Is your X5 hood flimsy?

[joejoejr]

The hood feels extremely thin when washing the vehicle. With hardly any pressure my hood flexes in the middle near the windshield when washing.

[mikikuki7]

Yup!! That's how mine is!

[r33_RGSport]

Don't worry, it is not just BMW.
Benz, Porsche, and a few others are the same. Cutting cost and weight while increasing profit.

[HansRobert]

Originally Posted by r33

Don't worry, it is not just BMW.
Benz, Porsche, and a few others are the same. Cutting cost and weight while increasing profit.

It is my understanding that hood is now stamped from aluminum (can't confirm as I don't have my X5 yet). If that is the case it will definitely cut weight but most likely does not cut cost since aluminum is more costly that steel. Like so many things it is a trade off. In this case less weight (for better handling and MPG) for what would seem to be equal or more cost.

[r33_RGSport]

Originally Posted by HansRobert

It is my understanding that hood is now stamped from aluminum (can't confirm as I don't have my X5 yet). If that is the case it will definitely cut weight but most likely does not cut cost since aluminum is more costly that steel. Like so many things it is a trade off. In this case less weight (for better handling and MPG) for what would seem to be equal or more cost.

It wouldn't matter on the cost for stamping aluminum panels these days. It is not like back in early 90's where Acura/Honda NSX was build with full stamped aluminum panels and correct me if I am wrong, but I believe they were the only mass produced car with aluminum panels. And the technology was pretty new then.
I don't think cutting down on material and quality equals to or more cost.
I can tell you that there are differences on BMW that was built in the 80's and today's.

[HansRobert]

Originally Posted by r33

It wouldn't matter on the cost for stamping aluminum panels these days. It is not like back in early 90's where Acura/Honda NSX was build with full stamped aluminum panels and correct me if I am wrong, but I believe they were the only mass produced car with aluminum panels. And the technology was pretty new then.
I don't think cutting down on material and quality equals to or more cost.
I can tell you that there are differences on BMW that was built in the 80's and today's.

I don't mean to be argumentative. All I'm saying is that aluminum costs more than steel for the same size and thickness of a panel. I've spent most of my working life in the automotive business as a supplier to the OEM's (BMW included) and at one point ran a stamping plant. Now they may offset the increased cost of the aluminum by being able to save on suspension parts because there is less weight, etc.

Whether aluminum is better than steel or vis versa is dependent on the objective and in this case I think the objective to save weight and not as a cost savings!

Just my 2 cents and it's not worth much more than that!

[plob]

If you are able to make the hood/bonnet do that during a wash then you are pushing way too hard. You should only need light contact with the bodywork to clean it - any harder and that tends to result in the paintwork getting those fine scratches (swirling)

Original point taken with regard to the thin metal - but you really don't need to put much pressure on the paint during washing

[stewy604]

Originally Posted by plob

If you are able to make the hood/bonnet do that during a wash then you are pushing way too hard. You should only need light contact with the bodywork to clean it - any harder and that tends to result in the paintwork getting those fine scratches (swirling)

Original point taken with regard to the thin metal - but you really don't need to put much pressure on the paint during washing

Agreed. OP, how much pressure are you apply when washing the vehicle? From someone who is basically OCD about car care, I've never really experienced this. Light pressure my friend...light pressure.

[daeguboy]

Originally Posted by r33

Don't worry, it is not just BMW.
Benz, Porsche, and a few others are the same. Cutting cost and weight while increasing profit.

My cayenne is not like that. Porsche still builds tanks.

[42pilot]

You should wash the airplanes I fly. The fuselage metal is as thin as the BMW hood but it's structural integrity is much more important - lives depend on it. And it flexes with the push of a finger.

I like seeing all the aluminum in this vehicle. It's stiffer than steel and much lighter. There's next to no body flex in this car - no creaking and groaning like a domestic steel SUV when going off road. Yep, I take it off road - but it's not rock climbing....

[E90Fleet]

The reason for the new hood designs is for pedestrian crash protection ratings. They want it to be soft enough not to kill or seriously hurt a pedestrian that gets hit.
All European manufacturers are having to change.

[kip1]

Originally Posted by daeguboy

My cayenne is not like that. Porsche still builds tanks.

I have to agree, my q5 and panamera have extremely strong bonnets, won't bulge easily, sounds odd that BMW would bend easily. Anyway as no expert I would say aluminum doesn't bend easily and so if it does bend, then it's not aluminum. I was at the audi factory and they displayed the old and new bonnet side by side, the aluminum bonnet weighed like 50 % less than the old one, but it felt a little more flimsy as it was thinner, but it didn't bend.