There is not much difference, I think the start/stop button chrome surround looks a little different and I have the perforated leather comfort seat whereas I just had comfort seats in the last one, otherwise other than the extra I have optioned up there is not much at all.

The 6mm offset castor bushes I had installed track the x5 straight now on the heavier left cambered roads which was my main beef with the Adaptive Drive option, it has a little more go as the 35d has about an extra 10kw but it's probably down to the new 5ppm BP diesel fuel thats out now.

The under carriage plastic trays have changed a little, they look like they have been made a little stronger, especially around the inspection points under the motor/transmission area! I have been on the beach several times already and in the previous E70 I had to get BMW to place screw into these inspection caps so they would not get ripped off all the time while on the beach.

Front rotors as of Oct 2008 went to 348mm x 30mm and they still are the same size on this new May 09 production model. I changed out the pads for ceramic and they work well. Oh, and I went for the 16 speaker HiFi system and have to admit that I have had all 3 versions of the BMW audio systems now in the 3 E70's that I have owned and would say you can certainetly tell the difference. I don't think I would ever go back to any of the other BMW audio systems after hearing this one.

Also having had the different range of tyres on the E70's I still say that these Dunlops are the least noisey and as RFT the dunlops are also repairable as long as the damage is not on the sidewall. Finally the Active Steering feels a touch lighter at speed, always thought in the previous E70 it was a little to heavy at 100kph but that could be the combination on this X5 tracking straight and maybe the dunlops.

So, having had 3 E70 X5,s, a 2007, 2008 and now a new May 09 production, all have had Adaptive Drive & Active Steering & self-leveling suspension with 3rd row seats & HUD, I can say that all 3 have driven different on the same road conditions that I travel each week, Hwy, Freeway, Dirt & Beach. The little changes like Sport Seats to Comforts Seats, different tyres and making changes to bushes & brakes certainetly makes the X5 feel different. The extra torque of the diesel is also up from the 2007 & 2008 E70 models and like any vehicle that starts to be pushed harder the handling starts to change, you drive it harder which means you stop it harder as well.

Overall, I think the one thing I have learnt is that buying the first release of a new model although the difference between a E53 & a E70 is like Chalk & Cheese is that every yearly refinement of the same model improves that model, and with that would probably wait for the Oct or April production line minor change to occur as the very first 2007 E70 I had was like an experiment.

I don't think they can get this 3rd generation E70 X5 much better as the Oct 09 production looks like getting some minor front & rear bumper changes and the new iDrive. Thats my $0.02

My 2007 is fine.. although I went base options.. no adaptive drive .. no active steering as I didn't trust them in a new model..I'll definitely consider them now or in any model that is out for > 2 years.. I'll keep my 2007 now until 2014 ....

Can you tell me what type of ceramic pads you are using and if they will fit the standard callipers?
I ask because the front rims on our car become black with brake dust after a day or so. Very messy looking.
Thanks.

Nicely done.

Contact Carbotech there in the States, they are the ones that did mine. Just check with them which model you have as the E70 X5 comes with 3 different front brake types over a 2 year period!

Great find watrob. Which compound did you get...bobcat 1521? How is the dusting, noise and brake fade? What's your review so far?

Well its been 9 days since I cleaned the X5, have driven some 400klm and had about 3 days of rainy weather driving as well. The photo displayed shows the state of the front wheel, took it with my iPhone in the undercover car park, it actually looks worse in the photo as it quite a dark photo and the iphone does not help. The wheel would probably look cleaner if I had not driven in the rain each day and has probably picked up more dirt from that rather than off the brake pads!

I am quite happy with the amount of brake dust, would say its about 70% less than the oem pads. In regards to stopping power of these pads there is no difference and if anything maybe better, I have had one emergency stop on the Freeway the other night but with ABS and the braking system on the X5, it stops well, no lockups and straight.

The compound of these pads is the Bobcat 1521, its rotor friendly and you can see the rotor in the photo. I have no pad noise or fade.

If I can drive the X5 for 2 weeks without cleaning the wheels and when I do clean them they are in the state that the photo shows I don't think you can go past this setup. The pads themselves once installed cannot be picked as not being oem.

I should have done this to all my BMW's instead of putting up with dirty wheels. The only real differnce in these pads against oem is the bonding of the brake material is with ceramic instead of a carbon type substance with causes all the black dust.

Thanks for the info Watrob - I must look into it.

Good to see you are keeping my wheels clean ? :wow:

Hot!