[Hoo]

BTW, Clockwatcher mentions 8 speed tranny--"Going downhill using the manual mode of the 8 speed box is a delight, find the right gear, take your foot of the accelerator, and it holds it speed even during the steepest descents. Gear changes in the auto mode are smooth, quiet and pitched just right. For a proper kickdown you need to bury your foot in the carpet then it rewards you with a rise in revs as it drops a gear or two and the surge of torque gets you in the back."----do you have a X5 40d?--the X5 35d only has 6 speed transmission.

How about the 2012 model year--is there to be a change to the 8sp? I just got an X5 35d in December '10 and really like it. It would have been nice to have gotten an 8 speed and I would be a bit disappointed if it became available only a few months after I made my purchase. I think the 8sp transmission would make a substantial improvement in gas mileage--about 8-10%. We're getting about 23mpg overall--up to about 29 mpg on the highway if going fairly slowly, but more like 26-27 at 75mph.