Which would you choose, 14 X3 xdrive 35i or 16 X3 xdrive 28i?
 

Hey all, looking for opinions here. I have owned several BMW's including a couple of X5's both 03. One a 4.4 and one a 4.6is. I know how quirky they can be. I sold the 4.6is is a few months ago because it was starting to nickel and dime us. I replaced it with a Lexus 460 GX. The Lexus is ok but lacks the ultimate driving experience.

Fast forward to today. The 4.4 we bought new. It has been a pretty great car if you forget about cooling reservoirs, window regulators, and door latches. It has 165K miles and still runs like a top but starting to cost a little more each year. The wife wants another BMW so we have narrowed it down to an X3. Been working with a few dealers and narrowed it down to two vehicles. One is a 2014 35i w/24K miles. It is loaded and has about every option available including the M pkg, it is also CPO with new tires, windshield, brakes pads, etc. Warranty runs out in 2019. It originally stickered for $57K and is priced at $44K.

The other car is a new 2016 2.8i. It does not have a lot of options, just kind of the bare bones stuff. It stickers for $44K. I can get both cars for $42K.

Which would you buy and why? Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide.

I'd go with the 14' 35i for the bigger engine and the M Sport package. I prefer the look of the M sport front fascia, and the seats and the steering wheel.

Tibby, thanks, I agree with every point you make. The fun factor in sport mode is pretty high.

I was also thinking that the 14 has already taken a big hit on depreciation and the 16 will soon do so. Does any one agree if mileage and condition are equal that say in five years the KBB or Nada values would probably be higher on the 14?

The 2.8 is a 4 banger and beside less power, also noisy. Both have WP woes.
Maybe the 2.8 WP "might" last a few miles longer.
3.5 all the way.

The better half has asked me to look at F25 X3s for her. What is the "WP" woes you describe? A search for the WP acronym kicked up nothing. Like you, I lean toward the 3.0L six, particularly with the larger size of the F25, close to the size of my 2006 X5. Also, anyone have the towing capacity available, offhand, and source for a tow hitch? I remember my long search in 2013-14 for an OEM E53 hitch ....

^^^ The"WP" woes referred to is probably electric "water pump"...