Quote:
Originally Posted by goodmaj
I don't know that you could conclusively state this.
Before my X5, I had an MB E550 and before that an e39 M5. My initial plan was to look for an X5 50 since I was so used to big V8s. I started with a 2010 50 M-sport and was sorely disappointed. The engine seemed sloppy upon acceleration and just didn't have any real punch whatsoever. That caused me to look at 2011+ 50s, but I spoke with a few service advisors I know in addition to the shop foreman, who I completely trust with my cars, at a local dealer. To be fair, the conversation started when I asked his thoughts around a 2010 X5M, but he said avoid the turbo V8s unless you like bringing the car in every few months or so. I think the latest SB from BMW somewhat validates that there are enough known concerns about that engine to induce a pause when considering a purchase.
Now, you certainly could counter that argument. First, I'm sure there are plenty of N63s out there, across multiple models, that are fat dumb and happy. Second, when BMW finally acknowledges a problem they tend to fix it or take care of the owner via extending the warranty. The e65/e66 disaster and N54 HPFP problems are evidence of this, along with the latest SB for the 50.
The N55 and it's slight variants are in A LOT of BMW cars. It's pretty much BMW's standard v6 across the board and has been in production since 2009. I would think if there was significant problems with the engine we would have heard about it by now, especially given all the bad press that came with the N54.
So what should you do? First, I'd try to drive a diesel. That was simply a lot of fun. However, you can't get the M-sport in diesel so if that's a dealbreaker then you need to pass. They're also hard(er) to find with the sport activity package and the 20s, unless you really like black. Honestly, having come from the big v8s, I do think that the N55 could use a little more power. Not gobs and gobs, just a little, which is why I'm considering a tune.
I would definitely stick with 2011+ for the facelift. I chose a 2012 simply because I found one at a fair price and it's got the OEM LED halos. I really wanted the diesel but was also really picky on color and only wanted Deep Sea Blue w/ the SAP and the 20s. In my 5+ month hunt I ran across exactly two of those cars and they were overpriced. My preferred color was Carbon Black anyway, so I decided to compromise on the diesel in order to get the color, and I bought an M-sport in Carbon Black.
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Thanks! This really helps. Good that I waited to find a 2011+. I wasn't looking at the diesels because they still carry the 6-speed transmission so I thought they would be less responsive. Is their performance as good?