A newbie question on comparison between a 2006 and 2007.
 

Hi all. Great Forum here.
I am looking at getting an X5 and would like to know the differences in drive train between a 2006 (E53) and 2007 (E70). I have heard that the 2006 and older transmissions are the weak point in the vehicle. Is the 2007 transmission any better? Any other major differences I should be noticing?
I am only interested in the 8 cylinder models.
Thanks!
Mike

With the E70, the V8 got larger. Transmissions are the same, but the E70 got a new selector. E70 is larger and heavier. 2007 is also the first year of a new model vs last year of a 6 year model run that had all the bugs out.

Thanks.
So is there any benefit on getting an '07?

It looks newer, and I imagine there are some new features... But not really many. A quick search of the web finds this:

2007 BMW X5 Expert Review - MSN Autos

It really depends what you re looking for. Drive both and decide.

For me, the 2007 was bigger and heavier, two things I didn't want. Others like the look and the room inside. Some like the new electronic options. I consider them a negative because there are more things to fail.

I like the lighter 2006 and that is is the last year of the model design. 2007 looks much nicer inside, but I am sure there are bugs that need to be worked out.
Does the 2006 4.4 have any issues to be concerned about? Does it have a 6 spd auto?
Thanks All for the input!

I love my 06. It has been (knock wood) quite trouble free for 6 years and 62000 miles.
I did not want the 3rd seat, and I am quite happy with my 3.0 engine.

But you really should drive both to decide....

ed in NJ

I never buy first production cars. After the nightmare I had with my Caddy CTS-4 3.6 DI, that sucker was in the shop and on a flat bed more then I drove it. Dealership finally put it out of its misery when they forgot to put oil in the motor, test drove it and the motor blew.

While the 2007 is the new model, I personally don't think it looks refined or any better. I am not a huge fan of the lines on the body or the third row, or the updates gear selector. I am a fan of mechanical things. Remember then days when you wanted 4WD and you had the gear selector for the tranny and then a separate selector to engage the transfer case into 4wd? I don't even think Jeep does it anymore. They were one of the last ones to have it. Now it is all buttons and such.

The E53 facelifted (2004-2006) models in the V8 range all come with a 6 speed auto box. It also came with an updated motor, N62. N62 introduced Valvetronic to the lineup. Problems with the motor that are prevalent is intermediate levers in the motor. There is a noticeable tick in the motor during cold start up. BMW's remedy to the problem was to replace the levers and shafts. I haven't heard of any Valley pan gasket problems with the N62 nor do I want to.

Best think for you is to drive both and then make a decision.

there are people who like the one for the same very reasons they don't like the other one - all is in the eye of a beholder.. I love the E53 and got myself the one closest to the end of the production as i possibly could...

But this disscussion can go on forever - look at the people who had E34 and then E39 came out - the die-hards hated the E39, as it was a radical departure from the older style, and then there were a huge crowd who loved it... I owned both E34 and E39 - E34 was more of a "BMW" and the E39 was a beauty queen even at a tender age of 14!!!

Test drive them back to back and again... then decide...

Thanks for the responses!
I should drive them to be sure of what I want. I agree that the first of the new model should for the most part be avoided. However, it doesn't seem like it is that much different than the 2006, is it?
Here is a question for the E53 crowd; will a single Chariot stroller fit in the back, with the back seats in the up position?
Thanks again!

if there is a load floor, you will have less height clearance, and if the rear seats are adjustable, you can gain (or lose) a few inches of the depth in the cargo area...

How big is the Chariot? got a pic?

I don't have a pic to upload, but here is a link to the images.
Thanks!
https://www.google.com/search?q=char...w=1435&bih=763

45.6 x 27.2 x 36.6 inches Full upright dimensions.
41.7 x 24 x 11.4 inches Folded dimensions.

I can't find the opening dimensions of the X right now.

it should fit without the 3rd wheel - it seems that the wheel is removable... is the rest of the stroller collapsible?

The 3rd wheel as in the jogging attachment out front? Not worried about that. The width (side wheel to side wheel) is what would need to fit.
Thanks!

41.7 x 24 x 11.4 inches Folded dimensions.

If these dimensions are accurate, I believe it would fit in a 4.8 with the load floor.

Normally width is not the problem its usually the height. I don't have the specs, or the vehicle to measure, but from memory there's room for that 3.5ft x 2ft dimension.

Here you go. This should help. Obviously you can go measure when you test drive one.

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...n-picture.html

Width is 26.5" I can take the wheels off if needed, so probably around 23.5- 24" wide.
I will definitely need to look at one I think.
Thanks!

I think that the 06 (E53) ARE THE LAST WITH A spare tire and a DIPSTICK to check the engine oil....unfortunately my wife thinks we "need" a newer one. Since she is the principal driver, our 06 is for sale Black Sapphire/Tan, Sport, Prem, Sirius, 54,000 miles MINT
email me if interested dak911(at) gmail.com....
Believe me I will be sorry to see it go.....never a problem....(but family harmony is more important) as long as I can keep my 997 Cab...

Thanks I appreciate it. However, you are a little far away and I would really like the 4.4 or 4.8. Thanks!

Marine
Before you discount the 3.0's you really should drive one. You'll be surprised at the power, and IMHO they are far less problematic than the V8's
I just cannot understand why anyone needs a bigger engine unless you are towing a heavy load...we routinely have 4 adults in the car and never feel the need for more acceleration.

You are right; I should drive one. I should probably drive an X5 to see how they are to begin with. :-)

I can't understand why people say they can't understand why own a 4.4/4.6/4.8? :D :rofl:

You have a point there!

I think you should drive a 3.0 and a v8 model and answer the question for yourself. ;) :thumbup:

That is a good idea.

Not to start a "war" but, where do you feel the need for V8 power...and have you driven a 3.0?
I have owned about 10 straight 6 Bimmers over the years starting with Bavaria's in the 70's and have driven 4.8 X's and to me (my opinion) there is more power in the V8 but it is totally unnecessary for the vehicle....as I said, unless you are towing a HEAVY load...and how many X5's do that?

No war here. Just poking fun with you. ;)

I'm of the opinion that if someone is "right" doesn't mean automatically another is "wrong".

Everyone has different wants and needs. This is not the first time, or the last, that this subject has come up.

Everyone has an opinion, as it should be. I've never driven a 3.0.

For myself, I simply like the 4.8 power for the exhiliration and fun. Not saying the 3.0 doesn't have those aspects but maybe not to the same degree.

I apologize if I maybe rubbed you wrong in some way. However, I assure you that was not my intention. :thumbup:

I currently drive a Dodge Ram Diesel that has about 450 hp. That is the main reason I decided to go with the V8 in the X5. I would rather have a little more than need a little more. We all know that it's not how fast you can go, but how fast you can hit the speed limit. :-)

I will try a 3.0 though, so I have an unbiased decision.
Thanks for the replies! keep them coming!

PS: I looked at a pic of the 2007 4.8 and it looks like there is a dipstick? I don't know; it was red on the end of it on the left side of engine towards the rear of the compartment.

I was in the same predicament, best 06 E53 or bottom of the barrel E70?

Chose to go with the best E53, its a nice ride & I'd suggest you just try em out.

Not to discount the E70 at all, I'll be buying one next year.

But bang for buck the 06 E53 is a good value proposition as well as being the best of the generation where as the 07 E70 is the first of the generation.

i got the v8 for better gas mileage.

That is so true on E53 facelift X5. V8 has better mileage.

I'm V8 all the way. I've driven a 3.0i before and in MY OPINION; when you have the A/C going, its hot, and going up hill (I.e. Palisades Park, NJ) it appears to be sluggish. Driving on the flat, it is just fine and the way I drive a I-6 would more than suffice. But just telling people when they ask, "Is that a 6?" And my reply, "Nope, that't an 8." It feel good. Plus the power is there and twin tails look better on any car. The pipes in the back of a 3.0 looks like a flaccid... ANYWAYS.

But when people ask about my new E53 and ask if it is a 6, I tell them... "Nope, it's and 8. Not the smaller 8, but the big MUTHA!

before the bimmerland, i had a ford crown vic, with 4.6L V8, and 190 hp. that thing had hard time reaching 70 MPH and the speedo was maxed out at 85 (the cop version goes a bit higher). When i was pegging the speedo at something over 85, maybe 90 or something, the car was ready to go airborne.
then i got into an E34 530, a 3L small V8 that had that alusil problem... mine did not have that problem, but at 3L displacement, 210 hp and the speedo that listed 140 MPH, that car would hit 90 MPH like there was nothing to it...
The E39 528 that i got, with an I-6 and 190 hp (same as the ford's V8), the car was flying, but still, you could feel those extra 20 horses in the V8... it was very subtle feeling and I can't pen it down but with the X5 i went all the way out and got the 4.6iS... That was AMAZING!!!

About 6 months after me, my cousin got an E53 with I-6, which I drove around... In all honesty, the 6 is plenty for that car and what 85% (maybe more) of people will use it for... probably it is enough for me too... but approaching the mid-life crisis hump, i needed something in my life to excite me, other than a 25-year old wife and couple of girlfriends - I needed the wind blowing through my brain!!!
Being too practical to buy a Corvette, or learn how to ride a Harley, or a crotch rocket, I went for the V8, to supplement my male ego...

That is all to it... In Europe they used to sell 518, E39s with a 4-cylinder... Heck, they even had 720, a huge 7-series with a funky 4 cylinder... and people bought them and enjoed them... V8 is like the icing on the cake, most people don't need it and buy just because they want it... Of course, some people tow things with it, but why would you bake bread, or split wood (or other dirtying labor) in a tuxedo? there are other, far better cars for the towing... or, for that matter of fact, off-roading...

As they call this type of "SUV" in Russia - it is a "parketnik", meaning that this type of an SUV is designed for a ballroom parket floors...

My $0.02

I love my E53 2005 4.4 sports. It's a great car and I do all the work myself. However, the looks of E70 V8 sports with 20' staggered wheels just blows my mind. I dream of owning one.

I know I would have a hard time buying a 3.0 just because I know there is a bigger engine out there. Go big or stay home, right?

Both are great trucks, 3.0 or V8.

For me, I don't really "use" the V8 power more than 30 seconds per day... merging, first at a stop light, or just having fun.

Sometimes I think... why do I suffer w/ 16 MPG?

A couple of reasons... the rumble of the V8, the sound under acceleration, the torque, the fact that I can tow if I need to. Beyond all of those "practical" reasons, there are much bigger underlying emotional reasons why I went for the 4.6...

Knowing I have the most bad ass X5 available, knowing I have one of the rarest X5s available, and knowing that I have one of the best performing SUVs around. :)

It's worth nothing on paper, but it's worth a whole lot when you get it and your face lights up.

Boys with toys....

I have to agree with you, Ed. My daily driver is my RAM at about 13-14 mpg in the city, so a V8 will be better on fuel than that anyways.

I have an '05 4.4 and my buddy and sister-in-law both have 06 3.0's. I have driven both 3.0's and can tell you that the power difference is huge. I don't really need the extra power but use it to put a smile on my face and to have a little safe fun when a Cayenne S pulls up beside me. Driving isn't always about getting from A to B in the most cost effective fashion.

I would guess by the never-ending quest by auto manufactureres to produce vehicles with more HP year after year tells me that I'm not in the minority.

My experience with the '03 4.4i has been fantastic. I wanted the V8 because we regularly drive into the mountains with a fully loaded car and I wanted the surplus power. It does not disappoint and it sounds beautiful when pressed.

In the city, however, it suffers poor fuel mileage. My wife has a 1.5 mile drive to work, with a little client visiting and errand running here and there and she is getting 12.6 to 14.5 mpg depending on when I reset the trip computer. When we've taken it on road trips to San Francisco or places east, I've been able to average 20-22 mpg while driving at a reasonable pace.

On my way to visit friends, I drove it alone up I-5 to HWY 198 which runs west from Coalinga to King City and had an epic romp with it that would make Fernando Alonso proud. The M62 V8, when being shifted manually or keeping the revs between 3500-5000 is a magic piece and the truly amazing E53 chassis begins to reveal itself. These X5's are really sports sedans with increased ride height. One can engage in confident, fast transitions and smooth four wheel drifts under power on corner exit.

I simply cannot heap enough praise on the car. Oh yeah, it's sans Sport Package too...

Since the car is so heavy, in-town mileage suffers from accelerating it up to speed. One up there though, it is smooth, torquey and efficient.

Just my $.05

As far as MPG, our 06 3.0 gets 17 city and on the highway if I keep it at about79 (just under 80 seems to be the safe speed for 70MPH speed limit) it gets 22-23 mpg and pulls away like a champ even at that speed.

Thanks all.
Can someone post a pic of their 3.0 and their 4.4 engines? I know the Cummins 5.9 six cyl definitely is easier to work on than the Chev or Ford V8's.
thanks