X5 3.0D E53 pre/post facelift comments;..or 4.8 V8 facelift
Discussion
X3 3.0d rather than an X5 here but we get around 30-35mpg general use so 25-30 in an X5 sounds about right. As someone else said the 3.0d isn't that economical in town use, my 330d only gets around 30mpg around town.
If you can afford it I'd be tempted with the 4.8i! You could go LPG.
If you can afford it I'd be tempted with the 4.8i! You could go LPG.
Yes, smokey. Only when you put yout foot down mind - it can only be seen via the rear view mirror. ALL the X5 diesels will be the same.
If you don't do many miles I'm sure the cost of ownership will be cheaper on the petrol. The disels are a much bigger outlay in capital. It's just the depreciation over the next few years that's hard to work out.
If you don't do many miles I'm sure the cost of ownership will be cheaper on the petrol. The disels are a much bigger outlay in capital. It's just the depreciation over the next few years that's hard to work out.
I'm on my 2nd X5 diesel, the first was a pre facelift car.
The earlier cars had some issued with the 5 speed gearbox (auto) which could result in a very big bill. The later cars with the 6 speed don't have the problems.
The power difference is noticable between early and late cars and I get better MPG out of the later car. I average around 26mpg but do have a fairly heavy foot.
Be aware of the costs of things like tyres, I fitted new fronts today at £222 each, rears are more. They can be quite heavy on bushes and brakes too as they're heavy and can be thrown about more than you might expect.
Overall I bought another X5 when I wanted to replace the last one as I couldn't find anything I likes as much that covered all the bases. It drives better than most 4x4s and the diesel has enough poke for almost everything with the benefit that you can probably sell it if needed.
The earlier cars had some issued with the 5 speed gearbox (auto) which could result in a very big bill. The later cars with the 6 speed don't have the problems.
The power difference is noticable between early and late cars and I get better MPG out of the later car. I average around 26mpg but do have a fairly heavy foot.
Be aware of the costs of things like tyres, I fitted new fronts today at £222 each, rears are more. They can be quite heavy on bushes and brakes too as they're heavy and can be thrown about more than you might expect.
Overall I bought another X5 when I wanted to replace the last one as I couldn't find anything I likes as much that covered all the bases. It drives better than most 4x4s and the diesel has enough poke for almost everything with the benefit that you can probably sell it if needed.
Hi Harry, long time no speak!, you are in the same dilema i was, i only do 15 miles a day, but do use the car for weekends tugging my caravan around, a few of my mates have 3.0d's which i have drive a few times, but really sa i know i just love the look of the 4.8, the extended arches, the exhausts and of course the huge boots the wheels are wearing!, and of course being a v8 man the sound track you get from the 4.8, so i opted for the 4.8, much much quciker than the diesel if it means anything to you, i am getting 17mpg on my 15mile a day trip, around town 22 on a run 28 on a serious econemy run 36 (no more than 65 mph) and towing my 30ft caravan 22, planting it everywhere and having fun 8! ![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/7IPLbL1h.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/Daf7iey1" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/Daf7iey1.jpg)
Hi Rob, moved from my RV8 days now, done a similar thing and more with an AJP8 now
.
Good to see you are using a V8, although a BM one though for everyday use, I would be disappointed if you weren't in a V8 of sorts
.
Those figures for economy make very interesting reading, are you sure you can get it into the 30's tickling the throttle let alone 36, single figures when pressing on is no surprise though
. Most 4.8's available seem a little leggy, any experience in its ability to take mileage, first hand or anecdotal.
.Good to see you are using a V8, although a BM one though for everyday use, I would be disappointed if you weren't in a V8 of sorts
. Those figures for economy make very interesting reading, are you sure you can get it into the 30's tickling the throttle let alone 36, single figures when pressing on is no surprise though
. Most 4.8's available seem a little leggy, any experience in its ability to take mileage, first hand or anecdotal.I ran an 05 3.0D M Sport from new for a year or two. Great car which improved when mapped (I used a tunit box at the time).
Several european trips including a single 900 mile run from the south of France back home with nothing more than a single fill up near Calais and a rat burger at the tunnel.
I thenb moved onto a 4.8iS on a 55 plate. I bought it to replace a Boxster S I had along with the 3.0D X5......ran it for a year and put 34000 miles on it. I averaged 18.6mpg from memory over that year, but in London would regularly see low teens at best.
BMW X5 4.8iS by Martin_Bennett, on Flickr
BMW X5 4.8iS by Martin_Bennett, on Flickr
A great looking car with a wonderful noise.
To those who think it's fast........I don't think so, or if it is you don't notice (I did have an indicated 145mph on the way down to Le Mans that year though!). To be honest I think the 0-60 times given are frankly rubbish and it would be lucky to get there in under 7, let alone under 6 as quoted!
A great noise, but that's as far as I would go. The gearbox is s
te, the pano roofs have a problem and as has been mentioned they can start to be costly when leggy. I bought mine when it was 9 months old with 2700 miles on the clock. I paid £20000 less than list (£45k - ex-BMW management car), and I sold it a year later having driven a further 34,000 miles for £36k which was bloody cheap motoring I would say.
Do I miss it?
No
Would I have the 3.0D or 4.8iS
3.0D all day - it's as fast (especially when mapped) as the 4.8 in everyday use. It returns far better MPG and can look identical aside from the exhausts (Le Mans version for example)
Obviously either is a fine car, but the 3.0D gets my vote
Several european trips including a single 900 mile run from the south of France back home with nothing more than a single fill up near Calais and a rat burger at the tunnel.
I thenb moved onto a 4.8iS on a 55 plate. I bought it to replace a Boxster S I had along with the 3.0D X5......ran it for a year and put 34000 miles on it. I averaged 18.6mpg from memory over that year, but in London would regularly see low teens at best.
BMW X5 4.8iS by Martin_Bennett, on Flickr
BMW X5 4.8iS by Martin_Bennett, on Flickr
A great looking car with a wonderful noise.
To those who think it's fast........I don't think so, or if it is you don't notice (I did have an indicated 145mph on the way down to Le Mans that year though!). To be honest I think the 0-60 times given are frankly rubbish and it would be lucky to get there in under 7, let alone under 6 as quoted!
A great noise, but that's as far as I would go. The gearbox is s
te, the pano roofs have a problem and as has been mentioned they can start to be costly when leggy. I bought mine when it was 9 months old with 2700 miles on the clock. I paid £20000 less than list (£45k - ex-BMW management car), and I sold it a year later having driven a further 34,000 miles for £36k which was bloody cheap motoring I would say.Do I miss it?
No
Would I have the 3.0D or 4.8iS
3.0D all day - it's as fast (especially when mapped) as the 4.8 in everyday use. It returns far better MPG and can look identical aside from the exhausts (Le Mans version for example)
Obviously either is a fine car, but the 3.0D gets my vote
Thanks for that 'santa' (gedit ) most interesting to hear from someone that has run both.
When you say the gearboxes are ste, I understand the pre-facelift 5 speed was more 'delicate' but the facelift 6 speed was an improvement, is it really that bad across the X or just in the 4.8 guise, as I read the shift points, in particular down shifting, didn't really match the V8 character 
.
) most interesting to hear from someone that has run both. When you say the gearboxes are s
te, I understand the pre-facelift 5 speed was more 'delicate' but the facelift 6 speed was an improvement, is it really that bad across the X or just in the 4.8 guise, as I read the shift points, in particular down shifting, didn't really match the V8 character .HarryW said:
Thanks for that 'santa' (gedit ) most interesting to hear from someone that has run both.
When you say the gearboxes are ste, I understand the pre-facelift 5 speed was more 'delicate' but the facelift 6 speed was an improvement, is it really that bad across the X or just in the 4.8 guise, as I read the shift points, in particular down shifting, didn't really match the V8 character .
From memory 4th to 5th was appalling when doing anything other than driving slowly!) most interesting to hear from someone that has run both. When you say the gearboxes are s
te, I understand the pre-facelift 5 speed was more 'delicate' but the facelift 6 speed was an improvement, is it really that bad across the X or just in the 4.8 guise, as I read the shift points, in particular down shifting, didn't really match the V8 character .It never felt 'good'. I did mention it a few times to BMW, but of course......'they all do that Sir'!
Inphase999 said:
Had an 53 plate 3.0d - auto box went at 41k 4years old - gm gearbox seam to remember - £9k for BMW replacement - had better days at that time as warranty had expired as well!
Cheers for the bump.I've heard of failures for the pre facelift 5 speed unit before now, enough to think an old XC90 maybe a better bet.
Any more 'experiences' pre and post please.
Just my few observations...
I bought a facelift 3.0D, not because I really needed the economy as I don't do that many miles per year, although 35+mpg on the motorway is amazing for a heavy car. I think I would have a real problem selling a V8 in a year or two, despite the lower initial purchase cost.
£260/year road tax is nice (if the car was reg. pre March 2006), and my Toyo Proxes were only £136 for the rears a few weeks ago.
The diesel facelifts have a 6 speed box (instead of 5) and a more powerful and economical engine. The 4-wheel drive system is quite different, I think BMW nicked bits of the technology from when they owned Range Rover.
I bought a facelift 3.0D, not because I really needed the economy as I don't do that many miles per year, although 35+mpg on the motorway is amazing for a heavy car. I think I would have a real problem selling a V8 in a year or two, despite the lower initial purchase cost.
£260/year road tax is nice (if the car was reg. pre March 2006), and my Toyo Proxes were only £136 for the rears a few weeks ago.
The diesel facelifts have a 6 speed box (instead of 5) and a more powerful and economical engine. The 4-wheel drive system is quite different, I think BMW nicked bits of the technology from when they owned Range Rover.
FWIW I had an E53 Facelift 3.0d for a while , I bought it as an ex demo and loved it , sterling grey with tobacco leather, fuel economy was 28 -30 no problems except rear light clusters failing.
Some years later I bought another to cope with wintry conditions as an 'emergency car' , again loved it on winter tyres and averaged 32 mpg on a run.
Volvo XC90 I drove was utterly gutless and rough by comparison and I think has gearbox issues of it's own
HTH
Some years later I bought another to cope with wintry conditions as an 'emergency car' , again loved it on winter tyres and averaged 32 mpg on a run.
Volvo XC90 I drove was utterly gutless and rough by comparison and I think has gearbox issues of it's own
HTH
Inphase999 said:
Had an 53 plate 3.0d - auto box went at 41k 4years old - gm gearbox seam to remember - £9k for BMW replacement - had better days at that time as warranty had expired as well!
Did BMW not offer a very substantial contribution? Even Mercedes would probably have paid at that age/mileage.Resurrecting this old thread rather than starting one, I'm pretty much in the same situation as HarryW and wondering what version you ended up in (if any)?
I've ruled out pre-facelift and 3.0i due to the old 5 speed 'box. So I'm 80% on facelift 30d and 20% 4.8i (actually probably nearer 90/10 :P).
I'm not in any immediate rush and have only just started looking, however I'm aware of the anecdotes of seasonal pricing (buy convertibles in winter sell in summer, and the converse with 4x4s) - Is this real or just hearsay?
I'm ideally looking to spend around £8k as it will be a second car and due to potential bork factors of these I wouldn't really want to spend more without just plumping for an E70, would a 100k mile+ example be reliable for towing a car trailer or would that likely finish off the gearbox?
Any advice from past/current owners much appreciated
I've ruled out pre-facelift and 3.0i due to the old 5 speed 'box. So I'm 80% on facelift 30d and 20% 4.8i (actually probably nearer 90/10 :P).
I'm not in any immediate rush and have only just started looking, however I'm aware of the anecdotes of seasonal pricing (buy convertibles in winter sell in summer, and the converse with 4x4s) - Is this real or just hearsay?
I'm ideally looking to spend around £8k as it will be a second car and due to potential bork factors of these I wouldn't really want to spend more without just plumping for an E70, would a 100k mile+ example be reliable for towing a car trailer or would that likely finish off the gearbox?
Any advice from past/current owners much appreciated
Edited by Phateuk on Wednesday 26th November 12:31
'Twas a passing phase, never got one in the end, I did get a FL2 HSE for while after this but then moved onto a EClass estate! Now considering a Disco Sport or more likely a GLC when they are released next year.
I've mused over V8 defenders, Discoveries and RR Classics since, but my head always gets in the way!
I've mused over V8 defenders, Discoveries and RR Classics since, but my head always gets in the way!
HarryW said:
'Twas a passing phase, never got one in the end, I did get a FL2 HSE for while after this but then moved onto a EClass estate! Now considering a Disco Sport or more likely a GLC when they are released next year.
I've mused over V8 defenders, Discoveries and RR Classics since, but my head always gets in the way!
Interesting, I could have the option to buy my dad's FL2 HSE, however they seem a bit "low-rent" inside, the dash and nav etc with the green LCD looks pretty dated for an '08 car to me; the e53 seems to have aged a bit better (maybe I have slightly lower expectations as it's effectively from the previous generation to the FL2). Hmm..I've mused over V8 defenders, Discoveries and RR Classics since, but my head always gets in the way!
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