E53 to E70 - Whos Made the Switch, and what is your Opinion?

[SmartSolution]

I have an 04 530i with the M54 & I just got an 07 E70 3.0si with 84k miles one month ago. I love it! It was between an E53 and E70. Love the styling of the E70 so that's what I went for. As for the pre-2010s being a money pit we shall see where this one takes me. I'm already doing preventative maintenance as I learn the N52. My BMW tech guy who works at a BMW dealership said the 3.0si don't have a history of major issues. Would someone enlighten us on whether that is true or not? What should I look out for?

[bawareca]

N52 is as good as M54,but the water pump is $500+,fixing the ticking valve lifters may vary from $1k to $5k,transmission will be $3k+,self-destructing rear diff $2k+ and so on.
I meant for the OP,if his only reason to move to E70 is that he is afraid to spend a few thousands in the near future for the E53,it may backfire big time.If one wants to upgrade and is ready to spend more $$$ on the newer model that is perfectly fine.

[MRV99]

I went from a E53 4.4 w/ sport package to now my 3rd E70. Here are my observiations

1) interior: The E70 has a nicer interior but would not call it to die for. I have always like BMW interior so it is not a huge point of contention. The glove box sucks with its clam shell opening and you loose some storage in the center counsel if you have the smartphone integration.
The 20 way seats and the sport seats were better than the E53. The nav is better by a ton, the USB option is great.

2) Size. the E70 is noticeable larger than the E53. You may not realize it until you see them next to each other. Over all it is more comfortable and is to be expected with the larger car.

3) Engine/Trans: The E53 4.4 was a good little engine. I thought it played well with the trans and it seemed to have the power you needed. Of course, more is better in my eyes. Now lets move to the E70, I had the 4.8 w/ auto 6 and the 4.4TT w/ 8speed and they were very different in the same e70 body.

-4.8 NA w/ auto 6 was lacking. The trans seemed to be confused when you needed power. Example: Lets say you were lumbering along and you need to jump on the gas to make a move/pass and you floored it, it would immediately down shift to the lowest gear available which took a bit of a delay and then by the time it started going, you were past the torque curve and near redline, it would then up shift and the car would really start to move. The wife and I agree that it was a real weak point of the car. There were many times when she needed the get up and go and it was just too delayed for comfort. In and around Chicago, that delay can be very unsettling when you are dealing with Chicago traffic. Yes the 4.8 has I believe 80hp more than the E53 but the E70 was larger so the HP was not that big of an addition.

- 4.4 TT w/ auto 8 is a great combo. Once I got in the 4.4TT for a test drive I knew the LCI was a great upgrade. There is tons of power and the car just drove better. I had Adaptive Drive on all E70's and 20" wheels so it was comparing Apples to Apples. I thought the transmission was very smooth and always knew where it had to be to deliver the power seamlessly. Yes the 8speed was a huge leap forward over the 6speed and it really shows. The additional 40HP over the Pre-LCI e70 was very much welcomed. I felt that the X5 finally had the correct power to go with its size. I am in no hurry to purchase a F15 anytime soon. The e70 was a great leap but the F15 is not enough to extracts another 80K+ from my pocket book.

I can tell you this, the TT motor burns oil. The 4.8 and 4.4 na did burn a little but nothing like the TT. Based on our driving patterns, we see about 1qt every 1500-2000 miles which is acceptable for the 4.4TT. It is due to short drive cycles. If you get a TT, you will need to feed it oil. Highway mileage greatly reduces the burn. I do get mid-cycle oil changes on every BMW I own so it need to top it off, 2-3 times in between service.


3) Fuel Economy- Please don't fool yourself into thinking it will be better. we do 80% city and both e70's we get between 11-14 MPG city(average 22mph). When we road trip it, we get 16-21mpg(we average about 75-80mph). I actually felt the E53 got better MPG but then again it was had a different commute, more 60/40 H/C. To me I am not that concerned because we don't but but maybe 10k on each car a year so we are not putting on ton's of miles.

4) Reliability: I can only speak to my cars. The E53 saw 65k miles and the E70's have seen (46k, 6k, 35k). The E53 never really saw any issues. Few of the standard (having owned so many BMW's I have a higher tolerance) but almost all my issues were pre warranty period and have never really had to go out of pocket for expenses.

E70 (my07) was mechanically reliable and only saw a few warranty visits. tail light issue, blower motor issue, a few SIB updates and programing. Trim pieces and some recall stuff that was it.

E70(my11 LCI) Well lets just say 7 months of ownership, 600 miles and 63 days straight in the shop for some major electrical issues. BMW actually flew a guy from Germany to work on my car because it was they were so perplexed on the issues. They replaced every single module in the car and they still persisted. Needles to say, BMW was great about it, they ordered me a new 2012, without me knowing, and one day they gave me a call and said I can come pick up my car. When I showed up, they handed the keys to a new 2012, signed a couple of papers and I drove away with a 12 w/ 6 miles on the clock and more options than my last car(more cameras). (actually there were only 3 options i did not have anyway entertaiment, vented seats, and Auto CC) .

E70(MY12 LCI) This car has been pretty good. I have had a few rubber seals replaced, SIB for oil and cooling system, HI pressure sensor on the fuel pump, Rear AD shock replaced due to leaking and yes high battery discharge issues. Other than that, no issues what so ever.


5) Battery issues on the E70: This is something that all modern BMW owners are faced with if they have short commutes. I am very well versed in this issue so can explain. My 550/X5/M3 all began to have High Battery Discharge errors once we moved to our new house. Why, because our commute to work went from 15-20 miles each way to 2-5. Part of the BMW Efficiency in dynamics BS does not have a very robust charging system(without regenerative breaking they now have i nthe F bodies) On short commutes, you will find that the alternator will not recharge your battery on short runs. Basically you end up using the battery to start and no real charging happens. BMW tried to fix this with a new program which puts the X5 to sleep much quicker but it only slightly helped. I have been through a few batteries(under warranty) in all my bmw's since the move. My dealership gave me 2 chargers so that I could charge my cars every 2 weeks to help relieve this. To me, it is easier to plug the car in on a Sunday and let it charge over night than to have to deal with the discharge issue. Yes, I have a high tolerance for this stuff and most people freak over it, but I just accept my situation and do it.

In summer, it is less frequent, in winter, i charge it once a week. The wife jumps in, seat heater, steering heater defrost, ect just eat the battery. Since I have been charging it, no more discharge issue.


Overall, we are very happy with the e70 and have not looked back.

[edco]

Greetings all..
My 2 cents to this discussion..

I had an 06 purchased as a CPO in 07. It started having weird problems that were more annoyances than real problems, ie, the interior motion sensor went bad and the alarm (before I figured it out) would go off in the middle of the night, making for unhappy neighbors.

It had NAV which invariably gave bad info even after upgrading the map.

I found out that the leak that for years was blamed on plugged roof drains was actually due to a lack of whatever they use to hold the windshield in, as a huge gap of "stuff" was missing on the right bottom of the glass.

I went through 3 PS outside mirrors in the course of 3 months. Not related to the car per se, but more bad "juju", in my opinion.

Then the audio amp went out for the 3rd time in 5 years due to a leak somehow getting into the DS rear compartment.

Love the "new" CPO 11 E70. Much clearer screen, and I am finally able to use the iDrive without looking down. Nav is spot on every time.
As someone else noted much roomier inside than the E53. I don't agree that the clamshell center is a problem. But what is really great is CUPHOLDERS that actually fit CUPS without one of them having to be tilted.

I really don't like the look of the 18" Style 215 stock wheels, and at some point I may consider upgrading to OEM double spoke X6 19's or 20's (I think they are style 300) if I can find them cheaper than I have seen on ebay on CL. I also hate the ride on run flats, and was a bit paranoid about driving without a spare so I bought one of those donut with jack and handle kits from someone on XOutpost who had sold their X for a MB.

Love the puddle lights, the back up camera with lines. I had a local bud code my car so the mirrors tilt in when I lock the doors, and I can close the trunk from the key.

One final concern is the note that I got that there is a recall for Vanos bolts, BUT that there are no parts in stock. "If you experience engine failure, call your dealer". Lot of good that will do me 400 miles from home at 11PM...

Otherwise, I'm digging my new ride...

ed in NJ

PS. My mileage (with premium of course) seems to never get above 18MPG even with LOTS of highway driving without starts and stops....

[oztme]

Hi Guys,

Had an E53 3.0d for about 5 years, and it was wonderful. I pulled a 2200kg load all over the country, and it was a terrific car. Gave me little trouble; until it got written off when a guy side swiped us.

We now have a 2010 E70 3.0d LCI.

E53:
- nicer looking, but perhaps slightly dated now
- mine was quieter inside than my e70
- better mileage than we get on the E70
- Transmission sucked (common fault), thudded when changingg down gears..
- cruise control button locations on steering wheel better than e70
- could get a cargo barrier that could be used behind driver seats (B-B pillar)
- has annoying take-off lag, which isn't present in E70

E70:
- Mrs finds more pleasant to drive: speed sensitive steering is good
- iDrive + USB is good. HUD is great; automatic headlight dip is brilliant
- Love reversing camera with lines, and the top-view mode
- Love auto-levelling headlights for when we have heavy dive give in back
- HATE run flats. Will replace with non RFT once these have worn out
- Comfort access is brilliant
- Factory stereo much improved
- HUD is great
Can't comment on reliability, as it's only done 70,000kms

Cheers
Scott.

[williak7]

Hey all. Appreciate the forum. Read a lot but don't post much.

My 2004 x5 4.4 was just totaled. I'm looking into another, maybe in the 2011-2013 range. She had been pretty reliable at 164K miles, but the valve seals began to fail and I started having the smoking issue. Other that than I loved my E53. I pulled my ski boat regularly and had no issues.

so now my delima... I am looking into either the 35d, 35i or 4.? (depending on the year purchaed). I do not tow the boat as much because it is docked, but still want the power when I need it so that is the reason I am looking at the 35d. Those that have one seem to be pretty happy. I'll probably take a test drive in one this weekend. Compared to the 35i it seems the D has much better power. Just now sure how much I will miss my 8 cylinder.

Also, I had the sports package with the offset wheels and was going through rear tires yearly. I will not do that again. I believe if I purchase one with the sports package I can swap the wheels for something more standard size so I can rotate them to gain better mileage. Thoughts?

Thanks all!
Kevin

[ChuckG]

The X5 in the sport package can come with 19 inch wheels. I ordered my 2010 X5 35d with them.
Chuck

[BGM]

Originally Posted by williak7

Hey all. Appreciate the forum. Read a lot but don't post much.

My 2004 x5 4.4 was just totaled. I'm looking into another, maybe in the 2011-2013 range. She had been pretty reliable at 164K miles, but the valve seals began to fail and I started having the smoking issue. Other that than I loved my E53. I pulled my ski boat regularly and had no issues.

so now my delima... I am looking into either the 35d, 35i or 4.? (depending on the year purchaed). I do not tow the boat as much because it is docked, but still want the power when I need it so that is the reason I am looking at the 35d. Those that have one seem to be pretty happy. I'll probably take a test drive in one this weekend. Compared to the 35i it seems the D has much better power. Just now sure how much I will miss my 8 cylinder.

Also, I had the sports package with the offset wheels and was going through rear tires yearly. I will not do that again. I believe if I purchase one with the sports package I can swap the wheels for something more standard size so I can rotate them to gain better mileage. Thoughts?

Thanks all!
Kevin

The e53 4.4 Sport Package had Michelin Diamari's which were summer tires---if you get summer tires they are softer and not durable at all. The Bridgestone Duelers 20 inch (the optional staggered set-up on e70 Sport Package--some have Dunlop Sport Maxx though which are summer) are all-season so last longer--I have almost 35K on my Bridgestones. I also had the summer Dunlop Sport Maxx--those only last 15k.

[williak7]

So you have the staggered wheels and have 35K on the tires? How are you getting that much life out of them? My 19's (staggered) on my 2005 could only get about 15K on the rears with Continental UHP which I am sure because of the performance tire it was much less. But for my wheel sizes there were not many options available.

[TiAgX5]

Those Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tires have a 240 treadwear rating, not surprised they were gone in 15k miles.

The sad truth is there are much gripper summer tires with higher treadwear ratings. The Vredestein Ultrac Vorti has grip levels similar to the Michelin SuperSport, and have a 320 treadwear rating.

These are pics after almost 2yrs/over 20k miles, even with a few hot lapping sessions at Sebring. Running toe/camber at minimums.

European tire tests have shown the dry track lap times around 2 seconds faster then the runner up tire, a massive margin in the most coveted test segment for summer tires.