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