New owner review

[tfunk88]

Soooo…I’ve only had my X5 for 4 weeks and 3700 miles so you if you want to discount this review I totally understand.

On April 21 I flew down to West Palm Beach to pick up a 2016 X5 50i from Audi of Stuart. It had almost 93k miles on it. Space Gray, M Sport package, Mocha Design Interior, B&O sound system, 469m wheels, and a few other options.

Since then I’ve put about 3700 miles on it on the drive back and commuting. So, what do I think?

I love it! Yes, the car has had a couple issues…the main one being the transfer case clutches being out of calibration. But after I figured that out…smooth sailing!

Things I love-

The comfort seats. Most comfortable seats I’ve ever sat in! After driving 9.5hrs I got out of the X5 still feeling fresh! And two days later after another 9hr drive I honestly didn’t want the trip to end I was enjoying it so much!

The engine…so sweet! I’m not going to say the 50i is “fast”, but it IS quick. And on my trip home from Florida I got 25.3mpg while going 75-80mph. I can’t complain at all.

The ZF8 transmission…it’s super smooth and intuitive. Sport mode is cool with how aggressive it is. However, why in sport mode does it never seem to want to go into 8th even when cruising on the highway?

The Bang and Olufsen sound system. I’d heard from several people on forums that it wasn’t much better than the HK system. To me that is absolutely incorrect. It is a much, MUCH better system. Am I saying it was worth the $3500 or so premium when buying new? Not sure. But I didn’t pay that premium. But I can say I have no desire to spend any money to try to upgrade it. It’s REALLY good. Much better than I expected it to be.

The looks…this thing is sexay!

Negatives-

The Pirelli tires. The previous owner put tires on it not too long before I bought it. In fact, I think they caused the transfer case issue by replacing the rear tires and then 4k miles later the fronts! But either way…these Pirelli’s are pretty noisy. And the ride of the run flats is not the greatest. Will be replacing with Continental DWS06+ tires before too long.

The steering- it’s really light. I mean REALLY light. Is there a way to program the Sport Mode steering assistance level in Comfort Mode?

The brakes- there seems to be a lot of pedal travel before you get real braking. This seemed to be the case on all the X5’s I test drove, 35i’s and 50i’s. Will most likely be getting the M Performance brake kit. Or E70 X5M calipers and rotors. Has anyone else done this? Does it improve pedal feel dramatically?

And finally- The brake dust. Good lord!

My mom has a 2019 X5 40i and I like mine much more in every area. She decided next time she is getting the upgraded leather and seats after sitting in mine. Lol

So overall I love this X5 and I’m looking forward to many years and miles with it!

[Dking078]

Totally agree on the B&O! Excellent on all accounts except the new price.

I too find the pedal feel....confidence un-inspiring. Nothing like my F10s. I however have little to NO brake dust with OEM pads. However I attribute this to being a more ceramic based compound.
Though I know for a fact BMW turned both rotors and bled the brakes once all around. A sin in my book, but a brake job is down the road anyway, which may improve this.

Cold bite sucks butt. Butt (hah) once warm, it's liveable.

Some report better pedal feel after coding the "M performance" braking system (ie. the E70 X5M kit). Though I would be interested to see what pedal feel is like if one were to just code it for M braking and still use stock 50i stuffs. https://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1590542

[jiggz]

Originally Posted by tfunk88

Things I love-

The comfort seats. Most comfortable seats I’ve ever sat in! After driving 9.5hrs I got out of the X5 still feeling fresh! And two days later after another 9hr drive I honestly didn’t want the trip to end I was enjoying it so much!

The engine…so sweet! I’m not going to say the 50i is “fast”, but it IS quick. And on my trip home from Florida I got 25.3mpg while going 75-80mph. I can’t complain at all.

The ZF8 transmission…it’s super smooth and intuitive. Sport mode is cool with how aggressive it is. However, why in sport mode does it never seem to want to go into 8th even when cruising on the highway?

The Bang and Olufsen sound system. I’d heard from several people on forums that it wasn’t much better than the HK system. To me that is absolutely incorrect. It is a much, MUCH better system. Am I saying it was worth the $3500 or so premium when buying new? Not sure. But I didn’t pay that premium. But I can say I have no desire to spend any money to try to upgrade it. It’s REALLY good. Much better than I expected it to be.

So overall I love this X5 and I’m looking forward to many years and miles with it!

Agreed on all counts, though I don't thing B&O is that amazing personally. Definitely a bit crisper than HK, but no bass whatsoever. I wouldn't have spent $3900 on it, if buying new, but glad you like it.

Originally Posted by tfunk88

Negatives-

The Pirelli tires. The previous owner put tires on it not too long before I bought it. In fact, I think they caused the transfer case issue by replacing the rear tires and then 4k miles later the fronts! But either way…these Pirelli’s are pretty noisy. And the ride of the run flats is not the greatest. Will be replacing with Continental DWS06+ tires before too long.

The steering- it’s really light. I mean REALLY light. Is there a way to program the Sport Mode steering assistance level in Comfort Mode?

The brakes- there seems to be a lot of pedal travel before you get real braking. This seemed to be the case on all the X5’s I test drove, 35i’s and 50i’s. Will most likely be getting the M Performance brake kit. Or E70 X5M calipers and rotors. Has anyone else done this? Does it improve pedal feel dramatically?

And finally- The brake dust. Good lord!

Agreed again! Pirelli tires are garbage IMO, it baffles me they're so expensive. I only run Michelin, they're my favorite.

As for the ///M Performance Brake Kit, a lot of members here have this setup installed, including myself just this past week. It's a huge improvement over the stock 50i setup (would be even more of an improvement on the 35i as those stock rotors are even smaller than the 50i), both in performance and visually. I'd get a set ordered up before they're no longer available. And BTW, the M Performance Brake Kit is the same as the E70/E71 X5M/X6M brake setup. Here's my install from just a few days ago:

https://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...ostcount=13678

[tfunk88]

Yep, I’m trying to resist pulling the trigger on the M Performance kit as I don’t want to spend another $3k right away. And I’m intrigued by “building” a kit from E70/71 M calipers as I can start off with the two piece floating rotors instead of the solid rotors that come with the kit. Also the front 6 piston calipers from the F85/86 are available as well. But we will see.

[FCX5]

Originally Posted by tfunk88

Soooo…I’ve only had my X5 for 4 weeks and 3700 miles so you if you want to discount this review I totally understand.

On April 21 I flew down to West Palm Beach to pick up a 2016 X5 50i from Audi of Stuart. It had almost 93k miles on it. Space Gray, M Sport package, Mocha Design Interior, B&O sound system, 469m wheels, and a few other options.

Since then I’ve put about 3700 miles on it on the drive back and commuting. So, what do I think?

I love it! Yes, the car has had a couple issues…the main one being the transfer case clutches being out of calibration. But after I figured that out…smooth sailing!

Things I love-

The comfort seats. Most comfortable seats I’ve ever sat in! After driving 9.5hrs I got out of the X5 still feeling fresh! And two days later after another 9hr drive I honestly didn’t want the trip to end I was enjoying it so much!

The engine…so sweet! I’m not going to say the 50i is “fast”, but it IS quick. And on my trip home from Florida I got 25.3mpg while going 75-80mph. I can’t complain at all.

The ZF8 transmission…it’s super smooth and intuitive. Sport mode is cool with how aggressive it is. However, why in sport mode does it never seem to want to go into 8th even when cruising on the highway?

The Bang and Olufsen sound system. I’d heard from several people on forums that it wasn’t much better than the HK system. To me that is absolutely incorrect. It is a much, MUCH better system. Am I saying it was worth the $3500 or so premium when buying new? Not sure. But I didn’t pay that premium. But I can say I have no desire to spend any money to [...]

Mine is a 2018 50i with the MPBK and I would consider it a big improvement over the brakes that came with it. The B&O speakers are mainly better at the mid range, so more clarity. Bass is the same as HK, but you have more power. A cheap way to improve HK is to replace all the mids and tweeters with B&O - you can even buy them from BMW directly and upgrade the subs and center speakers to Focal’s and then code B&O EQ. I know someone who did it and it’s probably better than the stock B&O. The B&O in the X5 is made by HK, so same DSP and amp, but more power, same speakers with slightly better cone quality. The center speaker is only better because of the reflection of the sound against the glass and tweeter direction. It is nowhere near the B&W that is on the new X5 or even iX. I have both the iX and my friends 2019 X5 that is parked at my place since he is overseas.

I actually think the Napa seats on the F15 is higher quality than the Merino on the G05, assuming yours does not have the ventilation. My 2 cents worth. With ventilation the seat cushion isn’t as comfortable.

The only downside with the 2016 is the loss of 3G. I don’t use Connected Service a lot, it it does makes iDrive 6 seem more modern. I also coded full screen CarPlay, which for me is a must have.

Congrats and enjoy! I got mine as a CPO with 20K miles around 3 years ago and now at 44K. Has been flawless and the design has aged well. TBH, I went from run flat Pirelli to Continental DWS 06 last year and I am not sure the DWS is better. It is more bouncy to me. I believe the F15 suspension is tuned for run flats and I might just switch back….

[F15_SGM]

Get the Michelin Pilot sport all season 4. Just switched from DWS 06 plus to AS4. Much better tire for the F15 with 469s.

[tfunk88]

Yep, that’s the other tire I was considering, and I know it has a stiffer sidewall than the DWS so it’s tempting.

[Plus1]

Lets see a pic of this bad boy!

[Dking078]

Originally Posted by tfunk88

Yep, that’s the other tire I was considering, and I know it has a stiffer sidewall so it’s tempting.

I've done AS4's on all my F10s. Never looked back at those dam Pirellis/dunlops. Same will happen here once the Pzeros wear out.

[tfunk88]

Here’s a pic from the dealer listing and one I took after a road trip.

[Variante Alta]

Congrats - nice F15! You got the Adaptive LED headlights too - get them coded asap for VLD and true adaptive Anti-dazzle, love them!

I upgraded shortly after getting my 35d M Sport to front M5 calipers and rotors - they need adapters but the difference is so worth it and it’s a lighter set up than the M calipers. I was underwhelmed by the braking performance of the stock set up (it was even noticeably inferior to my wife’s E70 35d’s braking - a real disappointment).

Mine also has the B&O sound system…echo previous comments - it sounds great but where the heck is the lower end? . I removed the 3rd row seats and installed a 12” sub and Kicker mono amp (with the Kicker control knob for output wired to inside the armrest - a must). Now it’s an awesome system!

I also detested the RFT Pirellis (loud and wore out fast). I went with the DWS-06 plus on the 469s and have been very very happy with them. I think the Michelin option mentioned is also a great choice - can’t go wrong with either.

Do the tranny, transfer case and diffs service - cheap insurance (particularly if you can do it yourself) and oil changes 2 X more than what BMW recommends (more cheap insurance).

Absolutely love this F15 - I’ve added and coded a ton of stuff with the help of the great folks in these forums - what a machine! And 700 miles per tank (diesel) - wow!

Look after your 50i and you’ll love it for years to come. Enjoy!

[tfunk88]

Thanks!

Yep, did the diffs, transmission, and transfer case fluids. Will do those every 50k miles. Reset the calibration of the transfer case and that took care of the biggest issue I had with the car. Oil/filter changes will be done every 5k miles.

I’d be interested to learn how to code the Adaptive LED’s. I have the BimmerCode app but no idea how to really code stuff. Where do you find the steps to code things?

The B&O definitely doesn’t have “thump your chest” bass, but it has “music sounds good” bass. Although it has vibrated my center rear view mirror a few times. Lol

And the clarity is really good.

[Geo41e]

Jealous of the LED adaptive mate !

Congrats on the purchase

Any mods planned at all ?
How do you find the the suspension ?

I have the M Sport Adaptive + Rear air bags...and I find comfort mode too bouncy...and sport too stiff. Really wish there was a way to have a happy medium in-between... Will be getting eibachs installed soon and lower the rear, and also changing from runflat Pirelli to Goodyear F1 eagles...in hope it'll help.

Also, you stated you changed the diff, tranny and transfer oils, was there a certain reason for this besides pre maintenance ?

[tfunk88]

Did the fluids as there was no record of them having been done yet. And I was having an issue with the transfer case at times not allowing speed difference between front and rear wheels, especially in stop and go traffic. I believe that was caused by the previous owner changing the rear tires only and then 4k miles later the fronts the last time tires were replaced. Once I recalibrated the transfer case that went away.

As for suspension…it’s a little floaty after almost 100k miles. I have the standard suspension. I’m considering eibach lowering springs and Bilstein B6’s, but may just go with B4’s and keep the stock springs.

Will be either getting the M Performance brake kit or building my own, preferably with F85 6 piston calipers vs E70 4 piston.

Won’t be doing any tuning of the engine, but will be doing an X-pipe and muffler delete at some point.

Yep, I really like the LED’s, glad the original owner spec’d the car exactly as I would have when they bought it!

[Geo41e]

haha thats such luck right there regarding the spec'd LEDS !

Ah ok. I literally got my X5 about a month ago, with 89xxx kms (55xxx miles) and already booked the car to do the usual engine oil and filter, but also doing the tranny pan as well - just thinking if its too early to do the diffs and transfer case oil at the same time now since you mentioned it.

Do you have an issues or noises coming from the rear tail gate when going over harsh bumps at all ? Like ticking noises or a loose latch ?

[tfunk88]

At that mileage I wouldn’t say you NEED to do the transfer case and diff fluids…but def the transmission fluid and pan. I’m planning on doing all of them every 50k miles, but that’s probably excessive for the diffs and transfer case.

I do have the occasional sound from the rear. Haven’t figured out if it’s the lower tailgate cover or the upper tailgate side mounts. Honestly it doesn’t happen enough to bother me…yet.

[Qsilver7]

Originally Posted by tfunk88

Negatives-

The steering- it’s really light. I mean REALLY light. Is there a way to program the Sport Mode steering assistance level in Comfort Mode?

Kind of…but it’s the other way around. If you have the capability to configure SPORT MODE…you can code SPORT MODE to keep the COMFORT MODE drivetrain only but have the SPORT MODE chassis only. When you pull up SPORT MODE…see if you have a SETTINGS option to make drivetrain & chassis selections.

You mentioned that you have the BIMMERCODE app…if you don’t have the ability to select DRIVETRAIN only or CHASSIS only in sport mode (individual)…you can code the selection into iDrive using the EXPERT SIDE. (btw…there are TONS of videos on youtube on how to use the Bimmercode app if you are uncomfortable or apprehensive using the app). The easy side of Bimmercode is just that…its easy…its like flipping on a switch if you walk into a dark room…then turning the switch off if you want the lights out after you leave. If using the EXPERT SIDE then you do need to be careful and make sure you know what it is you’re doing (or supposed to do) so that you can UNDO it if you did something wrong or it doesn’t work or you don’t like the change.

Below are some screen shots of how I have SPORT MODE configured in iDrive/NBT4. You can select or de-select (both or either or) chassis & drivetrain only. If if you select CHASSIS ONLY and then code the X5 to always start in SPORT MODE…the steering wheel be sport mode…but the drivetrain will be the default COMFORT mode. Unfortunately it still won’t be like the old E chassis BMW steering that was hydraulic. The new EPS (electronic steering) is just different and “light”.

[tfunk88]

Thanks for all the good info! Will definitely do some experimenting!

[Geo41e]

Yeh, I configured my sport mode for chassis only.

However would of been better if they separated suspension and steering.

even better if you could configure Comfort mode as well, to basically only have sport steering and everything else in comfort, that would be ideal !

[tfunk88]

Yep, that’s what I want…Comfort mode with Comfort transmission but with Sport steering. Then I want Sport mode with Sport Transmission and Sport steering.

[imr3n]

congratulations man, beautiful car!

[tfunk88]

Thanks, I’m loving it!