Which 2011 X5???!?!
 

The lease on my 2007 4.8 is up in a few months and it is time to think about my next car.

I've been doing a lot of research and thinking and I keep coming back to the X5. But the question is which one?

I've pretty much ruled out the Diesel. I think it is an awesome option, but I just don't want to deal with the hassle of finding diesel stations, and I have heard that there is some lag. I also don't want to get into significantly less performance than I have with my 4.8

So right now it's between the new 50, M, and the new 35

From what I've been reading the new 35 has performance characteristics that are similar to the current 4.8, but with better fuel efficiency

The 50 would give me even more power than my current 4.8 with about the same fuel efficiency that I have right now

The M would be insane

To be honest I think it will come down to the 35 vs the 50. The 50 is not that far off the M and is a more practical with 19s in the snow (I know all seasons are not substitute for snow tires, but I've had great results with my current setup when driving to Tahoe). But then again that M...

I will of course test drive the various models, but thought it would be fun to post a poll to see what other thought.

So which model would you pick and why?

Money is always the issue/question? Does price matter, or are you fine with spending $100,000 (X5M) on a new truck.

I think everyone here would choose the X5M if they had the money to spend.

If you decide against the M, 50 would be the next best option. Don't go for a 35 or 35d when you have already owned a 4.8i.

I am with a similar debate, as lease on my 2008 X5 4.8 will end in December. I will test-drive both, but at the moment I am leaning towards 35i. If I can get performance improvement option (another 20hp --> 0-60 in 6.4s), then it will be a no-brainer for me. I would need to get silver (or all-black) front grill and figure out what to do with 214s, but otherwise fuel efficiency is something I'd rather get than insane 400hps!

50 i......no brainer for me....all the performance I need...way cheaper than the M......to eash his or her own BUT I like the look of the 336's...combine that with the flares that come with them in saphire black and viola.exactly what I have been looking for...will probably change out the rft's to conti dws in fall...save the rft's for lease return...from what I have read.....

Like BMWMAN said, choice is easy X5M>5.0>35, it is all the matter of how much money you want to spend. When I was looking to get an X5, it started with
4.8. But that was in September and I knew the new 5.0 was coming. Plus after optioning the 4.8, it ended up 75K. I managed to justify 15K more for M, the price differential is not as significant as you think.

I went from a '07 4.8 to a '10 35d. IMO there is little to no compromise on performance and a huge upside on fuel efficiency. Once you start looking for them, diesel stations are not that hard to find - in the NE they are less plentiful than other places I travel to so I suspect that you would find it easier than me.

We have a 335 vert and my guess will be that the 35 will feel significantly less peppy than your 4.8. The gas mileage won't be much better either depending on how you drive.

However, the diesel is a personal decision - it sounds different for sure. Based on your comments, I'd say a 5.0 is probably in your future.

Hardly. The right tool for the job.... I have an X5 for 'SUV work'. I have an M5 daily driver, and a modded 996Turbo for fun. And a 4x4 truck (Ford turbodiesel) when you need a real truck.

"Which X5 to buy" depends entirely on "what other cars do you have" and "how do you plan on using the X5"


OP- 'trouble finding diesel'??? Not sure where that comes from.... I live in CA too, from the bay area to stockton to oregon to Tahoe- never an issue finding diesel

Hey Ard, thanks for your input.

My other car is an Aston Martin Vantage. My X5 is my daily driver - seems the older I get the more and more I appreciate the BMW comfort seats!

As far as the Diesel goes, my issues with it are pulling into any old gas station and knowing I can get gas - not saying it is a major issue, but a point against the diesel.

I have also read of folks complaining about lag with the diesel. Again I haven't driven it so I cannot objectively say if this is an issue for me personally.

Of course the MPG the Diesel gets is very nice. Even if dollars aren't an issue not having to fill up so often is nice.

I do know that I like the performance of my 4.8. It has a nice "get up and go" and I don't think I want to sacrifice that. The 5.0 is the one that is calling to me - though the 35 seems like it might be a compromise.

I'm going to (try to) stay objective and drive each of them for sure, but part of the fun of this thread was to speculate and get people thoughts based on their experiences and their thoughts

Interesting that so far in the poll, the Diesel is in the lead followed by the 5.0

I'm surprised that the diesel is getting many more nods ..
 

than the 4.8, Isnt gas cheap in the US ? (we pay around $1.30 per litre for both gas and diesel in Aus -you can do the conversion but you get my point )

The 35d is US is also slightly detuned compared to Aussie market - we get 0-60 in around 6.8 sec here ( 0-100km/hr in 7 flat) ...and we're about to get the 40d which is more like 6.3 for 0-60 ... even so ..the 50i will be an ass kicker with around 5.3 sec 0-60 - now that's fast for such a large vehicle:wow:

is there a big price diff in US between the 35d and 4.8i? In aus the diff is only about 10%.

I'd go from my 4.8 into a 35d or 35i anyday. Though I picked the 35i simply because I like the new M-Sport kit a lot. And I'm hoping that they 8-speed will make the car more enjoyable and smooth to drive (for daily driving). Of course, all this would be subject to actually test driving the 35i to truly compare and make a good decision.

It also depends on how you drive and intend to drive the car.

would be 35i for me... I had been waiting and waiting but no dice back in '08.

The diesel is a different driving experience. It requires a slightly different approach. It is certainly laggy at times, but the torque that pours on makes up for it- you need to drive them differently that you drive a V8, (torque always) or a 6 cyl twin turbo (where the 'acceleration accelerates'). All different. Try an extended drive.

On the fuel, I'll make this comment: if you typically really do pull into "any old station" to fuel up your Aston Martin, I'll buy your argument. ;) But I am guessing you're like most of us and look for one of your preferred "top tier" station. Tweaking your eye for diesel is not an issue here. (and, by law, all diesel in CA is premium)

GL

A

here's a price comparison in texas last nite.
Diesel - $2.77/gallon
Premium - $3.17/gallon

Here is the latest I found in TX:

Texas gasoline prices hold steady | Business | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

And here in Dallas Diesel is about $.10 more per gallon than Premium