New 2011 x5d - my first BMW
 

Hi guys (and girls)...first post....

This is my first BMW, i've driven several in Europe as rentals (3's and 5's) and have allways wanted one based upon those positive driving experiences, this one is mine!!!!! (actually wifes, sucks to be me).

My daily driver is a 500+hp modded 06 Dodge Diesel (13.4s 1/4m), so i was hooked on the diesel powerplant (need to restrain myself as i cannot mod the leased bmw).

Anyhow, the specs are in my sig, didnt get as many bells and whistles as most of the posts i see on here as i have financial constraints, but all i can say is that this is a wonderful car in all respects....handling, brakes, steering, ride, power, space, interior....very refined, smooth and vault like....sure there's better in each category and it's not perfect, but as a whole, this car is absolutely excellent....especially comming from non BMW's...make you appreciate it even move...vs comming from a 750 or similiar.

Dealer treatment was the best i've ever had...just a wonderful overall expereience....here's to many years of BMW ownership!!!

congrats bro

absoroovy! enjoy.

CONGRATS!! You will LOVE this X5!!!!!

Congrats. Which dealer in AZ?

Not a diesel-phobic american, eh?

I just drove a 2011 5 series DIESEL in Germany with an 8 speed auto. Pretty sweet. Hoping they can break the diesel fully into the us market....

Enjoy

A

far from....the diesel is the reason i got my wife the x5 instead of the x3... used to roll a 530 diesel quite a bit in Germany and knew i wanted to own something similiar...really wish we had the autobahn in the states (for the 20% of us that can drive)...

I do hope they prliferate here as they do everwhere else, but it's a long uphill battle...wonder when they're comming out with baby diesel's in the 1500/150 series trucks...that'll get a widespread audience and drive adaption...

2 things i can think of adding to the x5 are black grill (not sure why silver is stock on a grey car - recommendations on who makes them are welcome) and a tow hitch so i can put a dirtbike/joe hauler on the back....yes that's what my truck is for, but for long trips why not pry the x5 out of the wifes hands! :cool:

Camelback BMW...was very happy with them and the entire experience...Artin was my point of contact.

and what's with the no first aid kit??? common problem? becasue of course mine doesnt have one either.

Just a gag. When we bought our first 35d, I went looking for the first aid kit because it was mentioned in the OM. Also called me delivery dealer to send me the one they forgot to give me. Posting that I did not have one, more knowledgable folks on this site set me straight that the US X5's did not come with one in (in '09 at least), which is why the dealer never sent one (or followed up stating so). So I added a little zing at BMW in my signature.

BTW, we bought ours from Chapman. Never set foot in the store, but had great help in the order.

I am always fascinated at how different people's tastes are. Black Grill? I think I do not hate anything more on a BMW that a black grill. It looks like the front end is missing, or someone punched the double kidney grill out. When I took delivery of my Space Gray Launch Edition 2007 E70, I had them include in the deal, a silver kidney grill from a 4.8i (at the time they were over $200).

To me, IMO, the black grill looks cheap and entry market. I LOVE the look of the matte silver grill the 35d and 50i have. It makes the whole front end just scream BMW!! :)

Yeah, everyone has their preferences/rationale....I like your interior color choice, but wouldnt dare get it as the teenagers would thrash mine in 5 days or less....and i know damn well my wife wont want the hitch or the JBD programmer (although she loves the power of my truck)...I'm just not a big chrome fan, but i suppose i see your point on that being an iconic part of BMW so why understate it....

You'll probably love this one: Anyone source a "d" from the side numbers to put on the rear?....e.g. so it says X5d on the rear?

d on the back? WOW, I've been looking for one on eBay! I actually ordered a DMV customer license (vanity) plate that includes the word Diesel in it. I am very proud to have such a great, clean and award winning Diesel engine in my X5..and I want the world to know!! LOL

I too was honestly terrified of getting the Oyster Interior, as I have a very active and mischevious 4 year old! Unlike Sand Beige, where the carpets, door sills, mouldings, etc.. are all light, the Oyster is a 2-tone with black. So, the doors, carpets, door sills, foot wells, etc, etc are black. And the few little marks I've noticed on the oyster leather, have wiped up with just water on a rag. As my dealer pointed out, besides from oyster leather being up to 10 degrees or more cooler in the hot, summer sun, when you get a mark or stain...you notice it right away, and it makes you clean it and keep the leather clean. Total sales pitch? It actually works for me (I'm sure my OCD play a big role too). With black interior, I was never too concerned. Now, I want my oyster to be spotless....and so far, everyone who opens a door to my X5, the first thing they say is "ooooh" love the interior!!

I got the D on back..and the front too !
 

I miss the 7 digit plates in CA.... I think you can get 8 digits in NY.....

http://www.xoutpost.com/members/dies...re1314-dzl.jpg

You can mod it all you want ! Just reset it to stock before returning it !

Congratulations on the new vehicle.

There are OE and aftermarket hitches available. BMW listed 600 lbs maximum tongue weight for the E53, and I think the E70 is the same but it would be worth checking. One caution with the dirt bike hauler is that the BMW hitch loads specify a maximum distance from pin to load of far less than most motorcycle carriers have. Again on the E53, it was 8", so a carrier that is 24" deep has a calculated maximum tongue load of 200 lbs, and 50 lbs of that is used up by the carrier itself, leaving 150 lbs for the bike. You aren't limited by the hitch load, as much as by the bending moment.

Those carriers make some sense on a truck like your Dodge, which has a frame to bolt the receiver hitch to. On the X5, with the unibody, the hitch is bolted to formed sheet metal. Early X5s had issues with hitches bending down and deforming the unibodies (when using non-OE hitches). I would use caution when considering any hitch mounted rack. Small trailers work fine.

Wow, that's very good to know...i'll have to look at it more closely...not a big deal if it doesnt work...never would have guessed as i'm used to having hitches bolted to the frame as you said. Thank You.

Just want the JBD, but want to get my arms around what it's doing (guessing boost and pressure), how close to EGT Max it get's and how BMW programs "Detection" in the ECM...e.g. can they find out it's been programmed or does the BT Tool do a good job?

More boost. Fools the safeties. Not as solid an approach as maintaining the safety limits that BMW designed in, but there haven't been a lot of reported problems on his other products, so it seems a reasonable gamble.

BMW can absolutely tell you had it installed if they look for the tell tales.

weight limit on hitch rack?
 

So, JCL, carrying a 400# motorcycle on a hitch rack is NOT recommended? Uh oh. I was planning on ordering an X5d on Monday...
I understand the basic idea of the lever effect, but thought 400# would be fine. I've searched this forum a bit to find a 2nd opinion. Your thoughts?

Yeah, that scared me enough that i'll use my truck as that's it's intended purpose anyhow....

I'm pretty sure if you go to the articles at the front of this site they just published a BMW press release offering retro black grills...I'm pretty sure

JBD is slightly more boost and more fuel. It runs great. BT or CANbus tool clears the codes. Just clear it before you go in for service. It's not a big deal so no gamble at all.

Not at all recommended. I have installed hitches on both an E53 X5 and an E83 X3, and they have similar restrictions. If the E70 has the same restrictions, then you will have to figure out how to get the CoG of the motorcycle and carrier within 8" of the hitch pin. I suggest that will be very difficult.

This isn't a truck, it is a tall car, in the sense that it doesn't have a frame to bolt the hitch to. Those carriers make sense on a pickup, Suburban, or Expedition.

Here are a few links to read:

http://www.xoutpost.com/747074-post4.html

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...oem-hitch.html

And if you need a second opinion, Weasel responded in the above thread as well.

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

This one notes that BMW cuts the maximum tongue load (on the E53) from 600 lbs to 330 lbs when driving off-road. Why? Off-road, a trailer can bounce, applying dynamic loads beyond the static loads normally experienced. A hitch-mounted carrier sees those sorts of dynamic loads every time you go over a bump, even on the road.

An X5 will take a motorcycle along just fine, you just need a very simple trailer. There is a link for a folding one (Stinger) in the last link I posted.

Edit: another poster just put up the E70 OE hitch installation instructions, and as with the other models, the maximum hitch load is included in the manual. Attached clip below. It is 8", same as the other models.