There is an item in the new What Car? magazine this month about an X5 owner who wanted a towbar fitted to his X5 and queried the cost of £1800...................................... What Car? enquired of BMW GB if this was the true cost and was told yes. The X5 has to have additional engine cooling mods as well as the tow bar if you want to tow anything. Makes me wonder how many BMW X5 owners went after market to have a towhook fitted and now have a knackered X5 because they didn't have the additional cooling system fitted.
According to What Car? BMW's X series (all versions of them) are the only SUV's that come out of the showroom and need engine modifications to be able to tow - all the others are engineered to go offroad and to tow offroad with only a towbar as an extra.

LR needs £500 for the towbar and electrics according to What Car? and they are cheaper than Audi (£1015) and Volvo(£695).

So if you are thinking about buying a used X series (not many here I would image) and it has a towbar, check it is an original BMW job and that the additional cooling has been fitted otherwise the engine maybe knackered. 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
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Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

Very interesting Tim!

Who the hell makes a 4X4 that needs engine mods to tow anything!!

Not that I ever would or have towed anything I like to think could if i wanted to.

Was it the same for the old shape, that shared engines with the FFRR?

Hmm... I can understand it with maybe pulling a caravan (or 747), but what's the difference between say sticking a trailer on with a few sacks of cement and loading your X5 up with your family and associated gubbins to go on hols for a couple of weeks?

If it's not stated anywhere that engine mods are required then what's to stop you having an indy fit the genuine BMW part (at much lesser cost).... I don't see how BMW could in their right minds complain to you about that if your engine (I suppose more likely the gearbox) go pop?

Very strange  

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Apparrently you should only fit BMW approved accessories at a BMW dealership or your car's warranty is voided......... it's all somewhere in the microscopic print I'm sure. I was surprised too because I though most cars except the tiniest city cars came with more engine and gearbox coolers than were necessary these days because so many people do haul caravans and big trailers. But not to supply an SUV without them is unforgivable - no wonder BMW X's never do very well in Caravan Club annual tow testing! I'm sure Jay will be able to enlighten us as to the X6's capablities in this respect! 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

Shocking in this day and age

I guess the FL2's BMW competition the X3 could well be the same

Glad I bought another one and not a BMW

The ideal car for CG over on Freel2 then NP?  2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

What do people expect............buy Milli Vanilli and ..................  L322 Big Daddy SUPERCHARGED 5.0 Autobiography - Here & Now!

5 series for the miles

RRS S/C factory built HST - Gone

45 others have been and gone!

No wonder the Brits have such a rep for being guilible and having the desire to pay the most expensive prices in europe and America

Me I am thinking about buying a new HGV trcuk as have found out today they are cheaper to tax in UK than a 4x4 and come with their own tow bar attached, with no engine mods required.

I looked at the new X5 when buying my RRSport and was told that the cost to fit the tow bar was over A$2k as the car had to be configured...

Not sure what the delar meant. It didn't help the X5's business case, but I always wanted the RRS anyway and the tow bar was only A$500 as a factory fit option!

Don't acrually recall seeing any new x5 with a tow bar!

Tim in Scotland wrote:

I'm sure Jay will be able to enlighten us as to the X6's capablities in this respect!

Yeah, right

Saw that very X6 yesterday, very nice it is too  

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