Wow, goodwill for that much? That is GREAT! Last goodwill I heard of was the cluster replacements on the E38's.

50i vs 35i? Extra HP worth the engine bomb?
 

I have a 50i TT V8. Love the torque, hp and sound. The 35i was not even considered never even drove it.

That said theres a lot going under the hood. If you can wrench on it a bit and are willing and able to google some issues then it’s not bad.

I fix pretty everything on my last 8 cars. (Mostly VW). I’ve got about $3000 in repairs for the last 2 years with this X5. Had a major fix recently had to outsource for $1600.

If I wreck it tomorrow I’m buying another V8. Might consider a N63 TU. At least that engine is a generation newer.

Hope this helps.

Oh yea the BMS stage 1 tuner is great! There’s no way a 35i or diesel will have a chance.

That is absolutely insane. I owned a 2002 M3 with the S54 engine. I didn't put $3K into it in over 7 years. My subframe was fine, VANOS held up. I replaced my SMG pump with a used one (only the motor failed) and did oil changes and tires. I guess with tires, it may have been over $3K, but not by much.

I don't understand how anyone, unless money doesn't matter to them would even remotely recommend that engine to anyone just because torque and horsepower. Like really, $3K in two years? On just engine repair? Wow.

I replaced my M3 with a 35i, 2012 X5. I don't need mad horsepower and torque. It passes things just fine. I get better milage, cheaper maintenance, and its got plenty of grunt for day to day driving.

Up to you really. I've owned BMW V8s before, and everything was twice as expensive, even the little things. I decided to stick with the I6, and enjoy a bit of silent, smooth operation.

If you have to pay a few thousand a year to keep a V8 X5 running, that makes absolute financial sense. I paid less than a quarter of new price for my V8 X5, and can easily justify the high maintenance costs, given the fact that I'm not paying $800 a month to lease a new one. Granted, there are lot's of things that would never go wrong on a Toyota V8, but the X5 is no Tacoma.

Exactly as above. Got it used can afford to pay for broken stuff. I love this SUV. If I wanted cheap operating costs I’ll drive my wife’s Honda minivan.

Anyone who is on the fence and hasn’t looked at the diesel option is missing out.

26mpg in town and over 550ftlbs of torque (with minimal work) is a no-brainer.

E70d is a really really nice option for a DIY and auto-involved person. 35i best option for non DIYer that likes to drive without worry of monstrous repair lurking around the corner.
Ironically, the only V8 BMW I moronically bought, I had to immediately ditch at a loss for all reasons apart from the engine (4.6is).