My new 2011 X5 35d and PCD Experience
 

Not a big poster here, but have read lots from others. Many affected some of the decisions I made when purchasing my new X5. I thought I would share my experience in hopes it will do the same for others.

Ordered my wife a new 2011 X5 Diesel for Christmas and decided to do a PCD as part of the package. We have now over 1,500 miles on the new oil burner and I'll list my thoughts, impressions, pics, etc etc etc. Since the driving has included going thru the Smokey Mountains of NC, down and over to Memphis, then home to Dallas in "Snowmageddon 2011", including driving around Dallas for 5 days in 2" of ice, 3" of sleet, and now 6" of snow on Friday, I have a pretty good feel for what this vehicle can do. What a break-in period!

Overall, in case you don't want to read the entire post, the Performance Center Delivery experience exceeded all expectations and the X5 Diesel is amazing! This is our 6th BMW and having had several Tahoe's and other vehicles in the past, including my E92 M3 (which before the last 7 days I have said is the best overall car ever made), I will likely be ordering a new diesel 3 as my next car.

X5 Options: Space Gray, Tobacco Interior, Convenience Package, Sport package, 20" wheels, running boards, Nav, comfort access, premium sound, heated seats, comfort seats, roof rails, bamboo wood. MSRP: $67,575

I personally think the 20" wheels, flares, and running boards give this truck a totally different stance and look than all the other X5's. I know to each his own, but this truck looks awesome!! And for the tobacco interior, all I can say is PLEASE LOOK AT ONE IN PERSON BEFORE YOU MAKE UP YOUR MIND. It is way more 'chocolate' than the light reddish appearance it has in the broshure, online configurator, and in every picture I have seen posted online. It is by-far the best looking interior on the X5's..especially with the black headliner in the sport package. at night or low light its almost black...again, a nice departure from all black. Don't be scared to order one!

Performance Center Delivery Experience:

Car was ordered 12/18. Built on 1/7. PCD on 1/28. The Performance Center Delivery experience is first-class BMW all the way. From the pick-up in a new X5 at airport, to hotel, to dinner, to breakfast, to the driving instructions, to lunch, to M5 hot laps, to museum tour and factory tour, to the 2 hour perosnal delivery of your vehicle, I HIGHLY recommend doing this. I have read several posts about this experience, so I wont go into great detail. Yes, it's a fast-paced day-long experience--they have you doing something every minute.....sure the driving portion is only a few hours, but you are not paying $1,500 for a full day M school either. All in all, awesome day and kudos to BMW for offering this FREE OF CHARGE!! ONe thing we did that made it more enjoyable: Stay at the Marriott hotel a second night 1) you don't have to cart your luggage over to PCD 2) its nice to hang out at Museum and 'relax' some after your delivery 3) the town of Greenville SC is great...awesome downtown park, restaraunts, atmosphere, etc...you will definitely want to go down and visit....start your return trip home the next morning and don't rush your "experience".

The "Oil Burner":

The torque and drivability of this diesel is better than any car I own. Several of the instructors at the Perforamnce Center said "No one should get anything but a diesel in these". I agree. And I ordered this one without driving one first! Nothing like driving it in the mountains at 65, coming to a fairly large incline, then giving it very little throttle (1/2" or less?) and the engine revs up maybe 300-400 rpm, never shifts gears, and you look down and in about 5 seconds you're going almost 90......and our best highway average was 28.6, overall was about 25, which included lots of mountains and driving the last 9 hours home into a stiff 40 mph north cross wind.

Since arriving home, we have had and ice, sleet and now a 6" snow storm. The X5 has handled flawlessly. And it has summer 20" tires!!! No need for all-terrains or winter tires unless you get this kind of weather 5 months a year or live in the mountains..even then I would reconsider, because on dry pavement it drives and handles like a big M3.

Options Ordered and Not Ordered:

Thanks in part to lots of comments on this board, I did not get active steering or active suspension. In my seat of the pants opinion, with the 20"'s you don't need it. Having gone thru a few highway ramps at twice the recommend speeds and on some nice twisty mountain back roads home, I don't need a computer adjusting my steering and shocks. The 'BMW FEEL" of this truck is perfect....save that money for other options or pocket it. And as others have said, I don't want to be servicing those two particular items out of warranty!!!

Comfort Seats: Again, from others on this board, a must-have. Not that much more money and the most comfortable seats I have sat in....and I sat in them for 3 days straight for close to 12 hours a day!!!

Premium Sound: Kinda a pricey option, but amazing sound quality. If you like listening to music (not just talk radio!) then get it.....it's the sound system you wish you had in your car when you were 16!

As you can see I could go on and on......anyone that has any questions please feel free to post or PM me. I'm not a BMW apologist...I agree they are getting too electronic and sophisticated...out-of-warranty values plummet and service bills can be scary. But I believe they have hit on something with this diesel.....both in the X5 and the 3 series...a friend of mine has had the 335d for over a year....gets 40mpg and it runs stronger than the 335i

Mike
Dallas, TX

Congrats on the X5! You never said what your wife thinks of it and who has done most of the driving...

Pics......
 

Here are the pics....as you can see by the last one its fully broken in now!!!! So much for keeping that pristine new car look!!! Now I feel like you guys in the north.....where are my sunny 70 degree winter days!!

Thanks!! She drove about 500 of the 1500 miles on our vacation.....I really wouldn't let her drive anymore!!! She loved driving it.....to her she didn't know it was a diesel...starts, runs, sounds like a normal car...just a little bit of diesel 'rattle' at idle and when you first accelerate....nothing at all to worry about or keep from buying one.....enough to just sound good! If it was totally quiet I wouldn't like it!!! I have loved my new M3..have had it only a few months....one of the reasons I had to get her this as she politely informed me that she thought she was next in line for a new car!!!

It will be hard to give up driving it...even for my M3...the weather ever since we got back has been horrible..as everyone in the world knows with the Super Bowl being here tomorrow!! Have not gone to work this week and kids have been out of school for 4 days straight.....Have to get back to real world starting Monday I guess.....so maybe I wont miss it too much....

Congrats. Nice to see another happy X5 owner. I love driving mine too !

Congrats!! Your car is AWESOME. My '11 35d is my 5th X5 since 2004...and the diesel is the way to go. The torque is just amazing. I've had a 4.8i and a 4.8is...and to me, this feels and sounds almost as good...while getting 20-26 mpg!! My '08 4.8i usually gave me 8-10 mpg!

Your colour combo is hot, yet elegant (not an easy task to achieve). Drive it in good health and Congratulations!

Thank you for the write-up and pics. I can feel your enthusiasm through the computer screen : )

Congrats! I, too, did PCD and an X5 35d. Love it, love it, love it!

The tobacco interior looks awesome! I might have ordered it if they offered the vent seat option with it!

Thanks for the comments guys...elegant is a great way to describe it...lots of my friends have said that only BMW would put those two colors together...I agree....Its sad that NO Dealers will order this color interior.....I was almost going to buy a CPO 4.8 X5 until I finally found a used tobacco interior....once I saw it I knew I would have to order one and take a leap and get the diesel....eco credits, rebates, and tax credits didn't hurt the decision either. And now that I'm getting 25 mpg vs 12 that I would be getting with a 4.8, its one of the best new car decisions I have ever made!!!

Fantastic thread! My wife and I are considering a near identical purchase. Just with Oyster interior and no Sport package or running boards. We live in MN and thus get the "fun" weather 5 months out of the year. One think I'm looking to see if I need is the adaptive drive if it has self leveling suspension as we'll be towing 5,000 lbs once a week in the summer to the lake.

Feel free to post any other pictures of the trip you may have and want to share! I'm trying to convince the wife it'd be a fun road trip back to MN. We may throw in three days in Florida on the beach to sway her.

Congrats! Great choices. We'll be right behind you. Just ordered a 35D and hoping to do a PDC delivery in late March. Really sounds like an awesome experience!

Welcome to the "secret" club of X5d (who is going to come up with the "secret handshake?"). Our club must be growing exponentially, as I was driving this weekend and saw 6 2011 X5's...and all but one of them was a diesel!

Have a blast!

Diesel with Smartphone?
 

Great review of the X5 D

I wondered if you got the smartphone option?
I have a 2011 to pick up in a few days and from what I hear of the 2012 due out in April that the X5 diesels are going to have a better electronic and smartphone system if that matters?

Don't know about self-leveling suspension...think the adaptive drive is more electro-magnetic shocks that auto-adjust when cornering and where you can adjust the suspension stiffness via a button or iDrive...more of a performance feature than towing feature...know lots of people were complaining when they removed it from the sport package.....not sure what towing ratings are on X5, but I don't see where it would have a problem pulling 5k pounds...tons of torque...make sure to get a OE hitch and light assembly and maybe a load-leveling hitch assembly if it squats it down in rear....they are great and leveling out a tow vehicle

What do you mean by better electronics? I also wonder if they'll still have the $3,500 eco credit then.

Yes, the PCD is amazing. I did not get the smartphone option...don't need it. Its just a cradle inside the armrest storage...takes up a bunch of space and only works if iphone is 'installed/plugged into the cradle. Better to just use bluetooth....our iphones work great
I have heard of some smartphone/idrive improvements coming out in 2012..but not sure how much you need before its too much of a distraction...its getting close to being a laptop computer on your dash now!

When I took my X5 to dealer last week to get state registration and plates (and for salesman to see it for first time....had never seen a tobacco interior!) he said he expects all eco diesel credits to expire for good at end of month. Be sure you are locked into yours now. Said demand for diesels in both the X5 and 3 series is thru the roof

I thought there were side cameras in the front reflectors on an x5d. Maybe its the gas model it is available?

optional item on any X5 models if you get nav/tech package....they call them front cornering cameras I think...I have the new cameras in the side mirrors for the 'overhead' view when backing up..not that great IMO....straight rear view is the best....might be useful if you parallel park a lot

I believe the front cameras were for narrow alleyways when approaching a street so you can see either side without getting your front end clipped or hit a pedestrian . I saw a few diesels with the cameras. Was yours with Tech Package?

BTW Congrats on the new X

Can anyone else call their dealer to confirm on the eco credit expiring for good at the end of this month? I'd really like to see if this is true (multiple sources would help confirm) and then I know how quickly I need to make a decision and potentially negotiate.

Congrats! Nice write-up on the PCD... sounds like a fun experience.