2009 BMW X5 Review
2009 BMW X5 Review
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Used X5 for sale
Appraise This CarBMW X5 model years
BMW X5 types
- SUV
- Diesel
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Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Nimble handling, powerful engines, luxurious and comfortable interior, huge list of features, excellent iPod interface.
Cons
- Ride is on the firm side for some, munchkin-sized third-row seat, hefty price, frustrating iDrive interface.
What’s new
A new twin-turbo diesel engine debuts on the 2009 BMW X5, which promises robust power and enhanced fuel economy. Optional and standard equipment has been adjusted throughout the X5 lineup, as have the trim level names.
Edmunds says
In the luxury crossover SUV segment, the 2009 BMW X5 sets the standard for handling and performance. In terms of value and utility, however, many competitors are better.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2009 BMW X5 xDrive30i 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl 6A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $4.45 per gallon for premium unleaded in Ohio.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio
$314/mo for X5 xDrive30i
X5 xDrive30i
vs
$201/mo
Avg. Midsize SUV
Vehicle overview
BMW put the "sport" in sport-utility vehicle when it introduced the X5 a decade ago. At its launch, BMW's marketing department dubbed the crossover a Sports Activity Vehicle (but then again, they also call the new four-door X6 a coupe, so perhaps nomenclature isn't BMW's strong suit). Nonetheless, the 2009 BMW X5 is just as sporty as its predecessors, injecting an ample amount of Bavarian handling chutzpah into the ridin'-high body of a family-friendly SUV. Although several luxury automakers have taken aim at the X5's sporting formula, this BMW remains very attractive for those who want the "S" in SUV to actually mean something.
Now three years into its current generation, the X5 adds a new engine for these fuel-economy-conscious times. The 2009 X5 xDrive35d features a twin-turbocharged diesel inline-6 that not only produces ample low-end power (425 pound-feet of torque) but also sips fuel at the rate of a compact SUV rather than one that weighs 5,000 pounds. New emissions-scrubbing technology known as BluePerformance makes this diesel engine suitable for sale in all 50 states.
Aside from its engine, the xDrive35d is mostly identical to the xDrive30i and xDrive48i trim levels (which were renamed for 2009 from 3.0si and 4.8i, respectively). They all provide sharp and confident handling, comfortable seating for five people (although the optional third row is only suitable for small kids) and plenty of luxury goodies. This isn't to say BMW has a patent on this formula. Vehicles like the Acura MDX, Infiniti FX and Porsche Cayenne also provide the type of handling that sport sedan drivers will appreciate. If spirited handling isn't a priority, there are other luxury crossovers that offer a comfier ride, easier steering at slow speeds, better value and more utility. But for Bimmer-philes or driving enthusiasts who need a family-friendly SUV, the 2009 BMW X5 is the obvious sporting choice.
Performance & mpg
There are three engines available for the 2009 BMW X5. The X5 xDrive30i is powered by a 3.0-liter inline-6 that produces 260 horsepower and 225 lb-ft of torque. Its EPA estimated fuel economy is 15 mpg city/21 mpg highway and 18 mpg combined. The xDrive35d features a twin-turbocharged diesel inline-6 that produces 265 hp and 425 lb-ft of torque. This engine includes clean-diesel technology that allows it to be sold in all 50 states. BMW estimates fuel economy will be 19 mpg city and 25 mpg highway while matching the xDrive30i's acceleration abilities. The X5 xDrive48i gets a 4.8-liter V8 good for 350 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque. In performance testing, the 48i went from zero to 60 mph in 7.0 seconds. EPA fuel economy estimates are 14 city/19 highway and 16 combined. All X5s are all-wheel drive and come with a six-speed automatic transmission with manual shift control. Properly equipped, an X5 can tow 6,000 pounds.
Safety
The 2009 X5 comes standard with antilock brakes, traction control, stability control, brake drying and standby features, a rollover sensor, front side airbags and side curtain airbags for the first and second rows. In government crash tests, the X5 scored a perfect five stars for frontal-impact driver protection and four stars for frontal-impact passenger protection. It got a perfect five stars for front and rear side protection. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the X5 its highest rating of "Good" in its frontal-offset and side-impact crash tests.
Driving
The 2009 BMW X5 is one of the best-handling midsize luxury SUVs you can buy. Whether driving on back roads or on an endless expanse of interstate, the X5 is a champ. Although some competitors offer more utility and many are more adept off-road, the X5 does an amazing job of taking the sensations and talents of BMW's legendary sport sedans and translating them to the SUV world. This is particularly true when the X5 is fitted with the optional active dampers and stabilizers.
The X5 isn't perfect, though. We've found the steering to be overly heavy at parking lot speeds, even if its hefty nature is a boon on the open road. The optional active steering system eases parking maneuvers, but the downside is reduced steering feel. The X5 has an agreeable ride quality, particularly on long highway jaunts, but buyers looking for a Lexus-like comfy-couch ride may find this Bimmer a little harsh.
Interior
The new X5's interior is one of the most elegant BMW has ever built. The construction is precise, the materials are high-quality and the instrumentation is crystal-clear. The front seats are nicely shaped and adjust for a wide range of body types (the optional comfort seats offer even more adjustment). The only sour notes include the complex iDrive system (although it's well-suited to the optional iPod interface), the cramped third-row seat and the gear selector, which many drivers find too much like a video game controller. With the second- and third-row seats folded, the X5 offers a total of 75 cubic feet of cargo space, which is about average for this class.
2009 BMW X5 models
The 2009 BMW X5 is a midsize luxury SUV available in xDrive30i, xDrive35d (late availability) and xDrive48i trim levels. Standard equipment on the xDrive30i includes 18-inch wheels, adaptive xenon headlights, cruise control, a panoramic sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, power front seats with driver memory settings, a power tilt and telescoping steering column, vinyl "leatherette" upholstery, the iDrive electronics interface and a 12-speaker sound system with a CD player and an auxiliary audio jack. Aside from their different engines, the xDrive35d and xDrive48i trims are virtually identical (the 48i adds leather upholstery, however).
A number of optional packages are available to further luxe out the X5. The Premium package adds auto-dimming mirrors, a power liftgate, BMW Assist telematics with Bluetooth and leather upholstery with the xDrive30i. The Sport package adds an adaptive suspension, 19-inch wheels, sport seats and a sport steering wheel. The Premium Sound package equips the X5 with a premium sound system, a six-CD changer and an iPod interface (included on the xDrive48i, a stand-alone extra on the xDrive30i). The technology package adds parking sensors, a back-up camera and a navigation system with voice activation and real-time traffic. The rear climate package adds rear privacy glass, manual rear side sunshades and four-zone auto climate control. The active ventilated seat package adds multi-adjustable front "comfort" seats with ventilation.
Other stand-alone options include upgraded leather upholstery, keyless ignition and entry, active steering, a head-up display, an iPod adapter (requires the sound package on the xDrive48i), a rear-seat entertainment system, satellite radio and HD radio. A third-row seat is also available and includes a rear self-leveling suspension. Twenty-inch wheels can be added to the Sport-package-equipped xDrive48i.
Reliability Ratings by RepairPal
2.5 out of 5 stars2.5/5Average
#12 out of 20 among Luxury Fullsize SUVs
RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.
Cost
The average total annual cost for unscheduled repairs and maintenance across all model years of the BMW X5 from 2008-2022.$833/yr
vs. $735/yr
for Average Luxury Fullsize SUV
for Average Luxury Fullsize SUV
Frequency
The average number of times this model is brought into the shop for unscheduled repairs and maintenance in a single year. RepairPal calculates this metric by tracking millions of unique vehicles over multiple years to determine an average number of visits per year (omitting small routine visits, e.g., oil changes).1.79x/yr
vs. 1.83x/yr
for Average Luxury Fullsize SUV
for Average Luxury Fullsize SUV
Severity
The probability that a repair will be a major issue, meaning the repair costs 3x the average annual repair cost for all models. This threshold will be higher for vehicles that have higher labor rates and parts costs (such as a premium brand).17.8%
vs. 16.5%
for Average Luxury Fullsize SUV
for Average Luxury Fullsize SUV
powered by RepairPal Based on RepairPal reliability data as of 8/23/2023. Ratings are provided by RepairPal and Edmunds is not responsible for their accuracy.
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 2009 BMW X5.
5 star(71%)
4 star(14%)
3 star(8%)
2 star(2%)
1 star(5%)
62 reviews
Trending topics in reviews
Most helpful consumer reviews
4 out of 5 stars
Buy one, love it, and be prepared for maintenance
Eric, 06/27/2016
2009 BMW X5 xDrive35d 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbodiesel 6A)
As a good friend said to me before I bought my first bimmer, they don't break often, but when they do, its expensive. This car is no exception. That being said I buy low priced, high quality cars. I prefer them depreciated from their showroom pricing, but in good condition. We bought our 2009 BMW X5 with 92K on it. In the last 24 months we have spent about 6-7K in repairs. The car does … need special therapy. The tight tolerances of the sensors, the tight standards of the brakes, tires, wheel bearings, and glow plugs mean constant mechanic massaging. BUT!!!! When this car is running right(80% of the time) it is simply the best car I have ever driven. Insanely fast, stable, and powerful. With snow tires I have conquered the toughest storms that Colorado can throw at me. Do yourself a favor. Buy one of these cars with 90-100K on it, set aside $6K in repair dollars(that is still half of the original sticker price) and you will own a great car. A really great car.
3 out of 5 stars
leaky, and sealless oil and water
Gene, 07/18/2015
2009 BMW X5 xDrive48i 4dr SUV AWD (4.8L 8cyl 6A)
My wife and I are over 70 and do not drive aggressively. The car was never red lined or even close.
The car is fun to drive but very expensive with excessive repairs.
All recommended maintenance, oil changes, brake pads, brake flushing, alignment, etc. were done on or ahead of schedule.
The car has 85,000 miles on it and has had over $14,000 in out of factory warranty repairs.
The … dealer labor is $150+ an hour and the dealer parts are 1.3 to 3 times more than the same OEM part when available outside.
The AC leaked during the 50,000 warranty and a connection hose was replaced. Everything else failed and was repaired after 50,000 and by 85,000 miles.
Most failures have been acknowledged by the dealer and on the internet to be a common failures on a BMW V8 engine.
Repairs:
Head light washer nozzle came off and was replaced.
Water tank split at seam and was replaced.
Vacuum pump leaked and was replaced.
Oil seals on front of engine leaked and were replaced.
Front end bushings were worn and were replaced.
Engine valve cover gaskets leaked and were replaced.
Engine Valve seals leaked and were replaced.
Fuel pump leaked vacuum and was replaced.
I recommend you not own this car after 50,000 miles unless you have an extended warranty. Thank goodness i had one.
Update
The car now has 106,000 miles on it.
The fuel pump has been replaced again.
My extended warranty company has spent over $21,000 in repairs at the Dealership.
BMW issued a recall over a year ago on the passenger air bag but has not replaced it yet.
I stand by my earlier report.
UPdate again
The car has 111,000 miles on it.
The passenger seat airbag recall has not been replaced. BMW does not have the new airbag but they continue to sell new cars with. presumably new good air bags!
At my last dealer inspection, I was told I needed to replace my rear brake shoes which had less than 3 mils thickness left. It had only been 25,000 miles since the original pads which lasted 85,000 were replaced. I took the car to a second dealer. The rear brake shoes had 6/7 mils. The original dealer rechecked again and confirmed their mistake.
The car seems to runs and drives fine but the valve clicking noise outside the car is excessive. I am told this is normal.
Although not recommended, I had transmission fluid and differential fluid changed, and have engine oil changed every 10,000 to 11,000 miles (not the recommended 15,000 or when the service light indicates).
The car now has 112,000 miles on it. Here is an update
BMW finally replaced both front air bags Air bags that were not available from BMW North America for years were suddenly available within a couple if months after I received a notice from a lawyer announcing a class action law suit.
The water pump failed and was replaced. cost $800. The tensioner pulley bearing was starting to make a noise and i had it the belt the tensioner and the thermostat replaced at the same time. The dealer charged me two separate labor charges although 80% of the labor time was redundant until I complained, another $600 reduced to $350 after the labor charge reduction.
The transmission started slipping and was just replaced with an independant rebuild at a cost of $7,000. It would have been $10,000 at the dealer using the BMW rebuild! The mechanic said BMW water pumps fail between 50,000 and 100,000 miles and transmissions at between 100,000 and 150,000 miles.
Again, reliability sucks!
Update review 7/23/2019
Thank goodness no major failures since last report.
Normal maintenance
Replaced left tie rod end at 115,000 miles because could not adjust for perfect alignment. Cost $600 at independent.
Replaced brake rotors and pads all around at 122,000 miles. Dealer was shocked that we got 60,000 miles on first replacement but we are easy on brakes, no rapid stops.
Stayed with BMW parts but used an independent. Cost $1,200, mostly parts. Dealer price was $2,000 on what is now a $9,000 car!
My recommendation is the same.
Fun to drive but count on $ thousands for repairs if out of warranty. Independent labor rate is 30% to 40% less than dealer. $190 to $100/$150 per hour.
Driving has been much less. The car now has 132,000 miles. Has a small leak around oil filter gasket. Costs $800 to replace gasket. Doesn't use oil since valve seals replaced.
Change every 8/9,000 miles or yearly, not 15,000 recommended. Temperature AC control sometimes requires hitting max to come on when just starting. Bombarded with extended warranty calls. They want $3,000 to $4,000 to cap coverage at wholesale value of $7,000 drivetrain only and argue about coverage. I am on borrowed time and taking a chance but remember, valve seals, transmission, AC compressor, water pump, fuel pump twice, have already been replaced and I am maintaining above recommendations. Over $35,000 in repairs, mostly covered by two extended warranties. I am not counting maintenance like tires, brake pads, oil changes,
Update July, 2022
Car now has 142,000 miles. Less driving since covid. Normal maintenance including front brake pads and rotors at $1,200, front struts at $1,600 both from independent shops. The dealer prices were much higher. I have the oil changed every 6,000 miles instead of the recommended 15,000. Now leaking a quart through the valve seals on the way to another $6,000. I have completely abandoned an extended warranty. Coverage limited to $3,000/$5,000 wholesale value and they what to install used or after market parts.
I like the way it drives but do not buy this car unless you can afford a couple of thousand dollars or more per year for repairs plus normal maintenance. You also need to know something about car maintenance and repairs.
Update at 147,000
Since the pandemic, the annual mileage is down to 5,000 a year. The latest repair was for a water leak. To replace the water pump seal, $2,000 with an independent. You have to drain the radiator and move it to get at the water pump to replace the seal. Two other leaks not bad enough to repair yet. One is the valve cover gaskets which were replaced at 80,000, when the valve seals were replaced. You must also replace the valve covers which are plastic and warp, total cost $2,000 to $3,000 at the independent, double at the dealer. The seals are a few dollars. The labor is $100 to $200 an hour.
The car is worth $3,000 to $5,000. Again, count on at least a couple of thousand annually for a used BMW repairs beyond the normal maintenance for things like fluid flushes, oil changes, break pads, tires, etc.
Be careful about an extended warranty. They are usually capped at the wholesale value of the car, cumulative over the warranty period, permit the use of used parts when available at the discretion of the warranty company, require documentation of recommended maintenance.
January 2024 My X5 now has 152,000 miles. Will need new brake pads in another 3,000 miles. Current BMW pads have lasted half as long as previous BMW sets. Don't know about the rotors yet. Car driven 7,000 miles in 2023. I am told the motor mounts will need replacing shortly, this would be the second time. Oil drops 1 quart between 5,000 changes. Rebuilt transmission shifts ok but the sequence and timing of the shift seems to vary more on the same terrain.) I am now using independent shop which specializes in BMW. Parts are the same price but the labor is half and the mechanic is more experienced.
2.88 out of 5 stars
Quality issues ?
cwe6279, 05/04/2015
2009 BMW X5 xDrive30i 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl 6A)
This car was great the first 3 years I owned it. Year 4, 5 were more troublesome and 5+ downright maddening. Since the Warranty expired, had to replace the following at about $5000-7000 per year average cost:
- IBS sensors and cables (twice)
- Alternator
- batteries/brakes (only normal wear and tear repair I have had to make)
- Catalytic converter
it only has 30k miles on … it!
Aside from the issues above, the service I received was really disappointing (but maybe it's just my area). I heard from various sources there was a lot of local turnover and some challenges in the dealer/manufacturer relationship and that was certainly reflected in the service levels I experienced.
3 out of 5 stars
I've been had!
Mike, 11/25/2015
2009 BMW X5 xDrive48i 4dr SUV AWD (4.8L 8cyl 6A)
I was seduced by its good looks and big engine. Our X5 has been a maintenance nightmare. Something very expensive fails on this vehicle about once every 6 months. Out of warranty fixes has cost us about $5000-$6000 per year since owning it. The latest news is it failed to pass smog due to value leaks. My BMW tech told me this is common for this engine. Well, now I have to spend another … $6000k ($500 in parts, 45 hours of labor!) to replace the value seals just to get it to pass smog. This is my second and last BMW.
2009 X5 Highlights
SUV
xDrive30i
Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee | $47,500 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Combined MPG | 18 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $314/month |
Seating | 5 seats |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 21.9 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | all wheel drive |
Warranty | 4 years / 50,000 miles |
Safety
Key safety features on the X5 include:
- Alarm
- Tire Pressure Warning
- Stability Control
- Pre-collision safety system
- Post-collision safety system
NHTSA Overall Rating
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverallNot RatedDriver5 / 5Passenger4 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverallNot Rated
- Side Barrier RatingOverallNot RatedDriver5 / 5Passenger5 / 5
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront SeatNot RatedBack SeatNot Rated
- RolloverRollover4 / 5Dynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of RolloverNot Rated
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalGood
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalGood
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintGood
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