My experiences with 2009 X6 35d

[carlos50]

Hi all

Not sure what year the 35d (twin turbo diesel) arrived in the US but here in the UK it was here in 2008. I bought a late 2009 about 6 weeks ago and decided to share my initial thoughts with you all in the hope that other 35d owners can confirm what i have to admit are slight disappointments and surprise up to now.

Owners on the UK X owners forum suggest my review doesn't seem quite right and have suggested asking on here also.

Having driven it daily for a few weeks now i have to say im surprised at the noise levels at low speeds / setting off and when accelerating. I believe this to be due to the fact it sets off in 2nd, a poor decision i think?

It also vibrates quite a lot at idle and in comparison to my Range Rover really does sound like an oil burner. I could sit in the RR and barely hear the V8 diesel running but the X6 is near stereo interrupting noise levels, very surprised. It has started to quieten down with the use of premium diesel but its still not Range Rover refined, then its probably not meant to be i guess?

I also find it a little sluggish is normal driving mode, as if the gearbox wants to be in a high a gear as possible all the time, i know you can use the paddles but this is another unpleasant surprise. It can be driving at 40 mph and if i accelerate its more noise than acceleration and if i change down on the gearbox its usually down from 6th to 5th, is that right at such a low speed. The only remedy seems to be sports mode all the time.

The positives are how it handles compared to the RR, very different and more me but after a few weeks of ownership i am just thinking, poor diesel, wish id waited and got a 50i, but here in the UK there are none around in the price range, only nearly new ones with a £20k + price hike.

The above plus rubbish mpg (BMW suggest UK 34mpg but i get 26mpg from a combined drive despite trying to better it) have left me frustrated thus far.

Would a remap quieten her down a little by way of using less pedal for the same performance and more power giving a bit more refined acceleration? I ask because my RR was mapped and was so much better as a result.

Id love to hear from other 35d owners or X6 owners in general to see if this sounds right. Youtube has a video of a 35d accelerating and it doesnt sound or lag like mine, might i have some issue that needs diagnosing?

Thanks in advance

Carl

[GJM]

Something wrong.

Inside the vehicle we don't hear the diesel noise. I always drive in sport mode, removes the hesitation that you mention. The fuel consumption is approx what you have quoted. Depends on on how much city vs country driving.

[carlos50]

Probably about 30% town, 50% country and 20% highway. If I select Sport mode it does drive much better but the mpg falls dramatically.

I have to take it back next week to have some oil drained after it was over filled during the last oil change so will ask the tech to drive it and see what they think. Its under BMW warranty so any issues are in the inteest of the dealer to fix I assume?

I've read about the small turbo not functioning properly, vacuum issues with pipes etc on this engine albeit in different models so maybe its not right but no error messages and I have ran it on the best diesel available in the UK since purchase.

My Range Rover V8 diesel was mapped and felt more eager than this X6 which isn't what I expected at all. The X6 handles far better but is much less refined and diesel like if you get what I mean. Passengers couldn't tell my Range Rover was diesel.

Different cars completely but since I bought the X6 to perform I am dissapointed that it doesn't really.

Thanks for your comments.

Carl

[NRG]

I bought the 2012 X5d and very disappointed with my decision! The fact is - I like everything about the truck, minus some of it's unfortunate gimmicks with climate control. But I absolutely hate the diesel engine and it's transmission. It's clanky, lazy and painfully slow even with JBD set at 100%! The gas mileage is a overstated joke. I've never be able to get the BMW advertised figures in the city or hwy no matter how hard I've tried and I do use premium diesel. I did however very well with my pervious two 3 series regarding the mpg! Planning to give the Renntech flash a try this summer and see if that helps a bit. All in all can't wait for that lease to end so I can get into the X5M.

[carlos50]

I'm a serial changer and have already started the search. Having had X5, ML500 and several Range Rovers i think Porsche Cayenne Turbo next.

Sooner than id hoped most likely.

Thanks for the comments.

Carl

[NRG]

Porsche is of the most reliable trucks out there along with RR and Lexus.