Finally figured out which engine....now narrowing down the options and colors

[F150 Duke]

Hello Ladies and Gents!

What did we or are we going to look at…
The saga of replacing my truck is nearing a close. Ironically it now includes the purchase of an SUV for my parents who are also interested in making a similar purchase. This should add significantly to my negotiation power. We’ve driven the X5 (all three engines), Jeep GC, Infiniti QX56, and M350/550. Tomorrow we’ll be trying the Cayenne and the Range Rover Sport. Though we’re not anticipating a change in direction due to price on the Cayenne and fuel efficiency on the Range Rover Sport. I think we’re heading in the direction of the X5.

Engines, engines, engines and more engines…
On Friday of last week we test drove the 50i, 35i, and 35d back to back…trying to figure out which engine would be suit our needs. We tow a boat once a week in the late spring to early fall in MN (late May to Early Oct) about once a week. Initially I was sold on the idea of going with the diesel for towing, then to the 50i and then back to the diesel. Driving all three back to back was an excellent way to figure this all out. Realistically if you add up all the driving time in a year and figure out what portion is towing, we’re only towing with the X5 for ¼ of the driving year. This makes it really hard to live with the 50i gas mileage which isn’t much better than my current truck. That bring the 35d to bat. But while it isn’t really “louder” at acceleration than the 35i, the noise is more metallic sounding which makes it feel more noticeable/different. At speed it’s silent and at idle it is louder than the 35i, but at idle I’m usually sitting inside the vehicle. All three options are much quieter than my current 5.4 V8. The 35i felt every bit as fast, if not faster, than the 35d. I also don’t have to mess with diesel which would be a plus and the freezing temps in MN in our winters means I don’t have to worry about it being a little noisier until it gets up to full temp. Realistically the diesel is not that big of an inconvenience, but it’s a tiny plus for me. The 35i has less torque and HP than my current F150 which means I probably won’t be able to tow the boat as fast. Not that big of a deal really, I’ll just stick to the right lane which is where I should be anyway and give myself more time to get up to speed on the highway. It is lighter than my truck though so it shouldn’t be a huge impact. Guess we’ll find out in May. The 35i was the all-around favorite for acceleration, quietness, light handling, MPG and cost of fuel ($3.60 prem vs $3.89 diesel here in MN) I might also run regular once in a while when I’m not towing which will further my fuel savings.

Options, color, options, and then more colors…
Colors- Initially we were sold on Sparkling Bronze. We saw it in the showroom floor under florescent lights and it looked different, sparkly and really cool. It was a done deal. Then we saw it in the parking garage and on a cloudy day. It just looked dull and flat with zero metallic flake to it. I was really surprised and a bit disappointed. My wife really likes the deep sea blue now and honestly it’s growing on me. It looks nice on a sunny day and then holds its own when its cloudy out. The last option we’re considering on color is the Platinum gray. It’s the safe pick but I haven’t seen it in person. It’s a normal, not “out there” color. All of these colors would be paired with an Oyster interior.

Definite Options- We’re definitely going with Cold weather pkg, Convenience pkg, Prem Sound pkg, 3rd row seat (to get the leveling suspension for towing), and tow hitch.

On the bubble Options- The Tech pkg, multi contour seats, Nappa Dash and Console, Active Cruise control and then whether we go for Premium or Sport. The wife is in love with the HUD so that will probably add the Tech pkg. The multi contour seats and Active Cruise Control would be a huge bonus on the 2,000 mile road trip we plan on taking if we do the PCD. Nappa Dash is completely unnecessary but I love it after sitting in one that had it. It is really hard to say no to and I’m afraid I’d regret not getting it in a $60k plus SUV.

Last but not least is the Sport vs Prem debate. If I lived in the south I’d do the Sport and never look back at the $1,700 upcharge to get the rims I love, black headliner that is cool and then a nice looking steering wheel. But being that I live in MN, that means the $1,700 upcharge is really $4,000 because I’ll need to buy winter rims and tires. But when the winter rims and tires are on, the rears will look odd being the fender lips stick out on the sport pkg and the tires will nestle pretty far in. I don’t want to mess with spacers and run any risks of suspension or hub damage. The rims on the prem are sufficiently nice to look at, it’s just I always liked the 20” rims and wide tires look in the back. That being said I have my Shelby to drive in the summer so I won’t be driving the X5 to work more than 3 times a week during the summer months. But if I don’t get the sport pkg, I’ll also loose the black headliner than looks sharp with the oyster seats. That makes me think the high end feel of the Nappa dash would look out of place with the gray headliner. Anyone else that lives in the north and has encounter this dilemma? Could this be why I’ve only seen 1 X5 in the twin cities with the cool 20” rims?