Yeah, one of the reasons I am considering 4.8 is due to the Carbon Black color and other M-package benefits.

When you say 4.8 gives bad mileage, how bad it is?

I bought a Merc GL550 last year. It has a big engine, lot of power, etc. but the mileage is not that bad. I get 18+ on the freeway. Average 16 (local+freeway). Is 4.8 comparable?

It depends how you drive. I'm at 13.3 with spirited city/highway driving. I think Kaefer has me beat and is in the 12s. But we both :D as we watch the fuel gauge move as fast as the speedometer.

I have the Carbon Black Metallic and I think it's gorgeous. I get lots of compliments on it. The color changes pretty drastically depending on the light. Tough to keep clean, but I'm sure that's no surprise.

Mileage: I'm getting around 12-13 average. I replaced my Q7 4.2 with the X5. The Q7 would get almost 21 on the highway. I think my X5 is getting around 16, MAYBE 17 if I drive it like an 80 year old lady on the highway. Q7 was pretty bad around town, but still a little better than the X5.

The diesel was not offered yet when I got my 4.8i in May 07. After driving the 35d for 3 weeks as a loaner car from my service department, I would have purchased the 35d over the 4.8i, and made it look exactly like the 4.8i and the options I chose.

I love spirited driving, and typically drive more aggressive on a daily basis. The diesel's lag would be something I could get over based on the fuel economy and torque on the highway. I do approx. 35K per year, and based on my average of 16mpg with my 4.8i and what I was getting on the 35d loaner of 25mpg, I could have saved a significant amount of $'s, plus the actual car was cheaper as well.

But all in all, I still love the rumble and power of the 4.8i.

Thanks everyone for all your comments. Its really helpful.

My lease on my 4.8 is coming up next month and I decided to switch to the 35d. The gas mileage is terrible since I do mostly city driving (12 mpg) and I was really impressed with the diesel. The black trim has grown on me even though I do like carbon black. I have my M3 for spirited driving....

I have a 4.8. But I got to drive a 35d for a week (don't ask). I liked the diesel. There was a little clatter at start up, but this became less noticible throughout the day. I would consider a diesel next time, but I am partial to the look to the V-8. I am not a mod guy and don't want the hassel of doing things aftermarket.

I get about 14-15 average.

:bustingupToo funny. So true. So true.

When I bought my X5, I was deciding between that and the GL550. Since the fuel specs of the GL550 were lower than the X5 4.8 (and I assumed both would be less than specs in real world). It was one of the many other factors in picking the X5.

Let us know what you decide.

May not be true for GL. My GL550 gives 19+ on the freeway every day. I am quite impressed by that actually. However, I am worried about starting to do the maintenance since I am hitting 24K miles. Break pads and rotors warning signs may show up at anytime now :(

Also, i am missing the BMW drive. Had a 3 series for 8 years.

On a pure highway trip, which is rare for me, I can get up to around 20 MPG, maybe slightly higher on a really long highway trip. For my average, I'm around 15 MPG or so, which is in line with my 2006 ML500 I had before this.