Going from an E53 to an E70, please weigh in

[chiefneil]

We went from an '02 3.0 to a '12 3.5i (this is my wife's daily driver). For the most part it's a huge upgrade in terms of quality and materials.

The fit and finish is nicer, the materials are nicer, the interior is much quieter, and there's more backseat room. The 3.5i is a significant upgrade in terms of power, but you're getting the 3.0 engine which isn't much stronger than the one in your '02. Combined with the weight gain of the E70, I don't think you'll see any difference in acceleration. Cruising range seems to be down by about 50-75 miles for us, ymmv with the different engine.

We're not really sunroof users, so as far as i'm concerned it's just extra dead weight to haul around. The only negative things I have to say are that the steering isn't quite as nice as the E53. It's not as communicative and doesn't seem to load up as much when cornering at decent speed. The 8sp transmission is different. Super smooth, but I'm not entirely sure the programming is as good as it could be.

Hope that helps.

[OlyS4]

Originally Posted by chiefneil

We went from an '02 3.0 to a '12 3.5i (this is my wife's daily driver). For the most part it's a huge upgrade in terms of quality and materials.

The 3.5i is a significant upgrade in terms of power, but you're getting the 3.0 engine which isn't much stronger than the one in your '02. Combined with the weight gain of the E70, I don't think you'll see any difference in acceleration.
Hope that helps.

Is the 3.5i new for 2012?

[JCL]

I don't own an E70, but have driven them.

The 35i (turbo 3.0 litre) came out as a 2011 model.
The 30i has more power than your 3.0, but as the E70 weighs more, I agree with chiefneil, you won't feel it.

It is nice to have the openness of the panoramic roof. Downside is it fails more often, probably due to the more complex mechanism.

3rd row seat is OK for small kids. If you really need a usefull 3rd row, get a minivan, the access is much better. I wouldn't order the 3rd row myself.

There are lots of new electronic aids and toys. While those can be nice, they are also things to fail, and can cost $$ to fix. Consider if you need them before looking for a vehicle that has all of them.

My driving comparison is that the E53 handled nicely, and suited my needs. It was as large a vehicle as I wanted. The E70 got larger, heavier, and less nimble. I would rather have had a new E53 than an E70. We therefore decided to go the other direction, and bought a new 2007 X3. It has the higher power engine of the E70, but weighs much less, so performance and mileage is much improved. It also handles much better. The flip side is that it doesn't have as much room or as many options, or tow as much. Since I don't tow more than the 3500 lbs it is rated for, and there are often only two of us in the vehicle, it works for us better than the E70.

[OlyS4]

Originally Posted by JCL

I don't own an E70, but have driven them.

The 35i (turbo 3.0 litre) came out as a 2011 model.
The 30i has more power than your 3.0, but as the E70 weighs more, I agree with chiefneil, you won't feel it.

What is the HP difference (if any) between the 3.0i and the 3.0si? I have noticed both notations on the '08's I'm seeing for sale. The 09's and newer seem to have the 30i as the V6. Like I mentioned, I am very familiar with the 3.0 in our '02, I assumed the 3.0 and 3.0i are the same engine. Sorry if these differences are listed somewhere obvious and I missed them, if so let me know and I'll check it out.

Thanks!

[JCL]

For the X5, leaving apart other BMW models:

The 3.0 used from 2000 until 2006 was the M54 engine. 225 hp.

The 3.0 used from 2007 onwards was the N52 engine. 265 hp. It gained Valvetronic (variable valve timing). The cars were labelled with various badges, either i, si, or 30 depending on year and which model it was. All the same engine and power rating.

The 3.0 used from 2011 onwards is the N55 engine. 300 hp, due to the addition of a single twin-scroll turbocharger. This is badged as a 35. It is not a 3.5 litre, the stretch is due to BMW wanting to position it above the other (naturally aspirated) 3.0 engines, which are called 30.

None of them are V6 engines, they are all inline 6 engines.

[barbja]

Originally Posted by JCL

My driving comparison is that the E53 handled nicely, and suited my needs. It was as large a vehicle as I wanted. The E70 got larger, heavier, and less nimble. I would rather have had a new E53 than an E70. We therefore decided to go the other direction, and bought a new 2007 X3. It has the higher power engine of the E70, but weighs much less, so performance and mileage is much improved. It also handles much better.

I wholeheartedly agree! I went from a '03 e53 that I loved to a '11 e70. It was heavier and less nimble and I didn't like driving it. I missed my e53 every day. Almost exactly a year later, I chose the 'other' other direction and went for a '12 X6. Oh man, I don't miss either car ever when driving my X6. Ever.

I seem to be able to get more cargo in it than my e53 (that space under the cargo floor is a life-saver), but I do miss being able to haul furniture like I could in the e70. That's what friends with trucks are for though, so I'm cool with it. Interestingly, the kids prefer the back seat (3-seater) of the X6 to either of the other cars. Go figure.