X5 3.0sd vs xDrive35d vs 4.8

[sitrom]

Hello all,
I used to have a E53 X5 3.0i, then went to a E63  645CI, and now I am in the market for a E70? I have a few questions, and I thought I would turn to the community for some advice. My budget is between £15k-£20k.
I am leaning toward the diesel version (the bi-turbo) as I would like my car to have over 300bhp. I know the diesel versions have 286 but with a bit of Jason's magic, I know it can get close to the horsepower of the 4.8 petrol in terms of performance.
So one of my questions is, what is the difference between the 3.0SD and the xDrive35d? I can see that the power is identical between the two? Which one would you recommend or does it not make a difference? Also am I right in saying that a remapped 3.0sd will produce similar (albeit a bit less) performance to a 4.8 or should I be looking at the 4.8 as well, as they appear to be a bit cheaper? I am not doing plenty of miles apart from the occasional recreational trip (around 4-5k miles/year), so MPG consumption in not a big deal for me.

Finally, any recommendation on specs, and what to look for when looking at cars would be greatly appreciated.

[shadrack]

just gone from ml63 amg, to xdrive 35d, obviously no where near 510hp but still pretty quick, love the car

[Nat]

Hi ,

I went from a 4.8iS( E53) to a 40d(E70). I know different series but still valid.
We did abt 10K a year in mileage and at the time of buying the 4.8iS the equivalent 3.0D was £5K more and had less equipment.  At the time the difference in fuel cost was about £700 per year which meant keeping the car for 7 years to break even if I bought a diesel. Thus it was a no brainer, buy Petrol and enjoy the noise and exclusivity of driving a top of the range X5. You can't beat a BMW V8 IMHO.
HOWEVER...........the X5 is very well suited to being diesel powered. I only bought diesel as I bought new and the equivalent petrol was a lot more when new. However when going used, i would do the same again , as I suspect  no one wants petrols because of the fuel consumption, but the equipment levels and price differential between a petrol and a diesel all work in its favour. If you see one for sale I would go in with a very low offer as they are offered, but the smart people who do their sums and buy clever drive petrol.
If it was me I would be hunting a V8 petrol with NO pan roof or up/down suspension.

Good luck in your search
Nat

[paulrog]

When I brought my 4.8 X5 2 years ago I test drove the 3.0 diesel, I decided to buy the 4.8 V8 because -

I have owned diesel cars before, I didn't like filling the tank using gloves, the engines don't sound as good, and a diesel car needs a lot of miles to keep it healthy and economical.

I only drive a few thousand miles a year as I'm away working a lot and leave the car at home so driving a petrol is ideal, plus the V8 engine is fantastic and goes very well also.

Go for the V8 it's the best car I've ever owned.

I recommend a V8 M sport with 20" rims, HUD and upgraded audio (sounds great) !!!

[sitrom]

Thank you all for your replies. Having spoken with Jason at BWChiptune, his recommendation was to go for the 3.0sd as he says they are more reliable and with less reported problems than the petrol one. Also it gives me an opportunity for a remap.

So today, I picked up my car. It a beautiful 2009 X5 3.0sd M Sport with 1 previous owner, FBMWSH, and 69k miles on the clock. The thing that struck me the most when driving it, was how much bigger it is than the E53. This thing is absolutely huge. Admittedly the sound of the diesel engine, doesn't compare to the V8, however I wasn't disappointed with the engine noise. It sounds less "diesely" than some of the other diesel engines I heard.

Once again, many thanks for your help and replies. I shall be posting pictures of my new baby in the relevant section, and I will also keep you updated with the results of the remap.

[Turks]

Look forward to a further update in a month or so once you have got over the honeymoon period of having changed cars... I have the 4.8is E53 and would consider upgrading soon to another X5 so it would be interesting to know how you really feel about it...


Turks.