2011 X5 35i vs X5 35d

[serge1]

Originally Posted by lorinser

just an input if it helps.

picked up the Diesel about 1month ago. Love the torque and the growl is makes when accelerating. Getting about 22mpg, 60% city, 40% highway.
Still being broken in at only 500 miles on the odo.
Diesel depending on the station in NJ costs either same as Premium or about .15 more

Before purchasing 35d, I did some calculations, and turned out that diesel has to cost $0.50/gal more than premium gas to have the same fuel bill per month compared to 35i gasser. In my area, diesel costs 5-10 cents more than Premium.
After discounts and credits, the out of the door price for 35d price would have been same as 35i, so it was no brainer to go for the diesel.
Granted, fuel economy was not the only argument in purchase decision.

[Vastyle]

Why the heck is Diesel so expensive in VA?

[serge1]

Originally Posted by Vastyle

Why the heck is Diesel so expensive in VA?

Still cheaper than here in WA!

[Big Bobs]

Originally Posted by halfclue

Performance is fine too. It won't beat an M, but it will beat the gas version. With all the torque, I don't see an 8-speed as being necessary or advantageous. Too bad you can't get a test drive. When I compared '09 diesel to gas, diesel won hands down.

This is something I've always been curious about. Most people say they love the torque and acceleration in the 35d when compared to the 35i, but the 35i goes 0-60 a half second quicker.

Does the diesel just give out during that long a run? Should I assume the 35d is quicker 0-30, but slower the rest of the way? Or does the diesel just simply feel quicker, based on an initial burst of acceleration?

[serge1]

Originally Posted by Big Bobs

This is something I've always been curious about. Most people say they love the torque and acceleration in the 35d when compared to the 35i, but the 35i goes 0-60 a half second quicker.

Does the diesel just give out during that long a run? Should I assume the 35d is quicker 0-30, but slower the rest of the way? Or does the diesel just simply feel quicker, based on an initial burst of acceleration?

I test drove both before making purchase decision.
Yes, the 35i is faster than the diesel, but doesn't feel.
The gears in the 35i are shorter (8 speed vs 6 speed), so you feel short bursts of power.
I think the gasser is also quicker from 0-30 due to shorter gears.
In the diesel, when you stomp on the gas, the torque is not felt right away. But when it kicks in, you feel it for a long period - as if it will not end.

I have also noticed that even during takeovers, it's better to not push the pedal to the metal to avoid downshifting and engine high revving. In the diesel, the power is not in high revs, most of it is between 2000-3000 rpm.
Let's say i am driving normally at 40mph, and revs are around 1500rpm.
If I push the gas pedal all the way, it downshifts 2 gears and engine revs go to 4500rpm. The X still takes off pretty quick, but less quikly because diesel is not a high revving engine, and 4500rpm is pretty high for it.
The secret is to push the pedal far enough for vehicle to downshift 1 gear, so revs go to around 2000rpm, where turbos kick in. At that point, the vehicle takes off and there's this prolonged period of continous acceleration. It kinda holds your back to the seat for what feels like long time. An awesome feeling!

Once again, I did not experience this in the 35i. Here, it was more like quick bursts of power with lots of gear changes.