I don't like to spend $80 on oil when I can get comparable oil for $35. LL-01 was the spec that applied to these vehicles until very recently when BMW superseded it with the new LL-01FE spec. Without getting into the inevitable viscosity arguments, I'm confident that anything reasonably close to the oils that formerly met the LL-01 spec will protect our engines just fine unless you're encountering extreme conditions.

Mobil1 0W-40 Euro forumula was quite popular for BMW's until a few years ago when a re-formulation resulted in losing the LL-01 spec. Many (like me) switched to Castrol Edge 0W-40 as it maintained the LL-01 spec until just very recently. Both of these oils were readily available at Walmart and Amazon for $20-$25 per 5 qt. jug making them a very appealing economic choice. With Castrol having just recently lost LL-01 spec, there are few choices left and none that are as economical. The Pennzoil referenced above would be a great choice, though I'm not willing to spend that much extra just to have it say "LL-01" on the back.

FWIW, I'll probably continue using Castrol Edge 0W-40 as long as it remains readily available for such a low cost. I also wouldn't hesitate to use M1 0W-40 at the same cost. Realistically, any full synthetic 0/5 W - 30/40 oil is going to be perfectly adequate at protecting our "normally" driven BMW's.

AM.

__________________
E70 2010 3.0 M57 AT Titanium Silver with Black Leather
E53 2004 3.0 M54 AT Toledo Blue with Gray Leather
E83 2008 3.0 N52 AT Silver Gray Metallic with Black Vinyl
E46 1999 2.8 M52TU 5MT Black with Tan Leather 250K+ miles (Sold, but not forgotten)