E70 observations - Week one

[rufusdedog]

E70 3.0 delivered one week ago. Initial observations:
- Quietest cabin I've ever experienced.
- Heated steering wheel is a gotta have.
- Pushing forward on the stick to go into reverse and pulling back to go forward is counter-intuitive. Should be the other way around.
- All outlets go dead when car is off. Can't use BMW lighter trickle charger.
-HUGE rotors really bring the vehicle to a halt quickly.
- BIG palm prints on the glass light lenses (inside the outer plastic lenses). Looks like they were installed by someone without gloves after eating lunch.
- Pockets on back of front seats are big enough for a thin road atlas. Nothing more.
- No oil dipstick!
- Comfort seats - I wish I could buy another one and replace my La Z Boy. The back of the seats articulate and are the most comfortable seats I've ever sat in.
- Ordered black interior but from the top of the doors up is tan. WTF? Should be same color in entire interior.
- I was expecting problems with idrive after reading all the negative comments. Well, I think they must have changed something because it's one of the best software tools I've used.
Overall: outstanding vehicle! Minor quibbles don't detract from a masterpiece of engineering!

[trueX5er]

thanks for the write up!
I would think the gear lever is intuitive, since you pull all the way back for drive, like normally, and forward for reverse, like the steptronic manual mode is set up.

While I drove my demo, I noticed that the E70 has extraordinary bright headlights. Did you notice?

How's the brake dust w/ the big brakes?

Oil level is buried in iDrive

I didn't order comfort seats, but they seem very nice!!

I've never heard of the two tone seats....like the Canadian ones?
I'm getting black too, but I thought they all black. I've seen it all black.
Please post a pic!

[Kewl X5]

If you got sports package, you would have gotten the "anthracite" aka BLACK headliner.

[Denalio]

Thanks. I like to hear REAL user reviews, not speculative hearsay from non-owners. Pics please

[rufusdedog]

On the seats, they're all black. The actual interior is black up to the bottom of the windows, then it changes color to gray (not tan, long day, I'm tired!). I guess I could have gotten the sports pkg just to get the black headliner but I have a Z3 for sport driving and don't really want to make a two and a half ton SAV a sport ride. One other point, when I parked the X5 next to my 02 Z3 I really noticed the difference in paint quality. The Z3 is smooth as glass where the X5 has some orange peel. The X5 is Space Gray and the Z3 is Sterling Gray so they're fairly similar in color. As far as brake dust, yup, you guessed it, typical BMW snowstorm of dust on the front wheels. I've learned to wax the wheels on the Z3 and that helps clean them off. And as for the dipstick, well, an electronic one is nice, but a real one is even more reassuring!

[330i2X5]

I agree with Denalio 100%.

I would love to hear more from actual E70 owners esp when people like us who are awaiting orders have questions....(maybe they're too busy enjoying their rides though !

Because of the help from this forum I will for sure be giving regular updates as a thankyou when I get my baby !

[xx3]

Originally Posted by rufusdedog

On the seats, they're all black. The actual interior is black up to the bottom of the windows, then it changes color to gray (not tan, long day, I'm tired!).

BMW and many other manufacturers do this - to make a black interior feel less like a cave...

Personally I much prefer that the entire interior is a uniform color. Alas, it seems my and your opinion are not in the majority.

[Quicksilver]

WE got an e60 and yep same thing - All outlets go dead when car is off. Can't use BMW lighter trickle charger.. Not very convienent.

- No oil dipstick! Another interesting decision.

As I have said before i"m not warming up to the e70 as of yet.

[Kewl X5]

I have driven all verisions of the E70 X5 3.0si and 4.8i and each one with and without sports package.

Actually, the ride with the sports package is better dampened IMHO and really not that rough compared with the non-sports package. IMO, the non-sports package ride was a little too floaty.

However, congrats on the new X5 and enjoy it.

The E53 X5 is a legend and the E70 has all the positive qualities that we have enjoyed on the E53 and then some.

[jcreed]

you can turn the outlets on without starting up the car by pressing the start button without stepping on the brake paddle.. i havent tried it.. but i was told thats how to turn the power on without having the engine on