Diesel vs. gas e70

[bigx5er]

My two cents and I am late to this thread.

I owned a number of the E70s including the 3.0, 3.5d, and 3.5i. One year ago I traded my 2012 3.5i for a new 2011 Acura MDX Advance which I still own.

I preferred the 3.5i to the diesel. Doing the math, the price of diesel on average was 10% more than premium unleaded, erasing quite a bit of the fuel economy advantage. I also felt the 3.5i was a better match for the X5, it was much quicker off stops and I wasn't planning on towing anything.

I traded my diesel for some of the reasons already mentioned in this thread. First the clatter was too much for me. At low speeds it was loud outside of the car, especially around my neighborhood. It just didn't feel like a premium car (I get that many people here like the sound). Also, my wife refused to fill it after visiting too many gas stations with dirty diesel pumps.

I left the 3.5i due to continued reliability issues with the X5s as a hole and due to my fatigue with run flat tires (we also sold our 328i for the same reason).

The Acura MDX Advance is a fantastic value with the adaptable suspension, blind spot detection, automatic cruise control, and emergency braking system. The MDX does lack some X5 features I liked such as the heated steering wheel, rain sensing wipers, and park distance control. I know the rub on the MDX is the center console, but I was fine with it in a day of use. (Note I also had no issue with iDrive). Our MDX has been solid, no rattles or issues except for a recall to reprogram the tranny.

Obviously there are good and bad cars from each manufacturer. Used BMWs scare the heck out of me. Even if they still have warranty, there are a bunch floating around that were traded in for problems, so be careful.

I bought 11 new BMWs over the years and have completely left the brand. My second car is now a 2012 Infiniti G37 Convertible and it also has been solid (so far).

Again, BMW is a very good car and there are great folks on this board. My X5 problems were all over the board (last one was failing brakes). As Mike Miller said in Roundel, avoid BMWs that are out of warranty (pointing to the potential emptying of your wallet).

Best of luck in your search. The X5 is a great drive, hope you find something you like.

[jddssc121]

Originally Posted by bigx5er

I preferred the 3.5i to the diesel. Doing the math, the price of diesel on average was 10% more than premium unleaded, erasing quite a bit of the fuel economy advantage. I also felt the 3.5i was a better match for the X5, it was much quicker off stops and I wasn't planning on towing anything.

During the winter months diesel does cost as much or even 10 cents more than premium, but during spring/summer it drops dramatically. Last month i was paying 20-30 cents under the cost of REGULAR..... Diesel prices are tied more closely to heating costs, so they climb in cold months and drop in hot months.

[MPowerFarmer]

Originally Posted by FSETH

I figured I would end up purchasing an X5 with a conventional gas engine. However, I am now considering getting a 35d. My knowledge of diesel engines is limited at best, so is there anything I need to be aware of before going the diesel route with regards to reliability or maintenance? Do they require more maintenance? Are there major components associated with diesel engines that make them more expensive to repair or require more frequent repairs? I know finding a gas station with diesel may be harder depending on location, but am I overlooking anything when I am comparing a diesel to a regual gas X5?

Compared to the 30i, the 35d has HUGE torque figures and a much better range per tank, which seems very nice.

Well put it this way, I am on my 2nd X5d and my dad is on his 3rd. He drives ~50k miles a year, I drive ~35k. Neither of us has had a single solitary warrantee issue.

[FSETH]

I actually drove my wifes route to work this weekend and I would say that 8 out of 10 stations along the 5 mile route had diesel, so I am not too worried about the availability anymore. I live in the southeast, so maybe there are more stations that carry diesel seeing as there are a lot of people who love their F-250's? I want to say the diesel prices were about on par with premium or a little lower.

I actually have the GasBuddy app on my phone as well. That in addition to Siri, should help her find a diesel station quickly if she gets into a jam in an unfamiliar area.

I did get to drive an 09 35d this weekend. I was pretty impressed. I didn't notice any diesel odor and it was fairly quiet. You could tell a slight difference from inside the car, but it was outside the vehicle that I notice it most. Especially, when the sales person punched it a little as he drive it away. Overall, first impression of the 35d in general were very positive. I will have to say that it was a little strange seeing the tachometer top out at about 5,000 rpm. I am used to looking at my e46 my tach which is useable to 8,200 rpm and reads to 9,000. The tach in the 35d reminded my of my parents e30 325e.

[xoutpostking]

Diesel is all about providing the torque at the low end, no need to scream to 9000 like a little Honda.

[Thunder22]

I'm looking at a '12 35d as well. $4500 eco credit, $1000 credit for participating in the Olympics event today, and a good relationship with the local dealer should get me a pretty loaded 35d for about $9k under MSRP. I test drove it today and the torque is insane, my only issue, and it purely subjective, is that the interior hasn't changed a bit from my '08, and compared to the Q5 2.0T I'm driving now, it's like being in the 80's. I have to think about it more, but reliability and longevity aren't a concern, it's more about "should I spend the $$$$", but a deal like this is hard to pass up.

[watrob]

Originally Posted by Thunder22

I'm looking at a '12 35d as well. $4500 eco credit, $1000 credit for participating in the Olympics event today, and a good relationship with the local dealer should get me a pretty loaded 35d for about $9k under MSRP. I test drove it today and the torque is insane, my only issue, and it purely subjective, is that the interior hasn't changed a bit from my '08, and compared to the Q5 2.0T I'm driving now, it's like being in the 80's. I have to think about it more, but reliability and longevity aren't a concern, it's more about "should I spend the $$$$", but a deal like this is hard to pass up.

Its got a new iDrive, the LCI is supposed to have over 900 changes, also if you chip it you can get another 50hp and 120nm torque? make sure you get Adaptive Drive also.

['10-X5-35d]

Coming from an '07 335i and from a "very brief moment in a" 2012 BMW X1, I do say that I love my BMW Diesel.

You have to get used to see people telling you: Wow, I didn't know BMW did Diesel" or turning around when you back up in a steep hill, but for the rest, and mainly for the low-end torque and fuel economy, it was fully worth it.

When you step on it, it changes less on the fuel consuption than it's gas counterpart. So I can push on it more, without being penalized with much higher consuption, thank you high torque !

To the contrary of most of you guys, the X5's for me, the wife will finally get her 135i conv. soon.
I love to look down on people (truck height solely), than to have someone look at the top of my head (no, i'm not bald), but it's me.

[Thunder22]

how often does the urea tank need to get refilled?

[ChuckG]

Mine has only needed to be filled when I get the oil change when iDrive says to get the oil change at about 11,000 miles. It has never needed any between oil changes.
Chuck