2004 BMW X5 consumer reviews

They really need to recall the jump from the transmission. And the gas sensor. But it's a great car with great gas mileage. I love it.

In 2001, BMW and a number of contemporary (then) film makers/directors, including Guy Ritchie, created an amalgamation of 8 short films featuring BMWs most coveted line-up of that years models. Although watching Clive Owen launch Madonna from the back seat of a beautifully appointed M5 onto a paparazzi lined red carpet was quite the spectacle, it was the X5 nimbly plowing through sugar cane fields that really caught my attention. At the time affording such a vehicle was way outside of reality, so I was only able to admire the SUV from afar. I eventually put the idea of owning one in the far recesses of my mind, and all but forgot about it. Flash forward to 2017. I'm standing at an intersection staring at my feet, waiting for the light to change. What happened next changed my life forever. I was witness to the most beautiful exhaust note I've ever heard coming from the tail pipes of a gorgeous black on black X5M. As it idled, it produced the faintest aroma not of spent fuel, but that of a well oiled machine. It just smelled clean. When the light turned green, and that engine opened up, I was shook. A solid ten seconds passed as I stood there slack jawed and wide eyed before I was able to figure out how to pick up my foot and start walking again. I was on my phone within moments and spent the remainder of my walk to work quickly consuming every bit of X5 info I could sink my teeth into. I was quick to discover that the M was never going to be of interest to me as it seemed to be the biggest money pit of the line-up, which to me should not be a deal breaker if you have the money, a genius of a mechanic, and it's not your daily driver. I was looking for the unicorn model. The one gem hidden among the ranks that no one mentions because, after all, the most vocal BMW drivers always seem to be the people who have never owned a reliable BMW. Let alone THE most reliable BMW. I want to go on record right now when I say that the 2004 E53 X5 is almost the most solid work horse of a bimmer, second only to the 1990 E30 325 ix. Talk about a Unicorn. If you know, you know. I digress; three months later I found myself behind the wheel of a 2004 X5. The way that in-line 6 E53 engine pairs with the AWD is something quite magical. Does it perform well as an off-road adventure truck? LOL! Nope (I fared much better in my old Montero). Will it crush mountain roads, dismantle The Tail of the Dragon, and put thousands of other vehicles in the rearview. Oh yes, and it will do it faithfully, despite the 225,000 miles on the odometer. It is 2022 after all, so if you're planning on buying one, rest assured, it'll still have tons of life in it. If I'm able to keep my 357,000+ mile 1990 E34 alive, I'm certain an 04 E53 can get there swimmingly. I swear by that inline 6. There's no better term for that configuration than "bullet proof". If you don't own one, find one, and buy it. If you already own one, buy another.

This X5 BMW runs very smoothly very confy.. no complaints you can't feel how fast your going at times but love the feeling of the ride.

We purchased this vehicle used about 4 years ago, and it's been a great vehicle. The 3.0 engine is more than adequate, even when towing a small trailer. The only problem we had was when the sunroof drains plugged up, causing water to leak into the the rear and damage the stereo amplifier and the rear lighting module. Must keep the sunroof drains clear!

So two months after purchase with only 98000 miles on the clock I had to get the gearbox done costing me £1900 then two months later the turbo went, then the suspension started action up and air bags burst, replaced air bags and had new sensors, plugged into computer happy days, no air bag went again!!! So changed it to cool springs quite costly but worth it! A year and a half after gear box done it’s gone again! So it’s parked up and I’m scrapping it!!!!!!!! Oh and forgot to mention had problems with the door handles breaking like all the time! And a problem with the fuel tank and fuel tank sensor! Good points Plenty of power Good on fuel Comfortable Other than that I would NEVER EVER have one again! Pure money pit and pile of rubbish

GREAT CAR THIS IS what I hate about internet or these media specialist they put ignorant words in people mouth the two words great car covers everything

This has been one of the best vehicles that I have ever owned. It would be a great buy, but know that it will be expensive to fix when it has issues.

The car exceeded all my expectations and performs great on the road. Well made and extremely reliable. Fun to drive and looks great. Needed a car that I enjoyed driving but was economical. Purchased this car used hoping to have no car payment or problems for the next three years and thus far feel very good about my purchase. These cars are well made and the older steering on this 2004 model I absolutely love.

Very versatile in bad weather and still sporty enough to take a date to dinner in. Plenty of room for both driver and passengers, front and rear.

You get a LOT of luxury and performance in a 5 to 15 year old X5. This is because the Nappa leather, inside (door panels, dash, etc) are/were made of premium quality materials. Other cars look weathered, old, degraded vinyls, shabby carpet liner. Not BMW. And especially X5s that were made, and painted in Germany, before the EPA prohibited solvent-based clear coat (it's soy-based now). Mine, from Germany, still has a new car gloss that brings comments. However, BMW, Woodcliff Lakes, NJ, corporate office for the U.S., needs to order their dealer service departments to own up to defects and mal-functioning parts, such as door handle carriers and cables. And valve stem seal issues. Top BMW techs conclude on forums that it is the 12K mile oil change interval that causes the valve stem seals to degrade--on BMW's V8 motors in early to mid-2000. Smoking allowed. One service manager at a suburban Chicago dealer said, "I never heard of valve stem seals going bad." Later, Elmhurst BMW, same guy, said, "That will run you about $6K to repair and we can give you a ten percent discount." (On one of their CPO program cars; mentioned problem to them when the car was STILL in CPO warranty; they did nothing but CHECK the oil.) Service manager would not accept that his dept. stripped out my caliper hold down bolt threads when doing the front brakes. "How do we know it was not done by someone else," he said. His shop was the only shop that had done brake work because it was a CPO (means nothing) car from his shop in Elmhurst. Very stable highway vehicle at 5K pounds. Would recommend this vehicle, and used, too. But be weary of the dealers' duplicity and denial of known problems many other owners are well aware of, but not the service depts!