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

Hey all,

Just sold my '08 X5 4.4i and I'm about to purchase a '12 model.

Do any of you have experience with the xDrive 50i engine problems? How are they after 50k miles? I'm looking at a 50i with 52k. I would probably take out an extended warranty (either with BMW or a 3rd party), and I know the 50i can be a time bomb.

I loved my V8 x5, the sound of the engine and just how quick it was. But reliability was less than stellar. I know the 50i can be pretty bad too, so do any of you have thoughts on how much the extra horsepower is worth compared the 3.5i model?

Did any of you have trouble choosing between the v8 and the v6? I know the service bulletin needs to be done on the '12 50i models, but other things like valve stem seals, etc, also tend to go. There are a bunch of documented issues but I just wanted to see if any of you were over 50k miles and about when the trouble starts with these things?

Thanks for any input!

You can learn to change your own injectors and save thousands while spending thousands...
Make sure your warranty is going to cover what you need it to (including seals/gaskets), otherwise do the smart thing.

What warranty will you buy that gives you any decent coverage!?!?!?!

A '12 will be out of warranty NOW, unless someone else already extended it. Virtually ALL warranties you can buy for cars now out of warranty are ether crap or $6500. Or both.

You just sold your 08. DO NOT kid yourself, you will drive this '12 for 9-10 years, which likely means 3-4 years without a warrany. just way too much risk unless you have an engine hoist in your shop. so to speak.

Today I learned there are BMWs with V6's. :confused:

The 35i is almost, if not, just as quick as the 4.4 based on the numbers posted from various magazines.
4.4i
C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 7.1 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 18.5 sec
Zero to 120 mph: 29.6 sec
Street start, 5-60 mph: 7.3 sec
Standing 1/4-mile: 15.4 sec @ 92 mph
Top speed (governed): 127 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph: 178 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.77 g

35i
C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 6.0 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 18.8 sec
Street start, 5-60 mph: 7.4 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 14.7 sec @ 92 mph
Top speed (governor limited, mfr's est): 130 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph: 159 ft
Roadholding, 200-ft-dia skidpad*: 0.87 g

There are certainly positives to the 35i but to suggest that it’s nearly or just as quick as the 50i is ludacris. The 50i is way faster. I know the above are magazine numbers and are subject to test conditions, but neither of those appear correct from what I’ve seen.

I did not say 50i. The 50i is definitely faster than both the 35i or the 4.4i. But I'm looking at the 4.4i NA from 2008 that the OP had and he said was very fast. The 35i 3.0 turbo is just as quick as the 4.4i NA on paper. I have no experience with the 4.4i NA though, but my 35i is pretty darn quick. If the OP is happy with 4.4i performance and wants lower maintenance, the 35i can match 4.4i performance while being cheaper than the 50i to maintain.

Is the 35d an option for you at all? If so, would at least test drive one while you are looking at the other two models. I was hitting 5.4sec 0-60 with a stage 1 tune (no bolt ons or emissions deletes, just a tune) and that was with run flat tires / 20" sport package. Mileage is awesome and you may find yourself addicted to the power delivery. These things become absolute monsters if you start going to higher level tunes. Just throwing it out there :thumbup:

This is actually what I'm about to do. With a tune, I think the diesel can hit 0-60 about as quickly as the 50i. Thanks for the suggestion, I think the engine can also be a lot more reliable and milage is obviously going to be much better.

I think it's true that the 35i (with the turbo) is about as quick 0-60 as the 4.4i N62 engine. The difference is the engine sound, and there's just something unbeatable about the V8 sound on the e70. I deleted the resonators on my old car, and it was unbelievable. The V6 is quick, but the V8 is just too pretty sounding. I had an old e53 at one point and briefly traded for a comparable 5 series, and I missed the V8 sound immediately. Turbos aside, the V8 is really just nice sounding and had to give up once you've grown accustomed to it!

You're 100% right about this, I just think he was comparing the 35i to my previous '08 48i. They're about the same 0-60 (a little under 6 seconds), but the V8 is unbeatable from a sound and driving thrill perspective.

Let's get a few things straight here. There are not now, nor were there ever, V6 BMWs. The BMW sixes are Straight sixes.

Second, there was NO 4.4i in 2008. You would have to have a 2006 (or earlier) E53 to have a 4.4i. The E70 was introduced in 2008, and the V8 model was initially a 4.8i. The 50iX models DO use a turboed 4.4L but that comes later.

Third; there's no replacement for displacement. The E70 X5 is a heavy car; I had my 2008 V8 4.8i on a scale recently and it was 5,400lbs, including me and a full tank of gas, (I'm 190lbs). Not sure how much lighter the 3.5i is, but it must still be in the 4,900-5,000lbs range. The only way to really answer your question is to drive both cars; the 5.0i will be much more fun. You will also have bigger gas bills and maintenance costs. A V8 X5 is perhaps one of the WORST vehicles you can buy in terms of maintenance; but is also one of the best driving SUVs you can buy.

Finally, there's the issue of towing. If you plan to tow anything more than 2,000lbs for more than a VERY short distance, you must buy the V8.

Gearing is more responsible for this closeness of 0-60 than the similarity of power figures; the '08 4.8i is still a good bit more powerful than the '12 3.5i, and the 5.0iX is even quicker than the 4.8i by a similar margin. Try flooring both from 65mph and see the difference. In many situations while driving, the 6 will need to downshift and you will need more aggressive use of the throttle to get the job done. The 3.5i is still no slouch.

Another issue to keep in mind is the tendency to get loaded cars with a 6cyl is rare. If you're looking for a "loaded" car with all the expensive options, like comfort seats with A/C, sport package with upgraded wheels, full technology package with the top stereo options, etc; you will find very few 6cyl cars equipped like that, it's a needle in a haystack. Yet you'll find plenty of loaded V8 cars.

+1 - agree with all of this :thumbup:

To mammac80210 - I have a 2012 50i w/ 55K miles. With this vehicle I like to differentiate reliability & cost of ownership, though they reside in each other's orbit. Mine has been very reliable overall, but the few times repairs have come up, they're expensive. I always ask my SA, would it be less if I had a 35i, and it's almost always a 'yes.' I've been told most things on the N63 4.4L V8 are difficult to access vs. the N55 I6 in the 35i, therefore increasing labor costs. Thats not the only reason, just an example.

I'm currently having the valve guide seals ($9K at dealer) and upper oil pan gasket ($3K at dealer) replaced, however it's all being good-willed by BMW, even though my CPO had just expired (long story). I'm fortunate that BMW is stepping up here, however these repairs spooked me out, so I just purchased an aftermarket warranty - 3 years/24K miles, for $2550. The warranty came highly recommended from fellow X5 owners. I figure in 3 years, I'll be ready to move on.

Regarding the 35i vs. 50i and what you've posted, sounds like you need a 50i :cool: They're both great vehicles, I drove several 35i's back in the day, but once I drove a 50i I knew, for me, it was the motor I wanted. Power/performance ranks ahead of reliability for me, so that's the route I went. Stock vs. stock you get +100HP and +150TQ, and the sound is awesome.

I'd also read up on packaging/options and get familiar with a BMW VIN decoder if you aren't already. These vehicle came equipped a million different ways. There's certain stuff I consider must-haves, and don't believe any X5 ad that says 'loaded' or 'fully loaded' - I've still never seen one with every available package/option and I've decoded 100's of E70's. And 'Skyline' above is correct, even though 50i's are not as common as 35i's, you'll find them with better packaging/options on average. Heavily optioned 35's are not that common.

Good luck!

Thanks so much for this! Can you tell me where you purchased the warranty from? Was it dealer or 3rd party? I'd be interested in picking up the same one whenever I pull the trigger on this!

Thanks so much!

PM sent.

There is no 4.4 naturally aspirated e70 (at least not in America). That’s why I thought you were referring to the 50i, which is a 4.4 but obviously not NA. The n62b48 isn’t all that much faster than the 35i based on 0-60 alone, but they drive very differently.


Edit: Skyline beat me to it and with more detail...

I'm not too familiar with the NA X5 engines. I just went off with what was said in the OP. But like others have said, the V8 is different and will have better passing power. For regular day to day commuting and driving, the turbo 6 has been well to me. Do I regret not getting the turbo v8? Sure, but I'm glad I didn't when I see all these problems. I think someone said the S63 in the X5M is better than the N63 in terms of reliability. Again, no experience with them, just what I've read.

You're so lucky they ate this charge. This is why people stop going to the dealer when the warranty ends. My independent mechanic charged me $2,500 to do the valve seals a couple of week ago, and this seems to be about the going rate. $9k is nuts. The upper oil pan gasket is not something I've heard as a failure point yet, but if the valve seal price is any indication, that's probably wildly inflated as well.

There ARE many good independent BMW shops around, and if you can't find one, there's a listing on the BMW CCA web site. We are ALL members of BMW CCA, RIGHT??? BTW, on the occasion I need parts right away and I go to my dealer instead of ordering from ECS or Bavarian Autosports, my dealer gives 10% off for the BMW CCA membership. It easily pays for itself each year. (I do have three aging BMWs to keep running!)

I've never heard of a goodwill AFTER the CPO has ended. After the 4/50, plenty. Never after a CPO. Very lucky/unusual. SA/Tech/Service Manager related to you? ;)

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).