A US driver's first impression of the X5 3.0sd

[mtech8]

Okay. This is actually my first experience driving a diesel period.

I went to a BMW Ultimate Drive Event yesterday to help the charity out and drive some BMWs. To my surprise, they had a 3.0sd diesel there. I believe it should be similar enough to the 35d coming out for the US with slightly more power in the 3.0sd.

I had to wait for the diesel to come back in. So I went out in the 4.8 first.

Loud Idle
The first thing I noticed when the diesel finally arrived back was that at idle it was much louder than normal gasoline cars. I could hear a recurring clunking sound from about a car lengths distance away! Didn't they say that modern diesel engines are much quieter than the old ones (that people relate to as being "loud and smelly")? I don't remember what the old diesel were like anymore, so for all I know the statement could be absolutely true. They didn't say that the new diesels were equally quiet as gasoline engines. In diesels defense, it wasn't super loud. Just loud enough to be noticeable.

Response Drive
As I started to pull out of the parking lot, my first thought was "Uhm. This thing is smooth and RESPONSIVE! Much more responsive then the 4.8!"

The 4.8 definitely has less lag than its sibling the gasoline 3.0i (which I previously test drove prior to this event. I conclude that it just feels under powered). The 4.8 is absolutely strong once it realizes you want to go (perhaps a second or fractions of a second later). But the diesel felt like it was ready for you at any time. Press the gas alittle and it directly translates into moving the car. Perhaps this was the direct result/benefit of the enormous torque of the diesel twin turbo engine everyone is raving about. I'm not sure.


Once I got onto the main road, I was able to open her up some more. The gears shifted flawlessly in an extremely smooth authoritative manner. The engine was much quieter than the roar of the 4.8. The power felt nearly identical to the 4.8. I felt like I was pushed back into my seat about the same amount as the 4.8. And it felt like I was going as fast as the 4.8 (though the numbers obviously show that the 4.8 is faster). Only the diesel felt like it did it right away. Although I hate to concede, the diesel was much more satisfying to drive. Especially when I looked at the consumption gage which varied from 15-18 mpg on my initial local route (the 4.8 got about 10-12 mpg). The diesel’s engines acceleration, responsiveness and mannerism were a lot like the new X6 xDrive35i.

Handling
Note that everything that I have talked about above is NOT about handling. I didn’t test that aspect of the cars. It is just observations of daily driving on smooth roads with a light foot, semi-heavy and heavy foot. I did notice that the diesel felt less stable at higher speeds above 60 mph though. I find this to be very abnormal and could have been due to different weather conditions (the wind might have been blowing harder when I was driving the diesel vs the 4.8) or it could have been due to different wheel setup. The 4.8 had 19’s, but I forgot to look at what the 3.0’s had. Most likely 19’s, but it could have been 18’s. At any rate, I believe 20” wheels will negate any possible stability issues.

The only time I was unhappy with the diesel was (1) when I passed by the gas station and diesel was at $5.15 while premium gas was at $4.23 and (2) when I stopped at a light and heard the clunking sound of the diesel engine. I’m not one to complain about loud cars. I’m not expecting a Lexus like cabin. I like hearing the engine. But I’m just not use to hearing that much when the car is idle.

My overall opinion is:
With the current unpopularity of diesel in the US and the annoying clunking sound during idle, the more responsive engine isn’t enough for me to pick a diesel just yet. I’d opt for a X5 with a xDrive35i engine over a 4.8 though

[mellow_sparky]

great impressions - thanks for sharing.

given the price of diesel (at least in my area) - I'm not sure why anyone would pick this car.

[rh71]

I wonder if that's the US version of the sd or just one that was meant for overseas? If it's for here, the hp is only 5hp more than the 3.0si, but of course the torque is much better. Did it accelerate quickly even while already at high speeds? It's probably tough to gauge unless you really floor it while already going a decent speed though. I mean, I have no problems while on the highway, as much of the underpoweredness of the 3.0si is because of the weight from a stop.

[mtech8]

I believe that it was one meant for overseas. The badging on the side door was a "3.0sd" not the xDrive35d (which is suppose to be the US model by Edmund's Insideline). Also the speedometer was not in mph and that voice activation spoke a different language (couldn't tell what language); though I think we can change the language in iDrive so that might not be good evidence.

I didn't get a chance to really push it at high speeds. For the local routes we were instructed to drive. I was quickly at 85 mph in a 50 zone. Already blowing by the rest of the light road traffic. Didn't think of flooring it (and testing out the top range of the rpm), but rather looking out for cops that frequent the streets. It felt fast enough.

I'm scheduled for another event in a few days. If the vehicle is there again, I'll definitely report on that aspect next time.

[jimsaq]

I haven't really experimented much with mine in terms of trying ds mode to get faster 0-100 time but in normal mode they're slower off the mark than the V8 but about the same or maybe quicker to move up speed once already on the go. Mine's only done 4000km's so I haven't been game to give it a proper workout yet.

And yes, quite a noisy idle but much less rattly than past diesel engines, and sounds quite sporty once it's revving a bit instead of idling. And from inside it sounds like a petrol/gasoline engine in my opinion.

[mtech8]

I'm sure the V8 is faster, but I like the feel of the diesel off the line better. It just starts immediately upon pressing on the gas pedal.

Yeah. Once the diesel gets going. It does sound great. No idea if it was gas/diesel at that point. Only at idle.

[Dannyell]

its a shame that they only bring the more performant diesel engines into the states...regarding what model...

Besides the X I also have a Jetta 1.9 TDI and let me tell ya with dieslel being about 40 to 50 cents more expensive...doing 647 (my best so far) on 13.5 gallons makes a big difference. not to mention diesels can last way more than regular gas cars if maintined well.

[mtech8]

I do agree. The few extra MPG's achieved by diesels (and hybrids) does make a difference the more expensive fuel prices get. Even with a $1.00 difference between petro and diesel, diesel still comes out slightly ahead.

[Dannyell]

Originally Posted by mtech8

I do agree. The few extra MPG's achieved by diesels (and hybrids) does make a difference the more expensive fuel prices get. Even with a $1.00 difference between petro and diesel, diesel still comes out slightly ahead.

exactly

diesels last longer
they hold their value longer
better mileage

no wonder they don't allow the smaller diesel engines that can get more than 50mph here...it would change the way people buy cars....

imagine a car that you can never get tired of lasting about 400k to 500k on ya... now thats what im talking about

[X5audi]

Originally Posted by mtech8

With the current unpopularity of diesel in the US and the annoying clunking sound during idle, the more responsive engine isn’t enough for me to pick a diesel just yet.

Why would the fact that other people don't like/know about diesels stop you from buying the superior product?

Anyway, nice writeup overall. Thanks for posting.