4.6is m62b46 or 4.4 n62b44??

[EPDM]

Don't know whether there has been a similar thread before but permit me to talk outload and see if a get it right..mostly.

I'm on my 4th m5 e39 which is a particularly nice example as it has a rare caramel interior and now have brought it back to pretty good shape. I've had a couple of e53 previously, namely the post and pre facelift 4.4l v8 in that order.

Great car even though they're not made in Germany...hold on, just opening another can or worms here...:-)

As I'm getting close to 50, which is pretty ancient, I have been thinking again of reverting to the truck as ya'll call it. Basically its easier to get into and out of, the kids prefer it and the dogs don't need to be attached to the rear bumper.

Anyway. I have some bad memories with the n62. The waterpump, valvetronic and when slowing to a stop jump these fine gearboxes sometimes do, as in the solenoids ALL happened. In contrary the older m62 had non of these issues, though the solenoids also seem to fail with this 5h24 gearbox..

Now getting to my point ( at last). Should I get the rarer 4.6is or the newer 4.4l?

4.4l pros...

x-drive and thats a big plus as we just had 5 inches of snow last night in this neck of the woods ( Finland...yes its that country near Russia).
Older system is pretty basic on ice, one can feel the wheels diagonally try to get grip, thinks fuck this lets try the other two and so forth. The i-drive does a much better job, though not exactly offroad capable.

More fuel efficient: 6 gears, don't know whether the 6th is much longer than the 5th in the m62 but it does save a bit of fuel. Really quite itrelevant with these cars anyway..

Valvetronic: yes it givs you a wee bit more torque down low...but when it fails then even your fine new presidents hair would turn grey(er). I believe with ista, one could do a mechanical wear test?

4.6is pros

More conventienal but could one say reliable technology? Well no valvetronic to go wrong but the timing belt is more prone to ware . My third m5 e39 ( dakar yellow) suffered from this and ended up catching the double chain on a broken off piece of plastic guide-> 5k in repairs.

Ok after this its gets personal...as in opinions. The radio is just playing this song "I'm in love with the shape of you" ( red haired guy who must be related to your president, no?). Anyway I prefer the look of the prefacelift compared to the flared nostril facelift grill. One can buy the facelook angel eyes headlights for the pfl and then its pretty much perfect imo. Also the grey instrument cluster background gives it a bit of M-power machoism as do the flared arches...some of them have rather special interiors, a la estoril blue with red interiors etc. After the m5 I'd like to get something in the same "philosophy"

Problem is that you greedy lot kept most of the is version to yourself. But some of them have crossed the pond to this god forsaken country. The fl n62 is more plentyfull and on average aboit 1-1.5k more expensive, rust is getting to be a problem with the m62, as with the older e39's..

Performance wise there is probably not much in it? Never drove a 4.6is as of yet.

So I'll end my monologue here and let ya'll chime in whether you agree or agree...

btw the 4.8is would be cool, but its beyond my budget at the moment..

[X53Jay4.8is]

I am a fan of the 4.6is due to its rarity. The real concern in my opinion to watch out for is the timing chain guide issue. Once you get to 100K just run through it on the maintenance and do the cooling system. The 4.6is has rear air suspension and normally does not cause a lot of problems like the 4.8is all around air suspension. Fuel economy will not be that much greater going from a 5 speed to the 6 speed in these trucks. Not even 1 mpg of a difference.

[smokeyyank]

I think all of them will have their inherent issues. I love the 4.6 but it does have it's faults primarily as with all M62's; timing chain guides and cooling system. Also the tranny that can be problematic. If your choice is between a face lifted 4.4 or 4.6 I'd say 4.6. After researching before getting my X I ruled out face lifted 4.4's. Not that they are bad cars but the issues where more than I wanted to deal with. I will say though if the X was my primary driver I wold have gone with a 3.0; would not have touched the 4.6. Two reasons, one its rare and I would want to keep a well kept example off it, secondly, gas and maintenance cost are less with the 3.0 IMPO.

[dannyzabolotny]

The 4.6is is more fun to drive than any 4.4, whether facelift or not. I had a 2000 M5 and currently have a 2000 540i Touring in addition to the 2003 X5 4.6, and I have to say that the 4.6 reminds me of my M5 at times. The engine sounds really nice when accelerating, the transmission tune on the 4.6 is pretty aggressive, and the suspension + 20" wheels make for a very sporty ride. My old Range Rover had tons of body roll on turns but I can drive the 4.6 like a sports car without fearing for my life. It really does feel like a taller car as opposed to a full-on truck, which is exactly what I was looking for. The gas mileage does suck, but I doubt you're getting great gas mileage with the M5 anyways, haha.

[Anhelenuk]

If you going to take a plunge into the bottomless x5 ownership then why not go for the top of the line and rarest of them all 4.6is? Every time I take mine out on the highway it reminds me of what a special vehicle it is.

[bmw540san]

I'll make it simple:
M62 TC guides vs:
N62 valve stem seals, coolant crossover pipe and alternator bracket oil leak.
M62 wins IMO.

[crystalworks]

^Don't forget secondary air passage clogging on the n62.

That said... I'd take my 4.8 over the 4.6 any day. And the 4.6 over the 4.4, though the LCI does have some niceties associated with it.

[PropellerHead]

Originally Posted by crystalworks

the LCI does have some niceties associated with it.

+1

My mother in law's '01 3.0 has standard split NV125. I wanted X Drive in mine and the 1st '04 3.0 had it. The 4.8is also has it. It was the #1 thing I wanted in my own X5. It keeps me today from considering a 4.6is. Though I would kill to have that motor in my SC'ed E39.

BTW, these are things *I* want. If you want different things, good for you.

[Ven]

Originally Posted by crystalworks

^Don't forget secondary air passage clogging on the n62.

That said... I'd take my 4.8 over the 4.6 any day. And the 4.6 over the 4.4, though the LCI does have some niceties associated with it.

Crystal, the N62 in E53 doesn't have secondary air like 7 series etc to my knowledge.

[dannyzabolotny]

I never really intended to take my X5 off-roading, those 20" wheels and 4.6 bumpers would not hold up well at all, haha. I bought it to have a fast road-going SUV that I can comfortable drive and occasionally tow with. It never snows and barely ever rains in Arizona so the AWD aspect of the X5 is a moot point to me.