The Gen1 Renaissance Why the E53 X5 is Cool At Last!

[@markgreene7930]

We've had our 2004 X5 since new. It's been spectacular and at 20 years old we're keeping it. Very few repairs and a joy to drive.

[@dadcars]

👏😊

[@memeseller1706]

I bought mine from my dad who said picked me up from the hospital when I was born in that car I drive it till this day and even thought about selling it but then realized I would regret it in the end

[@OfficialLegend]

@@memeseller1706 my dad has 3, 2 are 3.0D and one is a 4.4i petrol which if he ever tries sell im buying it

[@andrewlloyd4702]

I purchased a BMW X5 2005 E53 4.8IS in January 2023, 99545 miles currently, since the purchase, I've had an LPG conversion, new xtrons head unit, new id4motion instrument cluster (£1200), new tyres, new ignition coils, front and rear diffs serviced, new brakes and discs, new atf and filter, new rear lights, rear window tints, LPG only £1 a litre, and the car runs so much better on LPG, no loss of power or performance, in fact it's awesome! Next is new upgraded headlights, but now it's the instrument cluster for a service and repair. THE BMW E53 X5 4.8IS IS FAST BECOMING A SOUGHT AFTER VEHICLE AND A FUTURE CLASSIC, IT WILL ONLY GO UP IN VALUE.

[@BoominGame]

Lol I just bought an x5 2003, 3.0 sport facelift, black, on lpg with 225k miles, the engine is still a powerhouse!

[@memeseller1706]

Holy fuck that is a lot of miles

[@Bimmer-Fonz]

They call it the german 2jz for a reason ;). Bmws 3.0l inline 6 engines can handle like 500hp stock

[@shadowofpain8144]

Bought mine 5 years ago with 212k miles still going expecting another 200k I have replaced all consumables and worn drive parts. Have 250k now transmission might not go the whole distance. End game for the car then.

[@dylanlastname-tw7oq]

Love these original X5's.

[@dadcars]

Super cool

[@JustinD93]

I have a 2005 X5 3.0D and mine has isofix both rear left and right seats have them isofix points. Behind the plastic caps

[@joshuakhaos4451]

Gen 1 X5's are awesome. I've considered buying one and enjoying it for a bit, its a car from my childhood during the 2000s after all. Plus the Gen 1's are from arguably BMW's peak in terms of design. late 90s- mid 2000s is when BMW just made timeless designs.

[@dadcars]

Honestly the feel you get from the steering is night and day compared to the newer ones

[@joshuakhaos4451]

@@dadcars Oh yeah, for sure. I think BMW still used good old fashion power steering back then since the Z4 appears to be the first car to get it back in 04. In my opinion, Old school power steering is superior to Electric power steering. It had weight and resistence to it that you just dont really get nowdays.

[@CarSoul]

Fantastic video mate! Saved me making one on it 😂 BX ready when you are

[@dadcars]

Thanks again for letting me feature it! BX soon yeah! 😎

[@joserangel7408]

I went from a 997.1 Porsche 911 to an E53 LCI X5 3.0, comparing the two, I actually enjoy driving the X5 more. Fuel economy is essentially the same between my E53 X5 and the Porsche I sold, I want to say I got 17.9mpg on the 997.1 Porsche and I currently get 18.6mpg on the E53 X5. I've been looking at the first gen X5M and one would essentially get the same fuel consumption as a 3.0 E53 X5. My E53 X5 LCI 3.0 has about 86,XXX miles on it and is immaculate inside and out. I added a Bluebus for Bluetooth streaming from my phone and the USB-C ports from later generation BMWs fit perfectly below the air vents in the rear. Solid experience for me so far.

[@dadcars]

They are a nice thing to experience aren’t they. 👏

[@f-carguy]

Amazing how this is the same size as an x3 now! I remember driving this when it first came out, my parents got one as a loaner when their 3 series was in for service. It felt so big on the road and had a commanding driving position. Felt so great to drive, solid, high quality cabin. I think I drove the v8 as they had just launched at the time. Great video Ben as always, keep up the good work👍

[@dadcars]

Thanks man, this was my trial with a 2 hour filming shoot!

[@RL-og3od]

Totally agree. Been looked at the F15 X5 for a while now. Have a G01 X3 but think we may just have to get the F15!!

[@dadcars]

Go for it 👏😎

[@DevinCreed]

Adding spacers to the wheels makes these vehicles that much more of a beast! I own a facelift 05 4.4 around 100k miles and a 04 4.4! Heated seats front and back, heated steering wheel, nav system, panoramic sunroof, luxury seats with electric headrests, isofix etc. Very fun BMW’s!

[@Seb-Storm]

I'm looking to get a 2004 facelift 4.4. Any input regarding regular maintenance I should look at? Is the timing kit really troublesome, or is it more a thing of being lucky not getting a lemon?

[@binkhalifa2004]

I added 5mm spacers all round on my 2005 4.4 sports and it transformed the vehicle - looks and drives fantastic.; style 87 wheels staggered. The steering has gotten heavier though and in future will install servotronic steering rack. I also lowered it with H&R lowering kit.

[@JaseSung]

My current E46 330ci is my favourite childhood nostalgia car, but if I didn’t have that, without a doubt I’d have one of these.

[@dadcars]

🤙😎

[@FRFRANKIE]

Hi Ben and daughter. Hope your doing good. That was one cool video. I like the old dash layout better.

[@dadcars]

Very bland on my wife’s car…

[@JonWhitworth]

Good rival for the 955 / 957, but the Porsche badge still wins out for me. Love seeing these on the road though and the patina just adds to the character. Great vid!

[@dadcars]

I’d consider swapping my wife’s 3rd gen x5 for a facelift 1st gen cayenne! That tells you how cool I think they are 😎 I really enjoyed driving Jayemms one

[@JonWhitworth]

@@dadcars wow, that’s quite a statement! I miss my Cayenne S and think the perfect lineup would be a 957 Turbo and a 986 S for the fun stuff

[@MrToranaGuy]

We have had a 2001 e53 4.4 v8 model for about 6 years now, It's been a good vehicle, good amount of space, good amount of power, not too bad on economy, tows well and has great BMW character from the era. They are also not too hard to do DIY maintenance on either. If you keep it looking tidy on the outside, it's surprising that they are 20 or so years old now. Plenty of aftermarket parts support to help keep them running too.

[@ingvartorma9789]

In Sweden, these old BMW X5 and X3 have no value, so they rebuild the gearbox so that the maximum speed is 30 km/h or 18.64 mph and you remove the back seat and put a mesh wall behind the front seats. These are then called A-Tracs, which can be driven by young people aged 16 who have obtained a tractor card.

[@dadcars]

Lol that’s brilliant! 😅

[@CarSoul]

Whaaaaa!

[@ingvartorma9789]

Here you get an explanation of what A-Traktor in Sweden is. A-tractor is a motor-driven vehicle consisting of a converted car. It is originally intended to tow vehicles or work equipment and must be equipped with a coupling device. Nowadays, the A-tractor, which is often called EPA, is mainly used as a means of transport by young people. This applies to A tractors The design speed of the A-tractor is a maximum of 30 km/h. This means that it must not be designed to drive faster than that on a horizontal road. To drive an A-tractor, a driver's license with AM authorization is required, i.e. moped class I driver's license (sometimes called a moped driver's license), or a tractor license. You may also drive an A-tractor if you have a driving license with another authorization. The age limit for obtaining an AM driving license is 15 years and for a tractor license it is 16 years. The vehicle must be equipped with a so-called LGF sign at the back, which indicates that the tractor is a slow-moving vehicle. All A tractors must be inspected. When a car is converted to an A-tractor, it must undergo a registration inspection to be approved before it is put into traffic. After that, it must undergo regular inspections. Questions about how you should build your A tractor or what can be approved in the registration inspection are answered directly by the inspection companies.

[@ingvartorma9789]

@@dadcars Here are some KZbin videos about A-Tractors. Ronjas Scania Vabis 56 A tractor kzbin.info/www/bejne/fabVqJuKm8qGrdE Saga´s Audi A3 A tractor kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6HVoqmuiatorKs Porsche Cayenne Turbo V8 A tractor kzbin.info/www/bejne/lX7LZmWmataXpZI

[@fredd3.14]

what the hell hahaha, feel bad for the cars but that's pretty funny to imagine

[@RafeAbrook]

Great video. As someone on his 4th E53 now, I would always choose the V8 over the straight six petrol as the economy is pretty much the same, but the performance is significantly better. My 4.8is averaged 21.5mpg as it had the later 6 speed autobox, which put it above all of the earlier petrols. Obviously a facelift diesel is your best bet for a daily, but my current 4.6is is part of a fleet and I have a diesel E Class for long family runs anyway!

[@dadcars]

Yep I think you’re right! I’ll have to try one at some point

[@RafeAbrook]

@@dadcars I've had JayEmm borrow a couple of my previous cars (MG ZR & X5 4.8is) to review this past year so if you interested in the following - just get in touch! Porsche 996.1 Manual, Mercedes 300CE-24 (C124), BMW X5 4.6is (E53), Mercedes E350 CDI Sport Estate (S212)

[@bbkingwasthegreatest711]

I have the e53 manual six, believe me this is the one very aggressive gearing it will wheelspin from a standing start, great fun and super cool.

[@peterkiss565]

Pop off the little plastic covers on the rear seats that look like some sort of a hinge cover down there the back rest and you'll find your ISOFIX! 😉

[@JustinD93]

Exactly. I have a 2005 X5 and that's how I found my isofix points. They work a treat 👌

[@TalkPentecast]

I have a MANUAL 3.0i and it’s awesome! It’s the sport version. 2002 model first gen with isofix seats Just had to change its throttle body and idle valve and it still goes like stink! Love it! Mine does a very respectable 17mpg average! 😅

[@e30farmer85]

Canada here. Just got my x5 an american import. 2001 3l manual, and I love it. City driving winter, I get 14L per 100km in the city. When I drove from where i bought it, I was getting 22 mpg. I love it but what i will say is I'm not getting into bmw after 2005 and 6 due to them removing the soul and quality, reliability issues. So i have me e30, e46 and e53 seeing a trend here. I wish we had the diesel variant. I like how you went through a 3l and not the 4.8 only like everyone else.

[@geeniusatwrok]

I have a 2001, M54 3.0 with the 5-speed manual and almost 200,000 miles. It runs beautifully, does not leak, and on the outside it looks terrible - peeling clearcoast, lots of dings and scratches, which is fine because then I don't have to care about leaving it at the airport for weeks, unlike my F30 which the one time I did park there for a week got about three door dings from asshats. Bought it from a BMW loon who rescued it from a side yard where it had been sitting for some time, spent a stupid amount of money in parts and repairs most of which he did himself, and now I've got a very reliable beater that I drive 350 miles each way multiple times a year with no problems other than its thirst for fuel. E53 is like the Volvo 240 of BMWs!

[@colinregan7380]

No mention on the wonderful m57 turbo diesel?

[@shadowofpain8144]

My first was a 4.4 06 it had the leaking valve seals issue. Unloaded it. Second is a 3.0i 06 the worst thing to happen to is is the ac heater blower motor failed you have to disassemble everything to get to it, not fixed yet can't drive in winter. The yaw sensor is out under center console ordered it used 800.00 new. Pull the center console out to fix that will look at the blower same time think if I can remove enough to cut a hole to remove blower instead of removing half the dash.

[@hamza-m]

I've been running a 4.8is facelift version for little over a year now. Mine definitely does have ISOFix (two child seats in the back). I'm not a fan of SUVs and its not our primary car but its pretty good for those long Euro trips. In our use case it does manage a decent 25/26mpg average which isn't great by modern standards but pretty good for something of this age and size. I keep thinking to replace it, but everything more modern is so much bigger and even worse to drive (not really a fan of SUVs and how they drive).

[@dadcars]

Sounds like a cool family wagon.. Our 30d 3rd gen only manages 30mpg

[@denniszawada5538]

I love my 2004 X5 Alpina with the 4.8is. Where my 2001 ML55 AMG is brute power and not much steering fun, the X5 handles like a dream

[@Bimmer-Fonz]

I was given an 05 x5 with the 3.0 m54 from my aunt cause her vision is going and it was overheating. After sorting the overheating ive come to enjoy it more than my 2006 525i somehow. I love the fact its a full size suv but can still fit in small car parking spots, i love the tailgate, the m54 and n52 are bulletproof motors, and lastly the all wheel drive system is great, oh and u can unplug the power unit for rwd only 😁. Great vehicle wether u wanna build a cool offroader or street rocket or just need a decent luxury daily driver. It will please

[@shadowofpain8144]

Eventually the yah sensor will fail and it will turn off 4x4 and antilock brakes for you. Been driving without for a year now but I don't drive much usually locally. But would still drive it anywhere.

[@Bimmer-Fonz]

@shadowofpain8144 too bad those dash lights drive me nuts or i wouldnt even bother fixing it 😂.. somehow takes away from the "elegance" when the dash it lit up like a tree LOL

[@mhmd7028]

We have one that we're currently trying to sell but in such good condition, only selling since no longer need it. Timeless design and sooo fun to drive, makes you feel like a lion on the road haha. BMW hit the nail with this model

[@KurtofTrades]

Love these cars, hope to get a 4.6is some day

[@Edwinbraun20]

Someone said that the eight cylinder engines aren’t nearly as reliable as the six cylinder ones

[@UtaHagawi]

Spot on. You buy this if you love early 2000s bmw and a car that is the grandfather of todays motors

[@dadcars]

👏😎

[@robbrcnstuff4220]

I have a x5 4.4i e53 and x5 3.0 e53 and I love them. I think they're beautiful. I bought them cheap and did a little work on them and they are great.

[@dadcars]

😎🙌

[@Wattsy94]

Have just bought a facelift E53 and you're absolutely right about flexing these cars these days 😂 they're all about wanting to own an older car with actually buttons, when BMW's felt like they were built with some sort of quality. I still own an LCI 535d touring which is miles better in every way, but I have just £1500 for a 56' reg 3.0d, can't go wrong these days

[@Fc-cb3tn]

They’ve always been cool. These were the first SUVs to not roll over even when you think of tackling a bend, and they had big NA V8s too. Also pre E65 BMWs were built like bricks. My father has owned an E39 528i since brand new and of all the times it has been run into by some bellend, they walked away with much more damage than us (one Saab even crumpled its front grille while the 5 only sustained a scratch the size of a finger).

[@dadcars]

That’s a big part of the suv appeal… safety

[@Birmingham_racing]

I'm surprised I didn't see this upload before. I'm a big fan of the first gen facelift. Funny enough I went in one about a year ago after many years. 3 of us in the back and it felt ok. 3 litre diesel was quick enough and still smooth

[@dadcars]

It’s performance to economy ratio struggles against modern SUVs but it’s a very cool thing indeed 😎

[@deaks25]

The looks have aged really well and while it’s not quick, that 3.0l sounded lovely, proper straight six yowl so at least it’s enjoyable.

[@dadcars]

Yeah the engine sounded brilliant!

[@westmidlandsdashcam6717]

Almost certain those little plastic covers are the isofix points, im looking at an e53 as my next car, and my 2001 e46 has those covers with the isofix anchors behind them?

[@JustinD93]

Your correct dude. I have a 2005 facelift X5 with them plastic covers and behind them are isofix points which work nicely!

[@westmidlandsdashcam6717]

@ did end up buying one an 05 back in august yep both sets of isofix are in use!

[@JustinD93]

@westmidlandsdashcam6717 awesome which engine did you go for mate?

[@westmidlandsdashcam6717]

@ 3.0d… I’ve put about 8k mileage on it since I got it, and I’ve serviced it twice…not missed a beat… on a long ish run (180-200miles) if I’m sensible I’ve hit 51mpg. Locally late 20s-30. The dude I got it off looked after it from new it’s almost concours condition. Couldn’t believe my luck!

[@JustinD93]

@@westmidlandsdashcam6717 they are brilliant aren't they my 2005 X5 3.0d pulls incredibly. It still surprises me

[@expeditionvanlife8708]

200000 miles on a 4.4i with Sport package (2003). Still one of the best driving car I have ever tried.

[@adventuresofbabyleonardoth5953]

What year is the most reliable amongst these first generation ? Any reply is appreciated

[@voodoocars2134]

I’ve had my V8 X5 for 10 years. It’s a 4.6 and I average 19mpg. Very very rarely see another on the road which is great. Often look at different vehicles to replace it but can’t find anything suitable. I’m gonna buy another car to use while I keep the X5 safe..

[@ChanceDurham-bx3qy]

I’ve got a 01 v8 e53 with 108k on it love it

[@wozmac771]

It was always the coolest. Still has the best design.

[@Bossnerf22]

I'd reccomend the fuel economy re map

[@dadcars]

What % difference can it make?

[@JustinD93]

Probably not much unless you have the 3.0D like me. I have a 2005 facelift 3.0D 218bhp. Now it's 265bhp and a stupid amount of torque. Best daily I've ever had. With the amount of torture it has now probably will be just as quick as the V8's. I've owned the 228bhp 3.0i petrol version year's ago and this diesel is way quicker

[@andrewmorris-i1w]

Minds is an 2005 4.4 42k on the clock...

[@dadcars]

👌😮‍💨

[@christoebi8172]

auto alex is mike brewers son ??

[@dadcars]

🙃

[@smoakpipe]

i love my e53

[@ryandevillers214]

Pretty sure AutoAlex isn't Mike Brewer's son just because he also says 'old out yer and'

[@pedromiguelpires7599]

Top!!!

[@dadcars]

😅

[@thetoughcookie3665]

As I have had this kinda vehicle for last 10y. Just don't get if you are not capable to service it or get it serviced. It's same as all old BMW's but a bit more expensive than casual rwd one. If you buy a cheap, you will have expensive services to do. It's though a great car, a classic. But in reality it's an old car and US made which makes it to rust also 😎

[@v12mercedes-benz72]

I have drove the 4th gen X5 3.0t petrol, and i still feel my 1st gen X5 4.6 is better than almost every way, that new x5 is just a modern any car, it is quieter than old one, and feels cheap in every way.

[@dadcars]

Ah nice! I bet I would have love this even more if it was a 4.6 😊

[@Jahmed5635]

Cool at last? They have always been cool!!!!

[@dadcars]

Lol 😂 I’m just not a big SUV fan as a primary car for myself! Lots of cool ones though 👏

[@robertlloyd7493]

👍

[@dadcars]

🫡

[@MrKips1]

So many reviews comment on the poor mpg. But it's only just worse than my wifes brand new Ford Escape which gets at best, 22mpg. And the Ford is nowhere near such a pleasant experience to drive. And don't get me started on the terrible fuel economy of my Dodge Crewcab. I'll be keeping our e53 x5 for as long as practically possible.

[@dadcars]

Oh in America MPG isn’t an issue 😅 this is a tiny car buy American standards as well 😅

[@t.a.p4554]

the roadtax for this car is too expensive.... the cost is like giving my goverment a new motorcycle every year... expensive

[@FullJikama]

No, a big no