E30 Zone

Looking at upgrading the family car, and almost convinced the missus to keep it in the (BMW) family.

Don't know much about the X5's, so any info would be good - Best engine, auto/manual, TAX cost! etc.

My heart say 4.6 IS, but my head says 3.0D sport.

Are the engines the same as used in other models? (4.4 V8 in 7 series for example)


What do you know guys?

I have driven a 3.0D Sport (did about 700 miles in one day) superb bit of kit. Didn't see the point in the V8 as the performance of the diesel seemed ample.

Have no idea on the upkeep costs, would expect that rear tyre replacement is a bit eye watering.

Howdy

We have one as a family car, got it approx 6 months ago ~ 2002 3.0d sport (auto), love it , bit long winded this, but at least it will give you an overview

Would have loved a 4.4 (4.6is even!!), they are very quick, sound devine, but what with fuel economy (average 17mpg, bit like my 320), and road tax over here in ireland ┚¬1600 per yr to tax car) went for Diesel, resale going to be easier too, from what I've read 3.0 petrol one to avoid, engine underpoweerd in what is almost a 2 ton car, so as heavy as a 4.4 on the fuel, with out the payback of having a V8

there're a great car, we had a E39 525i before it, and to be honest, it doesn't feel much bigger, handles great, very comforting, although sport suspension farily hard, youd still never complain though
been in a lot of jeeps over the years (RR (old and new), disco, Touareg, all the jap stuff), and they all have a bit of wallow and roll in the handling stakes, never been in a RR sport, so can't comment, also Touareg not so bad, Q7 excellent also, but bit of a big bus

Very powerful for the size, quick off the line and to be completely honest here, my wife drives it 70% of the time (commuting in poxy irish traffic), it reguarly returns 28 mpg (OBC), on a long spin down the country, it will show up to 35 mpg, cant beat that really

Great space in them for the baby stuff we have to cart around, real comfy, auto very smooth, great pulling power in the diesel 6, nice hum off it too

few things to watch out for when buying, diesel fuel pumps go reguarly , there are 4 of them, but main culprit is usually the one between the fuel tank and the engine, (brother a mechanic), its a ramp job to change this I'm afraid, front lower suspsnsion arms can go at ball joint, annoying clunk, easy fix, gearboxes have been know to go bang, loads of info on this on X5world forum, (its generally a US forum, and there're all on about petrol X-5's, so may not be relevant to Diesel), early cars 00-02 usualy have pixel problems on the dash display,
facelift model late 03 on have revised front end, they have another 30 odd BHP, and a shed load more Tourque, more advanced X drive system on the drive train also, if you ever go off road

As with all BMW's people love to (change) play with them, and if you look around on the forums, you can retrofit almost anything to them, parking sensors, Xenon headlights, Satnav, heated leather steering wheel, fancy an upgraded front end to the facelift model, no problem, all been done before, loads of gear on the bay for them, I've just installed a later model m-tech steering wheel to mine....£250 on ebay, with airbag!

Great car, you wont be sorry
Forums www.x5world.com ~ www.x5drivers.co.uk

we have a 3.0d, dont botha with the petol ones.. 26mpg av mostly town mileage

Geat 4 towing

Watch tubo's

tyes ae 250 each! so take note when you look at one

Cheers Guys, looks like the 3.0 diesel is worth a look then

Jhonno wrote:we have a 3.0d, dont botha with the petol ones.. 26mpg av mostly town mileage

Geat 4 towing

Watch tubo's

tyes ae 250 each! so take note when you look at one

Forgive the off topic, but has something happened to your 'R's?

Chris-W wrote:

Jhonno wrote:we have a 3.0d, dont botha with the petol ones.. 26mpg av mostly town mileage

Geat 4 towing

Watch tubo's

tyes ae 250 each! so take note when you look at one

Forgive the off topic, but has something happened to your 'R's?

He has a Jhonathan Woss keyboard at the moment.

Go for the 3.0D. Phenominal to drive and it will blow the 4.4 away for driveability.

The 3.0D can really be unleashed with a high quality remap (we have been doing this for some time) to give monumental torque and big increases in BHP to make the V8 look even less attractive.

Evo-S

Ahhh, good!

I was thinking along the lines of a remap, looks like the 3.0D is the winner then!

Sal, if/when I get said 'family car', looks like I'll be heading your way!

off topic, but wildeian, best avatar ever!

Cheers Dan!

ive owned two
both were facelift cars and both were 3.0d sports

dont bother with an se model
resale is shite and they look wank compared to the sport model

dont buy one without comms pack ie sat nav tv etc as again evrybody wants it come resale and prices suffer a lot

facelift if you can as its an even better bit of kit

both mine have been remapped and they are very quick for a big bus

facelift brings you the 6 speed auto box too (dont go manual) and the 218hp engine feels so much more alive

fantastic cars that handle(if a sport) really really well and buid quality is good

you wont regret it but dont buy anything but the diesel

its a no brainer once you drive one especially once you have a proper remap

jon

I'm considering an X5 at the moment for work. Currently have a Chev Silverado 6lt 4x4 truck which has its uses but filling up every 400km (15mpg) is gettin on my tits, every day I seem to be at the gas station.
Here in Canada BMW do not sell diesels so my only choice is the petrol 3.0Si or 4.8i. and it looks as though the fuel consumption is not much different between these two options so I should be able to get @ 600km between fill ups from the 85 lt tank ?
Personally I have always preferred the 6 pots to V8's maybe cos' the V8's had reliability issues a few years ago. I guess I should not worry about this now with the latest generation V8's?
Any ideas?
Thanks, Neil.