Hi guys. I haven't really posted on this board much, but I need some advice. I am about to pull the trigger on 06 530xi wagon, and I have some concerns about the rear self leveling suspension. This car will be for my wife. Currently we have a 2006 E500 4matic wagon with air suspension. The car was very reliable and bullet proof until the warranty expired then everything went downhill from that point on. The most problematic and expensive repair was replacing the entire air suspension, which left us stranded at various point. The front collapsed this spring and dropped car all the way to the ground. The cost to replaced 2 front struts at the dealer was 4k. Then this past summer the rear air spring collapsed and drop the car to the ground again which required them to drop differential and replace the 2 air springs and another 4k. My wife is now very apprehensive about driving the car now, due to the fear the air suspension will give way and leave her and the kids stranded. In total we spent approximately 10k in repairs, and we would like to get rid of this money pit car now. Prior to the E500 wagon, my wife had a 325it wagon, and she always praised it as her favorite car of all time. Unfortunately, our family out grew the car and need more space for cargo and 2 child seats.

I don't know too much about the E61 wagon. I have a 2005 530i for which I love to death. It's been bulletproof and dead reliable to me for the duration of my ownership. My question to you guys, can anyone elaborate on the self adjusting suspension? Is it similar to the E500 air suspension? Does it have air bag struts that will either develop a leak or hole over time and collapse? Are the vacuum lines problematic, and develop leaks that will cause the compressor to go into overdrive and burn out? Is the rear air suspension overtly complicated and requires only a dealership to repair any issues (Here in the states, not many indy shops have star diagnostic system, which you need to recalibrate Mercedes air suspension system which resulted in high repair bills at our local dealership)? Also, how much weight can the rear accommodate without putting a tremendous strain on the rear suspension (my wife is a vendor, and often packs a lot of stuff in the wagon for her events, and the merc was able to handle the load quite effectively, until recently)? My wife refuses to drive another car with air suspension, but she loves the versatility of a wagon (also being Swedish, she tends to lean toward wagons). We are on the fence between E61 and Subaru Outback. However, after reading some scary stories of problematic Outbacks, particularly, head gasket issues and tranny problems, we would prefer to stick with BMW. Sorry for the long post, and info you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

 

I can't comment personally on the reliability of an e61 touring but everything I've read points to the 3 series, being less complex, are more reliable.

That said, even if it were a sedan I'd probably look at detailed history or warranty and repair work that shows that all problem areas (rear hatch wiring, suspension, battery/electrical - modules, and panoramic roof, etc etc) have been addressed by a BMW shop and previous owners. Good luck with your decision.

 

Lots of reading here : https://5series.net/forums/topic/775...sion-failures/

Biggest problem is the air intake hose developping cracks which then ruins the compressor. This was solved by a new reinforced hose.

Doubt a 06 has the new hose. I was lucking to have one (01/2007) .

However most can solved youself. No programming needed.

 

Why do you "prefer to stick with BMW" ?

Seems the Volvo xc70 is a clear contender and considerably cheaper by same year comparison. However, I'd personally prefer the 2 most recent iterations and either a turbo 5 or 6 or non turbo 6. Very roomy (more than the E61), handles weight well, lots of snowy ground clearance. Good reliability from friends I know with them. Very Swedish too (I'm ~1/2 Swede)


I had an '07 Subaru Outback 3.0R "LLBean" version (means fully loaded with nav, taupe leather, non-turbo flat 6) and I actually really liked it. I'm guessing different years and configurations had different transmissions so I can't say anything more than I liked the one I had.

There are a few inherent practical things to consider that you will have to prioritize for yourself. For me these items help decide a vehicle:
1-do you want or require a 6 spd manual?
(bmw has this potential in the 530xi or 535xi touring, Subaru does also in the form of their turbo flat 4 - both of these more or less eliminate concerns over transmissions.)

2-size? if it's at the top of importance, then the newest Subaru Outback is the only contender, the others were smaller inside than the E61's. Additionally, the Volvo XC70 wins here too. Lots of interior volume both in width, length, and height. The Volvo is the most versatile in this aspect having the very square rear cargo interior shape while the E61 tapers down along the roofline.

3-do you want to have a real full size spare tire, or any at all without having to use up cargo area with it above the floor?
(bmw has the option for a temp spare but in general relies on run flats. There is no space for a full size below the floor.
(subaru outback, the one I had, would just barely fit a full size on oem matching 17" wheel with the air deflated somewhat and I just had an air compressor in the wheel
(not sure what the volvo under floor space is per year but I do recall there being enough space in one I looked at

4-safety: rollover is about the best on the Volvo, please don't get an older Subaru (3 generations or older ago), I've seen what happens, the entire roof crushes in onto you at the A pillar BMW is very good but I might actually put my bets on Volvo for all scenarios. It's size also helps in this aspect.

5-comfort: how long will the trips be? I've done now 37,000 miles in 12 months, to me, the E61 "20 way comfort sport" seats are the best period as are the headrests and overall driver body positioning. However, if it's for her, she may not agree. Women under 5-7 seem to like the ergonomics of an Audi S4 with recaro seats better due to it being slightly more snug. Something about "butt cupping" so I've been told but also where their arms and elbows end up vs mine.

Lastly, in this same segment, what about an Audi A6 Avant, or, Allroad with the turbo 6 in manual or auto, or the v8 in auto. They have air suspension but Arnot makes a replacement kit that is actually better, more reliable, and cheaper than oem.

 

To answer dello's original questions:

1. The E61 air "suspension" (AFAIK, as I don't know the Benz one 100%) is only a "self-levelling" system, and not a full suspension system. It is much simpler than the MB one. It only has two air springs and a compressor in the back. The only thing that fails mostly on earlier cars is the compressor which costs about $1000 from the dealer. Install is purely mechanical and takes 30 min. Anyone can do it. I've never heard of failed air springs on E61. There have been very rare issues with the air lines, but they are quite cheap to replace anyways (also purely mechanical work). Most importantly: if you buy a '06 car, I'd say there is a 75% probability that the compressor has been replaced already.

2. There are other small issues around the rear gate or panoramic sunroof, which are mostly easy to prevent or fix, but you have to get informed about them. Lots of info on the forum.

3. The E61 has a rather low weight capability of a total 460 kg, if I remember correctly. But I don't think that limit is due to worries about the suspension. I presume it has to do more with handling at high speed etc, which probably won't be an issue with trunk fully loaded with kit.

4. You might want to consider that the E61 trunk is smaller than the E-class estate.

 

I owned an audi allroad before my E61 and thought the air suspension problems were limited to the allroad but it seems MB have the same issues.

With the E61 you have to worry about clogged drains, broken wires in the rear hatch than can affect defrosting and other stuff...make sure you always have a battery with charge. And like many other German cars, something will creep up at any time but they are fun to drive and look great!

 

My E61 has been so bad, I don't think I'll ever buy another BMW.

So much has gone wrong with it, I can't even remember the list. The latest being that I went to use the rear wash wipe this morning and it wouldn't work at all. No squirt, no movement. :thumbsdown:

 

If the hose has been upgraded at some point and the rear suspension compressor has functioned properly after that chances are it will keep doing so.
There are a few other weak points in this car, a.o. panorama roof drains and tailgate wires. If you keep an periodic eye on these you'll be fine, these aside it is a very reliable car.
Furthermore, its handling is exceptional, there is arguably no other similar car that drives as well as the E61's. Additionally, snow traction is excellent with good tires, with X-drive almost unstoppable save its inherent limitations due to low ground clearance.

The engine you're considering is regarded as rock solid.

Good luck

 

DON'T get me started on the XC70!!! First and last Volvo ever for me. We had a 2009 XC70 with the T6 engine, from brand new, for about 20,000 miles. From day 1, I should have known it wasn't going to work out... LOL!

I ordered the car with ventilated leather seats, and they FORGOT to install it at the factory, and the dealer didn't even catch it at the PDI! (or maybe they conveniently didn't...) The funny thing is a whole production run must have been screwed up, because I knew personally of two other guys in Canada on the forums who had the exact same thing happen to them!

It gave us a lot of headaches. It was pretty sad, I must have been in to the dealer like 20 times in 2.5 years of owning it. It was fully loaded, other than NAV. Different drive shafts needed replacement at various points due to vibrations. Squeaks galore, like it was some old wooden ship. Electrical gremlins. I only miss a few things about it so in retrospect, I'm actually totally glad - depreciation notwithstanding - that we ended up needing to get rid of it, as our 5 wagon is just a joy to drive. The Volvo was a T6, so almost 300 HP, but it's amazing how much difference a proper engine, transmission and suspension makes. The BMW's is years ahead of the Volvo, and we had the adjustable suspension in it too.

The only things I miss about it are the extra cargo space due to the fact that its rear hatch window is vertical unlike the BMW's that slopes quite a bit (which I'm going to solve by getting a roof box anyway, since we have way more junk now than would fit even in the Volvo's, plus a new German Shepherd ), and the anti avoidance collision system it had which would beep and flash if you approached a car in front too quickly. It actually was quite a useful thing, along with the active cruise control it had.

 

Interesting. I guess the older model xc70 are better? My friends have loved theirs and so far are around 100,000 miles but it is an earlier generation.