BMW X5 M50d F15
BMW’s F15 X5 M50d is an impressive machine – and you can now buy a decent example for just £25,000.
Words: Guy Baker
Photography: Various
A proper Marmite car, BMW’s X5 M50d certainly divides opinion. But there’s no doubt it’s a seriously capable and sophisticated bit of kit. The car’s triple-turbo diesel six-pot produces 375hp and 546lb ft, enabling it to smash the 0-62mph dash in just 5.3-seconds. And although it originally commanded a £60,000-plus price tag you can now pick up a well-maintained F15 example for just £25,000-£35,000.
Effectively a diesel X5M, the X5 M50d weighs in at a hefty 2265kg, and few SUVs are bigger on the road, but its handling and performance seem to defy the laws of physics. A devastatingly quick way to drive across country, it can return close to 40mpg at the black pump, is agile in the corners and can boasts a supremely comfortable ride in Comfort mode.
First unveiled in the 2013 Frankfurt International Motor Show and built between 2013 and 2018 the X5 M50d claimed thermoplastic side panels, an aluminium bonnet and a magnesium alloy instrument panel support to help keep the weight down, whilst its M Performance six-cylinder 2993cc turbodiesel motor produces 375hp at 4000-4400rpm and 546lb ft between 2000 and 3000rpm.
All cars come an M-tuned version of with BMW’s impressive 8-speed automatic transmission and that enables the X5 M50d to accelerate from standstill to 62mph in a mere 5.3-seconds – and top out at a limited 155mph. The acceleration feels almost instant with ratios that swap with impressive alacrity and smoothness, whilst the power delivery is almost linear over a wide rev range, thanks to the M50d’s three sequential turbochargers.
M Performance goodies include black kidney grilles, a carbon-fibre gear-selector, an M Sport steering wheel, carbon-fibre mirrors and black side vents, and 19-inch M Sport alloys, whilst a Harman Kardon premium audio system with sixteen speakers and a 600-watt amplifier, was available as an upgrade to the standard nine-speaker audio system.
For the 2018 model year, the M50d came with a new BMW iDrive 6.0 sixth-generation infotainment system, which included a touchscreen display and Wireless Apple CarPlay smartphone integration with the GPS navigation system.
Search the classifieds and you may be surprised to discover that there are quite a lot of X5 M50ds currently for sale. And that has made it something of a buyer’s market, so you can expect to garner a decent discount wherever you decide to buy – even at main dealerships. Good examples fall into the price range £21,000 to £40,000, with some of the best deals in the £25,000-£35,000 bracket. But if you want a low-mileage late-plate M50d then expect to pay £40,000-plus.
We’d recommend you stick to cars under £35,000 though, like this immaculate looking Mineral White Metallic 2016 M50d we spotted at Specialist Cars in Cardiff (www.specialistcars. uk.com). Priced at £31,950 it’s covered a reasonable 71,000-miles and comes with a fantastic spec, including a third-row of seats, 20-inch wheels, a Panoramic sunroof, privacy glass, heated front memory seats, a reversing camera with Park Assist and the Adaptive M Sport Suspension.
If you’re prepared to consider an M50d with a few more miles on the clock then it will be cheaper, this 2015 Sapphire Black example has covered 92,788-miles and is currently for sale at £25,950 on the forecourt of Autoclass in Manchester (www.autoclass.uk). Like the previous example it comes with a full service history and, in this case, just two owners. As with the previous car this M50d packs an impressive spec – a Panoramic sunroof, Heads-up display, a Harman/Kardon sound system, Professional Sat Nav, electric memory heated sports seats, a Reversing Assist Camera and 19-inch Style 467 M Sport alloys are all included.
But cars with the very highest specs and a full BMW main-dealer service history do command higher prices: this epically- specced 2015 Sapphire Black M50d at Windmill Motors in Lincolnshire (www. windmillmotorsltd.co.uk) for example is up for £26,950 – despite having covered a well- above average 119,000-miles.
Not surprisingly there’s a lot that could potentially go wrong, so your F15 X5 M50d must pack a complete BMW or specialist service history, have had all recalls properly addressed and not be modified in any way. The main things to watch out for include leaking oil cooler gaskets, clogged DPFs, leaking EGRs, misbehaving tailgates, blocked injectors, worn turbos and worn suspension components — the front arms and rear bags are common culprits. The front brakes take quite hammering – so listen out for any vibration and check they’re not badly worn – and a few owners have reported gearbox issues, cabin squeaks and instrument-cluster failures.
THANKS...
Grant Darling and Darren Parker at James Paul (www.jamespaul.co.uk), the BMW Car Club of Great Britain (www. bmwcarclubgb.uk), British Car Auctions (www.bca.com), Silverstone Auctions (www.silverstoneauctions.com), Bonhams (www.bonhams.com), Classic Car Auctions (www.classiccarauctions.co.uk), Glenmarch. com, www.bimmerforums.co.uk, Redish Motorsport (www.redish-motorsport.com) and Glass’s (www.glass.co.uk) their help with this feature.
Recent BMW X5 M50d (F15) auction prices*
- Model Transmission Reg/year Mileage Sale Price
- BMW X5 M50d Auto 2014/14 71,917 £19,600
- BMW X5 M50d Auto 2017/17 32,776 £34,100
- BMW X5 M50d Auto 2017/67 43,249 £31,900
- BMW X5 M50d Auto 2018/18 107,830 £25,100
- BMW X5 M50d Auto 2018/68 32,191 £38,800
- BMW X5 M50d Auto 2019/19 34,726 £51,300
*Sale prices of good-condition examples sold recently at British Car Auctions
BMW Car retail price guide
- Poor: Under £21,000
- Good: £21,000 to £40,000
- Excellent: £40,000
- Special editions: None