They've never bettered the original X5. It defied the laws of physics and drove like a sporty saloon car... which the follow ups never did.
@cgoldrick117
3 ай бұрын
I bought one of these at around 71,000 miles last autumn, and I am shocked at how fun it is to drive, especially since my other vehicle is a lowered Golf R! It has taken a few trips to the shop for a new starter, valve cover gasket, brake lines, and rear calipers,but these trips are becoming less frequent. I have also replaced the pulleys, tensioners and accessory belts, as well as the oil filter housing gasket and VANOS feed line, doing my own work with a friend. It didn’t have a complete service history, and I have no idea how long the car sat or how well it was looked after. It seems it’s the first time in a long while anybody is showing it some love. I’m hoping that although I’ve paid as much money as the car cost that I can continue to enjoy it for a hundred thousand more miles as a camping and utility vehicle and keep the miles off of the R, until I sell that for an E46 or E92 M3. In any case, it feels like a modern classic to me! -Chris from the US
@jonc2914
15 күн бұрын
My 2006 3.0 x5 in texas has 200,000 miles. Runs perfectly fone still.
@andrewlloyd4702
3 ай бұрын
Hi, I'm the proud owner of a BMW X5 2005 e53 4.8is Automatic, since January 2023, I've had an LPG gas conversion, an xtrons head unit, 4 new tyres, rear windows tinted, new battery, coils, front and rear diffs serviced, atf and filter change, new id4motion instrument cluster, new complete rear light clusters, just been serviced, this car is legendary status, the 4.8 V8 burble is simply stunning, it's the best car I've ever owned, and it's just sailed the MOT, NO ADVISORIES!
@fuelupclassic
3 ай бұрын
Fantastic to hear :) The 4.8 is a wonderful thing!
@andrewlloyd4702
2 ай бұрын
@@fuelupclassici thoroughly agree with you!
@billsmith151
4 ай бұрын
Just bought a 2003 x5 petrol I love it plenty of power and comfort
@fuelupclassic
4 ай бұрын
Enjoy!
@ewebbytrailscout
4 ай бұрын
great video, I have a 2001 e53 3.0 gas with 270k miles in Arizona, had issues with oil leaks at about 140k, window regulators, coils at 220, control arms front every 80k as well as water pumps, learned to do my own repairs. Just replaced fan clutch, hoses, pulleys, thermostat. burns 1 quart every 700-1000 miles. Change oil every 8k. wax with P21 Carnuba wax every 4 months. akebono euro ceramic pads have lasted 165k miles and still 25% left. Check your transfer case and front drive shaft splines, replaced mine at 240k as they were halfway worn.
@Giggidygiggidy12
4 ай бұрын
Sounds like we had the exact same car😂
@pauljenkins9329
5 ай бұрын
Thanks for a great video, I would agree. I've had my 2002 (pre face-lift) 3.0d Sport for 8 years now. The Sport has a nicer interior (steering wheel and seats), don't see many around. It does everything I need it to; tows my rib with ease, including launching and recovering off the beach, can carry boards & gear on the roof (you don't get those side steps on the newer cars!) carries the family around in comfort, and is very refined and comfortable on a run, as you say, a nice place to be. 25mpg around town, nearer 35 on a long run, and everything still working as it should. I really prefer the understated and more purposeful styling of these cars, they have just gone way too bling with the new ones, and they aren't SUV at all any more. I wouldn't be able to think of one reason to change it ! Paul.
@fuelupclassic
4 ай бұрын
Thank you for watching and sharing your X5 ownership story so far. Great to hear it's been positive for you and I fully agree that the original is much more stylish and understated than many of the latest offerings.
@daad8942
27 күн бұрын
Had mine for 16 years. Kept thinking of selling to make way for a new vehicle within this category. You have just reminded me of why I kept putting it off and it’s my love for it. It’s an awesome car and a real looker. Sometimes you take it for granted. This video has refreshed my passion for the X5 I have owned for almost 2 decades.
@fuelupclassic
26 күн бұрын
That's really good to hear! Owning a car for two decades must mean it's a good one and personally I think they're just getting better with age. Hope you enjoy it for many more years and miles to come. Matt
@jamescampbell4334
4 ай бұрын
I own a TitanSilver/black interior 2003 4.4 Sport Pkg X5 with over 230k miles. August '03 production makes it one of the final pre-facelift/M62 V8 engine E53s. The service dept guys at my local BMW dealership (Plano, Texas) told me I held onto the right X5. I run staggered 19" HRE wheels w/ Vredestein Ultrac Vorti R tires in the summer (soft compound) and non-staggered OE 18"s w/ P-Zero all season tires in the winter. Did a 2k mile road trip (Dallas-Atlanta-Dallas) a few weeks ago. Ran flawlessly. Hope to see 250k miles next year.
@fuelupclassic
4 ай бұрын
Fantastic! Glad to hear that you're really enjoying X5 ownership. Thank you for watching.
@onlinebizjp
5 ай бұрын
I believe X5 is a modern classic because it revolutionized the concept of the SUV. I'm really looking forward to your future videos. Thank you🙏
@fuelupclassic
4 ай бұрын
Thank you.
@leethomas769
2 ай бұрын
4.6is owner here and fell in love with it straight away. Like you was meant to be a stop gap for a year or so but I dont think I will ever sell it now. So much fun to drive and being the 4.6 is very rare especially in my part of the world. Few common issues over the last 3 years like window reg and door handle but nothing major I have not been able to fix myself. Looking forward to more years of great motoring with this car and over time getting it mechanically perfect and fully restored. Overall its actually pretty mint but I am fussy.
@voodoocars2134
3 ай бұрын
I’ve had one for 10 years. Awesome for its age (2001). It has every option available at the time apart from the sliding boot floor. V8 and looks totally different from everything else on the road. I still use it virtually every day. Love it.
@fuelupclassic
3 ай бұрын
Great to hear you've had such a positive long term ownership. Thank you for watching.
@stm.natural_selection
16 күн бұрын
Have an 06 diesel. Solid as a 🪨
@davemills6701
5 ай бұрын
I have the 3.0d, 4.4 and 4.6. it's a love hate relationship. As time goes on I see less and less on the road and more people give them a second glance. A modern classic? Most definitely.
@chaosriddenyears
4 ай бұрын
i've been driving a 2006 3.0d e53 for 4 years right now and this car is nothing but a piece of perfection for its time. it still is more handsome than 90% of the SU(A)V's out there. when you press on the pedal the power and feeling is still there compared to the cars which were produced in the same era. i've had one small issue leading to a bigger one happen to me and it was a faulty injector causing the whole fucking piston to meltdown. because of that i had to get the whole engine renewed and overhauled. i've put 20k kms on it and it was worth every penny.
@fuelupclassic
4 ай бұрын
Thank you for sharing your E53 ownership story.
@User-ww7pn
5 ай бұрын
As ever, an interesting and thoughtful video. ...however, is the E53 worthy of the epithet 'future classic' anymore than say a 1st gen ML or Touareg - who can say ? What you do here, I think, is to obliquely raise the spectre of the age old conundrum: whether to buy an up-to-date but ultimately soulless eurohatchbox or consider something less mainstream but an infinitely more characterful (and hopefully more rewarding) vehicle. This is where such machinery like old mercs, audi's, bmw's and jags come in (I'm steering clear but not entirely dismissive of old range rovers as in my practical experience of the marque, particularly the P38, the phrase 'can be too troublesome to consider' springs readily to mind !). I'm sure an in-depth exploration of this question would be of interest to viewers - perhaps (subject to getting hold of suitable vehicles) this is something the channel could look over the coming months ?
@fuelupclassic
4 ай бұрын
A really good question and definitely one for the channel in the near future. Thank you for watching, Matt.
@tonyquance3737
2 ай бұрын
As long as you're prepared to payout for replacement valve cover gasket and oil filter housing leaks plus front drive axles you'll have a very enjoyable car. Any car over 200k kms will almost certainly need these. Otherwise, my X5 is mint, and drives very well. Full disclosure: retired mechanic doing my own work, but at 78, I'd rather not.
@mrjamesmay3548
Ай бұрын
Correct. We bought ours off a family friend and he 10k worth of invoices that came with it and we only gave him 4k for it in 2013 and it was a 53 plate. We sold it a few years ago but would love another one.
@aidenp5768
5 ай бұрын
imo its hard to say, because its so modern, and its still seen on the street occasionally, it started the unibody luxury super suv category, the new x5m, urus, cayenne, all the high ends you can think of have the exact recipe the e53 started, unibody, air suspension, and at least 315mm thick tires (315mm) in the back, V8, you even had a nav and tvs in the back from factory, it was also the fastest suv at the time, and before the e53 no suv had this combination, making it so difficult for age to hurt the e53, at least the ones in good condition.
@fuelupclassic
4 ай бұрын
It's certainly ageing gracefully and as you say started a whole new category of car. Thank you for watching.
@mosesparedes-gu4bw
3 ай бұрын
Message from Australia. Yes indeed it is a modern classic as I currently own a X5 with M54B30 engine and it’s a pleasure to drive and will keep it as long as the SAV decides to retire. It has 300000 plus mileage and still very agile and smooth driving.
@fuelupclassic
3 ай бұрын
Great to hear and thank you for watching.
@jaapklok5560
22 күн бұрын
I bought a e53 3.0i after I sadly crashed my e39.... It so so so comfortable but I might admit that the e39 is much more fun to drive, had much better fuel economic and the building quality is a little higher..... The prices here in the Netherlands are for good examples about the same
@guy4469
5 ай бұрын
im about to buy a 4.4 i £5000 one owner 80,000 miles .
@fuelupclassic
5 ай бұрын
Sounds like a good one! There aren't many 1 owner examples out there either and a great choice going for the V8.
@RaffyTaphy
5 ай бұрын
Beware I had a 4.4 with horrid issues before 90k Miles. Burned through oil like crazy and also had the famous valve stem seal problem which is big big $ to fix. The V6 is much more reliable
@jamescampbell4334
4 ай бұрын
@RaffyTaphy The right 4.4 to get is the M62. The N62 is Valvetronic and has more issues vs M62. Bonus if the M62 is from the final year of production (2003). BMW designed/installed longer timing chain tensioners in these motors. This prevented chain slap on cold starts due to initial low oil pressure. I have over 230k miles on my M62, it still has the original chain guides.
@M123OCT
5 ай бұрын
I saw one of these recently and was struck by how restrained and stylish it looked, indeed, the epitome of what BMW used to mean as a brand. While the current, hideously ugly mobile iPhones the company produces now will be forgotten in the blink of an eye, the model in the video, I believe, will indeed become a classic.
@fuelupclassic
5 ай бұрын
Definitely from an era where they made some good looking cars, i'm not sure you can say that about the current line up.
@scorcha100
4 ай бұрын
I was recently looking for a cheap car which i could use for tip runs and was offered one identical to yours including being a 3.0 petrol for £750. I was expecting it to be a heap of junk riddled with faults but it was by far the opposite. I cant believe how refined and well built it is. The plan was to run it around for a couple of months then get rid as i couldn’t see myself loosing any money on it but now i think i might just do a few maintenance bits on it and keep hold of it. Even if it was to break and i decided to break it for parts its a win win
@fuelupclassic
4 ай бұрын
That's great to hear! As you say a complete win win whichever way you look at it.
@acs108
4 ай бұрын
In Australia the petrols are surprisingly common. Maybe we were behind the times. That being said, I have the diesel model and it's great! I cant see how a petrol model would be more economical, and we have no tax on emissions here so thats not a problem. Add to that the 500nm of torque the diesel provides for towing, which is more than a lot of modern cars, and you have a great vehicle!
@asernzengue4604
Ай бұрын
Have a 3.0i m54b30 engine , it’s really a good engine ! 💪🏾
@fuelupclassic
Ай бұрын
It sure is!
@danielgcushman6817
12 күн бұрын
My favorite and least complicated.
@fuelupclassic
12 күн бұрын
Just a wonderful blend of great looks, great engineering and lots of fun to drive.
@jimmerritt2860
5 ай бұрын
No to classic status imo but great video as always 😎😎
@fuelupclassic
5 ай бұрын
thanks, glad you enjoyed it.
@retrofuturewave4909
4 ай бұрын
Every time I sell one of my BMWs it starts rising in value and I was just exploring selling my 3.0 e53 so I’m certain you’re right that soon I’ll be spending twice as much to buy one back. Ask me how much I got for my e28 535i (wait don’t ask me)
@fuelupclassic
4 ай бұрын
Ahhh i'm with you on that! I once (not that long ago) sold a really nice E30 touring for less than £2,000! I'd love an E28 though!
@Giggidygiggidy12
4 ай бұрын
What people dont realize or appreciate is this is the last true BMW ultimate driving experience. Anything after 2006 is basically trash with computers and electronics. Also fun fact MB didn't have an answer to the X5 SAV initially as BMW kept this concept under wraps. Once the proverbial cat was out of the bag, MBenz rushed the ML SUV to market and while it sold well, it was poorly designed and had a lot of issues.
@nattwilson7020
Ай бұрын
I'm more than happy for my E53 to be classed as a classic, maybe then the road tax will go down a bit 😢
@fuelupclassic
Ай бұрын
Ah, that would be nice! Is yours a 2006 onwards example that gets hit by the big £700+ tax bracket?
@nattwilson7020
Ай бұрын
@fuelupclassic yes bud it is unfortunately. Still love it to bits though.
@Birmingham_racing
5 ай бұрын
Have always had a soft spot for the facelift e53
@fuelupclassic
5 ай бұрын
still looks good today, I think.
@MrToranaGuy
3 ай бұрын
I'd call it a modern classic. Having said that, locally a classic vehicle is anything over 25 years old, which my 01 model is fast approaching. Sure it's never going to be chrome bumper classic, but they are some of the last bmw's that didn't have too many nannies and let you feel the drive.
@andrewmorris-i1w
29 күн бұрын
I have a 2005 4.4 v8 42k on the clock love it but has cost me £££ to maintain
@Mazima123
2 ай бұрын
You nailed it.
@madnesstvmadtv5690
4 ай бұрын
Defo modern classic e53 3.0d le mans edition ❤🔥
@andrewlloyd4702
2 ай бұрын
Update 11th July 24, timing chain is being changed.. £3600!!! But absolutely worth it!!!! I'll never part with my baby!
@fuelupclassic
2 ай бұрын
Ouch!
@andrewlloyd4702
2 ай бұрын
@@fuelupclassic but worth every penny!!
@lennywebb274
18 күн бұрын
I've had mine for 5 years and the previous owner didn't take care of it.
@fuelupclassic
16 күн бұрын
Lack of evidence that the car has been properly maintained is unfortunately the biggest problem many will come across when looking to buy one.
@garyfloyd7046
21 күн бұрын
I totally agree on the earlier x5s being a classic.Ive owned two 2004 4.4s. I now drive a 2004 3.0. I traded my second 4.4 in for a 2009 and hated it.consigned it out and lost $$$. Searched for another 2004 3.0 in Kalahari Beige $5,400 and put another $4,000 in maintanace. Love the earlier X5s styling and lack of electronics. The lack of a dipstick is a real turn off to a car guy. The earlier X5s will always be my favorite.
@daad8942
27 күн бұрын
Had mine for 16 years. Kept thinking of selling to make way for a new vehicle within this category. You have just reminded me of why I kept putting it off and it’s my love for it. It’s an awesome car and a real looker. Sometimes you take it for granted. This video has refreshed my passion for the X5 I have owned for almost 2 decades.
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