This time, we backtrack a bit, because I owned this car concurrently to another. You’ll recall the 2015 Volkswagen Golf SportWagen that I purchased brand-new in April of 2015. Well, July of that year rolled around and I began thinking about the BMW X5. As I write this, I’m actually sitting in a restaurant within BMW’s homeland of Munich, Bavaria, which is fitting. I’d always liked the X5, ever since it came out at the turn of the century, when I was very young. No way I could get the then-current “F15” model, that was only in its second model year in 2015, but a previous-generation model? Certainly doable.
The second-generation X5, code named E70, rolled out in 2006 as a 2007 model, and ran through 2013. While the original “E53” X5 was more or less a 5 Series wagon on stilts, the E70 is decried by Bimmer purists because it shifted the balance firmly in the direction of comfort buyers. Wider, longer, taller, heavier, and taller than the X5 it replaced, and now with optional third-row seating, the E70 relied on motors, servos and electronics to counteract its heft and make good on BMW’s Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) moniker. Gone was the manual-transmission option, too, and in fact the 2007 X5 might have been the first BMW to feature the brand’s joystick-shaped monostatic gear selector (a similarly-operated column shifter had first appeared on the 2002 7 Series and 2003 Phantom). At the same time, the E70 preserved the X5’s sporty, wide-stanced look and was more popular than ever.
The E70 X5 debuted with two basic powertrain. The 3.0i came with a 3.0-liter N62 I6 engine that made 260 horsepower and 225 pound-feet, while the 4.8i got a more-potent 4.8-liter V8 with a round 350 hp and 350 lb-ft. Both got the company’s advanced xDrive all-wheel drive system, which by default sent 40 percent of the torque to the front axle and 60 to the rear. In subsequent years, these powertrain packages were renamed xDrive30i and xDrive48i, respectively. All engines latched up to a ZF 6-speed automatic transmission. At some point, you were able to select an M Sport package, bundling sleeker aluminum roof rails, unique front and rear bumpers, and body-color cladding, as opposed to the standard X5’s matte unpainted plastic.
The first big change came in 2009, when BMW added a 3.0-liter turbodiesel option (M57). This version was called the xDrive35d, and got you 265 hp and 425 lb-ft of torque, the latter available in full at a low 1,750 RPM. In 2010, BMW quietly replaced the “CCC” iDrive system with the then-new “CIC” system, featuring crisper graphics, faster response times, and a more-advanced center controller.
Then, in 2011, the E70 X5 got its facelift, which BMW calls a life-cycle impulse, or LCI. The front and rear bumpers were completely redone (for both the standard and M Sport looks), and there were new partial-LED taillights and new powertrains all around. The xDrive35i became the new base powertrain, with a 3.0-liter single-turbo I6 (N55) producing 300 hp and 300 lb-ft. The xDrive50i then became the top option, with a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 (N63) that put out 400 hp and 450 lb-ft. Both the xDrive35i and xDrive50i came with a ZF 8-speed automatic, while the xDrive35d carried on with the 6-speed. Finally, the last batch of 2011 models and all subsequent model years benefitted from revised headlights with white LED coronas in place of the previous orange halogen ones.
On the left: the 2007-2010 pre-facelift E70 X5. On the right: the 2011-2013 post-facelift (LCI) version of the same
Can you tell I’m a fan of this car yet?
Knowing all of that, I decided that my ideal E70 X5 would be an LCI (facelifted) model, so a 2011-2013. I knew better than to get the V8 and the diesel was rare, so mine needed to be the gas I6 model. The xDrive35i Premium trim would get me that, along with the panoramic sunroof, a power tilt-telescoping steering wheel, a garage door opener, a power liftgate, four-zone climate control, keyless access and start, and some other niceties. I also wanted the iDrive with Navigation system, which would come with a wider infotainment screen instead of the narrow one that didn’t fill the whole bezel. And, most importantly, I wanted the umpteen-way Multi-Contour front seats. I immediately nixed red- and gold-exterior cars from the candidacy, but was open to all others. After some research, I figured I could get all of this for around $30,000.
That proved not to be the case, at least not in my local market. The thing about Oklahoma City is that we have relatively few luxury cars compared to larger cities. That means that when they come up on the used market, their scarcity drives the prices up. Especially for SUVs and crossovers. I was just getting ready to think about Dallas, when I remembered CarMax. The nice thing about CarMax is that they have a nationwide inventory, which normalizes their prices, and they’ll ship most cars to your local store for a reasonable fee. The not-so-nice part is the no-haggle policy.
We live in a world of Internet commerce, but sometimes the best way to shop for a car is simply to stop by the actual dealership. I needed to do so anyway, because I wanted to make sure I actually liked the X5. It would be the biggest thing I had ever owned, by far. When I arrived at my local CarMax store, I was greeted by a lovely salesperson named Celia, and she found an X5 on their lot that had all of the options I wanted and then some. It was a blue-on-black low-mile 2013 model that was well outside of my price range, but it was a good demo.
And I did like it. I liked how it drove–to me–like a sports car on stilts. I liked the heavy hydraulic steering. I liked all of the buttons and features, and the fancy iDrive system. It felt like the luxury car purchase I had always wanted, and felt entitled to, in my younger pre-career years. I even thought the BMW “gong” chime (which appeared in 2002, and lasted until very recently) was the impressive indicator of quality presentation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1dLeehwKCo
Celia and I walked back inside, where I noticed a BMW key on her desk that didn’t look like it was part of the store’s stock. It turned out that she and her husband owned a 2012 BMW 335i Convertible, also purchased from this CarMax, and were very happy with it. We began looking through CarMax’s inventory, and I quickly zeroed in on a 2012 X5, silver with a black interior, and with about 40K miles, that had everything I wanted. It was in Dallas, too, which meant there was no transfer fee, as it was so close to OKC. But would I get it? Should I? Celia gave me her business card and I told her I’d call her if I decided to pull the trigger.
It only took me the afternoon to decide that I did in fact want it. But when I texted Celia, she said someone else had already begun purchasing it in another location, and it was locked. She advised that we could wait it out and see what happened, or we could find another candidate. I asked her to keep an eye on it, but also look at others. And then I listed off the features I wanted, with specific indicators for her to watch for. The small ridges on the door handles would indicate it had keyless access and start. The wide center screen meant it was one with navigation. And the front headrests with the aircraft-like headrest butterflies let you know it had the Multi-Contour seats.
The seat choices for the E70 X5. Left: Base Seats (leatherette). Middle: Sport Seats. Right: Multi-Contour (aka Comfort) Seats
The next day, Celia had found one. It was a 2011 with just 33,000 miles on the clock, which sounded promising. BMW called the exterior color Sparkling Bronze Metallic, and it was indeed a gorgeous bronze color. I had always wanted a brown car. The inside was Sand Beige Nevada, with beige carpet. It had all of the features I wanted, was located in Houston, and CarMax wanted $29,499 for it. “That’s the one,” I said.
The week spent waiting for the car was excruciating. I didn’t remember being this excited since I was a child, waiting eagerly for a horde of toys under the Christmas tree. When it did come, during the first week of August and exactly a week later, it looked better than in the pictures. We went for a short test-drive to make sure all was good, and it was, so we went inside to complete the deal.
Celia delivering my car
That’s when I asked Celia to show me the MaxCare warranties. This X5 was outside of BMW’s 4-year, 50K-mile warranty by age. But, having read Doug DeMuro’s entertaining tales of his 2006 Range Rover Supercharged and all of the things that CarMax’s warranty covered, I was more confident about getting one. When she presented the options, she also told me what I already knew. The warranty had exclusionary coverage, which is what you want, since it just lists the few items that aren’t covered. In the case of the MaxCare warranty, that was mostly consumables like brake pads, tires and wipers, and breakables like glass. They wouldn’t cover a battery either, unless its failure was caused by something else that was covered, like an alternator failure or electrical short circuit. I selected an option that cost about $2,900 upfront and that carried a $50 deductible for each visit, and would get me up to 100,000 miles and 8 years from the original in-service date.
And I’m so glad I bought that warranty.
I called Austin as I was leaving the dealership in the X5 and told him I needed him to come back to the CarMax with me, so that we could pick up the Golf SportWagen. He’d had no idea I’d spent all this time planning to buy a new car, and told me so in a wounded voice. But he agreed. His request was that I go with him to the bar that night and be his designated driver, and I agreed. The X5 proved comfortable transportation for that task, as it should have.
By week one, I had nick-named my X5 “The Pig,” because it was brown, heavy, and drank a lot of gas. A lot. I was never able to get over 19 miles per gallon even on long highway stretches, and the fuel tank wasn’t all that large. 320 to 370 miles between fill-ups was common, a far cry from the 550-plus I enjoyed with the Golf SportWagen.
My earliest modification was a simple one. I ordered a Bavarian license plate and mount and attempted to install them at the front of the car, since Oklahoma doesn’t require its own front plates. However, it kept setting off the front parking sensors, so I quickly removed them.
Bavarian license plate
The first issue came just a few days after I’d bought it. Suddenly, The Pig refused to recognize its keys some of the time, no matter how I tried to use it. I was told I could take the car anywhere for warranty coverage, so I arranged a visit to the local BMW dealership. They took The Pig in and gave me a then-new 2015 X3 as a loaner, which I didn’t like so much. I was happy to get my X5 back, whose keys had both been replaced, at a cost to the warranty company that I don’t remember. This is also when I found out that the MaxCare warranty was underwritten by one of two companies, depending upon the make and model. Mine was from a company called The Warranty Group.
When I’d had my eyes on the 2012 X5 that someone else purchased before I could, I got used to the idea of the white halos LEDs instead of the earlier orange ones. So I scoured the forums and quickly found and ordered a LUX H8 180 kit, which would give my headlights the newer look. Installing them was difficult because there was limited access to remove the stock halo bulbs, even if you removed the headlight housings altogether. That should have been my first clue that BMW didn’t design The Pig for DIYers or shade-tree mechanics. Also, when locking and unlocking the car, the halo lights flickered on and off instead of fading as they had done before. This, I read, is because BMW’s programming for the halogen bulbs toggled the power in rapid succession to achieve the fading effect. However, the LEDs were more responsive and so the same programming on those resulted in a visible flickering symptom. The car would need to be reprogrammed (coded in BMW parlance) to think that it had the LED halo rings. I either neglected to attempt or failed to succeed at that, so the flickering remained for the entirety of my ownership.
One system I never managed to use properly, no matter how much I tried, was the voice command system. It always failed to parse my commands. Meanwhile, a couple of features I enjoyed were the electronic parking brake and auto-hold feature. The latter let you completely take your foot off the brake pedal at a stop, and the car would remain in place. When you wanted to drive off again, you just needed to apply the accelerator. This is technology that was cutting-edge in 2007 when the E70 X5 debuted, but in the intervening years, it’s proliferated to such everyday cars as the Honda Civic and Toyota Camry.
Speaking of stops, The Pig decided to exhibit some truly funny behavior during those times. At least once a day when I stopped, the liftgate would randomly open. I knew I wasn’t hitting it, so the car was acting of its own accord. But I ignored that issue until the day I started it up from cold and the automatic tilt-telescoping steering wheel dropped all the way down to an uncomfortable level and refused to move. Both of those landed it back at the BMW service center, and I went home in a 428i Gran Coupe, which I remember as uncomfortably low-slung at the time. When I got it back, the service advisor let me know that some module had been reprogrammed, to the tune of several hours’ labor, or about $700.
At some point, I bought these rubber floor mats. They worked well
Sometime in the fall, I decided to get the running boards. I’m not sure why I was fond of the X5’s running boards from that generation. It didn’t sit high enough to necessitate them and in fact they were known for being more hindering than helpful, but I always admired the look. Still, they were a rare enough option that when I was shopping, I knew better than to even make it a criterion. I located an unused OEM set on eBay from a Polish buyer, and set about installing them. I don’t remember how much they cost, but they weren’t cheap. This involved removing the wheel flare trim and plastic rocker panel trim, then installing thick plastic cores and finally the decorative running board covers over them. It was an afternoon spent with me on the ground. Also, somehow I ended up schlepping to the dealership to buy extra plastic tabs for re-securing the wheel flare trim.
My X5 with running boards installed
One thing I noticed was that The Pig’s iDrive screen’s anti-reflective coating had been scratched up when I got the car. At some point, BMW had quit providing a protective shield from the factory, so this wasn’t uncommon. I would have to either gently polish away the rest of the coating or replace the screen in order to remedy that. However, I didn’t have to do either because before long, half the screen went dead and it was replaced. This time, I ordered a protective plastic screen from Amazon that was custom-made to fit iDrive displays. Later, a frequent freezing issue caused the dealership to swap out the main iDrive module itself.
Other issues included the power seats failing, the transmission skipping gears, the fog lamps turning on and off when they felt like it, and the power windows and sunroof becoming stuck; these incurred thousands of dollars in warranty claims, but the MaxCare warranty dutifully paid them every time without incident and the BMW dealership’s service was immaculate. I didn’t spend all that much time with The Pig. Meanwhile, I was working my way up BMW’s contemporary portfolio of cars as service loaners. During one afternoon, I’d just had the rear blower fan replaced, because it was making an awful buzzing noise, and as soon as I pulled out of the dealership and tried to merge onto the highway, The Pig went into limp mode and displayed 4×4, traction control, and chassis stabilization errors all over the place. It turned out that the steering-angle sensor had suddenly failed. Worse, the rear fan motor failed again, but the part and labor were warrantied on the new one, and so I didn’t have to go through MaxCare or pay a deductible for its replacement.
Instrument cluster errors due to failed steering-angle sensor
Errors on iDrive screen due to failed steering-angle sensor
One of the last upgrades I made to The Pig was the steering wheel. My car had the base steering wheel design, but there was an available Sport wheel that looked much better, to my eyes. It had been on the blue 2013 X5 that I’d test-driven at CarMax, so I knew it felt meatier and more ergonomic too. I read that the wheels were plug-and-play and perfectly interchangeable, as long as you matched the options your car had. If you bought a wheel that was heated and your old one wasn’t (mine wasn’t), you would need coding. Likewise, if your new wheel included paddle shifters and your old one didn’t (mine didn’t), these too would need to be coded. Also, the airbag cover itself was completely different. I found a new steering wheel on eBay. I’m sure the underlying airbag was the same for both models, so I could have replaced just the cover, but that seemed a dumb idea where safety was concerned. Thus, I got a brand-new airbag-and-cover assembly from a dealer across the country and had that shipped over. Before starting, I was sure to remove the car’s battery and give it a couple of hours to drain any electricity in the system. Assembly was a cinch using standard household tools. Surprisingly, the paddle shifters even worked without coding. Score.
E70 Steering wheels. Left: Premium Sport Wheel (without paddle shifters). Right: Base Wheel
I don’t remember what the final issue with The Pig was, but around mid-December of 2015, it was back in the shop. The dealership had given me one of the new X5s to drive. The same day I got it, Austin called me, distraught. Remember Minnie, the elderly poodle I mentioned in the previous article? Well, she had declined quite a bit since our trip and was in a lot of pain, so he had made the decision to put her to sleep. Of course, I told him I would be there, as would his grandmother. The good thing, Austin later remarked, was that we had the loaner X5 to transport her on that final trip to the vet, so we didn’t have to taint the memories of our own cars with that somber event.
However–as soon as I got The Pig back, I decided I was done. Given its trend for throwing up electrical issues at every turn. I didn’t see the point in keeping it, especially when I had the reliable Golf SportWagen. There were several other failures that I didn’t mention here, and that’s because I don’t remember them. It was one after the other, often without a break. Eventually, I’m sure the dealership would have diagnosed that the main wiring harness was bad and was the source of all of these issues, but I didn’t really have the patience for that. And anyway, I didn’t need two cars to begin with. So, the day after it was returned, I removed all of my upgrades and sold it to a different dealership for about what I paid, with just 4,000 more miles on the odometer. CarMax even refunded 70 percent of the warranty cost, despite the car racking up a whopping $7,000 or so in warranty repairs. Even if you consider that dealership labor and parts aren’t always the most economical option, that’s an absurd figure for four months of ownership.
Do I regret buying the X5? No. It was a car I’d always wanted, and I loved it dearly when it could be bothered to work. I know BMWs aren’t the most reliable cars out there, but there’s no way the company would survive if all its cars were this failure-prone. Mine was clearly cursed beyond all measure, and I was fortunate to come away having spent just a handful of $50 deductibles. Would I get another one? Perhaps. But I’d lease it new or get a healthy warranty.
Some people love their Bimmers, but I’ve heard a few horror stories about BMW reliability issues. I would say that for some unfortunate owners BMW standing for “Bring My Wallet” is no joke. Even with the extended warranty you got, I can’t imagine keeping a car that was so unreliable, and getting rid of likely saved your sanity.
Most of the BMWs we have owned have worked well enough. There have really only been two exceptions. The first being my 1988 E32, and the other being my mother’s 2012 X5 xDrive50i. Honestly I thought it was just us, but I keep hearing stories about this generation X5. If the F15 hadn’t have been so good, my father would have stopped buying BMWs after that one.
I’m not sure what was going on with the E70, because my partner at the time leased a 2010 and had similar tales of woe.
In addition to electrical gremlins from the myriad of sensors, the interior materials didn’t hold up very well throughout the 30,000 miles and two years of the lease term. The 2009 Murano he held onto (but hated because it wasn’t nearly prestigious enough for him) and my 2008 Altima (both LEs with leather interiors) seemed to hold up much better through 70,000 and 85,000 miles, respectively – and that’s saying something, because Nissan’s interior materials at that time were routinely panned for being chintzy.
And for some strange reason, he seemed to have a constant issue with minor bumps into things in parking situations, despite a bevy of sensors AND a backup camera. It was so bad that when he went to replace it I suggested he look at a 5-series sedan, since he didn’t really need two SUVs. That car and its similar successor turned out to be extremely reliable and durable (and somehow it also eliminated his propensity for low-speed parking collisions), so I can’t very well write off all BMWs as being unreliable junk.
The E70 X5’s hydraulic steering kept it on-center at highway speeds, but it was weighted uncomfortably heavily at parking-lot speeds. I remember early reviews of the E70 that roundly panned that trait, and it’s one they didn’t rectify until they went to electric power steering on the F15 X5 that followed.
That’s probably why your partner kept bumping into things.
It’s interesting that they didn’t have an electrical assist. My old Audi S4/S6’s from the mid-90’s had hydraulic steering but with an electric assist. A common mod was to just unplug it in order to “weighten up” the steering, as I did on both of mine. Yes it made it heavier at slow speeds but felt much better at higher speeds. If they had the electrical assist they could have possibly reprogrammed it at any time.
My current car has hydroelectric steering. I’m not quite sure how it works. But it’s easier to drive than the X5 was.
Old BMWs’ hydraulic steering was indeed very heavy. Didn’t appreciate it then on my mom’s ’07 X3 but I dearly miss it now!
Wow! In 60K miles, my 2016 Tacoma had two TSB’s performed and one recall. No warranty repairs. In the 108K miles before we passed it on to our son, our 2008 Prius had no repairs, warranty or otherwise, and one recall. In 75K miles, our 2004 Subaru had zero repairs or warranty claims, and no recalls. You sure had some bad luck!
No, dman. You had good cars. He didn’t.
Every few years someone details a tale of woe such as your own and it successfully keeps me from considering a used BMW of my own. So far none have graced my stable, it’s likely to stay that way. They look, feel, and drive very well, but I’m scared enough of being the guy that gets the bad one (though I realize they likely don’t all exhibit these same issues).
I didn’t realize at first you had BOTH cars concurrently, good that you were able to just make the VW the primary driver again. Maybe that’s the secret for some to making VW ownership troublefree, add a BMW! 🙂
Oh, and thank you for the endorsement of the CarMax warranty, I was familiar with DDM’s story, but appreciated the seconding from someone I (virtually) know.
“Mine was clearly cursed beyond all measure.” Well, my brother and I both owned E70s (a diesel and a turbo six), and both were junk. Not as bad as Kyree’s, but bad enough to teach us never to buy a modern BMW without a warranty. Thank goodness both of ours were CPO cars, so we weren’t on the hook for repairs. His (a near-twin of Kyree’s) incurred a $6k repair (transmission or transfer case, can’t remember) within months of his purchase.
My wife loved ours, but I thought it was only pretty good. The seat gave me a back ache, the steering was too heavy on road trips, and fuel economy collapsed above 70 mph even though it was a diesel (needed a few more gears, I guess). It was very nice on short trips, thanks to the sharp handling, seating position, and visibility.
My 2012 Mini Clubman was in Hot Chocolate with black top/C pillars and I loved that color. I’d love another dark brown car.
So long ago I had a 1991 BMW manual 318i which I loved, ran trouble free, and was really just a well built car. Maybe the 90’s were the last of the good ones. I’m always on the prowl to buy a good used BMW wagon, but am fearful of the electronics. Without a warranty I’d probably have a nice driveway ornament.
My most vivid memory of the X5 was that, due to its excessive weight, it qualified for the Bush Era $25k tax credit which was supposedly designed to spur business growth, but what it really did was encouraged the sale of big, heavy, gas-guzzling SUVs (like the X5).
Yes. You’re talking about the Section 179 deduction, which lets you write off the purchase-price of any passenger car with a GVWR (gross-vehicle weight rating, or the weight of the vehicle plus its maximum payload) of over 6,000 lbs. Most larger SUVs qualify, including the Explorer, Traverse, some versions of the Highlander, and pretty much any BOF truck or SUV.
Initially you could write off the entire price; it has since been reduced to a maximum of $25K. And you write it off to the proportion that you use it for business. So, if you paid $25,000 for a base-model Silverado and you use it 50 percent of the time for business, you can write off $12,500.
Also, there are rules regulating what’s considered business travel. Your commute to your office isn’t covered. If you work from home or don’t have an official place of business, then your first work-related trip (like, to visit a client or run an errand) and your trip home are commute miles, and should not be a part of the calculation.
This particular tax break was nicknamed the “Hummer Loophole,” because that is exactly what people were using it for in its heyday. Even my X5, if I remember correctly, was labeled as “MPV over 6,000 lbs” on the “Vehicle Type” section of its door jamb sticker…suggesting that BMW knows exactly where (some of) its bread is buttered.
It has changed again, in the last few years you could write off $25k in the purchase year and then deduct the rest over time. Last year the limit went up significantly, most any size purchase can now be taken immediately as a deduction as opposed to a gradual phaseout. All part of the effort to stimulate purchasing which appears to have initially worked (at cost to other aspects of course). It’s also part of the reason that prices are so high. If the benefit went away I’m virtually certain the prices would come down. Just like EV prices sometimes tend do when the subsidy goes away.
It’s smart of manufacturers to build vehicles that clear the hurdle if they are already close. I will never understand why Nissan’s Pathfinder is something like 20 pounds shy of the exemption GVWR.
Note that if trading in one for another the trade-in value is deducted back out (as a depreciation recapture). Or if you just sell the vehicle and get something else that is not part of the program or nothing else then the trade/ current sale value must also be declared back in to the taxes.
Thank you! I knew I had heard about this deduction somewhere but couldn’t remember what it was called. I believe all mid-size trucks are under 6000 lbs. GVWR except the new Ranger and the diesel Colorado. It’s the modern equivalent of the 1970s emissions loophole that created the F-150, D-150, and Chevy Big 10.
Ha, I bought a CPO 2009 – X5 X-Drive 48i M-Sport – in 2012. It was absolutely loaded with carbon black metallic (aka dark blue) M-Sport paint and it was indeed a beast. It weighed 5200 lbs, same as my dad’s 75 DeVille landbarge. The V8 was severely underpowered for something of this size. It was kind of quick, but not really. I’m sure the new engine introduced the following year solved that. It did, however, get shi**y gas mileage, in the 11-13 range. When premium was selling for $4.50/gal a few years ago in Cali, my annual spend on fuel was about $5k.
My biggest regret was that it had the sport seats and not the 20-way Comfort seats. I had those in my 5-Series (one of my all time favorite cars), and all I can tell you was that the sport seats seemed very out of place in the X5.
So, it wasn’t particularly fast, it didn’t handle particularly well, it didn’t get particularly good mileage, and it wasn’t particularly comfortable. As I said, it was a beast. But at least it looked good.
As far as reliability goes, well, not so much. Although I didn’t have as many problems as you did Kyree, I had my share. Common problems with all BMWs were with the Xenon headlights failing prematurely (I was spared that fate), and failure of the active body control system, that’s basically a computer controlled anti-sway bar. On both the 5 Series and the X5 they broke, resulting in loud clunking and clanging noises from underneath the cars. Fixed, multiple times, under warranty. Rattle in the pano sunroof or sunshade (not sure which) that the dealer refused to acknowledge, and other minor items I can no longer recall. I too didn’t keep the car for long, trading it 2-1/2 years later for fear of major repairs post-warranty. The breaking point for me was taking it to the dealer for a routine oil change and then receiving a proposal for multiple diagnostic and “preventative” measures that, in total, came to a staggering $1200. Are you freakin kidding me? No; my service advisor was looking at me, with an emotionless stare. Just the oil change will be fine, thanks.
The worst part was the bloodbath I took when I traded it in. If you looked at my total cost of ownership, I could’ve easily swung a 3 year lease on a loaded, brand new model.
So in all, a very expensive lesson, but a kind of entertaining one at that; I bought the car on a whim, something I don’t normally do, and you know what? Sometimes you win, and sometimes you…move on.
Yikes! Did you enjoy driving it when it worked?
Yeah it was kinda fun actually. Wish the exhaust was a little more aggressive sounding, but it did at least give off a nice rumble when I floored it.
It was also a pavement pounder, meaning it felt like it pounded bumps and grooves in the road into submission.
Forgot to mention the tires…the M-Sport had staggered front/rears which, among other things, means they can’t be rotated for longer life. That, coupled with the outward cant of the rears, meant replacing them every 15-19k miles at $300-400 a pop.
Even the run-flat tires on the standard version were expensive, and not very long-lived.
This is true. I was quoted something like $1,200 to replace all four of my 19-inch tires, when I asked on a whim.
My plan was to get regular tires and the spare-tire kit. There was a void under the cargo floor for the spare-tire kit Of course, X5 models with the third-row seat had the rear air suspension, run-flats and no provision for a spare-tire kit.
And in subsequent BMW models, like the 2011-2016 “Fi15” 5 Series, there’s no spot for a spare-tire or donut, unless you want to take up some of the actual trunk space.
I had switched to non-RFT early on and actually went for the cheapest tires available in 315 mm size. I wanted a less noisy ride and got it, although they really diminished the handling. Carried a bottle of fox a flat with me just in case. Which reminds me, I did manage to slightly bend a rim because there was a steady, slow leak that I ultimately had to send the wheel out for repair.
A relative of mine had one of those, or close, in Ubiquitous BMW Leaser Silver. His experience was different. Not better, only different because (mostly) different things went wrong. In disgust he traded it toward a Dodge Charger. The Dodge dealer also owned a BMW franchise so I’m sure there was no trouble with their selling it to someone else.
His comment was that he would rather have any of his prior cars than the BMW “because you could drive them elsewhere than to the BMW dealer.” Ford Explorer? Check. Chevrolet Impala? Check. VW Passat? Check. Chrysler Concorde? Check. 1972 Plymouth Duster? Check. Datsun B-210? Well, maybe but at least it could be relied on, for sure.
I’ve been driving BMW’s (3 Series, and later 5 Series) since 1998. I have really enjoyed my ownerships experiences. Having said that…. the last one I owned was a 2004. That one ate 4 of 6 coils, 4 electric window regulators, and something else my memory has suppressed (brake light wiring, I think). Since then I have leased, on a 3-year cycle. A new BMW has everything except tires (yes, brakes pads and rotors are covered) for 4 years/50,000 miles. Free maintenance for (now) 3 years. I buy gas and insurance and that’s it. The dealer even refills the windshield washer fluid if I ask. (Incidentally, the windshield washer pump is the only thing (so far?) on my 2017 that has failed. It goes back in September and I’ll lease another.
People seem to (foolishly IMHO) want to buy lease returns, so my residuals are great and -my- cost of ‘ownership’ is low. I am very happy with the cars and statistically speaking have had comparatively few problems over the years in my short leases. Anyhow, since everything is covered, and they’ll give me a new-car loaner to drive, problems are no big deal.
Having said that, I will never, ever, ever buy one. They are great cars to date for a few years, but you sure don’t want to be wedded to one.
Agreed.
The E70 introduced a number of cutting edge technology for its time, so no wonder there was a lot to wrong. BMWs to come out of the 2002-2009 or so era generally did have more problems than those that came before and after. My mom’s ’07 X3 did have a few mechanical issues – none electrical as it was rather basic in terms of options – but she did get rid of it as soon as the CPO warranty was up. Thankfully, I’m happy to say that none of our current BMWs have needed anything beyond basic maintenance.
Indeed. I hear you got a new ride as well! I almost bought that same car, this past February.
Yes! I’ll be introducing it very soon here, so mums the word until then 🙂
Can’t wait to read it!
A neighbor bought a 2010 X3 brand new.
Within months she was missing her ’04 Suzuki Grand Vitara…why?
The Suzuki didn’t suddenly stop running in the middle of the interstate like the BMW did. Repeatedly.
Didn’t matter how many times the dealer had it. It still liked to quit.
She bought a Lincoln MKX and never looked back.
I had a brand new ’77 320i and the fuel injectors had to be replaced after about a year. BMW refused to pay for the repair. I’ve never had another BMW.
“There’s nothing more expensive than a cheap German luxury car.”
Reliability that would make even GM blush.
My family’s historic relationship with GM cars was that they would keep right on working mechanically, but would fall apart in remarkably unceremonious ways…mainly by pieces falling off of the vehicle. I remember my dad’s 1992 Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight, whose headliner excused itself from the party and fell down.
Sounds like my mom’s 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee, where within 3 years random screws and bolts were falling out of interior panels and the door seals were all sagging, letting water leak in when going through the car wash.
We had one of these. My father came to hate it enough that he was looking at other brands. It was meant to be my mother’s retirement car. We’d owned several BMWs up to this point and they had almost all been particularly good. Her first X5 had been bought used and was still in excellent shape. It had the manual, too. It’s still running around. My parents special ordered a 2012 xDrive50i with all sorts of options for her. We loved it for a few months, until the troubles started. First appeared on its first road trip. The electronic parking brake wouldn’t release. We had to unpack the damn thing in the middle of a crowded parking lot in the deep south to manually release it. Then, when we got to South Carolina, it had sensor problems. In the 4 years we owned it, it just kept running into problems with those damned sensors. We had to have the windshield reseated twice because the lane assist wasn’t working. At some point, the tailgate stuck open. Then it was recalled for the engine. Smart move staying away from the V8s. Turns out the turbo was mounted between the cylinder banks and caused excessive heat wear. That was the price you paid for the power, I guess. However, the power was amazing. The damn thing was stupid-fast. It handled remarkably well despite all the body roll.
“Smart move staying away from the V8s. Turns out the turbo was mounted between the cylinder banks and caused excessive heat wear.”
Yup. We call that a hot-vee or hot-valley setup. I believe the BMW N63 V8, the one in your parents’ X5, was the first production engine in the industry to feature such a layout. Among other things, it gives you better packaging and faster turbo response, but–yes–subjects the turbo to a lot of heat. Other cars that have since adopted it include the AMG GT, 918, and CT6-V.
The Ultimate Leasing Machine. Most modern BMWs are nice to sit in and to drive (if no longer a breed apart in these respects, like they were in the E46/E90 days), but you sure don’t want to own one out of warranty.
In my 20s, an old high-school friend and I owned a used 3-Series convertible and Miata, respectively, at the same time. I don’t think I spent anything on the Miata other than oil, tires, and brake pads during the years I owned it. He, on the other hand, had a new surprise every month that cost at least three figures to fix.
What a fun story! I have a lifelong aversion to German cars chronicled in my story about a catera, on this site. Even a Vega could not match the horror stories of a German car. I sold the catera and bought a then 19 year old Buick grand national which was an infinitely better car in every way. Then I have two 91 Cadillac broughams which keep going, and going, and going. I don’t know what competes with the x5, the gm offerings are not really luxurious enough nor sporty, acuras aren’t either, the Infiniti is a bus, as well the navigator, but something needs to come along as a decent alternative.
No, GM has never made anything in that class.
But check out the new Lincoln Aviator. It’s on a RWD platform, looks to be plenty opulent, and boasts a couple of truly potent powertrains. I bet it’ll get cross-shopped with the X5 a lot.
First-generation SRX certainly was, until they rebooted the SRX as more of a Lexus RX rival which the XT5 and XT6 still are.
Say what? I will very respectfully disagree and suggest that perhaps some rose juice splattered on your glasses. 🙂
The first gen SRX wasn’t competitive in exterior styling, interior materials or overall fit and finish to the X5. Perhaps it was more reliable. I do know that in the Bay Area at least, if you rolled up in an SRX, you got some serious side-eye. Perhaps things were different in Cleveland but I doubt it. The best evidence is that it, as you stated, changed significantly in direction for the next generation. I’m not sure what it really did compete with in actuality as compared to what they wanted to compete with, perhaps the Chrysler Pacifica?
Interior design? Much worse than the Germans (though the ’07 refresh helped narrow the gap). Exterior styling? Ehh, subjective. Fit and finish? Yeah, probably not at the Germans’ level although their superiority in reliability was debatable. But let’s not forget the SRX was a critical darling in spite of its flaws. Car & Driver practically fell over themselves praising it. Even in this 2007 comparison test, towards the end of its run, the SRX bested the Germans.
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparison-test/a15146309/bmw-x5-vs-acura-mdx-cadillac-srx-m-b-ml350-lexus-gx470-volvo-xc90-vw-touareg-land-rover-lr3-comparison-tests/
It also came first in a 2003 comparison test that included a Porsche Cayenne.
Did buyers put it on the same level as the X5 and ML? Well, most probably didn’t and that’s why it wasn’t a huge seller. But let’s not forget, either, that Cadillac has suffered with image problems for years. They could probably rebadge a BMW X5 and still fall well behind in sales (although the XT5 is a strong seller still, I wouldn’t say it directly compares to any BMW)
That badge snobs looked down their noses at the SRX doesn’t mean it wasn’t an X5 rival.
Yeah I realize that but I think this is the key part of the entire C/D comparison test:
“The Cadillac is the longest, lowest, and narrowest vehicle here, riding on the greatest wheelbase. Like the car that it’s based on, the SRX squirted through the sort of city traffic that bottled up behemoths behind it — notably, the Land Rover and the Volkswagen.
Of course, the SRX is also car-like off-road and not the vehicle you want to be piloting if you’re breaking the trail.”
To wit, I think it’s really more of a car than an SUV/CUV, maybe a bit more like the Toyota Venza as opposed to the Highlander if that makes sense. If it was two years earlier, perhaps they could have also included the Audi Allroad in that test (I’m stretching a bit but I also think the SRX was a bit of a stretch and included mainly because it’s the closest thing Cadillac had. Actually if I run into Csaba Csere again I’m going to ask him about this!).
I agree that the gen-1 SRX looked and felt more like a tall STS wagon (which it was) than an SUV.
We got my wife a 2012 E90 328ix with 30k on it. Cosmic Grey with black leather. Beautiful car. Kept it for 2 years and traded it for a loaded Rav4. Happily BMW replaced the engine at 49k for a sudden rod knock. (This car had full BMW maintenance history.) Lots of electrical problems and repairs, check. Some of these problems not covered by warranty because of technicalities, check. Heavy steering at speed, check. However many way adjustable seat..anyway but to make it not hurt my back on long trips, check. Gas mileage, eh. Expensive Continental run flat but wear fast tires, check. Fun to drive when you could, check. Zero problems with the Rav4 in 3 years, check. Not buying another BMW, check.
Voice recognition that NEVER worked, check.
I could probably go on and on. One of the biggest problems was dealing with my wife saying. It’s a BMW , it should work, it couldn’t be broken…figure out how to make it work… me (and BMW)…’no it’s not working correctly’ / friggin things broken…again.
Ouch. That’s a story that’ll cool any BMW lust – especially if you’d be considering old ones like myself. Thanks for sharing.
(The “B” on the license plate is for Berlin (in Brandenburg), not Bavaria. But it is German)
You’re right but that’s not a real German plate either, it’s a reproduction novelty plate. While it has the B for Berlin it also has the Bavarian state seal next to it which would never happen on a real plate since Berlin isn’t in Bavaria. A Munich plate would have an “M” as the first letter, Stuttgart is “S”. Ingolstadt, Audi’s HQ, also in Bavaria, uses “IN”. The biggest cities get a single letter, then smaller ones two letters, and even smaller ones three letters to the left of the seal (such as WOB for Wolfsburg). VERY small places are aggregated into the next larger community and run with that city’s designation as part of the larger city’s “Landkreis” (land circle). Special cases are for “HanseStadt”s, which carry an extra H such as Hamburg (HH).
(single H is Hannover by the way).
Good grief, this sounds as bad as my time with my Fiat Uno.. In three years of ownership I dont think there was a day where every single thing on the car worked, but I always managed to get home.
Kyree, I’m impressed you managed to keep your cool throughout this episode. I’m drawn to German cars but the scary stories keep coming…
You guys have me scared….maybe I should sell my 2002 325Ci, 5 speed manual, with 112,000 miles on it?
I just replaced the cooling system (hoses, water pump, radiator, thermostat, coolant tank, etc) for $400 in parts cost. Did the work myself this winter.
Oh, also changed the oil, trans and differential gear oil.
She is running and looking like new!
I wouldn’t sell it, but I’d keep an eye on the oil consumption. Turns out that BMW cheaped out on the M54’s piston rings. They use a two-piece design instead of the three-piece used by earlier engines. Apparently you can avoid excessive consumption by changing the oil more often than is recommended. Also, I have been recommended top cylinder lubricant. I can’t tell you if it works or not, but I do it anyway.
Thanks, she uses a bit of oil, more so than any other car I have owned (and I wondered why). No current oil leaks, either. I did replace the oil filter housing gasket leak last year (new seal).
I realize now that the case of BMW-lust I had in my 20s came out so much better than yours did. First the 325i I wanted in 1985 was so much better than your Pig in so many ways. Second, I never actually took the plunge. So to me, the name “BMW” means a wistful case of what might have been, instead of the nightmare of failure and disappointment it now means for you.
This is why I avoid modern German luxury cars, too much complexity and too many failure points. Even BMW motorcycles have been affected, before my BMWMOA membership lapsed the fora were full of complaints about the R1200RT and R1200GS suffering gremlins. Fortunately there are aftermarket dongles that plug into the CAN bus and give OBD like access .
50 years ago you could pretty much assume that a German car would be reliable. It’s a shame that that’s no longer true, as they have other good qualities–see R. L. Plaut’s COAL about his Passat.
My ’87 Audi 4000 quattro, which I had for 15.5 years, was reliable, but it was pretty electronics-free. I havent been willing to risk getting a German car since.
All brands have horror stories, but German brands seem more prone to them. My VW product was also one problem after another. IMO, the idea of German automotive engineering being superior is not founded. The opposite actually seems more evident.
Cars are a lot of money, and I’d rather go with more favorable odds of a positive experience. No more German cars for me. YMMV