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BMW X5 M E70

BMW X5 M E70

2010 to 2013SUVM car

Guide Score 38Not for most buyers$5,046 a year to ownAbout 69th of 69
Best year
2013
Example asking
$6k to $20k
Prices near you
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Photo: ilikewaffles11, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The short answer

The E70 X5 M was, with the X6 M, BMW M's first SUV and its first all-wheel-drive car; it was built in South Carolina and sold here from 2010 to 2013.

The score, part by part

38Guide Score for 2011Not for most buyersabout $5,046 a year to own
Place among the 69 generations
About 69th of 69, likely 56th to 69th
Likely score range
31 to 55
Confidence
Low
Acclaim
25 of 100
Chance of a bill over $10,000 in five years
33%

The seven parts and acclaim, 2011 model year

Heritage counts 14 of 100
1524% of it not measured
Engine counts 14 of 100
47
Drive feel counts 19 of 100
60
Analog connection counts 10 of 100
80
Weight counts 10 of 100
21
Long-term value not scored
not measured
Ownership counts 19 of 100
14
Acclaim counts 14 of 100
25

Each part is scored from 0 to 100 on a fixed outside scale. Acclaim comes from published expert lists, launch reviews and awards; the more acclaimed a car, the less its ownership cost counts in this all-time score (its dollars below are unchanged). A part marked not measured carries no weight for this car, and the others share its weight.

Long-term value, shown and not scored

No permitted price yet: we have not found three prices for this car from sources that allow this use.

Long-term value starts to count in the score once 75% of the 69 generations have permitted prices. Today 43 do.

The cost to own

About $5,046 a year to own ($3,304 to $7,521), about $25,230 over five years, bought at five years old or its own age if older, kept five years.

  1. Valve stem seals (S63): about $2,100 over five years, common (source)
  2. Fuel injector failure (S63): about $1,575 over five years, common (source)
  3. Rod bearing wear (S63, first version): about $1,500 over five years, possible

Expect about $3,300 to $7,500 a year; the bills that decide it are valve stem seals, fuel injector failure and rod bearing wear. Bought without receipts, about a 7 in 20 chance of more than $10,000 in repairs in five years. Ownership risk: high.

Guide Score method v5-final.14, an editorial score built only from permitted, sourced data. How it works.

S63 (first version)555 hpAWD6-speed automatic12 city, 17 hwy mpg

Colors it came in, most wanted first. Pick one to see the page in it.

Routine service a year, estimate
$800 to $1,600

Best year to buy

2013The best year to buy, reading 39 of 100, about $5,046 a year to own.

No logged change between model years sets it apart.

Years to think twice about

  • 2010: 36, 3 points below the 2013. About $5,272 a year to own against $5,046; chance of a bill over $10,000 in five years 38%.
  • If you can only find a 2010: it reads 36, 3 points below the 2013, at about $5,272 a year to own against $5,046. The parts that differ: ownership 11 against 14, drive feel 58 against 60. It is judged as bought at 16 years old, against 13 for the 2013.
  1. 201036think twice
  2. 201138$5,046 a year
  3. 201239$5,046 a year
  4. 201339best year

From our log of the changes between model years, each with its source. Only changes the score reads count as reasons; recalls BMW fixes for free, options and tuning notes do not. The cost a year is for a car bought at five years old, or its own age if older, kept five years. How the score works.

The longer answer

It has the first version of the S63 twin-turbo V8, with 555 hp and 500 lb-ft, a six-speed automatic, xDrive with a torque-vectoring rear axle, Adaptive Drive with active anti-roll bars and self-leveling rear air springs; BMW quoted 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. There was one version.

This first S63 has a much worse record than the later ones: BMW issued bulletins, service actions and a warranty extension for its valve stem seals, injectors and crankcase vent line; hot-vee coolant leaks are well known, and failed turbos are a known risk.

Each is a four-figure bill on an SUV that now often sells for under $15,000, so buy one with receipts for that work or price the work in.

What to look for. Receipts for valve stem seals, turbos, injectors and cooling work, a dealer check by VIN that the injector and crankcase vent line service actions, the auxiliary coolant pump recall and, on 2011 to 2013 cars, the front driveshaft recalls (16V-311 and 17V-138) are closed, no blue smoke on a cold start or hard acceleration, oil use you can live with, no wet oil or dried coolant on top of the engine or under the car, a pre-purchase inspection and fault-code scan by a shop that knows this engine, and a level stance with no suspension or Adaptive Drive warnings.

Holds value

  • Records of the engine work above
  • Monte Carlo Blue or Melbourne Red paint
  • Full Merino leather (Sakhir Orange, Mugello Red or Cinnamon)
  • The Driver Assistance Package
  • Low documented mileage
  • Stock cars

Hurts resale

  • No records of engine work
  • Blue smoke or heavy oil use
  • Open service actions or recalls
  • Oil or coolant leaks
  • Warning lights
  • Tunes and exhaust modifications
  • Accident history
  • Suspension faults

What to do next

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Follow the X5 M

The M Index, once a month: any change to the X5 M's guide or score, with the reason, new recalls on M cars, and one thing to check before you buy.