[dy63]

.

[dakhu1]

I sat in the back of my mate's one and found it really cramped with little headroom - I personally cannot see the point of them (fashion accessory perhaps) but would go for the x5 all day long over the x6

[AdamC]

I too like the idea of an X6 but was just put off by how impractical it is for its size Boot and rear seats).
Be warned that you will not be insured for anyone who is sitting in the middle seat if you do the conversion. If the worst was to happen and someone sitting there was injured you would be in a very bad situation.

[lolololol]

Originally Posted by AdamC

I too like the idea of an X6 but was just put off by how impractical it is for its size Boot and rear seats).
Be warned that you will not be insured for anyone who is sitting in the middle seat if you do the conversion. If the worst was to happen and someone sitting there was injured you would be in a very bad situation.

Was just about to say this. However they do come 5 seats but that was an option.

Looked at one for my Mrs but we went Q7 route.

[AdamC]

The 5th seat option was added by BMW in 2012.
Any car older than this and it will be aftermarket, If you watch YouTube videos you will see how the conversion is done.

If you are after something E90 size I think you will be fine. I just thought you would get more room inside being as the outside is so much bigger.

[Russbmw]

From recent experience with the wife's e70 X5 3.0d (but it's basically the same)

Spec - get one with all the toys, and it's a lovely place to be. Ours has HUD, sunroof, electric heated everything, adaptive xenons, adaptive suspension, etc, etc.

Engine - no issues to date. Surprisingly quick off the mark in sport mode for an auto thanks to 4wd. Fuel economy is shit. Mid 30's on a casual motorway run if you're lucky. My 335i does better.

Road tax - it's the £500 a year one. Hers is an 07 plate, so not sure if the newer ones are any better. However, in the grand scheme of things, if you're looking at one of these cars, this will be one of your smaller worries.

Everything else - bills on these cars (x5/x6) are always monstrous, so be prepared. Said the same to my missus before she bought her one, as I'd pointed out the costs involved of running a £60k+ when new car. Just because you pick one up for £15k, it will still cost you a kidney to run and maintain it. Final words were "don't come moaning to me when you've got nigh on a 4 figure bill you don't like the look of"..............she does...just by the way.

Her's has covered 82k.

When we bought it, negotiated a bit off the price as the car has the staggered 20" rims (315/20/40 rear and 275/40 front...from memory) and needed 4 new tyres pretty badly. Runflat tyres, if you choose to go that route are just shy of £500 per corner. Regular tyres are obviously less, but even mid-range tyres such as Kumho's (which are holding up very well, incidentally) are around £200 a piece.

The rear tail lights gave out after about 2 months of ownership. Silly money from BMW as you can imagine. Older ones leak as BMW used shitty black sticky cack instead of foam.

Rear door "vapour" seals leak and need to be re-sealed on the e70 X5, as they let water into the rear and it slowly fills the car up.

Sunroof drain holes block/get clogged from the bottom up and do the same. The drain tubes on ours had obviously been blocked for years as rain water that seeps through the sunroof seals (as it's supposed to) couldn't escape, so was running down the inside of the a-pillar trim and turned the footwells into a foot-spa. Carpet took forever to dry out. BMW techs can't tell you where the drain tubes that run down the a-pillars exit the vehicle either, and they're non replaceable. Unblocking is more luck than judgement, with an attack with a compressed air hose from the top being the most successful.

On the matter of the sunroof - if crap gets onto the sunroof motor rails, it can break them if the seize up. This will result in a very, very large bill from what I've read.

For example, in the last 2 months:

Rear airbags leaking (common on the X5/6 range). £600+vat per pair from BMW. Fitting is kind of easy-ish, but being an X car, everything needs the laptop connected to re-code, reset, etc. Will @ TWG fitted them for about £70.

Electric handbrake actuator failed without any early warning signs. Again, if you look online it's so common it really should be classed as a design fault and subject to goodwill IMO. However, it's not, and as such a new handbrake actuator unit (that houses all the electrical gubbins as well - only about the size of a tissue box!) and the new cables attached to it will set you back circa £860 from BMW. Second hand units are pointless at £350+ as their lifespan is entirely unknown. Fitting again was done by Will for £180.

Rear brake pads needed changing this week - but no real big deal or cost - just a PITA as yes, you need to reset everything with software (I used the BMwhat app with the advanced service pack installed).


Generally, bear in mind it's a fucking big, fucking heavy car, so stuff does wear out quicker (the E70 X5 was a vast improvement over the e53, so would imagine most things have been carried over to the X6) - and when it does, it results in a fucking big, fucking heavy bill.

Warranty costs for a named component option (which is what I have on my 335, which costs me £40 a month) on an X5 is £110 a month (which she doesn't have, as it's a shittone of money a month for a warranty!).

Don't get me wrong, as a car to drive the X5 is lovely. It feels like the £60k+ car it is.....but bear in mind, the associated ownership costs also correlate. it has made me seriously wonder about the E70 X5M, just to have that level of luxury (and to some degree size and practicality) shift at the same rate if not quicker than an E92 M3, is definitely appealing.....but the thought of an X5 with M-tax on everything is truly terrifying.

[Russbmw]

Not really woes - as you say, every car has their issues. What grates me more than anything is the cost of sorting those common problems. Not only parts price, but also that you often have not have to use a garage to to tasks that you'd usually get done yourself.

Even down to daft things, like to remove the wheel arch liner, you have to use special plastic rivets (that ideally you need the special tool to fix) - and that plastic rivets are about £1 each.

Anyway, around town, low to mid 20's.

Adaptive suspension (to my knowledge) is because we have a sport button for the suspension itself. Doesn't alter ride height, but firms up the suspension considerably when activated.

Not aware of them ever doing a X5 3.5d, not in the UK at least. I've certainly never seen one on the road or for sale. Not so sure on the X6 though, as I've never looked into it. Got the 3.0d because the rest of the car spec was bang on, and to at least kid ourselves that the fuel economy wouldn't be that bad.

The thing weighs something like 2.5 tonnes, so the only benefit of a diesel engine is the everyday usable torque to get the lump of a thing moving when prompted. Not at all comparable to a 3 series diesel where there's a notable economy benefit.

[Russbmw]

I would imagine most will come with Xenons yes, but the adaptive ones are the ones that turn when you steer (what ours has), which are very good - although until you've had a car with adaptive lights, you can't really appreciate the difference, as on paper it sounds trivial.

You want to hope they don't fail either! LOL! (previous owners receipt for replacement of the nearside headlight gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling!).

IMO, you should just want you want, because any comments on reliability are pure speculation.

IMHO, I'd go for the 3.0d as it ain't ever going to be a performance car, and the 3.0d is pretty respectable to be fair and I would imagine responds well to a remap. You're also more likely to find one with the exact spec if the engine variant you go for is without question the more popular.

Just my tuppence, obviously, but given that our fuel prices and road tax are only ever going one way - the 3.5d might be putting your car in more of a niche market when you come to sell a few years down the line, and the smaller more "normal" size 3ltr might be more appealing to the masses.

[The0pportunist]

Your onto something here, x6 has definitely grown on me. As Jeremy once said, it came out at a time when the media were scaring us with/reporting a toppling economy. Even i thought why would someone buy a pointlessly big yet impractical x6 when you can get much better mpg & practicality from a touring. Now however it makes sense..

Also as their totally useless offroading, a drop will not hurt its capabilities and will look insanely planted ..

[Russbmw]

That's not a stock x6, it's been lowered for starters.

[The0pportunist]

Originally Posted by cupraraj

dont quite understand what your on about mate sorry

What im trying to say is:

The x6 seemed like a really silly car when it first came out, it has grown on me over the years and ive looked into a few myself.

I think they look better lowered, as you won't need the clearance for offroad and you greatly reduce the chance of rolling over which is literally a high speed 'avoid' manoeuvre away.

[The0pportunist]

Originally Posted by Russbmw

That's not a stock x6, it's been lowered for starters.

Yep i think x6 body is suited to a small drop, which is what i was trying to get at if you can look past my poorly constructed sentences

[takumichinoku]

He means because it won't be off roading its ok to lower it and it will also look more planted! ..

The other bit is just saying how he gets them now..lo tbh I had to read twice too

[Russbmw]

The only one Ive seen that I can honestly say I liked was my mates one, but this had a fuck-tonne of money thrown at it. He's now running a 12 plate F10 M5 modded....obviously....which I think was dyno'd recently at about 650bhp or thereabouts.

[takumichinoku]

Typed it and got q jumped. Ignore my post

[jrp73]

Got to be the 35d - I don't know much about the x6 itself but a work colleague had a 35d and due to the size felt slower than my 330d so I think the 30d in the x6 would struggle.

[RajB]

Originally Posted by Russbmw

The only one Ive seen that I can honestly say I liked was my mates one, but this had a fuck-tonne of money thrown at it. He's now running a 12 plate F10 M5 modded....obviously....which I think was dyno'd recently at about 650bhp or thereabouts.

Kav's motor. Was nice for sure. That first pic was taken at Popham airfield. Was a good day.

[Russbmw]

Yeah, I think I've liked every car he's had! LOL!

[RajB]

Originally Posted by Russbmw

Yeah, I think I've liked every car he's had! LOL!

Rallye is the current favourite for me.

[Russbmw]

Originally Posted by RajB

Rallye is the current favourite for me.

I liked the e60 myself, although the current F10 is lush.

Anyway....we digress!

[Len_Beach]

I guess the 30d will be the N57; is the 35d the M57?

If so; there's probably little in it performance wise with quite a big step in economy if the E90 is anything to go by.

[RajB]

The 30d is single turbo 3 litre diesel and the 35d is the twin turbo 3 litre diesel. There is about 40bhp difference I believe. The 35d was replaced what is now known as the 40d but also with the addition of the 8 speed auto.

I'd test drive both and see what you make of them but in all honesty there isn't a huge amount in it. Fuel economy isn't great for a diesel in either as they are very heavy motors for sure.

The 50d is where it's at lol with triple turbos. A friend took me out in his 50d E71 and I was mightily impressed for sure.

Repairs are expensive but then that's the same for every other BMW.