There is not much difference, I think the start/stop button chrome surround looks a little different and I have the perforated leather comfort seat whereas I just had comfort seats in the last one, otherwise other than the extra I have optioned up there is not much at all.

The 6mm offset castor bushes I had installed track the x5 straight now on the heavier left cambered roads which was my main beef with the Adaptive Drive option, it has a little more go as the 35d has about an extra 10kw but it's probably down to the new 5ppm BP diesel fuel thats out now.

The under carriage plastic trays have changed a little, they look like they have been made a little stronger, especially around the inspection points under the motor/transmission area! I have been on the beach several times already and in the previous E70 I had to get BMW to place screw into these inspection caps so they would not get ripped off all the time while on the beach.

Front rotors as of Oct 2008 went to 348mm x 30mm and they still are the same size on this new May 09 production model. I changed out the pads for ceramic and they work well. Oh, and I went for the 16 speaker HiFi system and have to admit that I have had all 3 versions of the BMW audio systems now in the 3 E70's that I have owned and would say you can certainetly tell the difference. I don't think I would ever go back to any of the other BMW audio systems after hearing this one.

Also having had the different range of tyres on the E70's I still say that these Dunlops are the least noisey and as RFT the dunlops are also repairable as long as the damage is not on the sidewall. Finally the Active Steering feels a touch lighter at speed, always thought in the previous E70 it was a little to heavy at 100kph but that could be the combination on this X5 tracking straight and maybe the dunlops.

So, having had 3 E70 X5,s, a 2007, 2008 and now a new May 09 production, all have had Adaptive Drive & Active Steering & self-leveling suspension with 3rd row seats & HUD, I can say that all 3 have driven different on the same road conditions that I travel each week, Hwy, Freeway, Dirt & Beach. The little changes like Sport Seats to Comforts Seats, different tyres and making changes to bushes & brakes certainetly makes the X5 feel different. The extra torque of the diesel is also up from the 2007 & 2008 E70 models and like any vehicle that starts to be pushed harder the handling starts to change, you drive it harder which means you stop it harder as well.

Overall, I think the one thing I have learnt is that buying the first release of a new model although the difference between a E53 & a E70 is like Chalk & Cheese is that every yearly refinement of the same model improves that model, and with that would probably wait for the Oct or April production line minor change to occur as the very first 2007 E70 I had was like an experiment.

I don't think they can get this 3rd generation E70 X5 much better as the Oct 09 production looks like getting some minor front & rear bumper changes and the new iDrive. Thats my $0.02

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X5 M50d White | 20" Rims | Adaptive Drive, Self-Lvl Susp | Act/Steer | HUD | Xenon, Adapt Lights | H-Beam Ast | Rear/Side Camera | Panorama S/roof | Auto Tailgate | Comfort, Active, Ventilated, Heating, Lumbar, Navada Perforated Leather Seats | Comfort Access | M-Steer Wheel w Pdle Shift |Sports 8-Speed | Active Crus Stop/Go | Proff Nav + TV, DAB | 16 Spk Ind Audio | USB |Internet-eMail-SMS-Apps | 4 Zone Air | Speed D/play | Towbar | 20% Tint | 5mm Castor Bushes | Yellow Calipers, Ceramic Pads |