In stock form the 3.0 engine is very small on power, but don't underestimate what the 3.0 is capable of vs the 4.4, 4.6, or 4.8 engine. BMW I6's are notorious for loving boost, and if given the right recipe, will destroy any V8 powered X5...minus maybe the X5M. Spend some time on the FI forums of the Bimmerboard, Bimmerfest, E46fanatics, etc and you'll see what I mean.

Sure, spending 10k on a 3.0 might seem useless now, but when the truck itself is only selling for 10k, spending 20k total for having X5M power at 1/6th the cost isn't so unreasonable. It all depends on the persons personal modification goals. I almost bought an 3.0 5speed years ago, but then I came across the black on black 740iL I still have now. Had I gotten the X5, it was the perfect package just screaming for boost. Had I known (at the time) all that I'd be spending on my V8 powered engine just to get it ready for boost, I still wonder how much closer I'd be to my goals. Had I just gotten the X5 instead way back, I'd probably be there since I'm well over 15k in mods to my 740iL, and it's not even boosted yet

In reply again to the OP's original question...it's my opinion that $$Dinan$$ is a complete waste of money in that they are WAY WAY WAY overpriced and known to be on the conversative side of power compared to other tuners. They WERE the company to goto back in the day, but there are easily 4-5 other companies doing the same things they offer for far less. The only time I'd ever suggest $$Dinan$$ to anyone is if they're still under the factory warranty or a Certified vehicle since they warranty is the same as purchasing a stock BMW, hence why they're on the more conversative side of HP...safety and warranty. For anyone past their warranty period, they are the last place I'd goto. After owning a handful of factory (MR2T, RX7TT, F350TD, etc) and even aftermarket FI (Tacoma V6, R6, R1) vehicles, $$Dinan$$ has the the WORST power per dollar ratio of anyone in the market, period...but some people just love the bragging rights of the badge.

__________________