maintenance increases several times, because the electronic components of the suspension do not differ in a special resource, and the price goes off scale. As a result - a lot of half-hearted solutions and frequent "collective farming" with the installation of a different type of suspension on one of the axles.
Steering can be of two types. The usual rail is simple and reliable, without any frills, with an adjustable spool. It knocks quietly after several years of operation, rarely flows, the electronics on it rarely fail.
The problems of adaptive control are much more expensive. And they happen more often. The price for easy parking and a very “sharp” steering wheel will be the high price of the rack itself, its servo failures and sensor failures. Most of the failures are eliminated purely by software, but sometimes diagnostics fail, so you have to change several nodes to eliminate the cause of the trouble. The latest updates of the control unit and quality service are highly recommended to service any, even the smallest, malfunctions of a machine with this type of steering.
Transmission
Oddly enough, but special troubles from this side can not be expected. More precisely, the costs are quite programmed. It is guaranteed that the front axle connection gearmotor and the ZF 6HP gearbox fail regularly. Resource cardan shafts great, but they require equally regular maintenance. Unless a surprise in the form of a failure of the rear gearbox can knock the ground out from under the owner's feet, this usually happens on cars with weak diesel engines, especially after chip tuning, but it can also happen with supercharged petrol sixes. The remaining versions have a reinforced gearbox, which is more in line with the potential of the motor.
The drives are rather weak, there are quite frequent complaints about the lack of lubrication in them and the problems arising from this - overheating and knocking, so before buying it is worth checking the condition of the hinges not only by the anther, but also visually, with its removal.
I already wrote about the six-speed ZF 6HP 26 / 6HP 28 in the review - it goes 100-150 thousand kilometers. But what happens next is not clear. If the oil was changed often, not “annealed”, the gas turbine linings were replaced in time, then it may take more, there are instances with a range of 250 thousand km in one hand and without signs of an imminent death. But more often a serious bulkhead, replacement of bushings, repair of mechatronics will be needed ...
If there are twitches during acceleration, and there are no errors in the transmission, then, most likely, at death, the gas turbine engine is blocked, but the box is clean. And if it twitches when switching, then, probably, the box will go to the “capital” right away. The reason is either wear or a missed oil level due to leaks in the sump, electrical harness seals or pump. In any case, the box will have wear on the bushings and dirt in the valve body, it will not last long even after topping up the oil. Increasing the cooling of an automatic transmission can extend its life, as well as frequent oil changes, once every 30-40 thousand kilometers. But this may not help the age box after the “first call”.
Newer eight-speed automatic transmissions look good so far, in any case, they are less common in repairs. But with runs already up to one hundred thousand kilometers, there are instances with complete wear of the friction clutches and a clogged mechatronics unit. And repair shops complain about the extremely lightweight design of the automatic transmission, which can be deformed during disassembly.
Motors
A common feature of all new families of BMW engines is the widespread use of plastic in critical components, high sensitivity to overheating and extremely intense thermal conditions. And also - complex control systems and a very high sensitivity to the quality of sensors and the operation of the electronic body kit of the motor.
Do not be surprised if you are regularly persuaded to replace the expansion tank cap, oil filter cap, temperature and MAF sensors, lambda and similar trifles. Sometimes it’s the resource’s fault, sometimes it’s reinsurance, but in any case, there will be a lot of trouble with automotive high-tech, especially if you don’t delve into the intricacies of maintenance, don’t wash radiators and rely only on the guarantee and the big name of the manufacturer.
I have already written about the motors of the old family N 62 and N 52 several times in reviews, and. The three-liter six of the N 52V30 series is quite a good motor against the general background, but the high thermostatting temperature, long service intervals and the insufficient quality of the “branded” oil contribute to coking of the oil, the occurrence of piston rings already in the second or third year of operation of the machine. By the age of five, a persistent oil appetite is formed in an engine with urban operation, to eliminate which it will be necessary to sort it out or at least use decarbonization and pour only quality oil with a short replacement interval.
The cost of the timing chain on the BMW X5 E70
Price for original:
5 539 rubles
The owners are aware of the problem and often change their "native" oil at intervals of 7 thousand kilometers, which does not solve the problem dramatically, but reduces the chances of serious consequences. Many put colder thermostats and, which almost completely eliminates the chances of increased oil appetite. However, the design complexity of the motor is high, it has enough problem nodes, from the throttleless Valvetronic intake and VANOS phase shifters to purely resource difficulties with oil pump circuits and sensitivity to oil viscosity. At break drive belts additional units often breaks the pipes of the cooling system, and the timing chains have a wide variation in resource, from 120 to 250 thousand kilometers.
The larger engine, 4.8, is also an old friend of the N62B48. One of the most good options in its family, however, it suffers from the same troubles as the N 52 engines, adjusted for the fact that there are eight cylinders here and the unit heats up more.
An additional feature is not the most successful timing design with a long damper instead of a roller in the center, which reduces the life of the chains to hundreds of thousands of kilometers and makes it very sensitive to operating temperature. The problems and their solutions are similar, many owners are trying to prevent "oil burn" more frequent replacement oils, but simple measures usually do not help, complex treatment is needed with a decrease in operating temperature and the use of other oils.
On restyling, engines appeared with direct injection and turbocharging. They added new ones to the old problems of the motors of the N 52 and N 62 series. First of all, this is the difficulty with injectors, which inevitably arises in all engines. There are many varieties of injectors, the old revisions were theoretically changed within the framework of revocable companies and under warranty, but far from all machines have done this. The injectors are leaking, failing, failing.
Consequences - to choose from: from water hammer when starting the car to uneven idling, loss of traction and piston burnout. The revision of the nozzles must be checked upon purchase, otherwise these are inevitable extra costs, because the price of nozzles is from 25 thousand rubles plus work. It is especially difficult for the injectors on the V 8 engines with their amazing layout.
Motors of the N55B30 series for machines with the 35i index have one turbine and an intake system with Valvetronic, unlike the N 54, which were not installed on the E70. Additionally, this means that the motor has fewer childhood illnesses, but it also lacks a special margin of safety for forcing. N 54, and the turbine life at careful operation quite acceptable, for 100-150 thousand kilometers. But with chip tuning and in the event of a poor condition of the engine lubrication system, it drops sharply, many stubbornly change turbines every second MOT, after 30-45 thousand kilometers, without noticing the essence of the problem. Most of the cars with these engines are still under warranty, and little data on failures comes out, but based on the information available, it can be said that it causes a lot of trouble, and maintenance should be comprehensive and thorough.
The larger V 8 series N63B44 and their "M-variant" S63B44 are also distinguished by a curious layout with the arrangement of turbines in the collapse of the cylinder block. This means quick warm-up of the catalysts and easy access to the turbines. And also - a huge number of problems associated with overheating of turbines, engine wiring, cylinder head covers, engine seals and gaskets, motor shield and everything connected with them.
Plastic parts literally crumble on machines aged two to three years from high temperature. This is especially unpleasant for parts of the cooling system and electrical wiring - the number of engine failures increases several times. Surprisingly, the more forced "M-motor" has fewer problems due to the lower operating temperature. At least in a year, his valve stem seals do not begin to pour oil into the cylinders, and therefore, the “oil burner” does not grow so rapidly, the catalyst does not die and does not overheat.
But in general for high performance you have to pay in the most literal sense of the word. Because of the hellish working conditions, the turbines themselves do not withstand, the control systems fail, the oil supply hoses coke, and the plastic of the intake manifolds does not withstand.
Yes, and the notorious direct injection nozzles are already eight, not six, and they work in harsher conditions, and the piezoceramics are sensitive to temperature. Problems are delivered by the timing with two thin “bicycle” chains in the drive, which break and jump easily and naturally when worn.
In short, without serious intervention in the design, such a motor does not live happily ever after. Here, even lowering the operating temperature helps weakly due to the layout features. The oil thermostat does not cope with the oil temperature at all, but at the same time they cannot withstand plastic parts oil systems and tube seals.
Diesel engines are a joy for owners of the X5 E70, because the pre-styling models had a very reliable diesel M57 series, which is deservedly considered one of their best engines in last years. Although on machines with two turbines, oil leaks from the turbine supply pipes are frequent, and the resource of timing chains above 160 thousand km is no longer guaranteed, although it can reach up to 250 thousand. A particulate filter can be a hassle, it sometimes does not regenerate due to errors, short runs and engine underheating, it is expensive and it is also not removed for a penny.
bolts bypass roller, despite the feedback on this node, they still sometimes break off. Yes, and the rest are typically available, but they are not so common.
But the motor has a stable resource piston group, does not suffer from oil burns, has no problems with Velvtronic and Vanos, does not coke oil. It pulls well and even withstands serious chip tuning, although many projects should use EGT sensors - they clearly exceed a reasonable temperature in the combustion chamber, which leads to a decrease in engine life.
Power spread in various options- from 235 to 286 liters. With. - the "magic" number of the Bavarians. Cars with two turbines, of course, are much more difficult to maintain, but the total cost of operation against the background of gasoline counterparts will be small, especially if you pour good diesel fuel and regularly change fuel filters.
The more “fresh” motors of the N 57 series on restyling are completely new, but also quite strong. And even the piezo injectors here are distinguished by a calm character. The forcing margin is even higher. Due to the novelty, the motors do not cause much trouble, and, most likely, they will not differ much from the M 57 in operation.
What to choose?
Unlike the first X5 in the back of the E53, there are still enough “live” E70s, despite the more complex design of the electrics. If you buy a car after a caring owner who looked after it not according to the rules, but according to conscience, then there are good chances that the options with N 52, N 55, M 62 engines and diesel engines will be in full running condition.
As for other electrical and suspension chores, they are almost mandatory. It makes no sense to count on the cheap operation of a machine of this class, it regularly needs good service with a dealer scanner and skilled technicians, but so far the costs are noticeably lower residual value machines.
The only thing not recommended is the purchase of cars with motors of the N 63 series, unless you need the dynamics of a sports car, because there really is too much trouble with them. In any case, you should forget about the maintenance regulations from the manufacturer if you don’t want to spend a lot of time in services. Engine oil change - every 7-10 thousand kilometers, high-quality synthetics, and not low-viscosity hydrocracking. Changing the oil in the gearbox - every two or three MOT, and a very thorough inspection of the chassis.
The BMW X5, which debuted in 1999, was the brand's first production crossover. The production of cars was carried out at factories in the USA and Mexico.
When creating the car, the experience of the British owned by the Bavarians was used. Rover company that produced SUVs Land Rover. The crossover had a permanent all-wheel drive system (62% of the torque was transmitted to rear wheels) and air suspension of all wheels.
The base BMW X5 was equipped with in-line six-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines, while a more powerful version had a gasoline engine under the hood. new engine V8 4.4 developing 286 hp With. In 2002, a “charged” version of the BMW X5 4.6is entered the market with an eight-cylinder engine with a capacity of 347 forces. Gearboxes - mechanical or automatic.
As a result of restyling in 2003, the crossover received an updated design, upgraded motor 4.4 and a new 360 hp V8 4.8 engine. With. At the same time, the car got a new all-wheel drive xdrive transmission with a clutch in the drive of the front wheels.
The BMW X5 was also officially sold in Russia, its main competitors were, and. At first, only gasoline cars were offered on our market, and in 2004 diesel crossovers appeared at dealers.
The first generation of the BMW X5 model was produced until 2006, a total of 617,029 such cars were made.
| Version | Engine model | engine's type | Volume, cm3 | Power, l. With.Note | |
| 3.0i | M54B30 | R6, petrol | 2979 | 231 | 2000-2006 |
| 4.4i | M62B44TU | V8, petrol | 4398 | 286 | 2000-2003 |
| 4.4i | N62B44 | V8, petrol | 4398 | 320 | 2003-2006 |
| 4.6is | M62B46 | V8, petrol | 4619 | 347 | 2002-2003 |
| 4.6is | N62B48 | V8, petrol | 4799 | 360 | 2004-2006 |
| 3.0d | M57D30 | R6, diesel, turbo | 2926 | 184 | 2001-2003 |
| 3.0d | M57D30T | R6, diesel, turbo | 2993 | 218 | 2003-2006 |
2nd generation (E70), 2006–2013
BMW crossover The second generation X5, which was released in 2006, became larger than its predecessor, acquired an optional third row of seats and lost versions with a manual transmission. The car received modern electronic systems: active steering, electronically controlled shock absorbers, adjustable stabilizers, but the air suspension was now only on the rear axle.
The production of crossovers, as before, was carried out at factories in the USA and Mexico, and cars for Russian market assembled at the Avtotor plant in Kaliningrad. In 2006, a coupe-shaped crossover created on the same base appeared.
At first, the BMW X5 was equipped with 3.0 (272 hp) and V8 4.8 (355 hp) gasoline engines, as well as three-liter turbodiesels of various capacities. All versions were equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission and had all-wheel drive transmission with front axle coupling.
In 2007, a “charged” BMW X5M crossover with a slightly modified design, a sports suspension and a V8 4.4 petrol turbo engine with a capacity of 555 hp stood on the conveyor. With.
After restyling in 2010, the "x-fifth" got an eight-speed "automatic" instead of a six-speed one and new turbo engines - three-liter gasoline and diesel engines, as well as a V8 4.4 with a capacity of 408 forces.
Production of the second generation model continued until 2013, with a total circulation of 728,640 copies.
Table of BMW X5 car engines
| Version | Engine model | engine's type | Volume, cm3 | Power, l. With.Note | |
| 3.0si/xDrive30i | N52B30 | R6, petrol | 2996 | 272 | 2006-2010 |
| xDrive35i | N55B30 | R6, petrol, turbo | 2979 | 306 | 2010-2013 |
| 4.8i/xDrive48i | N62B48 | V8, petrol | 4799 | 355 | 2006-2010 |
| xDrive50i | N63B44 | V8, petrol, turbo | 4395 | 408 | 2010-2013 |
| X5M | S63B44 | V8, petrol, turbo | 4395 | 555 | 2009-2013 |
| 3.0d/xDrive30d | M57D30TU2 | R6, diesel, turbo | 2993 | 235 | 2007-2010 |
| xDrive30d | N57D30OL | R6, diesel, turbo | 2993 | 245 | 2010-2013 |
| 3.0sd/xDrive35d | M57D30TU2 | R6, diesel, turbo | 2993 | 286 | 2007-2010 |
| xDrive40d | N57D30TOP | R6, diesel, turbo | 2993 | 306 | 2010-2013 |
| M50d | N57D30S1 | R6, diesel, turbo | 2993 | 381 | 2012-2013 |
3rd generation (F15), 2013–2018
The third generation of the BMW X5 crossover hit the assembly line of a factory in South Carolina, USA in 2013. A year later, the assembly of cars for the Russian market began in Kaliningrad.
The car was created on the upgraded platform of its predecessor, it retained the same dimensions, air suspension at the rear and an optional third row of seats.
The BMW X5 was equipped only with turbocharged engines: gasoline and diesel in-line three-liter “sixes”, as well as a V8 4.4 gasoline engine with a capacity of 450 hp. With. Also, the crossover received a four-cylinder diesel engine with a volume of two liters, developing 218 or 231 hp. With.
All versions had an eight-speed "automatic", and in some markets a rear-wheel drive option was now offered (only for cars with a two-liter diesel engine).
As before, at the top of the lineup was the BMW X5 M crossover, under the hood of which was a V8 4.4 petrol engine with a capacity of 575 forces. In 2015, the BMW X5 xDrive40e 313-horsepower plug-in hybrid with a two-liter petrol engine and an electric motor entered the market.
BMW X5 E70 - second generation popular crossover from BMW. On secondary market now this car is the leader among luxury crossovers in Russia. Although the price of the car is quite high. The cost of maintaining such a car is high, but what comfort, driving emotions, excellent dynamics, handling and brand. All this is worth the money spent.
BMW X5 E70 continued the success of its predecessor E53. The E70 has become much better: comfort has improved and the appearance has changed significantly. Also, the car began to save fuel. Diesel equipment in the city eats only 10-11 liters, and 8 on the highway. This big crossover with serious power and excellent dynamics. This car is the dream of many, regardless of age and gender. But the car has some nuances that it is advisable to consider before buying such a car. The BMW X5 E70 has survived restyling, so the cars before and after restyling are really different.
Dorestyling car
In terms of design, the car remained the same as in the E53 of the last years of production. The motors remained the same, all-wheel drive and driving performance have not changed.
The body and interior received the main changes, there is more space inside, you can find configurations with a third row of seats. The dimensions of the car have become slightly larger and external design became more stylish and modern. And in technical terms, nothing new at all, and after restyling, when turbo engines appeared, then specifications began to change. Manageability has been improved. If the E53 was already good in management, then the E70 became even better.
The E70 is controlled in much the same way as the BMW 5-series, the high center of gravity and large mass did not even interfere. Of course, there are more rolls than in the top five, and the suspension is stiffer. The car didn’t have much off-road qualities, because the bumpers are low, so it’s better not to drive off-road, why destroy an expensive car. Although the clearance is quite large - 220 mm. There is a hard clutch lock on the front axle. But, since usually these cars have 18 or 19 inch wheels With road tires, then on serious dirt, this rubber will quickly become washed out and the wheels will simply slip.
Salon
The interior is the most pleasing in the car, it is very comfortable here, there is a new, at that time, multimedia system with an “iDrive” washer. The car is very roomy, you can put a lot of cargo in it, or put 7 people on it. You can ride in the 5th in comfort, and load the trunk with things.
Post-facelift car
Restyling was done in 2010, turbocharged engines were installed under the hood, and after 2011, a new 8-speed automatic gearbox was installed in gasoline configurations.
The car has become much faster, if we take a 3-liter turbo engine for comparison, then its dynamics has become the same as that of the pre-styled 4.8-liter V8. And the new V8 engines with a steel turbine will accelerate in 6 seconds to hundreds. And the top version of the X5M E70 accelerates to hundreds in 5 seconds. Petrol versions they still consume a lot of gasoline, but less than pre-styling cars. For example, BMW X5 xDrive50i with 4.4 engine and 407 hp With. in the city it consumes 17.5, and on the highway 9.5 liters per 100 km.
Weaknesses in the car
After 5 years of operation, cars of the early years of production began to cause problems for their owners: many components began to fail, and this leads to high costs during maintenance. Cars with simple atmospherics start eating oil after 5 years.
After 5 years of operation, owners usually sell the car and buy a post-styled one with a turbocharged engine. And all the serious problems already fall on the future owners of these cars. Usually, while the car is under warranty, nothing happens to it, and problems begin after 5 years of operation. And since the design is complex, the repair turns out to be expensive.
Dealers try to find a non-warranty case in each of the breakdowns, that the car eats oil, they say that this is design features BMW engines, and when jerks appear in the automatic gearbox, they update software box control unit.
Therefore, those who buy the E70 of the last years of production should not particularly worry, it will ride without problems for some time. But those who decide to buy an older car, and even an inexpensive one, should think carefully about whether it is worth doing. Now we will talk about the most common sores of these cars.
Body
The body is strong, but it is expensive to repair. A considerable number of decorative elements are used in the body, the panels fit clearly, beautiful front fenders that go into the bumper. All these design moves increase the price of repairs if there is any collision with something, but this is all nonsense, we will assume that there will be no collisions.
There is a lot of plastic at the bottom of the car, which will immediately begin to break off if you drive off-road or on curbs. But the most important thing is that there is no rust in these cars yet, since the E70 has excellent anti-corrosion protection of the body.
Even on cars after an accident there are no traces (swollen paint) of poor quality body repair, front bumper and fenders are plastic. On the market in general, there are broken cars, despite the fact that there are parking sensors and a surround view system. The machine provokes fast driving inexperienced drivers, there is also various systems safety, which add extra confidence to the driver. But a broken car can always be easily identified when buying.
After some years of operation, drains from windshield, they need to be cleaned periodically, on the right side under the windshield drain there are the electronic unit control, so it is not very convenient to clean it. Also, over time, the hood seals can leak, allowing water to enter under the hood. The hatch drain may still be clogged, but this is not careful operation when the car for a long time stands and leaves fall on it. If it is normal to drive it and keep it in the garage, then nothing like this will happen to it.
A lot of little things can still make themselves felt, for example, the taillights can lose their tightness, after which the silver inserts will begin to oxidize and the taillight electronics will begin to fail.
It also happens that the hood cables break if there is not enough lubrication and the mechanism sticks. But the car is great passive safety, if an accident happens, then all passengers have a high chance that they will survive. Well, it’s better not to get into an accident, because it will be expensive to restore the car later, if more than 10 airbags work, then all the panels will have to be changed, not to mention the body repair. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the car is not beaten and not beautiful, because it is simply very expensive to successfully restore a car after an accident.
Questions about the salon
How more car years, the more often minor troubles begin to appear: wooden inserts can peel off, especially on pre-styling cars, this often happens. Door handles quite soft, so they scratch easily. But the steering wheel and seats will last a long time in good condition.
If the windows are often opened, then after many years they will begin to tap, which means that the rollers need to be changed. You also need to check the condition of the hose through which the liquid passes to the rear window, if a leak appears in the hose, the driver’s mat will become wet, this moisture will also begin to get on the contacts in the electrics, so you need to make sure that moisture does not accumulate anywhere.
There are times when the FRM unit responsible for lighting the car fails, in order to fix this, you can try to reflash or repair the unit, if it doesn’t help, then you will have to buy a new one. The climate control fan may break after about 5 years of operation. Wipers may fail, since their motor is rather weak and can cut gears. There may also be failures in the multimedia system, you have to update iDrive frequently.
Electrician
Over time, there are more electrical failures. Anti-roll bars here are adjustable, there is also active steering, adaptive headlights. In general, there is a lot of electrics, and everywhere there are electrovalves, gearboxes, electric motors, which eventually require repair or replacement. Also, due to salts and other filth, the wiring under the bottom or under the bumpers can deteriorate. Also, revisions require backlight sensors, headlights, brakes. Everything does not fail at the same time, then one thing will break, then something else. In general, the usual situation for cars with a solid age and mileage.
brakes
The braking system in the BMW X5 E70 is just great, it has a good resource, the pads last about 40,000 km, and the discs last 80,000 km. Problems with ABS and tube rust have not been identified, if anything happens to braking system, it can be easily and inexpensively fixed.
Suspension
Both the front and rear suspensions serve for quite a long time, especially if you don’t specifically drive the car through pits and other off-road conditions. Most cars with adaptive suspension, air priming on the rear axle and electronically controlled shock absorbers. Sometimes you can find a car with a sports suspension, it has no electronics. The levers and silent blocks are strong and their replacement will not cost a lot of money. 100,000 km. Easy to use front and rear suspension.
But electronics and pneumatics are quite expensive to maintain, but thanks to all these new technologies, 2 ton machine drives almost like a sports car. But over time, when the standard suspension with its electronics fails, you can put a regular suspension, it will be simpler and cheaper.
Steering
There are 2 types of steering in a car:
- Ordinary rack and pinion mechanism- it is simple and reliable, with a spool that is adjustable. It serves for a long time, rarely flows, it starts knocking after many years, the electronics here also serve for a long time.
- Adaptive control is a more complex mechanism, so problems appear faster here. The rail itself is expensive here, and its servo drive fails over time, as well as sensor failures. But on the other hand, while driving, the car has a sharp steering wheel, and it is also easy to park with such steering.
Many failures can be fixed by flashing, but it happens that you have to change all the nodes. Therefore, it is advisable to set latest version software for the control unit, as well as the steering should be serviced only at a quality service.
Transmission
Everything is in order with the transmissions in the E70, nothing unforeseen should happen. Sometimes the gear motor that connects front axle. But even with an automatic gearbox, some problems may also arise after 200,000 km. run. cardan shafts they serve for a long time, but you need to follow them, sometimes you can change the oil in them.
There are times when a gearbox can fail on cars with low-power diesel engines, especially if chip tuning is done before that. This can also happen with some supercharged petrol V6s. But in more powerful trim levels there is a reinforced gearbox, so it rarely fails.
Also, before buying, you need to check the condition of the hinges of the drives, if there is little lubrication in them, then knocks will begin to appear in the drives. The gearboxes in the BMW X5 E70 are 6-speed ZF 6HP26 / 6HP28, which last a long time if you change the oil and do not move sharply, you also need to sometimes change the lining of the gas turbine engine.
During the purchase, the box can be checked as follows: if there are jerks or twitches during acceleration, and there are no errors in the transmission, then this means that the gas turbine engine lock will soon break, and the automatic transmission itself is still normal, but if the car jerks when switching, then this means that soon the automatic transmission will need repair.
Perhaps it's all about wear or a leak appeared in the sump and the oil level dropped. If the bushings have already worn out in the box and dirt has appeared in the valve body, then even if you add oil, this will no longer save. Therefore, it is desirable in the box to prevent such minor problems, which then lead to big problems. There are also new eight-speed automatic transmissions, they rarely appear on services, sometimes it happens that on a run of 100,000 km. the clutches are already worn out enough and the mechatronics unit is clogged.
Motors
The new engines from BMW use plastic in very important places. Also, motors, as usual, do not like overheating, they have a complex control system, and the sensors must also be in order. There will be enough trouble with the motor, especially if you do not clean the radiator and rely on a guarantee. BMW is a car that needs to be monitored and invested in periodically.
3-liter 6-cylinder engine N52B30 - enough good motor, but it works at a high temperature, and according to the regulations, the maintenance interval is quite large. Yes, and the oil here, according to the regulations, is Castrol, not of sufficient quality, therefore piston rings after 3 years of active operation, therefore, oil consumption appears. To avoid such nonsense, it is better to fill in better oil like Motul or Mobil and change it every 10,000, or better, every 7,000 km.
If oil consumption has already begun, then you can get rid of it only by sorting out the motor or somehow decoking it. Some BMW owners install cooler thermostats on the car, and also improve the fan control system. Such upgrades can prevent oil consumption.
In addition, there are other problematic nodes - Valvetronic throttle-free intake, VANOS phase shifters, oil pump circuits. Timing chain with pretty great resource, but it varies from 120 to 250 thousand km. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor them so that they do not stretch at the wrong moment. There are more powerful motor V8 with a volume of 4.8 liters - N62B48, it is also successful, but still, it has the same weak spots, as on the V6, only the V8 heats up even more and has 8 cylinders, so in the event of a breakdown there will be more costs.
And besides this, the timing design here is not so successful - instead of a roller in the center, there is a long damper. Therefore, the timing chain resource here is approximately 100,000 km. And also, the operating temperature should not exceed the norm. Here, too, it is better to come up with solutions in order to reduce the operating temperature of the motor. And use better quality oil.
On cars after restyling, engines with direct injection and turbocharging appeared. All the problems of the N-series motors remained, but new ones also appeared. With injectors, everything is not so simple, it happens that they fail. Before buying, be sure to check the nozzles, because they are expensive, especially on V8 engines, they are difficult to change.
The Bosch fuel pump can also cause problems. So, direct injection is more of a problem. But on the other hand, direct injection engines also have advantages - they have less sensitivity to detonation, more low consumption fuel. But there is still a turbine, which also often fails.
M version
The most charged configuration of the X5M is equipped with the S63B44 motor, which is built on the basis of the N63B44. This is an engine with a volume of 4.4, the turbines are located here in a special way - in the collapse of the cylinder block. This arrangement gave a quick warm-up of the catalysts and improved access to the turbines. The main motor should not overheat, because then there will be many problems.
From high temperatures, plastic parts quickly fail after 3 years of driving. Parts of the cooling system and wiring often fail. This concerned the N63B44 motor, but the M-motor already has fewer problems, because it has a lower operating temperature. Valve stem seals keep oil better, catalytic converter lasts longer.
But since the motor has high technical characteristics, the turbines can fail, the control systems fail, and the plastic on the intake manifolds does not withstand. There are more direct injection nozzles here - 8 pieces. The timing chains are quite thin chains, they can easily stretch or break when worn. All of this needs to be monitored.
In general, gasoline engines are not as good as we would like, the operating temperature is high and there is a lot of plastic in the design, we need to somehow correct this situation - to reduce the operating temperature.
Diesel engines
But diesel engines for the X5 E70 are much better made. Even on pre-styling cars, there is a reliable M57 engine; in recent years, this engine is considered one of the best. Timing chains serve from 160 to 250 thousand km. depending on operation. On cars with 2 turbines, it often happens that oil flows from the tubes that fit the turbines.
The particulate filter can also cause difficulties, it is not cheap and it is not easy to pull it out of the car. But a diesel engine is not oil, a piston engine lasts a long time, and there are no problems with vanos and Velvtronic. He has good traction, you can even do chip tuning and the power will really increase.
The power of diesel engines is different: from 235 to 286 liters. With. Engines with 2 turbines are more complex, but compared to gasoline engines, diesel engines require less money for maintenance. The main thing to fill quality fuel and change the oil and filters on time. After restyling, they began to install new N57 diesel engines, but in terms of reliability, they did not become worse.
Which BMW X5 to choose?
BMW X5 in the E70 body can still be found in good condition, especially if the previous owner didn’t kill the car on purpose and looked after it better than according to the regulations, then you can take cars with N52, N55, M62 engines, but it’s best to take cars with diesel engines , their condition is usually better, and in the future they will require less costs. Suspension and electrical costs are also possible, but any work on the car is best done in a specialized service.
The main thing is not to buy a car with an N63 engine, but it is powerful and gives excellent dynamics, but there is a lot of trouble with it. You also need to forget about the regulated maintenance interval, this will save the car from breakdowns. You need to change the oil every 7,000 - 10,000 km. Pour quality synthetic oil, not that low viscosity oil which is recommended by the manufacturer. In the box, the oil must be changed every 30,000 km, and each time, check the condition of the suspension for maintenance. And then the car keeps moving.
