2007 x5 very harsh ride

[byaru1]

Originally Posted by andrewwynn

29 psi should be a decent trade off for comfort. Just monitor tire wear as "under inflated" tends to cause faster wear on the edges. You may be able to use something like 28/33 and rotate front/back occasionally to even out the wear.

I recently bumped up the rear psi to spec and noticed definitely harsher ride.

We are going to replace the tires soon with non run flat. Hoping they will have softer sidewall. (oh higher ratio also).

Agreed. I bump the rear to 32psi when carrying kids at rearmost 3rd row and any other heavy stuff.

Otherwise, 2 bar (29psi) was my perfect tradeoff for a less harsher ride.

[andrewwynn]

That's some gift feedback. Since we rarely have anything in back of the e70 I'm going to go back to something close to square psi

[leafsrule531]

Originally Posted by byaru1

I had the same rage when I got my 7-seater E70 2007 3.0si with sports suspension.

1st off, the sports suspension versions will always be stiffer than those without. Second, all 7-seat E70s have air at the rear, perhaps yours was modified by previous owner to coils?

To improve the ride on mine, I ditched the runflats (this improved the ride just a bit) and then played with reduced tyre pressures. The tyre pressure option works magic. I use 2 bar all round.

So my understanding is that the 7 seater x5 has self leveling suspension which is the “air suspension” that people talk about and there are airbags that keep the car up. That being said I just changed the shocks and struts in my x5 and the shocks are still a regular shock absorber as shown in the picture below. These are regular shocks and I don’t think this was modified … but I could be wrong ?

That being said I am running on 30 psi and I’m running 17 inch rims with Michelin latitude tour tires which are non run flats.

Car still drives a bit harsh and really uncomfortable in NYC roads especially in the back seats…. I guess my gripe is that it doesn’t really drive like a “luxury suv” but it’s good to know that others struggle with the same issue.


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[byaru1]

Originally Posted by leafsrule531

So my understanding is that the 7 seater x5 has self leveling suspension which is the “air suspension” that people talk about and there are airbags that keep the car up.

Correct.

That being said I am running on 30 psi and I’m running 17 inch rims with Michelin latitude tour tires which are non run flats.

I did not think there were 17" rim options for the E70. I thought 18" was actually the minimum. Are they OEM?

Car still drives a bit harsh and really uncomfortable in NYC roads especially in the back seats…. I guess my gripe is that it doesn’t really drive like a “luxury suv” but it’s good to know that others struggle with the same issue.

Well, like I said, it's the sports suspension version. So it is always going to be a little stiffer. I drove one without sports suspension option and it was indeed much less harsher at 30psi, in fact not harsh at all.

I have sometimes used 25psi and the ride did improve even more. But with large family always in tow, I'm more at peace with 30psi.

[leafsrule531]

Sorry that was a typo - they are indeed 18 inch rims. I just can’t believe BMW would put out such a harsh riding truck that they claim is a “luxury suv”. I guess I’ll live with it and try a lower psi maybe 28 all around and see if that helps.

Other than the ride - I do love the car a lot way more than the newer BMW suvs


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[andrewwynn]

Did I miss what model and size of tires? Many words are written about the ride comfort of various tires

[leafsrule531]

Originally Posted by andrewwynn

Did I miss what model and size of tires? Many words are written about the ride comfort of various tires

Michelin latitude tour 255 55 18. Prob around 40 percent tread left. These are non run flats.


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[andrewwynn]

https://www.tirerack.com/survey/Surv...titude+Tour+HP

Read the reviews. Plenty of comments about not a soft ride.

Also: you said 40% tread left but most people don't do that math correctly. Example: a typical tire starts with 11/32 and is completely worn at 2/32. Zero tread life is not 0/32.

40% is 2+(0.4*9)=5.6/32 many will think 40% is 0.4*11=4.4/32

A tire with 4.4/32 is 2.4/9=26.7% tread.

(I'm not sure which math you were using just a lesson for the majority that does that math wrongly).

(Also winter tires are no longer winter tires when they reach about 5/32 tread; many have a secondary wear bar to indicate that transition).

[crystalworks]

As I said. The E70 has the harshest ride (and stiffest steering) of all our X5s.

Many "luxury" SUV shoppers/buyers complained about the harshness of all versions of the E70. They changed the characteristic in the F15 to appease those shoppers and it is MUCH softer and floaty like a "luxury" SUV. I would not like the F15 without the adaptive handling suspension packages as my wife and I prefer a stiffer suspension. But we don't live in Jersey/New York either so I can understand you wanting a more compliant ride. Texas has fairly decent roads for the most part.

Not sure there is a way to make yours more compliant short of switching to coilovers so you have adjustable damping. Perhaps upsizing the 18's for more sidewall is an option? A different brand tire as Andrew suggests might help too.

FWIW, we test drove a 3 row before purchasing our 2 row. It was terrible for the 3rd row passenger (my wife). Immediately crossed off 3 rows from the shopping list.

[bcredliner]

Originally Posted by leafsrule531

Michelin latitude tour 255 55 18. Prob around 40 percent tread left. These are non run flats.


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Bought my X5 new. I am more into performance than comfort but over the years I have tried almost everything out there. I had two sets of Michelin Latitudes---fairly good performance tire but terrible for comfort. Very hard riding tire. Hardest riding tire of any I went through.

Last two sets have been Continental Extreme Contacts. Great performance tires but still a very quiet and soft ride compared to all other tires I have purchased. Also have a set on our X5M with same results. They are less expensive than most options. The sidewalls are soft so turn-in is compromised some but not so much it is a concern. Can't be sure you would have the same results as my tires are 20" so for what it's worth.