E70 Options, Packages, Issues
 

I currently have an `06 E53 3.0i w/ Sport and Cold Weather Package and am thinking about upgrading to an E70. I know there are a ton of 'switching from E53 to E70' threads and I have read many of them, but I have some questions to help me look for the options I want. I have some options that are must have and others that I prefer to have. Many of the listings have the options listed in paragraph form, which takes a while to decipher, or I go to the pics to look for options I want.

Can anyone direct me to where it lists exactly what is included with the Sport Package, Technology Package, & Cold Weather Package? I saw a site where I can lookup VIN to see all options, but can't find that either.

I went to test drive an `09 3.0 the other day and was surprised to find it didn't have Nav - I figured they all did. Between that and the dark brown interior, I won't be getting that one, but it had 80K mi, very clean, listed at $14,900 from a small dealer, and it looks like I can find similar with options I want around that price. I read that I should look for built after 11/08 to avoid ticking valve lifter issue, so that's where I am starting, and I think I want to stick with the 6 cyl for reliability. While the E70 is a little bigger than the E53, to me it seemed a little more cramped from the driver's seat and felt like a smaller car to drive.

I wanted to stay around $15K, but now I'm looking at some `11 xDrive35i's at 75-80K mi for just under $20K, so I am leaning toward that, but definitely don't want to go over $20K. I think I read about some electronic issue that was de-bugged for 2011, but I can't remember what it was (charging system?). Looks like with similar mileage, an `11 is about $5K more than an '09, but that gets me N55 instead of N52 and 8 speed ZF instead of 6 speed ZF, and I'm assuming both would be more reliable.

I think I am going to check out an `11 with 75K mi today that has most, but not all of my boxes checked - small dealer has it at $19,900.

Must haves: Nav, heated front seats, light tan interior, 6 cylinder

Like to have: heated steering wheel, luxury seats with more adjustment points (whatchacallit?), heated rear seats, no 3rd row, darker window tint than the one below, backup camera (if they have Nav, will they always have backup cam?)

Today's test ride:

5UXZV4C56BL738215

https://static.cargurus.com/images/f...-1024x768.jpeg

enter the last 7 of the vin on this site bimmer.work : VIN Decoder for BMW

Thanks - perfect! (although I don't know what all of these options mean)
This one is pretty loaded - I like a lot!

It says 488 Lumbar Support Driver/front Passenger, but I don't think this is the luxury seat like the one I drove the other day:

https://static.cargurus.com/images/f...-1024x768.jpeg

Nav doesn't always mean backup camera.

I just picked up an 09 XDrive30i back in October. Has the beautiful sport seats, saddle brown leather (cinnamon with black accents), but doesn't have the pull up sun screens in the rear, doesn't have backup camera, doesn't have heated rear seats, headlight washers, or 4-zone climate. Doesn't have SiriusXM, but is prepped for it. I picked up a receiver on Ebay for less than $100 and will install it and get it coded as soon as I can find a bracket to mount it. Good thing is, it is a Sport. Overall, I think I did well. Took me five months to find the one I wanted.

I really like that interior color - more so than the light tan. The one I drove the other day was a dark brown that I didn't care for at all. I don't like the black or grey interior either - tan seems to looks more elegant and goes with the wood trim better.

I agree.

I can live with the "Sand Beige" as I had it in both E39's I drove for 10 years (still have one of em), but I prefer something a little different. The first time I saw this color combo was in a 5er on the BMW Preowned lot and fell in love with it.

apart from the electric lifting & closing tailgate there's not a lot of extra equipment i'd want to have in my car, it's pretty loaded. sports steering wheel would have been nice and i'd love to have ventilated seats, but they're seemingly rare as rocking horse doo-doo. no DAB or SAT tuner and obviously the older gen CCC. i could do without the 3rd row and the resulting self-levelling rear suspension tho...

Standard Equipment
212 National Brake System Equipment
220 Self-leveling Suspension
302 Alarm System
521 Rain Sensor
522 Xenon Light
524 Adaptive Headlights
544 Cruise Control With Braking Function
645 Radio Control US
8SL Preparation For Trailer Tow Hitch
8SM Vin, Visible From Outside
823 Hot Climate Version
853 Language Version English
876 Radio Frequency 315 MHz

Options
2C9 Light-alloy Wheels Star Spoke 209
217 Active Steering
248 Steering Wheel Heating
3AG Backup Camera
319 Integrated Universal Remote Control
322 Comfort Access System
323 Soft Close Automatic System For Doors
328 Aluminium Running Board Sill
386 Roof Rail
4BP Fine Wood Trim Poplar Grain Bright
4NA Interior Mirror With Dig. Compass
4NB Aut Air Conditioning 4-zone Control
4NC Additional Heating/ventilation
4UB Seat Extension 5+2
402 Panorama Glass Roof
430 Int/ext Rr Vw Mirror W Aut Anti-dazzle
431 Interior Rr Vw Mirror W Aut Anti-d
441 Smokers Package (no idea why, no-one's ever smoked in this car)
456 Comfort Seats, Electric. Adjustable
464 Skibag (o canada!)
488 Lumbar Support Driver/front Passenger
493 Storage Compartment Package
494 Seat Heating F Driver/front Passenger
496 Seat Heating For Rear Seats
502 Headlight Washer System
508 Park Distance Control (PDC)
548 Speedometer With Kilometer Reading
563 Lights Package
6FL USB-/audio Interface
609 Navigation System Professional
610 Head Up Display
620 Voice Input System
639 Complete Prep. Cellular Phone USA/CA
677 Hifi System Professional
693 Satellite Tuner Preparation
696 DVD Changer For 6 Disks
697 Area-code 1
761 Individual Sun Protection Glazing
8SP Cop Control (really??)
818 Main Battery Switch
838 Canadian Version

i can assure you this is a very nice place to sit, indeed :)

So when it has the 3rd row it always has the air suspension, and when it doesn't have 3rd row, it does not?

I drove that 2011 35i on Friday and I absolutely loved it. Pristine condition and checked all of my boxes, except it didn't have the 20-way comfort seats or whatever they are called, and it did have the 3rd row. Really seems to steer around in parking lots so much easier than the e53. Like the `09, it really feels like a smaller car, even though it is bigger. It was cold outside and I really like the feel of the heated steering wheel. Backup camera works great - it got dark while I was driving it and it worked well in the dark too. Nav is leaps and bounds better than what I have in my `06.

I would rather not have 3rd row and I assume I would rather not have the air suspension.

If you don't have 3rd row - can you get a spare tire in there? I would get rid of run flats when it's time for a tire change.

answers below

--------------Probably but run the VIN to be sure.

The 09 and back backup cameras are pretty bad. Low resolution and hard to see at night. Slow boot up due to the older gen 1 ccc nav system. My old backup camera would sometimes take 10 seconds to show up on the screen.

2010 will get you the better nav and newer exterior look (LCI). 2011 will get you the turbo 6 w/ 8 speed.

Thanks, smassey!

Sounds like I want at least a 2010. The 2011 was great but more than I really wanted to spend for my upgrade. I should probably either try to sell mine in a private sale rather than trade in, and or wait until next spring when they will be a little lower in price.

From a reliability perspective, is there any consensus as to which is better between the N52 and the N55 TT?

The naturally aspariated 3.0 is considered bmws most reliable engine by my service advisor and by what I read.. The n55 single turbo isn't bad, but it still has cooing system failures. The v8s are terrible with lots of very expensive failure points in both the turbo and non turbo. The m57 diesels have a lot of emissions failures and problems with vacuum hoses, carbon, vibration damper etc. if cost was my only concern stick with one of the gasoline 6s. The diesel next for cost, and last is the v8s

Just my experience. I recently purchased a loaded 2008 X5 4.8i, adapative drive, multi contour seats, nav, premium sound, etc. I paid 15,000 for it in October with 89k miles. After spending 1000s in two months on maintence and repairs, frankly I wish I had bought something newer with less miles instead of spending the same amount on an older car..... basically it's gonna cost you the same to buy old and fix it, or newer. There is a reason these 60-80k cars are under 20k in less than 5 years.

I've had to replace the alternator (also belts and tensioner as preventive) ccv (smoking). I've also replaced all fluids (oil, diffs, xfer case, transmission, coolant), spark plugs, air filters, plastic rain tray, front control arms, sway bar end links, maf sensor (for performance), etc.

Plus I added the BMW hitch. That maintence, repairs and hitch cost me 4500 in parts and labor, the spark plugs, rain tray, filters, suspension, oil, I did my self. I could have bought a newer 20k car for the same amount the didn't need as much maintence.

self-levelling rear suspension is standard with the 3rd row. it's added weight and something else to go wrong. it hasn't on mine (yet) and i'm knocking at 170tkm. it's possibly an option without 3rd row, might be worth checking whether the vehicle you're testing has springs or bellows in the back. but even without air suspension you won't fit a full size spare in the back. only room for a space saver, which isn't all that much better than run flats. if you really want to do away with those, you might as well keep a repair kit (goo) with you unless your vehicle has TPMS, in which case you really don't want to use that stuff.

all LCI models, AFAIK, are turbos and they come with their own host of problems. FWIW i'd say they're better, at least more powerful. my 4.8 still runs well and i've yet to run into the valve stem seal issue. whichever you decide on, it would only be prudent to be prepared for the repairs that eventually become inevitable. there's loads of write-ups here and on other forums about owners' experiences with N52/N62 or N55/N57/N63 engines. might be worth trawling the web for problems with the engines, rather than looking solely for X5 issues.

CCC vs CIC is definitely worth a consideration, seeing how CIC has a better screen, better reversing camera, faster CPU, A2DP and in general a much neater front end. it can be retrofitted into pre-LCI but that's really not cheap at all.

Tim- not sure I saw this, but I think what you want- seat wise- is the Comfort Seat version. Option code is 456. Some people REALLY hate the base sport seats.

Agree on the tan- the light sand/almost white was very disappointing. I had ordered a 2009 Diesel with the Sand, and when it showed up with the light carpets I refused it. (Ordered a 2010 which I went on the lemon...then got a 2012 that now has 84k and pretty bullet proof)

I decided to hold off on upgrading to an E70 for now - will probably do it in 6-12 months (preference is still a 2011 x35i). I'm wondering if the following poor design issues from the E53 have been corrected:

* crappy door carrier design
* CCV issues in cold weather (even with the cold weather CCV kit)
* crappy tail light design that leads to arcing

I can 100% tell you that in 6-12 months the 2011 will have identical design features as compared to the 2011 today.

:cool:

I'm not waiting 6-12 months because I thought the design of the 2011 model would change, but of course, you already knew that.