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      05-10-2010, 02:06 PM   #1
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order placed. the wait begins

order finally placed, after a month going back & fourth on different brands, models, colors & options, finally nailed down the build sheet.

cars i need:
a SUV for parents. our Cayenne Turbo was retired early this year so since then we were looking for a replacement. since we've had a Cayenne S since 2004 & Turbo in 2007, i feel it's time to try something else. i would consider the new Cayenne if i can see the real car right now. too bad it won't be here for another 2 months.

another car to replace my current M5 due in July on the lease. plus it'll be a semi-wifey's car til i decide what to get next. X6 is what we both love. so that makes the decision a little easier.


cars i've been looking/shopping:
for our SUV replacement, i narrowed down to Mercedes GL450. Audi Q7 3.0TDI/3.6 gas, and BMW X5 35i/50i.

i didn't consider the ML550 because i hate the look. the GL on the other hand, is a prettier looking car imo. the extra room is a plus for us when needed. the current mid-size SUVs sometime failed in storage with family need. the ride on the GL450 is very comfortable. it basically feels like a raised S-Class. the car is very relaxing to drive. although it's a pig to drive, but the 7-speed tranny helped a little. letting u forget the engine works hard for its weight. the steering is light, good for older people who's looking for comfort. love the powered 3rd-row seat. however, we didn't go for it because it's too big for us. with it's 200''+ size it won't even fit in the garage...

the Q7, we drove both the 3.0TDI & 3.6 gas. i was skeptical about the TDI since diesel is never a popular option for us until last year. i have to say Audi's diesel technology has changed my mind a bit. behind the wheel, u can't really hear the engine. on the outside, my M5 idle sounds more like a diesel engine than the Q7... LOL! the power is good, thanks to the low-end torque. it's not a rocket but around town it's really easy to drive, maintain useable street speed. it sure felt faster than on paper, which Audi stated 0-60 about 8.5 sec. the 3.6 gas engine was little disappointing. although it shows on paper being faster than TDI but it felt underpowered, mainly because the NA engine vs. the turbo TDI. the 6-speed tranny feels dated. it's the same tranny as in the Cayenne since 2004. i'm not a fan on that, but somehow the shifting point feels much better in TDI. for 2011 Audi will put the new supercharged S4 engine in Q7 pair with the new 8-speed tranny (it's amazing 8-speed seems like a trend now... haha!). the car drives great. not as solid feel as the GL but not far from it. they're about the same size but Audi feels much smaller for some reason. the interior fit & finish is beautiful follow Audi's tradition. i think for 2011MY it'll be a even a better car. just no point getting in a 2010 now. btw, did i mention the Q7 with S-line package + the optional 21'' wheel looks HOT! for that, i almost wrote the check...

for the X5, i drove both 2011 xDrive 35i & 50i. i wouldn't consider the 35i if it doesn't have the new 8-speed tranny. i drove a 2009 X6 35i last year which i didn't like it very much. the car feels jumpy on throttle & the turbo lag was pretty bad. i think BMW improved it with the new N55 & tranny. the new 35i feels quick off the line & power delivery is pretty smooth through out the line. if u don't drive it hard, the 35i is not that much difference compare to 50i. as for my parents, i think 300hp is well enough for them. i guess they never get to explore the power of the 450hp Cayenne Turbo.


more to come...
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      05-10-2010, 02:29 PM   #2
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very nice overview. So what order have you placed?
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      05-10-2010, 04:51 PM   #3
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here's the X5 35i spec. i ended up going with 35i SportActivity with M Sport package. i had posted an earlier thread asking option on both cars. (http://www.xbimmers.com/forums/poll....ts&pollid=4672) after pricing out both options extensively, i discovered that for 2011, the $4,800.00 M Sport package is a pretty good deal when comparing to the 50i. the Adaptive Drive is a $3,500.00 option alone. i drove both cars with & without Adaptive Drive. for us, it's a must have because the ride is more comfortable in normal mode. the car without Adaptive Drive is just too stiff... so for $4,800 u get the Adaptive Drive, M steering wheel, 20'' wheel & painted body trims with F/R bumpers. even the exhaust tip is the 50i style. on the other hand, on 50i the M sport is $6,500 + $950 for 20'' wheel upgrade. i could live without but then the Adaptive Drive will add another $3,500.00 to the tag...

one down side though, u can only order limited colors on the car with the M Sport. they are Alpine White, Space Gray, Titanium Silver, Black Sapphire, Carbon Black & Deep Sea Blue. i was set on the Sparkling Bronze but later found out it's not available on the M Sport. bummer.

so i settle with the Titanium Silver, black Nevada leather with Dark Bamboo. all major option packages are checked + comfort access.
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      05-10-2010, 05:07 PM   #4
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It looks like you have done a good study of all the possibilities and options. Certainly, if you dont need the extra power then the 50i is a waste. Its also quite a bit of extra money. Now u have a fully loaded 35i.

did you also consider the 35d? Did you drive it?

Can you explain a bit more the difference between with and without adaptive drive? When you drive quickly over one of the speedbumps or drive on rough road how much does it absorb? can it be termed as a very comfortable ride?
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      05-10-2010, 05:27 PM   #5
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for the M5 replacement, i ordered the X6 50i, Space Grey with Black Nevada with Aluminum trim.

i drove the 35i (basically feels the same as X5 35i), 50i, and X6M before making the decision on the 50i. i found it's perfect on both world. i could've settled on the 35i especially it'll be a semi-car for wifey. but since i'll be driving it also so i guess the extra power on the 50i won't hurt.

i love the X6M, but i can't justify the extra cost over the 50i. during test drive, i could tell it's fast but not what i expected. honestly i excepted to be faster. i did put it in the M mode but the pull never surprised me. the sound however, is pure sickness. i wish the 50i sounds like that... i guess at the end it's still just a SUV, regardless BMW call it a SAV or whatever. a SUV doesn't have to be rocket fast, and i would be more comfortable driving/pushing hard in a true sports car than a SUV.

on the side note, i also checked the MB GLK350. i thought it could be a perfect car for wifey, at the same time add some variety to the line up. it's a nice compact SUV, but the lease number never makes sense on the Mercedes, as well as Audi. i think it will still be a candidate if we decide to get another car later the year, but i'd rather let her have the X6 so i can go buy something fun later!
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      05-10-2010, 06:00 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ronald_adi View Post
did you also consider the 35d? Did you drive it?

Can you explain a bit more the difference between with and without adaptive drive? When you drive quickly over one of the speedbumps or drive on rough road how much does it absorb? can it be termed as a very comfortable ride?
i didn't drive the 35d. i see no point getting the diesel for our use since i can't take the advantage on it. we don't put a lot of miles on the car also we switch cars every 3 years max, so the gas saving won't mean anything to us. the reason why i checked out Q7 TDI is because that's what available at the dealer, but the TDI have a $4,000 premium above the regular 3.6 gas engine & it's rated 17/25 mpg, same as the X5 35i...

i guess it's still not natural for us to consider diesel in USA. i can see diesel every where in Europe, but it still needs time here.

on the ride, i already know the X5 will ride the stiffest in all the cars i mentioned above. the only question is how i can minimize the stiffness. the Adaptive Drive was my only chance. when going over speed bumps, u can definitely tell the rear suspension absorbs the bump better than without Adaptive Drive, thus a softer feel. giving the fact that the car rides on 20'' runflat, the result is very acceptable. during normal driving, i felt the overall body roll & the weight transfer in less noticeable than the car without. also, i feel the suspension absorbs uneven road bumps better than without. i think it's a good option to have for higher car thanks to the Active Roll Stabilization. less body roll is always a plus!

it won't be the most comfortable SUV out there i'm sure. but i think the option helps to make a difference. my cousin had a E53 X5 before. man the ride was harsh. it's jumpy & with the high center of gravity it's scary to push the car. now with the modern suspension technology, i would prefer SUV to have some sort of air suspension feature. the difference is quite significant.
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      05-10-2010, 06:23 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ronald_adi View Post
It looks like you have done a good study of all the possibilities and options. Certainly, if you dont need the extra power then the 50i is a waste. Its also quite a bit of extra money. Now u have a fully loaded 35i.
for 2011 BMW has offered 3 trim levels just for the X5 xDrive35i. to get all the extra goodies i had to go with the Sport Activity trim. i think it's a good idea for them to do because in used market it will help the car to get higher resale value.

my order ends up being roughly 67k. pretty high for a 35i. i could've ordered a 50i without the M Sport & without the Adaptive Drive for nearly the same as the 35i. to get everything on the 50i the way i wanted it'll be 75k. i guess my parents would not care for the missing power but rather have a more comfortable ride. plus it looks hotter too!

however, on the X6 is not so pretty. there are few options that's standard on the X5 become optional on the X6. also some small thing such as USB adaptor can not be order alone in the X6. add the premium sound it becomes a $1,800 option... not to mention the MSRP on X6 is quite a jump over the X5.

thanks to my salesguy, who's always been a straight shooter with me. i asked him why BMW can charge so much more on X6 over X5 since they're technically the same car. he said, ''because they can.'' oh well, LOL!

yeah, my X6 ended up like $82k. because i'm a sucker.
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      05-11-2010, 12:54 AM   #8
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brother you must be rollin in the dough; great selections btw.
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      05-11-2010, 10:09 PM   #9
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The Cayenne Turbo retired at the ripe old age of 2!!!!!!
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