Unveiling the Evolution: A Look at Every E53 Model

The BMW X5 has been on sale since 1999, and its fifth generation begins rolling out in October with the new G65 generation. For about three years of the E53 run, BMW also sold its big SAV with a six-speed manual. That window closed when the E70 arrived: the second-generation X5 dropped the manual entirely and came only with automatics. Every six-speed X5 is a late E53, and every one has an inline-six under the hood. Those cars are worth a closer look today, both for what they were and for what their disappearance says about where the X5 went next.

An SAV Built For The Road

The X5 was conceived as a road car, but in reality, very few BMW owners took their cars on even mild off-roading. Instead, they became both utility vehicles (hence the name SUV) and luxury family haulers later on. The original X5 used unibody construction and independent suspension, and its all-wheel drive sent 62 percent of the power to the rear axle. A manual gearbox fit that idea. BMW didn’t invent the stick-shift luxury SUV, but it made one that drove like a BMW sedanish and let you row the gears.

Which X5s Had A Six-Speed

The original X5 offered a clutch pedal early on, but with five forward gears. The six-cylinder 3.0i arrived in spring 2000 with a five-speed manual as standard and an automatic as the option. The sixth gear came with the LCI (Life Cycle Impulse, BMW’s term for a mid-cycle refresh). BMW’s facelift announcement said the 3.0i now came with a new six-speed manual and the xDrive all-wheel drive system.

The V8s never had a manual at all. The 4.4i and 4.8is came only with a six-speed automatic. That leaves two six-speed manual X5s, each with its own gearbox:

• X5 3.0i (LCI): M54 3.0-liter inline-six, GS6X37BZ six-speed manual, sold in markets including Europe, North America, and South Africa
• X5 3.0d (LCI): M57TU 3.0-liter diesel inline-six, GS6X53DZ six-speed manual, never officially sold in the US

The gearbox codes come from BMW’s parts catalogue: the 3.0i uses the GS6X37BZ, while the 3.0d is listed with the GS6X53DZ. Every six-speed car also has xDrive, which replaced the fixed rear-biased split. xDrive varies torque between the axles as grip changes, using an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch.

The gearing is short at the bottom. BMW’s US brochure lists the 3.0i six-speed with a 5.14:1 first gear and a 4.10:1 final drive. Owners notice. The Autopian’s Mercedes Streeter, who bought a manual E53, described first gear as so short it works almost like a crawler gear, and suggested starting in second when you want to pull away quickly.

X5 3.0i Six-Speed

This is the gasoline car, and the only six-speed manual X5 BMW sold in America. In the US it was the default gearbox, not an option. The equipment list at the time showed the six-speed manual as standard on the 3.0i, with the five-speed automatic listed as a $1,275 option, and the manual stayed standard through 2006.

BMW of North America rated the engine at 225 hp at 5,900 rpm and 214 lb-ft at 3,500 rpm. The manual was also the quicker car. BMW’s preliminary figures gave the 3.0i a 0-60 mph time of 7.8 seconds with the manual and 8.3 seconds with the automatic.

Standard 3.0i equipment included 17-inch wheels on 235/65R-17 all-season tires and 8-way power seats for both driver and passenger. Leather came through the Premium Package. The Sport Package was more about stance and cockpit than grip: on the 3.0i it included sport suspension calibration, Shadowline trim, a three-spoke sport steering wheel, and 18-inch wheels with 255/55R-18 all-season tires. The 19-inch performance tires were reserved for the 4.4i.

At the time, a 2004 BMW X5 3.0i cost $40,800 plus $695 destination, in pricing effective April 2004, and $42,500 plus $695 by 2006. BMW rated the US-market 2004 3.0i to tow up to 6,000 pounds.

X5 3.0d Six-Speed

The diesel is the six-speed X5 Americans never got. The specification sheet lists the 3.0d at 160 kW (218 PS) and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft), with 0-62 mph in 8.3 seconds for the manual and 8.8 seconds for the automatic. It was efficient for its size too: the manual was rated at 8.6 L/100 km combined, against 9.4 for the automatic. In the UK for example, the six-speed manual was standard and the six-speed Steptronic automatic cost £1,490 extra.

Torque was quite impressive for the time. The 2004 X5 4.4i V8 made 324 lb-ft and could only be had with an automatic. The diesel made more, and it came with three pedals.

The first diesel X5 sold in the US was the E70 xDrive35d, which arrived in 2009. For a six-speed E53 diesel, the route is the federal 25-year import exemption, which is based on each car’s actual manufacture date. The earliest LCI 3.0d manuals reach 25 years around late 2028, and EPA and state registration requirements still apply separately.

The X5 Was First To Drop The Stick

The X5 wasn’t the only luxury SUV of its era with a manual. The first-generation X3 3.0i offered a six-speed manual alongside a five-speed automatic.