Thanks for the replies..very interesting. Just for reference most of the X5s I'm looking at are 2001-2003.

I notice some of you talking about valvetronic technology but am I right in saying that this was not available on the older X5s ?

Also where I live there is not going to be a lot of highway driving mainly city driving so in that case would the 3.0i not be better with a smaller engine capacity ?

Pepatrick I was especially interested in your posting. Presumably you drove both the 3.0I and the 4.4 in the same style ?

Also what about servicing costs are they appreciably more with the 4.4i ?

Finally what is the conversion rate between the US gallon and the imperial gallon ? Presumabley most of you guys being in the US are basing your figures on US gallons.

the 4.4 engine in the 00,01,02,03 is a completely different 4.4 engine than the 04,05,06 and the older was not valetronic.

So does that mean the older model 4.4s are therefore less fuel efficient than the older model 3.0s ?

The window stickers say they are less fuel efficient, but the real experience says they are pretty close to the same. The 2004 and 2005 4.4 models will probably get better mileage than the 3.0 if you drive it the same. If you throttle it like most people with the 4.4, you will probably get less. Even so...there is not much difference in the mileage between the two. If that is the determining factor go with the 4.4i.

I have to assume the what Pep said in his final coment is the real differential. Not a statistical one an emotional go fast difference. The 4.4 has lots of balls and you will paste the petal more often then in a 3.0 causing that little fuel effienciency guage to go to stupid numbers all the time.

If we are getting to green here and buying performance SUV's for fuel conservation I am at the wrong site. I bought my X5 for enginering, quality and go fast atitude. Even in Canada where I paid $116 dollars for a fill last night I am not yet ready to buy a Hybrid Honda. I enjoy burning gas, for the thrill it gives.

The pre-2004 4.4i is less powerful, however supposedly it gives better throttle response. People with the new-gen 2004+ have been reporting a bigger lag with the drive-by-wire setup.

The old engine is inefficient, but stupendously fun! It's rated 13mpg city and 17mpg highway. I think I personally get 9mpg city and 15mpg highway.

If you can afford a 4.4i, then go for it, cuz even if it's a pre-2004, you will only get about 15-20% worse fuel economy (particularly in the city), but the performance difference is like night and day (no offense to 3.0i owners).

Plus the 4.4i models have more standard features (the Canadian models anyway). :dunno: