4.8 vs 3.0 gas mileage debate
 

Now, I know us guys are not buying a BMW because it's got great gas mileage, it's still something to consider. I believe the 4.8 will get almost as good mileage as the 3.0. The X5 is no light weight and either car driven hard will eat up the gallons. When I had my 04 3.0 it only averaged 17 MPG, but if driven hard which somtimes was not an option, she would get only 15MPG. I know the 07s are lighter, have more efficent engines and have 6 speed transmissions I still don't believe either engine will average more than 20MPH. The big difference is cost, the 4.8 is expensive, especially if well equipted. JMO

that's why the diesel is so enticing.. over the 3.0si... I am getting 10.5l/100km city driving only at the moment...or 22.4 mpg...I assume that is fairly good for a brand new car with 700km on it ..and this is city driving only.!

Ok, here goes my reasoning as to why the 4.8i is the best choice for us diesel-deprived Americans.

So, a X5 3.0si starts at around $46k. That's great, comes with lot of standard features. But of course, I'd add a few options like sport package, which then requires leather for some unknown reason. I'd need the panaroma moonroof. This raises the suggested price to north of $53k, and this is even before I add HD radio.

At $53k, this puts me $2k below the base price of the big daddy V8. I like the thrust of the V8, and in fact it is what I expect paying for a mid 50s luxury SUV if I want to hang out with the MLs and Range Rovers at the country club (not that I go to one, but bear with me). It doesn't make sense for me to shell out $53-55k for something that's powered by a 6 cyl engine and weighs slightly less than Jupiter. I want a V8 at this price point.

Plus with the V8, leather is included. So building a 4.8i with sport packet and panaroma moonroof (I cannot believe they charge for this) runs me out to $60k That's a lot of dough, but for $6k more, I'm getting the top of the line beast that's just quick enough for something in this class, something that will command respect, and something that doesn't guzzle that much more gas than a modest-powered 3.0si provided I don't drive it on the track all the time.

So I'm back at square one, maybe I should opt for the 3.0si and just not get anything and pay $46k. But at this price point, I think about the X3 3.0si. I can get the same engine, a manual transmission in a SAV that's half a ton lighter and drinks less fuel than a heavier X5. And I can get loads of goodies on the X3 Sport for $46k: metallic paint, Terracotta leather (Priority One option so I can be different too!), aluminum trim, Servotronic, the SAME 19" wheels offered on the 4.8i sport, bi-xenons, rear-side airbags, and HD radio. And guess what? The moonroof is included! All this in a package that is big enough for me, small enough for the city, small enough so I look somewhat responsible, nimble, and is based on the lovely E46 3-series. Plus, it's made in Austria and not the US but I won't start this debate again.

So there you have it. Want BMW sweet-six? Get the X3. Want an X5 to impress? Get the 4.8i

I think that this really comes down to a personal choice that revolves around your driving style and towing/load needs.

In my case, I just don't push my cars - especially "trucks" - hard and rarely have more than 2 people in the car with me. I test drove both engines and for my needs and style of driving the 3.0 provided enough "oomph" to not justify the extra $ for the V8 - i.e. I would rather spend the money on the options I wanted vs. a more powerful motor

Definitely the V8 is a wonderful engine and has more torque and get up and go, and I can absolutely understand how folks who value extra power, have a more aggressive driving style, or regularly haul lots of bodies/gear around would be willing to pay the $ for the engine.

I drove both the 4.8 (mine) and the 3.0 (a loaner for a week) and noticed a large difference in fuel consumption. Oddly, I had to "floor" the 3.0 around a bit more to get it to respond like I wanted it to, but even with that, I didn't notice anywhere near the fuel use of the 4.8. I don't regret the 4.8 purchase as I wanted the power.. I have a Mercedes Diesel CDI, and it's a rocket, AND gets 40mpg so the two offset each other in my pocketbook.

Both motors are pretty close together in MPG what will be noticeable is if you do a considerable amount of city driving and stop and go. You will notice that the 3.0 will be more MPG friendly, but if you do a majority of city driving then you would probably notice a difference in the two.

The cost of the gas difference is pretty negligible between the two.

Lets say the 3.0 gets 18mpg average and the 4.8 gets 15mpg. At 15,000 miles/year the 3.0 will use 833 gallons whereas the 4.8 will use 1,000. At $3.10/gallon premium thats a difference of ~$520/yr. At 12,000 miles the difference is ~$400/yr.

Of course more miles and higher gas prices will tilt the balance the other way as well as higher insurance and potentially higher repair costs for the 4.8.


But gas price alone is a non-issue in the decision process IMHO.

I agree. If you're willing to shell out the extra dough for the 4.8, gas prices should not included in the decision making. Again, everything is based on individual preference. All SUV, or SAV burns a lot of gas anyway so we all accepted that before jumping into this category. That's why my other car is a sedan that give me a nice 32 MPG highway miles

I picked the 3.0 because:
1. I don't care about the extra power. I drove an 04 3.0 for three years and never been happier.
2. Financially practical. I got a 62 K car with all the options that I "need". The same options that I have will bump the price on the 4.8 up close to 70K.
3. Other than the 4.8 badging and the nice tail pipes, the two looks pretty identical to me.

If I have the extra dough, not to worry about gas prices, maintenance, reliability and not have to worry about my kids college funds, then I'd be driving a Range Rover SC. Then again, that's just me.

My problem is that I came in to buy a 3.0 with all the practical ideas supporting it, and made the mistake of driving the V8 for the sake of seeing how the Tech Package works with the HUD.. next think you know, I was ordering the 4.8! :banghead:

:rofl: kind of like me going to Home Depot to buy some drill bits and ended up going home with a brand new state of the art electric power drill. My wife sure did not appreciate it.