Looking to upgrade. What are some E70 cons?

[x5beamr]

Hi All,

I have an E53 X5 and the wife's been bugging me for about a year to get the new E70. We want it particularly for the extra seating row that sometimes would come in handy with the E53.

So, for the pros, it's fairly easy - new, the extra seating - but I heard/seen a couple of things that bug me and I wanted them confirmed:

1. the self closing doors/rear hatch do not have sensors so kids fingers may be squished - that is a huge NO NO
I have heard of this one from a friend who just bought one.

2. stepping in and out is harder than on the E53 as the side sill/kick plates are quite wide. As it is, in the E53, my kids are OK at getting in and out but they still get their clothes dirty often enough if I don't help them.

I went to the car show and getting in and out of the driver seat I am sure I'd get my pants dirty, which is irritating. Doors feel way flimsy as well compared to the E53.

Can anyone give me their point of view if anyone else has moved from an E53 to the E70? How about the extra seating for casual use? Does anyone have those?

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[M6X]

Originally Posted by x5beamr

2. stepping in and out is harder than on the E53 as the side sill/kick plates are quite wide. As it is, in the E53, my kids are OK at getting in and out but they still get their clothes dirty often enough if I don't help them.

only if you have running boards. should you decide to get them you can always step on the running board first then get in or out. takes an extra 0.5 seconds though.

[golfer4life]

Love the 3rd row seats. It's very convenient when I need to haul extra kids for games and practices. Again, the 3rd row seats are for kids, not for full size adults.

Running boards are great also when you have kids. Helps them getting in and out of the car. Just like what M6X mentioned, you can step on them getting in and out of the car if you're concerned on getting your pants dirty. Never an issue for me.

Auto rear hatch was not available on MY07. I wish I have them. My daughter has a tendency to slam that rear door shut after I drop her off at school and it irritates me. That rear hatch is also pretty hard to reach for younger kids so I sometimes have to get off the car to close the hatch after I drop off my daughter to school.

I'm not sure how the auto rear hatch would be a concern for kids squishing their fingers. You would have to look on your rear view mirror to see if there's a person behind you anyway before closing it shut. Or you can turn on the PDC/back up camera to look behind or use the sensors. If you have kids sitting in the 3rd row, you will have to make sure that they are wearing their seat belts anyway before closing the rear hatch to make sure they don't reach back there.

[kimg9582]

closing of auto rear hatch can ONLY be activated via a button on the bottom of rear hatch. So, someone has to stand by the rear hatch and push the button. So, if you are smart enough to push the button, I assume that person is smart enough to stay out of the way while the door is closing slowly....

[x5beamr]

Thanks for the feedback received so far.

Hmm.. true all the X5s I have seen so far have had the running boards, which I think they look great but I have small kids.

Getting in/out won't be easy for them for another 3-4 years and stepping on the running boards is out of the question for them. If they could step on them, I wouldn't have to worry about them cleaning the running boards with their jackets to begin with

So, the rear hatch cannot be closed form inside the car?

How about the normal side doors - they seem to have the same soft closing system....

I can see how for anyone without kids it's hard to understand why I should not let Darwin take care of the smart ones, but believe me even smart 2-3-4 year olds will get their hands in the wrong spot at times...

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[brian5]

Originally Posted by x5beamr

Thanks for the feedback received so far.

Hmm.. true all the X5s I have seen so far have had the running boards, which I think they look great but I have small kids.

Getting in/out won't be easy for them for another 3-4 years and stepping on the running boards is out of the question for them. If they could step on them, I wouldn't have to worry about them cleaning the running boards with their jackets to begin with

So, the rear hatch cannot be closed form inside the car?

How about the normal side doors - they seem to have the same soft closing system....

I can see how for anyone without kids it's hard to understand why I should not let Darwin take care of the smart ones, but believe me even smart 2-3-4 year olds will get their hands in the wrong spot at times...

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1. Running boards. I decided against them. I am ambivalent on the look but they stick out too far. There have been some staining and other issues too.
2. In US-spec, the only way for the tailgate to be closed is for someone to press the button on the tailgate. If you have the tailgate open all the way, a 10-year old has to jump to close it. I assume the Canadian spec is the same.
3. In US-spec, there are not soft closing doors.

[x5beamr]

Thanks brian5.

Ok, this is making me feel better - so without the running boards I'm not looking at the ridiculous half a meter distance to step into the vehicle?

Originally Posted by brian5

1. Running boards. I decided against them. I am ambivalent on the look but they stick out too far. There have been some staining and other issues too.
2. In US-spec, the only way for the tailgate to be closed is for someone to press the button on the tailgate. If you have the tailgate open all the way, a 10-year old has to jump to close it. I assume the Canadian spec is the same.
3. In US-spec, there are not soft closing doors.

[brian5]

Originally Posted by x5beamr

Thanks brian5.

Ok, this is making me feel better - so without the running boards I'm not looking at the ridiculous half a meter distance to step into the vehicle?

Not at all. You leg might still touch but I haven't found it an issue. I don't have an E53 to compare to though.

[x5beamr]

Yes, in the E53 the reality is that my leg still touches but it's what I consider "normal" from my experience with other vehicles.

Originally Posted by brian5

Not at all. You leg might still touch but I haven't found it an issue. I don't have an E53 to compare to though.

Does any one know, can you get the third row seating ordered on any car? ie, if I don't buy it brand new from the dealer, and I buy a 1-2 year old X5 without the third row seating, can I still order it and have it installed?

[y5choi]

I have the running boards but they tend to stay fairly clean (they are sloped down) and my pants really don't get dirty usually.