[Multimodal]

I have a 2012 X5 50i which I use to tow a 22' boat that is about 6K pounds. It does well but I can tell I am right at its capacity.

The G05 has gotten surprisingly strong reviews but none have really focused on its towing capability. How is the G05 40i as a tow vehicle versus the F15 and E70? Are there any "must get" options to maximize its towing potential (e.g., air suspension)?

Ben

[James_G0540i]

I tow a 16.5" small fibre glass boat, all up weighs around ~3,500lbs (~1600kgs), all up with all our luggage and shit in the back.

I used to tow with an 2014 F15 30D (with standard brakes), and it towed it like there was nothing there, very comfortable and controlled, I felt very confident towing. The only issue were brakes started to fade when towing on long drives.

I switched to a G05 (30D) in 2019, this time with M-sport brakes, and same as above - can barely notice I'm pulling anything. M-sport brakes made a huge difference this time, no fade or spongyness over long drives...

A couple of things...
1. If towing is a priority, think about a Diesel - 30D or 50D. I've towed with Petrol/gas vehicles before, and they struggle, they just don't have the torque to make pulling an ease, especially over hills and long country roads. The torque is amazing on BMW Diesels, and that's what you need for towing.

2. Fuel Consumption. Fuel consumption sky-rockets with Petrol/Gas motors, Diesels you only notice a very minor increase.

3. Invest in better brakes. The blue M-sport brakes make a big difference in stopping power, and when towing this helps big time. Standard brakes will do the job, you just need to take it easy and not stress the brakes.

The G05 is a great towing vehicle - I wouldn't say "better" - but rather equivalent (on-par) to the previous models (especially the F15). I wouldn't upgrade just for better towing performance - definitely not worth it.

Just be mindful of the above. If you're going to stick with Petrol/Gas motor, go for the 50i.

[homerrr]

Had no problem towing a travel trailer across the US with my 40i with air suspension and tow package. Plenty of power, and yes, mpg dropped big time, 10 mpg. Trailer was at max capacity of tow though and I wasn't doing 55 mph either. Brakes are fine, but was a braked trailer.
Don't agree that if you go with petrol that you'd need the 50i unless you think 10mpg is too economic. I used to have a first gen X5 30d and don't think the 40i tows worse than it, but that was almost 2 decades ago

[edofloat]

Originally Posted by James_G0530d

1. If towing is a priority, think about a Diesel - 30D or 50D. I've towed with Petrol/gas vehicles before, and they struggle, they just don't have the torque to make pulling an ease, especially over hills and long country roads. The torque is amazing on BMW Diesels, and that's what you need for towing.

For now, diesel is not available in the US.

[gofast182]

My experience towing with the G05:
https://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1679981

[James_G0540i]

Originally Posted by edofloat

For now, diesel is not available in the US.

That's a pity Diesel models aren't available in the U.S.

For the record, I think the 40i will still do the job, I mean 450Nm of torque is plenty to pull a modest load, but the 620Nm you get with the 30D (or 760Nm with the 50D) just makes towing a breeze - especially if you're towing something up in the 6000 pound mark which is up near the vehicles max towing limit.

I think the 50i is rated to around 750Nm of torque, similar to the 50D - which is why I suggested it. For towing, think about Torque, NOT Power.

Another interesting fact, the 25D (2.0 litre Diesel) they offer in the X5 here in Australia has the same torque as the 40i - at 450Nm, which explains why the 25D's braked towing capacity is the same as the 40i. You wont necessarily get the same acceleration to 60 while your towing, but you really have to be an idiot to accelerate really hard while towing - that's an accident waiting to happen.

[TAL2GK]

Picking up on this thread ... I recently brought home my 2020 X6 and one of the perks was it’s impressive 7,200 lbs towing capacity. Now that I’m digging into the manual, however, I notice a “maximum drawbar nose weight” of 551 lbs. Good trailering practice being to have at least 10% of the trailer weight on the tongue, wouldn’t this limit me to 5,510 lbs towing capacity?

Furthermore, the manual lists the Maximum vehicle load of 893 lbs. If I have a trailer with the maximum tongue weight, that leaves me 342 lbs for passengers and gear. That doesn’t even get my wife and me in the car, let alone our two boys, the dog, and our stuff.

Someone please tell me I’m reading this wrong. Otherwise this SAV is lacking on the A, and definitely on the U.

[Multimodal]

Check out https://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1567155.

BMW is very conservative on the payload rating stickers it places on its vehicles. My X5 says 871 lbs but when I weighed it on a scale I found the actual capacity was 1,220 lbs.

You are right that the maximum tongue weight is about 600 lbs. You could still tow 7200 lbs and be within the best practice of tongue weight equal to 8-12% of trailer weight.

[cesimeone]

Op, I recently moved on from my F15 35i, standard brakes. Upgraded to a G05 40 MSport, 2 axle air and M Brakes. Noticed a drastic difference in towing capability. Yea fuel consumption gets kicked to the curb but I would not turn my nose up to a 40i if you think you "need" the 50 just to tow.

I tow my two race motorcycles in a 6x12 enclosed box, no brakes. Total weight with all my tools, tent, generators etc. is probably somewhere around 3,000lbs.....little ole 40i doesn't seem to mind it much. The trailer is an "extra height" model, I think I feel the wind resistance more than I do the weight.

[Multimodal]

I am the OP and I ended up getting a 50i M Sport with M Brakes. I'm sure it'll be at least as good as my E70! The only question in my mind is how much rear suspension squat I'll see without the air suspension.