BMW X5 E70 Review (2006-2013)

What is the BMW X5?

When BMW launched the original X5 in 2000, it proved that it was okay for an SUV to be better to drive on road than off it. Land Rover may have persisted with giving the Range Rover the ability to cross continents without touching tarmac, but the X5’s refined manners on ordinary roads won it an enthusiastic audience.

The BMW X5 mk2 – known also as the E70 by BMW enthusiasts – ramps up the sophistication over its predecessor and despite its age can give the latest generation X5 a run for its money. It’s a stylish 4x4, far more boutique than farmyard, yet with a hint that it might be up for adventure as long as things don’t get too muddy or rocky.

The E70 mk2 X5 was replaced in 2014 by the third-generation F15 BMW X5.

How practical is it?

The X5’s driving position is first-rate and its seats comfortable and supportive, particularly the sports chairs installed in the M Sport and M versions.

It's generously proportioned in the rear with ample head and legroom. Passengers seated in the middle will appreciate the fact that the cabin has a flat floor, and it also has the option of seven-seat configuration, although those rearmost chairs are suitable only for children.

However, most X5s are five-seaters with not only a generously sized boot – at 620 litres – but also a usefully large under-floor compartment. The X5 features a split tailgate, the lower section folding down to create a platform/seat.

What's it like to drive?

All BMW X5 E70s have an automatic gearbox: a six-speed in early cars and then an eight-speed automatic transmission after the 2010 facelift. The original engine line-up comprised an inline six-cylinder 3.0-litre turbodiesel, a 3.0 petrol and a 4.8-litre V8 petrol, with a more powerful 3.0 diesel arriving shortly afterwards. In 2009, the 547bhp twin-turbo V8 petrol BMW X5 M made its thunderous debut. With the 2010 facelift, the mainstream engines became more powerful and produced fewer CO2 emissions, while in 2012 an M Performance version of the 3.0-litre diesel was introduced with a trio of turbochargers and 376bhp.

Quiet and relaxed on the motorway, the X5 is also very playful on back roads in spite of its size, which is very much in keeping with BMW’s driving pleasure ethos. But although there’s much to recommend the X5, it’s prone to numerous mechanical problems and isn’t cheap to run.

Technology, equipment & infotainment

Inside the ambience is all premium/upmarket/luxury, with high quality plastics and trimmings and lovely-looking leather, especially the optional Nappa variety. There's a precision feel to all the controls and switchgear, and a touch of hi-tech thanks to BMW’s iDrive infotainment system, which operates a multitude of vehicle functions via a knob that twirls and presses, whilst connecting to a screen on the facia.

BMW X5 running costs

For a large, heavy, four-wheel drive SUV, diesel versions of the X5 perform comparatively well at the pumps. Quoted combined fuel consumption figures range between 34mpg and 37mpg, the latter for the 375bhp M50d, which is quite some achievement for an SUV that’s so quick.

The picture is nowhere near as pretty for petrol versions of the X5. The 3.0-litre straight-six models are claimed to give 27mpg, while the V8-engined cars struggle to break the 20mpg barrier, and driven with vigour, may plunge perilously close to single figures.

The diesel versions of the X5 may have been the first conventional SUVs to dip below 200g/km of CO2 emissions, but that doesn’t make them cheap to tax. Annual Vehicle Excise Duty rates range from £305 to £565, depending on the model. Predictably, the petrol-engined cars are worse, the annual tax bill sitting between £565 and £580. Insurance groups echo the other costs for the X5, with the range spanning groups 40 to 50.

By this stage in the life of a second-generation X5, it’s unlikely that you’ll be taking it to an official BMW dealer for servicing. Fortunately, the UK is well supplied with good independent BMW specialists that will service your X5 for comparatively modest money. We’ve seen prices as low as £135 for a full service (every 12 months/10,000 miles), £105 for an interim (every six months or 5,000 miles) and £95 for an oil service. We’d expect to pay slightly more than that, though, and bear in mind that on an older car with high mileage, there are bound to be other repair and maintenance costs to be added on.

Your recently purchased X5 is unlikely to have fresh tyres on it, so budget for about £160 apiece for the fronts (assuming you’re investing in a quality brand) and roughly £200 for each rear. If you’re buying an X5 for towing duties, it’s worth knowing that an aftermarket retrofit towbar can cost as much as £1,200, with another £700 to sort out extra cooling for the engine and transmission. For reference, the factory-fit towbar option was £600, so you may want to take your time and hunt down a car with one of these.

Satnavs were never standard on the X5 but were a popular option. If the satnav fails, dealers are asking about £1,500 to replace it. A specialist can mend it for about £250, but you might just want to plug in a separate unit or use a smartphone app.

BMW X5 reliability

Ever wondered why you can buy what was once a very expensive and popular prestige SUV so cheaply? Reliability issues affect the X5 as keenly as they do most other cars of its ilk. While some lucky owners are puzzled by this reputation, others understand it all too well.

Diesel particulate filters (DPFs) are the bane of modern motoring regardless of the badge on your car’s nose. When a DPF fails to function properly, it causes diesel fuel to pool in the engine’s sump and push up the oil level, in the worst-case scenario resulting in engine destruction. As a replacement BMW turbodiesel engine can cost as much as £20,000, it’s worth asking when the DPF was last replaced, or investing £300 or so with a specialist to clean out and refresh the existing one.

Staying on the subject of diesel engines, many BMWs suffered from the disintegration of the air intake system’s ‘swirl’ flaps, chunks of plastic which could be ingested by the engine and cause catastrophic engine failure. If the swirl flaps haven’t already been replaced, it’s worth researching specialist companies that sell sturdier aluminium alternatives. Other diesel maladies include failing glow-plugs, and on later engines, glow plugs that corrode themselves into the cylinder head.

Petrol and diesel engines suffer from weak and stretchy cam chains that rattle when starting from cold and can cause serious engine problems, all the way up to complete failures. Poor starting and rough running can be a sign that the fuel injectors are on their way out, as can excessive exhaust smoke at start-up.

Any SUV with air suspension is prone to both airbag leakage and air compressor pump failure, and the X5 is no exception. Suspension bushes are likely to require replacement from about 90,000 miles, while the electronic parking brake is prone to sticking on with older cars; many others premium SUVs suffer the same issue.

More mundane, but annoying all the same, is the fact that the silvery finish on some interior trim components is prone to flaking off and looking scruffy, and there are more cabin rattles than befits the BMW brand. And lovely though the prospect of the panoramic glass sunroof is, it’s irritatingly prone to failure.