JCL I understand your point. CAI, even when used in conjunction with a free-flowing exhaust, won't give you any noticeable performance gain on an X5 but it's one of the first mods that an enthusiast will do, to any car. First and foremost it looks a heck of a lot better than any stock airbox so it dresses up underneath the hood a bit. Second, yes you do hear the intake sound but is that the only reason? Probably not. Third, my fuel economy has improved a bit and I don't think my driving habit's changed. So IMHO there are some merits for having CAI. Now is the cost justified? That depends. There are some intakes that cost over $1000 and some people still buy them.

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Dinan S1 pkg / 22" Iforged Swift - Toyo 295F*315R / Eisenmann Race - OEM tips / H & R 15mm front
30mm rear spacers / Euro-spec headlights / CF M Competition steering wheel / Full CF interior /
6000K D2S / HID fogs / AiBrights V3 / Interior Xenon / LED sidemarkers / Matte black grille & hood vents