Considering anX5 35i premium or X5 50i...what do I need to know?

[PhillyfaanM3]

So...like the title says, I'm considering buying a used 2012-2013 either x5 35i premium or an x5 50i.

This car would be for my wife who is starting to hate her 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee overland who's Build quality, reliability & mileage (13 mpg...she drives it like she stole it) leave a lot to be desired in this vehicle.

I realize the 35i & 50i are two completely different engines. But would love to hear people's experiences in owning either of these cars.

Personally I'm more inclined to look at the 35i as I have experience with that engine in my 135i & it's been pretty reliable. Also, I could get it tuned & get more hp & tq.

So...let's hear it.
Which engine do you have?
Why did you choose it?
What issues if any have you had?
Are there any major issues/problems/recalls with this vehicle?

Thank you for your input.

[yoandry]

Hi,
Whichever you get make sure is CPO or buy a good aftermarket extended warranty. That will apply for any BMW.
Now, it depends on preference. I got myself the 50i because the power of course, nothing beat the sound on the v8.
If you want something less problematic and better gas miles, then get 35i.
If you don't care about gas miles, then get the beast 50i. Make sure you get the CCP checked first.
Just don't do a test drive to decide because you will end up with the 50i

[socale39]

I'd stay away from the 50i. They are plagued with engine issues and although they have a campaign to cover some of the issues, the long term reliability is questionable. I did a lot of research before I ended up with the 35d. I was set on getting a 48i then a 50i but the more research I did I realized that the added power of the 50i just wasn't worth the potential hassles and money. I'd highly recommend either the 35i or 35d.

[Bigtimekegger]

I just had my engine totally replaced under extended warranty on my 50i. Had this happened 6 months from now... I would have been on the hook for over 30k in engine work. I would stay away from the 50is because I have had nothing but problems... not to mention that it is a pig on gas.

[Bigtimekegger]

Here is a list of problems that I have had with my 50 I since I took ownership of it 2 years ago.

Valve stems replaced, because of misfiring ( the first large repair)
New oil pump installed
new fuel lines installed because they melted from excessive engine heat.
new transfer case installed.
entire new engine replaced after original engine cylinder wall cracked... likely damaged when the oil pump originally malfunctioned.


the list goes on.

[rennis]

Originally Posted by Bigtimekegger

Here is a list of problems that I have had with my 50 I since I took ownership of it 2 years ago.

Valve stems replaced, because of misfiring ( the first large repair)
New oil pump installed
new fuel lines installed because they melted from excessive engine heat.
new transfer case installed.
entire new engine replaced after original engine cylinder wall cracked... likely damaged when the oil pump originally malfunctioned.


the list goes on.

holy crap! What was the original oil pump malfunction? I've heard of lots of repairs to N63s but never replacements. Did your engine grenade entirely, or what caused the need to replace?

[jiggz]

We bought a 50i.

Drove both the 35i & 50i - liked both, could have been happy with the 35i, but the V8 offered a considerable upgrade in HP & TQ which we preferred, and that V8 sound!

Gas mileage is only marginally worse with the V8 (14/20 vs. 16/23), if you care about that. I don't. Good thing because the V8 does guzzle gas as others have noted.

No issues w/ our 50i - been a great vehicle.

[mitch808]

The tunes available for the 35i are far and few between. Burger and Cobb come to find, I have a Cobb Accessport. And it's highly dependent on vehicle build date. A great mod though

Mileage is okay, nothing great IMO. I think I average around 15mpg with about 90% city driving.

Though, the appeal of a V8 with an even better aftermarket is appealing... It's only if you pick up an extended warranty, and don't mind if your vehicle spends a few days every so often in the shop for work... I'm pretty sure my wife wouldn't like that.

You could always look at an X3 too.

[Bigtimekegger]

I am not sure what caused my engine to blowup... I mean I consider a cracked cylinder wall blowing my engine...

I am going to suggest the following occurred... faulty oil pump led to not enough oil reaching all the important components... this led to higher friction within the engine, leading to increased heat and eventually enough heat to crack the cylinder wall.

In turn, BMW replaced the valve stems and seals... thinking this was the cause of my rough idle. Because the real culprit was never fixed properly, the engine continued to run rough/hot...eventually leading to melting away of my fuel lines.

Oil pump was replaced, engine still ran rough... eventually leading BMW to discover that the wall was cracked...

BMW replaced the entire engine... only to find that the transfer case was shot.

the vehicle has been in and out of BMW for over 45 days since I purchased it two years ago.

I may try to argue to BMW Canada that my vehicle is a lemon and should be replaced. Unfortunately in Canada, our lemon laws are not as consumer friendly as they appear in the US.

[Poppyboy]

My '11 3.5i has been great. A warranty on it would be a waste of money. I'd stay away from the 5.0.

[goodmaj]

Originally Posted by Frank 135i Vert

So...like the title says, I'm considering buying a used 2012-2013 either x5 35i premium or an x5 50i.

This car would be for my wife who is starting to hate her 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee overland who's Build quality, reliability & mileage (13 mpg...she drives it like she stole it) leave a lot to be desired in this vehicle.

I realize the 35i & 50i are two completely different engines. But would love to hear people's experiences in owning either of these cars.

Personally I'm more inclined to look at the 35i as I have experience with that engine in my 135i & it's been pretty reliable. Also, I could get it tuned & get more hp & tq.

So...let's hear it.
Which engine do you have?
Why did you choose it?
What issues if any have you had?
Are there any major issues/problems/recalls with this vehicle?

Thank you for your input.

I came out of a MB e550 and before that an e39 M5. I looked long and hard at the 50 because, well, I was used to a big v8 and figured that's what I needed. Ultimately, I decided against the 50 for two primary reasons. One, I spoke with a very trusted mechanic at a dealer who told me to stay away from the 50s unless I felt like bringing it in every few months. One of those guys who says jump and you say how high. Two, I frankly decided I just didn't need that much power for 95% of my driving. You could say that the 5% is awesome with the v8, which it probably is, but looking at the whole picture I decided the 35 was enough. I will say that I've been looking at the Dinan tune for awhile now just to give it a little more punch but given that I've had the truck for a year and haven't done the tune, clearly it's not something that's really bothering me, more like a nice to have.

I've had some trim/fit/finish issues but none of those were significant, more like get it fixed since it's free to fix (still under 4/50). My 2nd row blower started making noises and was replaced. Probably the biggest fix was a new transfer case due to grinding at low speeds while turning. However, even with these items, in the grand scheme of things it's been pretty reliable.

Funny you mention this is for your wife....I've been searching for an AW diesel for quite some time for my wife. She wants to get out of her Tahoe and get something a bit smaller. She loves driving my car but for her the diesel will be perfect due to gas mileage and simple fun driving it around town. The torque in city driving is very addictive.

GL!

[PhillyfaanM3]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to respond to my questions.

Well I think based on feedback, the car I should consider is the x35i.

I'd love to see if I could find a sport version but would be happy w Premium.

In terms of must have options...I assume Nav, convenience, cold weather. Is there anything else that is a must have?

Thanks

[jiggz]

Finding an xDrive35i (which, worth noting, is a 3.0L) Premium trim with Convenience and Cold Weather will be super easy - there's countless examples of those out there.

I'd still try to find a Sport model - that gets you the sport seats, sport steering wheel, anthracite headliner, shadowline window trim (instead of chrome), fender flares, and likely the optional 20's - just a sportier looking vehicle. That would be a must have for me.

Otherwise, I'd try to find one with multi-contour seats. These are a step up from the sport seats, and are either a standalone option or included in the active-ventilated seat package. They're not super common, but not rare either.

Good luck.

[Poppyboy]

That's what I have-the 3.5i with the Sport Activity package, and it really looks much better when side-by-side with my brother's standard model. The package really makes it look much better both inside and out.

[PAX5]

Originally Posted by Frank 135i Vert

Thanks everyone for taking the time to respond to my questions.

Well I think based on feedback, the car I should consider is the x35i.

I'd love to see if I could find a sport version but would be happy w Premium.

In terms of must have options...I assume Nav, convenience, cold weather. Is there anything else that is a must have?

Thanks

Frank, you're basically in my back yard. You're welcome to come and test drive my 2012 X5 50i with 27K miles. I've owned BMW's for 35+ years and can tell you all the reasons why you should, and shouldn't buy a 50i. But I can guarantee you that once you drive one, you won't be interested in anything less ... except for perhaps an X5M.

PM me if interested.

[socale39]

If I were you I'd look at picking up a 35i M Sport. Although they are a bit more rare, they are out there. I'd also suggest sitting in both the sport and comfort seats to see what you like more.....chances are you'll enjoy the comfort seats.

[PhillyfaanM3]

I test drove a silver(ext) w Blk interior 35i yesterday & i think it had the comfort seat(heated/ventilated) w the massage option. Something tells me the massage option would get annoying after a while + another thing that could possibly break.

I have the sport seats in my 135i. They're great for holding you in place for the twisties, but not sure my wife would like them for everyday use & comfort.

So back to the car I tested yesterday, it was a 2013 CPO'd car w 42k miles & they were asking $43k for it. My gut tells me this is a little on the high side. (See link below)

http://www.westgermanbmw.com/UsedCar...&ModelGroup=X5

What should I be looking to pay for a well equipped x35i w comfort access, Nav, cold weather w 35-40k mile?

Thanks again

[socale39]

Those are definitely comfort seats. As for the massage function it's there is you want it but I wouldn't let it deter you thinking it's another thing to break. Using that logic you'd have a very base model X5 with little to no options.

As for the price, it does seem on the high side. I'd expect it to be mid to high $30s but not in the $40s.

What options are you looking for most and what color combinations do you prefer?

[PAX5]

Basic car ... too many miles for a 2013 ... way over priced ... doesn't even have a heated steering wheel (a must have for this area!) ... you can do better.

See attached Manheim pricing for 2013 35i. These are wholesale auction prices. Add transportation, Manheim fees, cost of CPO and dealer greed factor (aka profit) and you'll get approximate suggested retail.

[PhillyfaanM3]

Originally Posted by PAX5

Basic car ... too many miles for a 2013 ... way over priced ... doesn't even have a heated steering wheel (a must have for this area!) ... you can do better.

See attached Manheim pricing for 2013 35i. These are wholesale auction prices. Add transportation, Manheim fees, cost of CPO and dealer greed factor (aka profit) and you'll get approximate suggested retail.

PAX5...thank you so much...this is really helpfull.

[jiggz]

If you're looking at 2012+, Comfort Access & Navigation are part of the Convenience Package on the 35i.

What about this one?

xDrive35i Sport w/ standard 19's - platinum gray/black leather/bamboo trim
CPO/16K miles/$42.5K
Convenience
Cold Weather
Multi-Contour seats
Running boards
BMW Apps
http://cpo.bmwusa.com/certified/BMW/...m?geoZip=18077

[PhillyfaanM3]

Originally Posted by jiggz

If you're looking at 2012+, Comfort Access & Navigation are part of the Convenience Package on the 35i.

What about this one?

xDrive35i Sport w/ standard 19's - platinum gray/black leather/bamboo trim
CPO/16K miles/$42.5K
Convenience
Cold Weather
Multi-Contour seats
Running boards
BMW Apps
http://cpo.bmwusa.com/certified/BMW/...m?geoZip=18077

Jiggz,
Thanks...that looks like a great car except the wife won't drive a car w dark leather interior. Only beige and oyster...urgh...
The good news is I'm in no hurry. Would like to be in something by end of Nov/Dec at the latest.