35d diesel - calling all 35d owners!
 

Guys, I'm trying to decide between the 35i and the 35d

I really want the 35d, but I'm afraid that I won't like the diesel clatter or the engine note. My dealer does not have one to test drive.

For you guys driving the 35d now, how is the engine note?

You can't really hear it with the windows closed. But open a window or moonroof and you definitely know you are driving a diesel. I wouldn't say it's a bad thing. It makes me feel like I'm driving a powerful truck. :)

:iagree:

but im lovin my 35d...

I guess you can hear it with the windows closed, but it's not that loud. Your real concern will be summer with windows down and moon roof open. I love my 35d as well and the noise is not a factor for me.

I agree though, drive to a dealer that has one and test for yourself. Some people are more sensitive than others and you can hear the diesel clatter.

Ghost Writer
 

You might like to see the new Roman Polanski flick, Ghost Writer. A space gray 35d is featured with a lot of drive scenes where you can clearly hear engine sounds.

You really need to test drive one and then make the decision....I was worried about the noise when I decided which way to go 6 months ago and now I am a happy 35d owner.

I have a porsche with a europipe 2 "Loud version" exhaust.... sounds great, and loud.
I have an M5- sounds great, gurgly V8 noise
I have a Ford 7.3L powerstroke diesel- sounds great, clatter and all
I have a Kubota diesel- sounds great.

Engines make noise...

All engines make different noises.... ALL machinery makes noise. Form follows function, and in this metric, 'sound follows function'. It is a different technology, it is a different sound.


If you don't want engine noise, buy a Tesla.

People who object to the 35d engine sound seem strange to me....

IMHO

A

PS One of the neat things at the Porsche museum in Stuttgart were these 'sound domes' where you could listen to various engine sounds. Outstanding.

Only way to go. Best of both worlds, sporty performance and respectable fuel economy. I am definitely sold on modern diesel technology.

2010 35d

the only time you really hear it is on acceleration. At cruising speeds, you can't hear it at all and one reason is because you can do about 80 mph at 2100 RPM.

I rarely hear the Turbo.

and honestly, I look forward to driving by a wall with my window down so I can hear the engine when I accelerate :p:

Actually, I had an idea for an option with the Tesla: Audio drivers, internal and exterior that could be programmed to sound like ANY car- from a Diesel to a V8 to a ferrari...with the punch of a button.

Good stuff, guys. thanks.

I don't have to turn off my 35D at the drive thru. There is no more noise that a gasoline, just a different pitch.......I'm a bit prejudiced towards diesel, yet I cannot understand the concerns that some say they have about their diesel clatter.....it's just not there.......

I agree that you really have to drive it, to decide. It is different.

For my part, I would never buy one. I would (and have) bought diesels, I just wouldn't buy a BMW diesel, not that there is anything particularly wrong with them. I have had a VW diesel Passat that got 50 mpg, a LR Discovery diesel (which was rather crude), and I almost bought an F350 with a Powerstroke (I drove lots of them at work). More importantly, I made my living for 24 years working with large yellow diesels from Peoria in trucks, boats, and mobile equipment, from 50 hp to 8000 hp. I love the sound of diesels, I just don't want to hear it in my BMW. I associate it more with a tractor. Part of what I love about driving a BMW is the tactile experience, the sound, the engine response as it revs. A diesel just doesn't do it for me in a BMW, I feel like I might as well buy something much cheaper. Part of that is the limited rev range, and subdued throttle response. Torque doesn't do it for me, I can get torque with gears.

Others find that they like the BMW experience with the 35d, and don't mind the different engine note. It isn't worse, just different. To each their own. There are two camps on this, though.

I've had 6 BMW's with a gasoline engine and this is my first BMW diesel. The sound is really different then with the gas engines. But I love this diesel. It is so much more refined then a 4-cilinder diesel like VW.

When cold it does clatter when you stand outside. It isn't the nicest sound I've heard but inside the cabin it is hardly noticable. As soon as it's warmed up the clatter is almost gone. Because the dieselnote is a lot lower and darker then with a gasoline engine I dare to say that when you are at highway speeds it is more quiet then any gasoline engine I have owned from BMW. I love that fact because I bought this car as a comfortable way to go from A to B. I've had a 130i wich had a very nice exhaust and engine sound. But after two years I got tired from it at the motorway and went for comfort.

I also love the torque of the diesel. You can feel the torque when you drive on a road that has inclines up and down. The transmission doesn't have to go a gear up to go uphill, the torque of the diesel pulls it up easily.

This engine suits the car very well and I would never buy an X5 with a gas engine for economic and comfort reasons..

Anyone watch the Audi film, "Truth in 24"? The VW diesels run with an eerily quiet exhaust note....

Totally! Sometimes I'll roll my window down in parking garages just to hear the diesel awsumness!

Drive it before you buy it. I'm in the minority here, but I associate a certain type of sporty purr with BMWs. The diesel is a much different sound and while quiet on flat highway, it is noisy when accelerating while driving slow.

Once again, that noise doesn't bother many people and nothing wrong with that. But at 60K+, you really need to try it first.

I grew up on sports cars and got used to the 3 series sound. So I am biased to that type of sound.

I've found I've gotten to like the sound of the Diesel... when I hear a gasoline engine now it sounds kinda wimpy to me. ;)

That said, when I bought the 2010 the improved performance over the standard six, combined with the ecocredit, made it a no-brainer decision for me. But with the new base six in the 2011, I would want to drive both before making a decision. I suspect I would still go with the diesel as I really like the flat torque curve, but who knows?

no problem here - no clatter inside the cabin

I have a Mercedes GL320 and X5 35d and the BMW is quieter than the GL320. I don't even hear the clatter in the BMW. IMHO it is the only way to go with SUV/SAV. Have 2700 miles on it and averaging over 25 mpg. The clatter is not a factor.

My E70 35d definitely sounds different than my old E70 4.8. As others have said, it is noticeable on acceleration. I don't mind it but it is subjective.

It's louder than I thought it would be.

We owned a ML320CDI and that seemed quieter.

Having said that, it is still new and I have heard it gets quieter over time. I am liking the noise in the cabin as well.

After owing both petrol and diesel BMWs I would never go back to petrol again even though the turbocharged petrol engines are very tempting. But this is a subjective issue and you really need a good test drive (not just around the block) of the 35d to make up your own mind.

And nobody's brought up the mileage yet. Just did my first road trip in my Diesel. 5 hours from Seattle to Walla Walla, WA (which includes a mountain pass), and I've still got 1/2 a tank left. Amazing! Looks like I averaged somewhere close to 30 MPG.

I love this truck, best decision I've made in years.

This Is Why I Like My Diesel
 

Vegas to LA 4/7/10.

http://www.xoutpost.com/images/attach/jpg.gif

I'm on my 3rd BMW and from now on it is diesel.

I only notice the sound of the engine when I'm outside or when I have the windows open at a stop.

Another thing - Fuel Consumption.

e90 330i - Avg 10.1 L/100km (Normally Aspirated)
e60 535i - Avg 12.3 L/100km (Twin Turbo)
e70 X5 - Avg 11.5 L/100km (Turbo Diesel)

Diesel is WAY cheaper than 91 octane.

Nice pic. It says it all. Nudging 80mph, 2300rpm on the tach, and 30mpg. At that sort of rpm the 35d is just waiting to pounce ... 35%+ more power at that engine speed than the 48i.

35d
 

Awesome! Slam dunk. U all sold me, big time. Ordering
35d :D

Here's an excerpt from a previous post of mine describing engine noise under different conditions:

"...I do think the diesel is a bit noisy, but please keep in mind that I'm comparing it to my previous car (2006 330i) which arguably has one of the smoothest engines around. Here's my impression so far of the noise level: if you're standing outside the car with the engine running, you will definitely notice that it's a diesel. If you're driving the car with the windows and/or sunroof open, you will notice the diesel noise only when you're accelerating, but NOT when you're coasting downhill or on a flat surface. With the windows and sunroof closed, you will almost never notice a difference in the noise the engine makes, especially if you have music or a conversation going on. When I first got the car, I did obsess over the noise initially, but now that I've had the car for a few days, I hardly notice the diesel, and trust me I keep pushing the car to experience the torque! Overall, given all the advantages of the diesel engine, I would say whatever noise it makes is a non-issue.

Bottom line, if you want an SUV that drives like a sports car, has a ton of power, and is fuel efficient, you can't go wrong with the X5 35d."

I posted that just a few days after getting my X5d back in November. Now, 5 months and about 6000 miles later, I'm happy to say that I hardly notice the diesel clutter anymore, but still am enjoying the torque and the fuel economy as if I just got the car yesterday!

Wow. Excellent feedback. Thanks.

Smart man!!

FWIW I test drove the 35d yesterday and actually thought the engine sounded great under acceleration. Tough and sporty, just the way I imagined, matching the character of the car perfectly.

Very Cool

I agree. I went from a 07 4.8 to a 10 3.5D and thought no more nice sound when accelerating but it sounds great. Just idling I do not hear the traditional diesel sound. You may think of with US trucks.

I also do not see much performance drop off either which is a really nice surprise..
In the NW US however you can not find a new one to test. They are ordered as customer cars and sold before they get here. Just like mine was.

That's unfortunate - they'd probably get more sales if they had some available for test drive.

Having said that, we signed on the dotted line today for the one I test drove. It was brand new anyway and only had 4 km when I drove it.

I did it!
 

Guys, picking up 2010 X5 35d tomorrow, hopefully. Loaded up, but lacking comfort seats, premium stereo and HUD. I'll post pics and results tomorrow if I can. I test drove 35d yesterday and today. WOW! You all or soooo right!

Amazing engine. I can't believe that BMW is offering a credit.

:wow:

Well done and congrats spmd11 - you'll love it ..you wont miss comfort, HUD and stereo ..all nice to have but not mission critical ;)

Performance is great on these 35d's (mine only has around 250km on the clock - they loosen up after about 3000-5000 km) .... in Aus we have a bit more power than US - 210kw and 580nM ..which give us 0-100km.h time of 7 seconds (so would be something like 6.8 for 0-60mph I suspect) ..this is pretty good for school bus SUV ... and with diesel it alwasy feels like you have something on tap at any speed given torque of twin turbo ..

enjoy ..

Picked up the car yesterday, guys.

2010 X5 35d
Black Sapphire
Black Nevada
Sport activity pkg
Premium pkg
Technology pkg
Rear Climate Package
comfort access
ipod
Sat Radio
heated seats
running boards
roof rails

pictures next monday or tuesday. Traveling at the moment.

Car is awesome. Love the engine. Responsive transmission, no lags, great power band and neat sounds from the exhaust

:thumbup: