BMW X5 - another Munich money pit...?

[MarkwG]

Good evening, long term listener, first time caller...

Decided to add our latest vehicle to the forum. The fleet currently includes a Fiesta Red Edition, an e36 M3 Evo saloon, & an Alpina B10 V8. Decided back in the summer not to opt for another company lease car, the list is so small now, thanks to the CO2 limits, the costs really don't feel worth it. I've tried the hybrid revolution, & it's not really working for me yet. That meant press ganging the M3 into the work commute, & bringing the Alpina back out of hibernation to share the task & the family thrashes. However...time & tide wait for no man, & whilst the M3 is OK for the car share, it's not ideal for three blokes, bit cosy; a lack of weekends has meant it's bigger brother is still snoozing, as it needs a touch of enthusiastic fettling before it's truly match fit.. So how to resolve the conundrum: how about a tall 5 series with a big boot & a nice diesel engine - man maths naturally !

Enter a 2005 e53 X5 4.4 V8, dressed in Highland Green with beige leather. Not exactly the oil burner I'd planned, but on balance, why not? It's well optioned, full history & just over 100k so nicely run in, with a cover, & a set of winter wheels & tyres too. It's 14 years old, so a little bit of tidying, but nothing that will take too long I hope...! So far, it's had a good internal clean, to be fair it was pretty good to start with. Let's see how it plays out...

[Hashtaggggg]

This will be interesting

Fingers crossed for you

[rayyan171]

Nice!

[d_a_n1979]

Lovely

Best one IMO, it’s an E39 on stilts

[gchristofi]

Had mine 12 years and 110k miles now and can't bring myself to sell it on even though I have an e70 40d replacement! e53 v8 is just a more involving drive and a practical car that feels gti chuckable on b roads with sport suspension. I had an lpg system fitted 5 years back and it's worth considering if you're planning to keep it for years and do the miles... with equivalent of 32 mpg on gas I'm further compelled to jump in the e53 over the e70 for plenty of journeys. It's also a more practical size than the newer SUVs. Yes, they can bring big bills also big rewards too.

[MarkwG]

Thanks folks: yep, there's certain amount of teeth sucking involved with an older prestige vehicle, so I'll be treading carefully, binge watching the "how to fix" videos in the evenings. Fortunately the previous owner was an X5 fan, having three prior to this, & a petrol head too, with some other treasures in the garage. Sadly I didn't get to meet him as he's in hospital; all dealings done with his son, whilst he undergoes treatment. All the photos are from the ad (except the last one...).



The wheels & the window tints were added post delivery I understand, not a big fan of dark, but we'll see. The wheels were on my list anyway.



The extendable luggage wasn't on my hit list, responded well to a clean & interesting to see whether it does come in handy.



The beige leather & the comfort seats were on the hit list: our other BMs are black leather interiors, so good to have a change, & I'm after a bit more of a relax with this one. Other options include the panoramic sunroof, which works well, air suspension, heated seats front & rear, interior mirror with a compass, sat nav, but not the TV or phone package, might look to add them, speaker upgrade, detachable tow hook & various other bits & bobs.

I quite like the green, never owned a car that colour; the wood is ok, & the beige makes it nice & light inside...I think it has the feel of a modern take on the classic Range Rover...

[FATCO]

Very nice! Good luck parking it at the coffee tasting centre

[spaceship]

Really like that, looks great. I’ve always wanted one.

What are the potential big bills with these?

[finlo]

spaceship said:

Really like that, looks great. I’ve always wanted one.

What are the potential big bills with these?

2k bill every time it goes in, set of tyres 2k central locking packed up 2k etc ask me how I know

[gchristofi]

spaceship said:

Really like that, looks great. I’ve always wanted one.

What are the potential big bills with these?

Big ticket items that may pop up include intermediate lever and / or valve stem wear on N62 v8s and gearbox rebuilds on the pre-facelift (mainly diesel) 5 speed autos. As is often the case, these issues possibly command more column inches online than they deserve compared with the percentage of cars afflicted.

There's obviously an element of luck but also a big effect on running costs depending on how you plan to use the car. If it's your main car and you need it repaired yesterday and always pay a garage to fix things, the costs will certainly be much higher then if you have time to work around things and have some spannering ability to keep things sensible. These cars have enough of an enthusiast following that there is a good amount of online information from good sources to answer most queries.

The biggest bill I've had in 12 years and 100+k miles is an alternator at 120k which was around £500 fitted at a garage. The remainder has all been consumables. e.g. a full set of Michelin tyres at around £800 but good for 40k miles a time. Again, there are some budget tyre alternatives at £300 a set getting almost universal praise too so there's not always a need to chuck money at things.

[Mr Tidy]

That looks lovely OP.

I hope it treats you well!

[Court_S]

That looks pretty damn good OP - love that engine too. It makes a lovely noise too.

Good luck.

[Jack Mansfield]

Great spec OP! Liked it so much I've popped it in the queue to go on our Facebook & Twitter - keep an eye out for the 5pm post

[cerb4.5lee]

Love these and those comfort seats do look lovely.

Yours has some very nice options on it. I used to have a 2004 4.8iS nearly 10 years ago now and I just couldn't get enough of the lovely V8 noise.

Wishing you all the best with it.

[Shakermaker]

I have to say.. I used to hate these. But I was offered my cousin's old one, just like yours but in blue, and i somewhat regret not snapping his arm off to take it.

I'm sure I read online that the common gearbox/transferbox issue is one of those that has, with the passage of time, allowed an industrious aftermarket supplier to come up with a fix for these which only costs about £4, replacing a small plastic cog with a metal version, assuming you can get the box off yourself and opened without worrying too much.

[g3org3y]

V Nice, super colour combo. Looks great especially as a facelift.

Had been looking at these E53s as well but must admit was wary of the V8s (looking at the 3.0 M54 petrol), will be interested to see how you get on.

[stevieeg]

If you are as lucky as me you will be very happy... I bought a 2005 4.8is Exclusive a few years ago.

I have serviced it myself (an Inspection 2 and two oil services), used INPA to cure a few air suspension niggles and replaced and encoded a steering angle sensor.

Bought a 2nd hand M3 SMG steering wheel and bits to give it a paddle shift which just transformed it really... thoroughly recommended mod. About £900 quid in parts, £1000 in tyres over 3 years and 30,000 miles. Bad: 18mpg, poor ride quality and not incredibly fast. Great: Beautiful cabin and leather, mean exterior looks and an absolutely awesome V8 woofle. Surprisingly good in even deep snow contrary to other opinions on here!

Good luck. Its a solid, solid machine and despite its flaws I love mine.

[MarkwG]

Thanks all for your kind words: I was feeling a little sheepish, as I've often made fun of the "mummy truck/Chelsea tractor", but we do live sort of in the country, & it will be doing some hefty towing, long haul & tip run stuff. It doesn't snow around here often, but when it does, everywhere grinds to a halt - the ability to a least try to get home from the office 30 miles away has a lot of appeal. It's not the only car, so brief intermissions for unplanned mechanical attention are acceptable, provided it's entertaining to drive & otherwise behaves - we have a great BMW specialist within walking distance, & it does make a lovely V8 burble, as they do . There are some useful fixes for some of the big wallet bashers now, the transfer box gear being one, & it's had a lot of attention recently at a good independent.

A couple of friends run them, one for a year or so, the other since his was nearly new, & both rave about them. One's a fairly well used 4.4, the other a very well cared for 4.6: a run in the 4.6 may have influenced my opinion a touch .

In other news, & just for any doubters no doubt, our first amber warning light on the way home - the TPMS decided the pressures weren't correct, turns out it was right, so a few puffs of air, a reset & we're back in the room.

Jack Mansfield said:

Great spec OP! Liked it so much I've popped it in the queue to go on our Facebook & Twitter - keep an eye out for the 5pm post

Thanks Jack, fame at last! I'll see if my teenage Twitterati notices...

Edited by MarkwG on Wednesday 4th December 22:17

[m20b25]

Looks nice, can’t beat comfort seats

[Rathbone]

That is a shockingly tasteful car, OP. It seems both that model and example have aged rather well. And a V8 too. I hope it proves kind on the wallet. Good luck!