X6 35i: To buy or not to buy?
 

First, thanks for the wealth of information on this forum. It has been very helpful to help me get close to a decision.

The build:
2011 X6 35i in Mineral Silver with Chateau Nevada leather and Dark Bamboo trim
ZPP Premium
ZSP Sport
20" rims
ZTP Technology
ZCW Cold Weather
ZRC Rear Climate
ZPS Premium sound
328 Running boards
5DK Side-view camera
6NF Smartphone integration

I feel like I'm taking a slight leap of faith on the color combination. It's clearly not common (that's one reason I like it) so I've only seen pics (here on this forum).

I've probably gone overboard on the technology options. But, the engineer in me loves the gadgets. I'm not fully convinced that I need the smartphone integration, but I do quite a few business calls from my car. If it will give me a couple extra AT&T bars in more places, that would be $150 well spent.

Now, the dilemma:
How concerned should I be about this HPFP problem on a 2011 X6? I fully expect a few initial quality issues with any new car. But, once those are fixed, I only want to go to the service center for routine maintenance and repair of parts that wear out over time. And I really do not want to be stranded on the side of the road in a $70K vehicle. That would be unacceptable. I know that BMW has bought back lemons, but I have no interest in going through that process.

If I believe BMW and the majority of posts on this and other forums, then the N55 should be dramatically more reliable than the HPFP in the N54. My interpretation of that statement is: some vehicles will have HPFP issues but the failure rate will be more typical. That I could live with.

Also, would BMW take the risk of putting a known faulty HPFP in the X5 35i, their mainstream, high volume SAV? That would be pretty financially irresponsible and a major business risk (lost customers, upset dealers, increased product liability exposure). Of course they could, but I doubt that they would.

However, if I believe the vocal minority, then the N55 HPFP has similar reliability issues. That would suggest that my chances of limping into a dealership in "safe mode" are pretty high if I pull the trigger on this X6 even though I only drive about 7,000 miles per year.

Question to the forum: Should pull the trigger and schedule the PCD? Wait to see how this plays out? Or, cross the X6 35i off the list? :dunno:

-P

A friend's X6 died on the Merritt Parkway 2 weeks ago. It's 9 months old. HPFP blew.

That sounds even worse than on just an interstate.

I hate the MP. Anywhere south of Fairfield is crazy.

Anyway, don't sweat the HPFP. by the time you get yours the fix will be done. Overdone. Once an item is fixed, it's usually a solution that was over-engineered to make sure it never happens again.

Not going to sweat the HPFP on the N55
 

Thx. I'm not going to sweat the HPFP problem. After talking with a couple 335 owners who have had the HPFP problem and a couple people at the dealership, this wasn't enough of a concern for me to wait.

Ordered...
 

The 35i is ordered.

I should get a date for the Performance Center Delivery by early next week. I'm hoping for mid-December so that I can enjoy the new ride during my holiday break.

By the way, I was all set to order Mineral Silver, but I had to change to Titanium Silver. When I really looked at a 650i in Mineral, the color didn't work for me on the X6. It toned the X6's sporty agressive stance down a little too much IMO.

Why am I suddenly anxious to have it in my driveway? I have a feeling that my C320 is not going to get much road time in 2011.

Did you 35i guys already get a recall notice in the mail about it?

I haven't taken delivery yet. PCD on 12/15. What is the recall for? The HPFP?

^ yes