[paulGT3]

I know this is an old thread but I just got a X5m and there is no comparison to the 5.0. If you get the 5.0 the truth is either you dont care about performance OR you compromised. I went to my Dealer and drove both. The seats ALONE were just outstanding not only OVER my 4.8is (Which I didnt SETTLE either-I kept it too its just TOO good a truck to throw away in a trade. The salesman said he had seen a 4.8is in years and when they would come in it went straight to the showroom floor, no test drives no nothing till purchase over the highest 7 series they had) AND over what was the top seats in the 5.0.
The M is just amazing and sure you can take a 335 and boost it up and make it faster than a Porsche Turbo but it will NEVER be a Porsche Turbo or a 3M. I started all this with the idea of a Porsche/BMW guy that I would get a Porsche Cayenne S but Porsche gets an attitude every once in awhile and right now they are in the 'Tude Mode. I called my own dealer and didnt even receive a call back when I said I was GOING to buy an X5 M.
So I certainly wasnt going to settle for an S when the Cayenne TT Killer was less in price. So in the end I wasnt going to settle after driving a 4.8is for 5 years. That truck was SO GOOD it kept me away from Porsche for years and know this X5 M has lifted the competition. AND has taken the 4.8is experience to an new level. Really I am glad I got an X5M to pay respect for that 5 years of EXCELLENT service the 4.8 gave me.
So the answer is buy what you want, and certainly the 5.0 makes more sense for more people and that certainly is a level of performance higher than MOST SUVs out there. And that says alot about the 5.0 owner. Its one of the best on the planet. But BMW knows there is one more group of people out there thats a bit more nuttier than the more intelligent and more responsible 5.0 owner. Thats the M guy. I dont see what the purpose is of buying the non m and then spending money on the impossible job of recreating the M. Its just not a smart thing to do. ANYTIME you buy the lesser thing and then try to make it the higher end thing ESPECIALLY in vehicles your throwing good money after bad. So either buy the M or buy the 5.0. Which ever one serves your purpose and desire, because not only will you be carrying disappointment and guilt about not having what you wanted in the first place, in the end you will not be driving what you wanted to. And ten years from now no matter how many trips to Dinan or Schnitzer you make you STILL dont have an M.