Time to upgrade to an X5

[bemer1998]

Hey guys,

It's about time that I trade in my 06 330i after driving it for about two years and putting on well over 30k miles. I'm going to be getting an E70 X5 within the next few weeks and I have two options. One is a 2011 X5 35D with 80k miles for around 20k from the BMW dealer here in Austin. I really like the torque with the diesel, but I don't know much about the technology or reliability of them. The second option is a 2011 X5 35i with the turbo straight six gasoline engine with around 75k miles for 17k. From guys that know these X5's better than I do, which would you take? What should I look out for, and what will the costs be compared to my 3 series? Is there any extra maintenance associated with these diesels? Thanks!

[socale39]

I hate to be one of the guys to say this but your question is very broad so I'd highly suggest using the search function as there are plenty threads covering this very information.

[Molez93]

^^^ I was thinking the same thing. Either option is certainly less expensive than a TTV8. I never owned a 3.5/6cyl and my diesels were leases, so I'm not sure I can help much anyway.

But... I definitely learned (more like re-learned) a ton here recently before getting into a used E70 X5M. Sure it takes a while to find all the stuff, but it's here.

[E70'11]

As the two individuals somewhat touched, your questions are too broad if anything. I suggest you research as mentioned before due to this topic being covered. I've owned (2) 335i before upgrading to the X5 35i. Personally, I enjoy my E70 more than I would think and it's pretty reliable. Costs for maintenance with the E70 and the E90 you can't compare because their two different vehicles. More updated technology, different engines and etc. if something were to unfortunately happen.

[N52UNED]

The diesel engines are supposed to be a bit more reliable than the gas (and -35's are well known to be a bit finicky especially at higher miles) ... but it's a BMW so that can go out the window from vehicle to vehicle. So more than reliability or cost of operation vs a 3-Series ... you should be thinking about the following when deciding:

On paper, diesels are supposed to have less maintenance, and are higher mileage vehicles. One issue is that today's diesel is a "dry" diesel fuel vs "wet" diesel of years past ... so diesel engines have been becoming less and less reliable compared to their older counterparts. Like any diesel ... regular oil changes are key ... and with it being a BMW it's even more so. And again ... it's a BMW .... one can be a gem and the next one can be a problem child.

Trade offs ... which do you prefer? More torque or quicker 0-60
Diesels are doggier off the start, but at highway speeds ... they move out when goosed. But overall they're heavier ... so it won't be quicker or more nimble than a 35i

Fuel economy will be better with a diesel when it comes to highway driving. Price of diesel seems to be cheaper than Premium (at least where I live it's about the price of mid-grade). Not sure if finding diesel is easy where you live, but there's certainly less gas stations that carry it. Which is definitely a PTA searching for gas stations that carry diesel. You really have to plan ahead pushing it until the low-fuel light comes on might leave you SOL. Some people hate the smell of diesels (personally I like it).

If you plan to tow ... diesel is a better choice.

You should get a higher resale value from a 35d vs 35i if that matters.

Diesel vehicles are typically more expensive to insure.


The best thing to do is figure out what is best for your situation ... then decide on 35d vs 35i.

If you drive a lot of highway miles - 35d
If you want better handling and 0-60 performance (closer to your 330) - 35i

Hope this helps.

[N52UNED]

Here's a couple quotes from the e90 335d forums (since it's the same engine it should be applicable). An e90 forum regular was in the market for a X5 35d and posted the same question.

You might also want to try X5 section of Bimmerfest http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/for...prune=-1&f=159

[Thecastle]This is probably been covered before, but the common maintenance / failure issues on the car are....

1) Red boost hose seals fail leak oil and boost common
2) Vacuum line failures probably should replace at around 60-80K miles
3) Harmonic Balancer typically fails at 60-80k miles
4) Engine mounts (usually show up as extra engine vibration)
5) Turbo oil lines 60-80k miles (mentioned above)
6) CBU (less of a problem than it used to be) every 60-100k miles
7) EGR cooler cracks (exhaust smell in cabin) anytime
8) NOx sensors (now 12/120K warrantied)
9) SCR tank failures(now 12/120K warrantied)
10) MAF sensor quickly degrads (shows up as unexplained EGR implausibility)
11) differential pressure sensors
12) Thermostat fails open 60-80K replace
13) Glow plug failures / module (often due to bad thermostat) around 100K
14) rear subframe mounts tire quickly and add to rear bounce
15) other common e90 failures

So I'd say I've had my 335D since April of 2015. Purchased used under factory warranty with 28K miles. I've had EVERY emissions component fail at least 1x. I also had to have a CBU cleaning at 28K miles, was done under warranty before I purchased the car.

I'm know at 61K miles and other than emissions failures, my car has been trouble free.[/QUOTE]

[robnitro]Annoying that you didn't put location... Why not? We can't help with pricing then. Anyway you check kbb.com, easy

Cbu is much less on x5. They have an extra egr that reduces buildup.

Check if the plastic pass side by windshield, over the pass side engine area is cracked. If so it can make inj 5 and 6 fail. Also check if the foam under the engine cover is moist or wet, another indicator. I hate the cheap crap plastic they used to cause this.

Also on the x5 if you get drips of water in your car by the roof or drivers side floor, another genius at bmw choose crappy drain lines that kink and cause the sunroof to not drain. Xoutpost has threads with more info.

Harmonic balancer is a common issue too, there are threads here about it.

The scr is also problematic, but there's extended warranty on active tank and supposedly the nox sensors too.[/QUOTE]