Buying a used BMW X5 (2007-2013)

The first BMW X5 came to Australia in late 2000, three decades after the Range Rover. The X5 looked to be a similar type of go-anywhere luxury 4x4 wagon, but all was not as it appeared.

Beneath the muscular BMW body sat a chassis more attuned to smooth bitumen than Outback tracks and there was no way the X5 would stay with a Rangie once the going got serious. 

The second-generation E70 BMW X5 appeared in 2007, with six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines and a 4.8-litre petrol V8. 

Basic and Executive versions of the six-cylinder cars were available, but just one level of V8 came to Australia and it cost almost $120,000. 

Around 70 per cent of local sales went to the 3.0-litre diesel and most of the rest to six-cylinder petrol versions, making the V8 a rare sight when new and now.

A 2010 update brought a minor restyle but the big news was mechanical revisions including a 4.4-litre V8 replacing the 4.8 that made 300kW and 600Nm of torque. 

All of the revamped X5s used a new ZF eight-speed automatic transmission.

A restyle and altered designation in 2013 brought F15 versions to the market but no significant change in X5 design philosophy. 

It remained as rapid and luxurious transport for up to seven occupants – the extra seat became optional in 2008 – but with enhanced ability to deal with rough roads. 

From late 2013 there was also an sDrive (rear-drive-only) version.

Buying Used: BMW X5 E70 2007-13 – Quick Checklist

A revised version of the inaugural BMW X5 took seven years to appear, by which time it was acknowledged as the new leader in a growing pack of large luxury SUVs.

The E70 shape echoed the original E53 but changes to the roof profile, angled glass and body panels were intended to reduce the implication that this vehicle should be considered a serious 4x4 off-roader. 

The most basic E70 – if you can call an $85,000 car ‘basic’ – was the 3.0si petrol version, filled with gear including electrically adjustable front seats, dual-zone air-conditioning, sensor-activated headlights and wipers, a multi-function screen plus a six-speaker sound system with Bluetooth. 

A reversing camera cost $1000 extra and worked in unison with front and rear parking sensors to avoid contact with other cars and objects.

No car-maker in the world concocts an options list the way BMW does, and opportunities to add ridiculously to the cost of an X5 were almost endless. 

For example, replacing the 18-inch wheels with 20s added $2648, the head-up display windscreen data display was $2754 and a glass sunroof cost an extra $3500.

The inline six-cylinder turbo-diesel was a workhorse engine with the inner spirit of a galloper. Few X5 owners bought one with the intention of slogging through deep sand or up fire trails, where the torque of a diesel was most needed – but it was there anyway.

The xDrive30d oil-burner was list priced in 2007 at $86,800 plus on-road costs and came with the same equipment as entry-level petrol versions. Average fuel consumption was claimed to be 8.7L/100km against 11.7L/100km for the six-cylinder petrol.

Jumping to Executive trim added around $10,000 but brought in sat-nav, a DVD player, position memory for the front seat electrics, a reversing camera and larger in-dash screen. 

The alloys remained at 18 inches but were different in design to the basic X5. 

Moving forward three years we find 2010-update X5s with amended pricing, more features and those improved engines. 

The new 3.0-litre petrol engine was designated xDrive35i and made 225kW with 400Nm of torque. For those who wanted their X5 with a V8 there was now a 50i Sport, with a 4.4-litre twin-turbo engine and 300kW.

The basic diesel with 180kW was listed at $92,100 plus ORCs and became the cheapest X5. Above it sat a higher-output version of the same displacement that lifted output by 45kW and torque to a truck-like 600Nm. One of those was going to cost $113,300, with the 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol at $103,900. 

Eight-speed ZF automatic transmission became standard across the range.

Safety and driver assistance features – some stock, some at extra cost – would now include a Top View camera collaboration to provide overhead vision of the car and its surroundings plus active cruise control to maintain following distances. 

Optional windscreen projection put important information right in the driver’s eyeline. 

Secondary safety features included airbags almost everywhere and would impress sufficiently for the tough Euro NCAP testers to award all X5 variants a maximum five-star rating. 

Looking to the subject of towing, E70 X5s will legally tow a braked 2700kg trailer, or one of 750kg without its own brakes. 

A piece of winding rural road with some decent straights and bumpy tightening bends is said to be the best place to evaluate a BMW X5, but most of us won’t have access to those conditions during a test drive. 

Around town in an eight-speed with the torque of a turbo-diesel underfoot, the X5 seems to be doing absolutely nothing at all – just wafting along with the traffic.

If you do find a place where the acceleration can be explored, then some fairly amazing claims can be confirmed. One of those is that a diesel two-tonner will indeed run from standstill to 100km/h in 7.6 seconds and perform an 80-120km/h overtake in 5.5sec.

Electrically-assisted steering, which other manufacturers sometimes get wrong, is very nearly perfect in the X5. Just don’t fall for the trap of lumbering yours with all-terrain tyres just because one day you might need to challenge a bush track. 

Suspension compliance is very much attuned to the factory-spec tyres, which also need to be running at recommended pressures depending on where and how quickly you are headed. 

Providing the trim has been regularly treated with compounds that repel sun damage, there should be no cracks in cabin plastics and the seat leather should remain soft and supportive. 

Not many X5s will have been used as load carriers but ask the vendor anyway to lower the rear seats to show the impressive cargo platform you will find in an X5.

Loads of electronic aids make life fun with a BMW X5, however they have to be working when you test the car and keep working even after the repair bills become your responsibility. 

The most important systems to check are fuel-use monitoring, the entertainment and Bluetooth systems, air-conditioning and speed monitoring.

Make sure the power windows and tailgate open and close easily and be wary of any X5 that won’t respond immediately when the ‘lock’ and ‘unlock’ functions on the access controller are tested. 

If they malfunction, children and pets can be locked inside with no way out except to smash a window.

Yes, the BMW X5 E70 is a good choice, providing you understand that what you’re buying was once an expensive luxury vehicle with parts and service charges still attuned to its original cost.

Comfort levels are exemplary if only five occupants are being carried. If you are in the market for something with seats for seven then perhaps look elsewhere because the pair of chairs in the BMW boot are best suited to people under the age of 12.

Pop some people in the back when test driving to ensure that cool air is making it to their faces and all the entertainment functions are still working.

Unless an X5 is appropriately priced, don’t saddle yourself with a car that will need specialised and costly repairs before everything works properly.

What to check for when buying used BMW X5 E70 2007-2013

Used vehicle grading for BMW X5 E70 2007-13
Design & Function: 12/20
Safety: 16/20
Practicality: 14/20
Value for Money: 10/20
Wow Factor: 14/20
Score: 66/100

Also consider: Range Rover Sport, Lexus RX350, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Land Rover Discovery