Shopping for an E70

[conedoctor]

I meant the diesel (M57N2)

We like ours so far.

[slowlanemcvane]

Thanks for all of the replies guys!

I am DEFINITELY interested in the diesel, since I like the idea of owning a diesel, for the torque and fuel economy. The only drawback for that is the dang-near prohibitive cost of diesel fuel here in Washington. Diesel costs, on average, about 90 cents per gallon more than premium, and I don't think the savings in fuel mileage will matter much compared to the extra price of fuel, plus the additional cost of the vehicle itself. If I still lived in Texas, on the other hand, where diesel is only slightly more expensive than premium, I might consider it a little harder.

The N52, from what I have read, produces right around 270 HP, which is more than the M54 that my current X5 produces. I imagine that it translates to slightly better city performance and highway merging/passing situations. Is the V8 significantly faster, with the 350 HP that it produces? Not that I want a speed demon of a car, but it would be nice to have the extra power when needed...

[bawareca]

N52 is rated 255hp at the most powerfull version for X5 and 530i station wagon.The "problem" with it is that there is virtually no torque until 3500-4000 rpm,after that it pulls very hard and all the way to 7000 rpm redline.For me it actually feels less "torquey" than M54.
I love this engine in my 530xit,and i am not afraid to rev it when I need that extra power,but it may be too "laggy" for some people's taste.You want to drive one to see if you like it.

[slowlanemcvane]

Okay, cool. Thanks for the input, bawareca. Looks like I'll be visiting one of my local dealerships to test drive cars with both engines, in order to get a better feel for them.

You are right about the M54, it definitely feels like it has plenty of torque off idle and really starts to come into its own at about 2000-2500 RPM, then pulls hard to redline. While I'm sure that the N52 is actually the faster motor when pushed hard, it all depends on where the torque hits as to how "streetable" that torque actually is.