4.8i or 3.0d?

[as400]

Humming and haaaing over an E70 again....not doing much mileage so which makes more sense?...the petrol or diesel option?...have a budget of up to £20K...is either one or the other engine any more reliable or trouble free than the other?....is the diesel very noisy especially on start up?....I am a fan of remapping so if I got the diesel would look to remap...would this bring its performance in line with the petrol variant?...

[X5Sport]

The BMW IL6 diesel is one of the best on the market, and doesn't rattle like an Astra when cold.  The petrol version is equally as good.

The V8 is supposed to have some exotic soundtrack.....according to those who are addicts. 

All are reliable and all have their own foibles depending upon how they have been driven and maintained.

As is being discussed elsewhere on the forum at the moment it depends upon which benefit outweighs which according to your needs are and what your heart and head can agree on.

Richard

[Lee4.8is]

The V8 sounds awesome  but if I had my time again I do think my money would be on a the 3.0d, for me when I owned my V8 TVR I didn't mind throwing petrol at it left right and centre as it really rewarded you back in terms of the driving experience.

For me the X5 isn't that type of car so I do think diesel actually suits it better...I felt the same about my V8 M3 as the driver reward didn't match the fuel costs either and other models in the 3 series range do it better and I think the same applies to the X5.

The sound of the X5 4.8 is delicious though so I wouldn't blame you one bit if that lured you in! 

[paulrog]

Everyone should own a E70 4.8l V8 sometime in your life, the car is awesome and the engine is just fantastic.

It sounds great and boy is it fast!!!!

Yes, it uses alot of petrol so I would not recommend it to anyone doing alot of miles everyday, my car is not my daily ride as I use the train to work and work offshore on an oil rig.

I used to own a diesel E60 BMW and it had a DPF so couldn't really use it for around town and it did rattle, my petrol V8 just purrs.

Best ever car i've owned, you need to get one.

[Lee4.8is]

[quote="paulrog"]
Everyone should own a E70 4.8l V8 sometime in your life, the car is awesome and the engine is just fantastic.

It sounds great and boy is it fast!!!!

Yes, it uses alot of petrol so I would not recommend it to anyone doing alot of miles everyday, my car is not my daily ride as I use the train to work and work offshore on an oil rig.



Best ever car i've owned, you need to get one.
[/quote]
I have said before that if I won the lottery I would find space for another 4.8 X5 as they do have an incredible feel good factor about them. 

I also think they would work better as a second car too.

[as400]

[quote="Lee4.8is"]
The V8 sounds awesome  but if I had my time again I do think my money would be on a the 3.0d, for me when I owned my V8 TVR I didn't mind throwing petrol at it left right and centre as it really rewarded you back in terms of the driving experience.

For me the X5 isn't that type of car so I do think diesel actually suits it better...I felt the same about my V8 M3 as the driver reward didn't match the fuel costs either and other models in the 3 series range do it better and I think the same applies to the X5.

The sound of the X5 4.8 is delicious though so I wouldn't blame you one bit if that lured you in! 
[/quote]

Cheers Lee I used to run a Cerbera (4.2) which when it worked was awesome...have just read Bernie-The-Bolt (he must be of an age) this from another place...

"I owned an 05 3.0d X5 from new and a 55 4.8iS from 6 months old (ex BMW management car) and can offer the following advice even though they are old models.

The 3.0d in standard form is sluggish but enough to get you around - I always found overtaking needs some thought if on a single road. Average mpg was 30+ over 30k miles, with around mid 20's in town. Best journey I ever did was just under 1000 miles in one day from Monaco back home with 1 stop for fuel and a pee break. Not a single problem or back ache! I did chip my car fairly early on and the car was then transformed. There was no noticeable drop or increase in mpg and I was always driving like I stole it. Great car, loved it and swapped it for the 4.8iS.

The 4.8iS has an engine note to die for (the best part of the car I think). The interior is pretty much identical to the 3.0d sport, aside from the adjustable suspension which I never used as it's only really for loading or X-Country so a complete waste of time imo. I drove 35000 miles in the year I owned it, went through 1 set of front tyres, 2 sets of rears, a couple of services and about £10k in petrol yikes .....It averaged 18.something mpg and the best I ever got was a return trip to Brussels one day. I averaged around mid 20's from memory but that was a JC test with everything off and driving like a girl. Performance was not as fast as you might think. Quick, but no Porsche (I have also owned a Boxster S and 996 C2 cab so can compare). It was also difficult to drive fast for long as it is bloody hard work. in my opinion it's just not designed to be driven like a sports car, it's simply too big. It does go and will handle really well, but it's just too bloody big! I drove to Le Mans in it within a week of buying it and although I clocked an indicated 150mph in France, I gave up keeping up with my friends because I was knackered - and I do a lot of driving for a living!

My opinion (for what it's worth), if you get a diesel and have it chipped you'll have as much fun as you would in a 4.8iS, but you will save money and it will hold more of its value. That said, if you can afford the 4.8iS and buy the diesel you'll always feel you're the poor relation when you see another on the road."

An interesting comparison but which still leaves me intrigued ...I should try and drive both to formulate a better opinion but the "no test pilots" in adverts doesn't help because I am a testing pilot!  >:D

If I could afford to go 35 or 40d then it would be diesel all the way but £20K is my limit really so its the usual with your head = diesel with your heat = petrol.

[535dboy]

If mileage/fuel not an issue then v8, less to go wrong.

[Lee4.8is]

[quote="as400"]
[quote="Lee4.8is"]
The V8 sounds awesome  but if I had my time again I do think my money would be on a the 3.0d, for me when I owned my V8 TVR I didn't mind throwing petrol at it left right and centre as it really rewarded you back in terms of the driving experience.

For me the X5 isn't that type of car so I do think diesel actually suits it better...I felt the same about my V8 M3 as the driver reward didn't match the fuel costs either and other models in the 3 series range do it better and I think the same applies to the X5.

The sound of the X5 4.8 is delicious though so I wouldn't blame you one bit if that lured you in! 
[/quote]

Cheers Lee I used to run a Cerbera (4.2) which when it worked was awesome...have just read Bernie-The-Bolt (he must be of an age) this from another place...

"I owned an 05 3.0d X5 from new and a 55 4.8iS from 6 months old (ex BMW management car) and can offer the following advice even though they are old models.

The 3.0d in standard form is sluggish but enough to get you around - I always found overtaking needs some thought if on a single road. Average mpg was 30+ over 30k miles, with around mid 20's in town. Best journey I ever did was just under 1000 miles in one day from Monaco back home with 1 stop for fuel and a pee break. Not a single problem or back ache! I did chip my car fairly early on and the car was then transformed. There was no noticeable drop or increase in mpg and I was always driving like I stole it. Great car, loved it and swapped it for the 4.8iS.

The 4.8iS has an engine note to die for (the best part of the car I think). The interior is pretty much identical to the 3.0d sport, aside from the adjustable suspension which I never used as it's only really for loading or X-Country so a complete waste of time imo. I drove 35000 miles in the year I owned it, went through 1 set of front tyres, 2 sets of rears, a couple of services and about £10k in petrol yikes .....It averaged 18.something mpg and the best I ever got was a return trip to Brussels one day. I averaged around mid 20's from memory but that was a JC test with everything off and driving like a girl. Performance was not as fast as you might think. Quick, but no Porsche (I have also owned a Boxster S and 996 C2 cab so can compare). It was also difficult to drive fast for long as it is bloody hard work. in my opinion it's just not designed to be driven like a sports car, it's simply too big. It does go and will handle really well, but it's just too bloody big! I drove to Le Mans in it within a week of buying it and although I clocked an indicated 150mph in France, I gave up keeping up with my friends because I was knackered - and I do a lot of driving for a living!

My opinion (for what it's worth), if you get a diesel and have it chipped you'll have as much fun as you would in a 4.8iS, but you will save money and it will hold more of its value. That said, if you can afford the 4.8iS and buy the diesel you'll always feel you're the poor relation when you see another on the road."

An interesting comparison but which still leaves me intrigued ...I should try and drive both to formulate a better opinion but the "no test pilots" in adverts doesn't help because I am a testing pilot!  >:D

If I could afford to go 35 or 40d then it would be diesel all the way but £20K is my limit really so its the usual with your head = diesel with your heat = petrol.
[/quote]
Very interesting post that, nice to hear you owned a Cerb  mine never worked much either! don't get me wrong both me and my missus loved my 4.8iS but I was doing a 44 mile a day commute in mine and at 12 mpg it got a little costly, the diesel still uses plenty of fuel because of the size weight and 4wd drag but I did like the 3.0d I drove.

I don't think you will lose either way as they are both cracking motors...the V8 does sound the dogs though 

Good luck with your search 

[martin33100]

Last we were in your situation 3.0d or V8 and we went for the 3.0d.
We don't do lots of miles but I couldn't justify the lower mpg, higher road tax and larger residuals  of the V8 over a 3.0d. If you do get a 3.0d the ones built around Oct 07 and on are £280 a year to tax.
During my driving career I have had about 9 vehicles remapped and I do plan to get the X5 done soon.
A 3.0d when remapped would probably go like the V8, I really wanted a 3.0sd but our budget at the time got us a much better spect 3.0d.
I saw a test drive on youtube of a 3.0sd and a V8, the 3.0sd was faster and that was even without a remap.

[Raj]

That's an interesting review but none the less its a personal preference. If you are going to be doing 35k in one year then I wouldn't have bought the V8.

I've driven my E53 4.8 at speed and need found it tiring or any worse than my brother in laws E53 3.0d doing the same. Driving the 3.0d at some 150mph indicated would probably be exactly the same as the V8. Well that's what I've found at ever so slightly lower speeds as the 3.0d struggled to get past an indicated 137.

I think it really comes down to you driving both and deciding.

[X5Sport]

It's only supposed to do 130 so an indicated 137 is probably as good as you'll get, and yes it is hard work at that speed but then I don't think the idea is to drive them flat out for any length of time - unless that's your thing.  I was on a banked test track and found it needed a lot more muscle to hold the line.  Not surprisingly.

Still, I found the E53 must better than a Disco 2 at 80.  The Disco can go horribly light at the front as you get to higher speeds!

Richard

[Raj]

[quote="X5Sport"]
It's only supposed to do 130 so an indicated 137 is probably as good as you'll get, and yes it is hard work at that speed but then I don't think the idea is to drive them flat out for any length of time - unless that's your thing.  I was on a banked test track and found it needed a lot more muscle to hold the line.  Not surprisingly.

Still, I found the E53 must better than a Disco 2 at 80.  The Disco can go horribly light at the front as you get to higher speeds!

Richard
[/quote]

It's mapped, etc but hence the indicated but not actual. But my point was more that the review seemed to feel the 3.0d was easier to drive at the same higher speeds than the 4.8, but then they will both be pretty similar at those speeds in terms of feel and my own person experience was that both are pretty similar at speed in terms of weight, feel etc.

[X5Sport]

I must admit I would have expected the same.  I can't see how one engine or the other would be better given the similarities in weight as you say.  Of course the V8 at full chat might sound better.......

R

[Raj]

[quote="X5Sport"]
I must admit I would have expected the same.  I can't see how one engine or the other would be better given the similarities in weight as you say.  Of course the V8 at full chat might sound better.......

R
[/quote]

Tbh even at idle my V8 sounds better, but at full chat it sounds EPIC LOL

[reading1800]

After a crap week at work, shove it into sport and wind the windows down, puts a smile on your face .....we have a dog now and wife wants an estate , trying to find a E500 just to keep the vocals, although not trying too hard, its amazjng how this thing handles around corners.  Does 17.1 mpg in summer and 14.5 in winter, but only do 5000miles a year so fine, put in vpower and it handles noticeably better.