My two cents after having experience with a 4.8i, 3.0i, and 35i all e70 - I would go for the 35i or 35d WITH adaptive drive. While I have no experience with the 50i, the N63 is by all accounts a complete nightmare engine. I believe the 35d has the older ZF 6 speed transmission and imo, the ZF 8 is a much nicer shifting transmission. The ZF 6 always has its quirks while the 8 is bang on 99.9% of the time. The N55 in the 35i should be solid but I have seen reports (and a disconcerting number of vehicles, including E70s) of blown N55s. It seems like they have rod bearing issues as they age. I believe the water pump on the 35i and 50i will each be an expensive pain to replace.
A couple notes. Adaptive drive is worth it. I've had two E70s with it, a 3.0 and my current 4.8. While I know it can be problematic, the only issue I've encountered so far was a leaky electrical connector on a rear damper that caused a pin to rot off. We repaired that by splicing the wires and it's been fine ever since. The 3.0 has almost 150k miles on it and my 4.8 has 120k. The 35i doesn't have adaptive drive and not only does it not handle as well, the ride quality is significantly worse. Unfortunately 35is with adaptive drive are a bit of a unicorn.
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If I can find active drive on 35d that might seal a deal but it's very difficult to determine from listings if the car has it.
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Look for the "sport" button under the shifter.
The 35i has adequate power in stock form but a quick MHD tune will really wake it up. On "Stage 1," I'd say it drives similar to my 4.8 and delivers far better economy.
Other options to look for in general are the HUD (never knew what I was missing until I had it. If your eyesight isn't great, it's super helpful because the focus distance is about the end of the hood), comfort seats (AMAZING), heated steering wheel (plus rear seats if you have more passengers), premium sound, and the updated iDrive system in the 2010+(?) E70s.
04-12-2021, 06:42 PM
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