In the market for a non-turbo X5 - either 3.0 or 4.8 - looking for input

[N52UNED]

Pretty much as the title states ... I'm in the beginnings of starting to search for a non-turbo X5 and am looking for some input - insight - advice ... whatever you want to call it.

The years I'm checking out are '08 - '10 (prefer newer of course). I'm wanting to keep under 60k miles. I'm contemplating between either the 3.0 or the 4.8. I'm actually leaning more towards the 4.8 but am keeping my options open. I'd prefer lower milage and a cleaner vehicle at a more affordable price over power.

On paper the fuel economy between the two are pretty comparable. Plus if I get a 3.0 (N52) I'll likely add a BPC tune for some extra hp and tq.
If anyone is curious why I'm not looking for a turbo is that the -35's seem to have a bit more engine issues than the non's, especially as the miles go up ... and since I'm already looking for mid-mileage vehicle I'd like the most amount of time before needing repairs ... plus the -35's do come with a higher price point of the other options.

I do intend to do some towing (mainly yard and home improvement type stuff). Again on paper both the 3.0 and 4.8 have the tow capacity of 6,000 lbs. I doubt I'll be doing much mountain towing, so the 3.0 should cut it ... but whatever hills I encounter I'd like to be able to tackle them without concern. I'll be coming from a 7.3l Ford Diesel so pretty much either will pale in comparison ... so I'm not expecting either to be towing machines - but understand that X5's are pretty good for towing. I do intend to look for X5's without a tow package and add one ... I'd rather pay the extra scratch for the install ... than get a X5 that's transmission, brakes and unibody has been put through hell and back because someone's pulling a 8,000 lb boat and trailer combo or RV.

I'm also interested in one with sport suspension ... but definitely don't want to sacrifice ride over handling too much ... I'd rather a smooth ride. I don't mind the steering feeling heavy but don't want to feel bumps too much.

Thanks ahead of time for any input.

[Bavarian Tech]

DONT get any BMW V8, let alone a N62...Just personal experience on working on them for the better part of 10 years. Between valve guide seals, valvetronic issues, and oil leaks from everywhere. Their all junk IMO

[Ric in RVA]

I just bought a 2010 X5 3.0 that is immaculate with spotless maintenance records even though it was at just under 100000 miles. Dealer did water pump, differential seals, brakes and such prior to sale. Lots of other regular maintenance records.

Not a sport...I drove one and the rough ride and super wide $$$ tires put me off!

Everyone in my family loves it. My wife called it spectacular and she daily drives an F10 528. Has the best seats of any CAR, much less BMW I have ever sat in. I think they are sport seats.

It is not fast but adequate. Never feels underpowered. The N55 one I drove was fast. I can't imagine a v8 or X5M.

No plans to tow with it since I have an Excursion for that.

[jandref321]

We've had my wife's 3.0si for almost 4 years and it's been fantastic. Got it at 54k miles and now over 100k. Things that needed to be replaced so far:

Water Pump
Valve Cover Gasket
Valve Cover
Oil Pan Gasket
Oil Filter Housing Gasket
Oil Cooler Gasket
Vanos inlet and outlet solenoid
Fuel Pump
Fuel Pump Relay
HVAC Blower Motor
Windshield Washer Pump
Pads and Rotors
Tires

Now that I've typed it up it seems like a lot, but most of that was around 70k miles while it was still under warranty. The fuel pump was under a recall so didn't get charged for that. The only horrible thing on there is the oil pan gasket. It's $1600 to replace it from a Indy shop or $2400 from BMW. I did it myself which was terrible and took over 24 work hours.

The 3.0si has the benefit of being a normal classic BMW straight six. Not powerful like most have said, but overall a good engine. The truck itself was the best purchase my wife and I have made. We did a road trip in it, take the pups around, haul family, and the wife uses it to move work stuff.

I bought the Burger Tuning Power Box and it made the car a lot quicker while eliminating the hesitation. I recommend it.

[N52UNED]

Originally Posted by esevx5

I was in market as well and recently picked up a 3.0L non turbo I6.

I've read to many stories on the N63 motor and chose to stick with the N52 instead. I've also never worked on cars with turbos so decided to stick to the simple setup

Thanks for the input ... that's really my line of thinking too. I'm fairly new to BMW's and don't know anything about the V8s. The twin turbos seem a bit too finicky and higher maintenance vs the N52's.

I really like my N52 just don't want an underpowered vehicle.

[N52UNED]

Originally Posted by jandref321

We've had my wife's 3.0si for almost 4 years and it's been fantastic. Got it at 54k miles and now over 100k. Things that needed to be replaced so far:

Water Pump
Valve Cover Gasket
Valve Cover
Oil Pan Gasket
Oil Filter Housing Gasket
Oil Cooler Gasket
Vanos inlet and outlet solenoid
Fuel Pump
Fuel Pump Relay
HVAC Blower Motor
Windshield Washer Pump
Pads and Rotors
Tires

Now that I've typed it up it seems like a lot, but most of that was around 70k miles while it was still under warranty. The fuel pump was under a recall so didn't get charged for that. The only horrible thing on there is the oil pan gasket. It's $1600 to replace it from a Indy shop or $2400 from BMW. I did it myself which was terrible and took over 24 work hours.

The 3.0si has the benefit of being a normal classic BMW straight six. Not powerful like most have said, but overall a good engine. The truck itself was the best purchase my wife and I have made. We did a road trip in it, take the pups around, haul family, and the wife uses it to move work stuff.

I bought the Burger Tuning Power Box and it made the car a lot quicker while eliminating the hesitation. I recommend it.

Thanks for the input ... I guess with the posts I'll look at the 3.0 a bit more seriously. From what I've been reading, as well as the input from Bavarian Tech ... the 4.8 is losing a bit of its appeal since I've read they're gas guzzlers, and I have a heavy foot anyway, so I'm sure that won't help matters.

I have a '07 328i (N52) picked it up with 29k and in the past 10k have done the Starter and Valve Cover Gasket plus a rear window regulator. The VCG was at about 34k when it needed to be done. The starter was starting to lag, so I went ahead and replaced it while I was having the 3IM installed, so it was only the cost of the part plus a hour or so additional labor. I just hope I'm one of the lucky owners who don't have to bother with their oil pan gasket.

Regarding acceleration / power ... I have upgraded my 328i with a BPC tune and 3 stage intake manifold basically making it a 330 with a bit more hp and torque. I really like the engine but wasn't too sure about it in a vehicle with the curb weight of the X5. Plus I will be looking to do some moderate towing with the vehicle every now and again. Although acceleration isn't a big factor, as I don't expect it to be as quick as my 328/330 ... I just don't want a doggy vehicle. I can always add a BPC tune. The Burger PBX is another option ... although it's more of a throttle mapping program vs an ECU tune that gains both hp and tq. And coming from a diesel truck and a tuned n52 I'll really have to see what the torque feels like in a X5 N52. But the PBX is something I'll likely look into due to their affordability. I'll likely go one or the other, as I doubt the stock set-up will cut it for me alone.


** Does anyone know if the 3.0 have the 3 stage intake manifold like the 330 and 530 N52's? ... with the spec'd HP I would assume they do.

It's just that you get more out of a tune with a 3IM vs the 1IM. The cost of a BPC tune vs a Powerbox is about $400 more for the tune ... plus about another $400 if I have to install a 3IM to get optimal gains. Otherwise you only get about 15hp and tq .. although more usable torque at around 2k rpm ... and a smoother arch throughout the curve, but an extra $400 is a bit of scratch for little gains.

[jandref321]

From what I understand the 3.0si has the best intake manifold. The original N52 was putting out pretty low numbers but they upgraded the manifold and tuned it to put out around 230hp which is the extra "si" at the end of the 3.0. The X5 3.0si was tuned again to get 260hp. There isn't too much extra you can squeeze out. Even the best tuners for this truck are adding only 10hp/10tq which is the same as the PBX but at 2-4 times the cost. There is a user on here who recently put a ESS s/c on his 3.0si but currently having trouble with tuning. I've posted some links below.

BMS PBX Review:
http://www.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1292569

M.FriedmanFast 3.0si Build Journal:
http://www.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1357589

[N52UNED]

Originally Posted by jandref321

From what I understand the 3.0si has the best intake manifold. The original N52 was putting out pretty low numbers but they upgraded the manifold and tuned it to put out around 230hp which is the extra "si" at the end of the 3.0. The X5 3.0si was tuned again to get 260hp. There isn't too much extra you can squeeze out. Even the best tuners for this truck are adding only 10hp/10tq which is the same as the PBX but at 2-4 times the cost. There is a user on here who recently put a ESS s/c on his 3.0si but currently having trouble with tuning. I've posted some links below.

Thanks for the input .... yeah gains on an N52 are limited regardless if it a 3 or 5 series car or SUV. BPC is doing some great things with the ESS s/c as ESS's tune isn't very good. BPC got 305hp on a 328i with their modified tune, that's only pushing about 6lbs boost. But with that ... you're looking at $5k for the kit plus install and getting a better tune. So not worth it. For that I'd buy the first X5M that I could afford

Here's the e90 thread if your interested about a N52 with SC
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1393038

After doing some research regarding the HP difference ... it seems that the 3.0i is the same setup as a 328i ... and the 3.0si is the same as the 330i. With that ... I'm really leaning towards a si. 30hp doesn't seem like much, but you'll definitely feel the difference. When my 328i was stock 230hp vs with my 3IM and tune (330i) it's now at 265hp ... it's like a different car ... well because it's basically a 330i now. I paid $375 for the 3IM and $650 for the BPC (330 / 3IM) tune ... to me that was worth it because I wanted a 330i but they are very hard to find and the ones I did had over 75k miles ... plus they cost a premium over a 328. So basically it came out a bit cheaper to just upgrade my 328 making it a "330"

A tune for a 3.0i is an option but without dropping $1k + for a 3IM and tune, you're not going to see any real gains. And that's if I can find a 3.0si intake for a reasonable amount of money ... then there's the install and whatever parts that go with it. It might just behoove me to get an si since it will likely have a better package ... although I'm not entirely sold on a "sport" suspension ... hopefully I can find one without one. Don't know it that's even possible.

As far a the Burger PBX ... yeah it's definitely something I'll keep in mind ... mainly due to cost. The main thing is that people see the results ... including yourself .... and that's the point of it all regardless of any argument of it actually adding hp/tq. (Yeah, I read the PBX thread you supplied ... since it's not an actual dyno ... I will remain skeptical on any purported hp/tq gains. Honestly it just goes against any info I've read from people who both write tuning programs and those who have had both the PBX and a tune on the same vehicle). Again ... it's all about gaining the results one is looking for ...if it's a solution to the problem and is more economical ... all the better. That's if I end up going 3.0i vs 3.0si anyway.

Again ... thanks for the input. It's been incredibly helpful.