Used car buying guide: BMW X5

The X5 has standard air-con, cruise control, leather trim, parking sensors and auto wipers and lights. M Sport trim is the most plentiful, followed by SE. Many have the optional panoramic sunroof. Make sure it works because, like the rest of the vehicle, sometimes it doesn’t.

How to get one in your garage

An expert's view

Justin, Grosvenor Garage: “The X5 E70 is unreliable but people buy them because they’re so cheap. Some are over £20,000 but plenty more cost from £4000 to £10,000, which is where you run into problems. They look like value, but the next thing they’re spending lots of money on repairs. Some faults aren’t immediately obvious. For example, the rear suspension airbags perish on a routine basis but the air pump keeps working, so the bags appear to be inflated, but one day the air pump packs up and the owner has doubled their repair bill. Buyer beware, indeed!”

Buyer beware...

â–  Engine: On LCI engines, listen for timing chain rattles from cold. On all engines, poor starting and rough running may be failing injectors. Exhaust smoke may be a failing electronic turbo actuator; listen for bearing noise, too. Later high-mileage diesels can suffer expensive DPF failure, which can also cause the engine manifold to melt. On early engines the glow plugs can pack up, requiring removal of the inlet manifold to replace; on later engines, they get stuck in the cylinder head. Injectors can fail on high-mileage cars.

â–  Transmission: On early cars, check the front propshaft failure recall was actioned. It can snap, damaging the universal joint and puncturing the engine sump. The gearbox thrives on regular software updates. Earlier six-speed ’box suffers torque converter, mechatronic and clutch pack problems.

â–  Suspension: Bushes need changing at 90k miles. Check rear suspension airbags and be sure the air pump hasn’t burned out.

â–  Wheels and brakes: Check the electronic handbrake (it can lock in the ‘On’ position). Run-flat tyres are hard on the alloys – the inside rims fare worst. Check brakes and tyres because both are expensive.

â–  Body: Check for off-roading and towing damage, and for misted-up foglights.

â–  Interior: Make sure no warning lights are illuminated. The panoramic sunroof is very unreliable, so check it works.

Also worth knowing

The swirl flaps in the inlet manifolds fitted to early diesel X5s can break up. A revised version still failed. BMW specialists Grosvenor claim to have the solution in their custom-engineered swirl flaps made from aircraft-grade aluminium. It recommends replacing them every 60k miles or four years.

How much to spend

£4000-£6599: Early cars, some with up to seven seats and up to 150,000 miles.

£6600 -£8999: Some 2008 and even 2009-reg cars, and mileages as low as 80,000.

£9000-£10,999: Last of the pre-facelift cars here with up to 120,00 miles, plus lower-mileage earlier models.

£11,000-£14,499: Plenty more 2010-reg, facelift 30d and 40d cars from here, with up to 125,000 miles.

£14,500-£16,999: More 2011-12-reg cars with around 75,000 miles.