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      01-21-2013, 08:27 PM   #1
AWe90
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Best X5 (35i or 35d) for wife's kid hauler?

Hello - happy to be here posting on xbimmers.

I would like to start by saying that I'm fully aware the topic of 35i vs 35d has been thoroughly covered, and that I have searched and read dozens of threads. I am however new to the X5 world, and especially new to the world of diesel's. Just trying to do my due diligence.

Our situation is this - typical family w/ 2.5 kids, hectic schedules, busy lives, etc. My wife does a lot of running here, running there, and the mileage returns on her V8 volvo is becoming a harder pill to swallow. I would say about 70% of our driving is city, with the occasional weekend getaway with the kids (say 2 to 4 hours in the car of highway driving). Given our situation, I am wondering which X5 would make the most sense for us. The concerns I have are:

MPG....realistic MPG. With the majority of our driving being done in the city, and with the higher costs of diesel, I am wondering if the diesel would be worth it?

Reliability. As I've stated, I am completely new to both X5's and diesel's. Does either powerplant present great benefits in the general reliability department?

Maintenance Costs. Seeing as petrol engines are more dominant on the road, does this mean diesel's cost more to fix or maintain?

Daily Driving Comfort. Keeping in mind what this vehicle will realistically be used for (i.e. wifey and kids pound it on a daily basis, once every month or two I get to relax and take pride in my purchase, while cruising with the fam down the interstate. Anyone with kids can realte ) does the diesel or turbo engine have any strengths? I've heard some horror stories about the diesel being a bit "rough" at idle, around town, etc.

I generally keep vehicles quite a long time as well, and easily put 80-100k on the odo. The only reason I am considering unloading the XC90, is because of fuel economy. I should also mention that I plan to purchase a used X5, so the dealer incentives for diesel's (if they're even still around) is a moot point.

Thanks in advance for any support!
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      01-21-2013, 08:41 PM   #2
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I've owned BMWs since 2001 and my first X5 e53 3.0, I bought new in 2005 for my wife and we put just about 100K miles on it and traded it in on a 2013 X5 35i with the Sports Activity Package. I considered getting the diesel, but I don't like noisy cars and diesel is not as generally available as premium gas. Also, I don't see any power advantage or advantages at all other than some say it gets better mileage. We average about 17mpg in stop and go traveling she does to cart our girls to and from school and activities.

Perhaps driving the 35d and 35i will tell you which to get, but I don't really see enough advantages to go diesel.

Here's my Alpine White 35i. My wife loves it.

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      01-22-2013, 06:15 PM   #3
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I am also new to x5's, having purchased my '09 35d 2 months ago. I never really looked into buying a gas model at all since my close friend is a BMW service advisor and told me I'd be happier with the diesel...so I listened.

Anyways, same as above post, I drive it daily to work, 90%city/10%hwy with occasional weekend getaways and have been averaging 22mpg. I enjoy the fact that at this time, diesel is ever so slightly cheaper than premium fuel.
I love the torque I get off the line, plenty quick for me. Past car was a 06 325i and I'm more than happy with the upgrade. Look forward to driving it everyday.

The diesel noise doesn't bother me at all. I have the radio on or hear screaming kids, so I hear nothing in that department.

As for issues, I've only had to change the trunk button on the door to close it, done under warranty.

Not much to say, but hope that helps with your decision.
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      01-22-2013, 07:10 PM   #4
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My wife does 80% city driving, and most are cold start very short distances as well (engine never gets to temp with her short drives) and we are seeing an average of 21 mpg per tank.

When we do a long HWY trip it shoots up to about 28. On a Cali/Seattle trip I had the range say 697 miles at fill up, and I went a good 600 miles before filling again (and I had not reached the low fuel warning)

For our specific situation, I did the math and diesel comes out cheaper per mile, even with the higher cost per gallon of diesel. (I assumed about a 3 MPG difference between gas and diesel). When diesel prices dip below regular gas in the summer it comes out WAY cheaper per mile. Averaged across the seasons, we save about $500 year in fuel by going diesel instead of gas. Of course each person's situation is different.

My wife doesn't mind the noise. 3 kids plus radio means you don't even notice it 90%of the time. Yes, if you kill the radio and crack a window it is super obvious you have a diesel. But under normal everyday events it is not an issue.

She LOVES the torque. Gushes about how her car "just goes" without having to mash the gas. That for me is one of the great parts of the diesel..... Sure it might be a tad slower 0-60 vs the gasser, but the amount of everyday usable power that you can get to without needing to downshift or rev the engine like mad makes it fantastic to drive.
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      01-22-2013, 07:16 PM   #5
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I'll just say one more thing. I was in your exact same shoes. I was very indecisive and new to diesels as well. I am so thankful my CA pushed me towards a diesel. I am a 100% convert and would never even consider a gas X5 if I were buying again today. My wife's ride will be diesel from here forward.
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      01-26-2013, 08:05 PM   #6
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Thank you for the replies....
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      01-27-2013, 12:34 AM   #7
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90%city, 10%highway and my wife uses it daily as a kid hauler. Keep in mind we've been through a '96 328i,'00 328i, '01 540, '06 X54.8is, 03M5, '11 M3 and I never thought I'd go to the diesel side. Until I drove one.

You can hear a bit of diesel clatter at idle, but after a few feet the clatter is pretty much gone. The torque is amazing, and while it doesn't have the passing power (over 60mph) of our '06 X54.8is (that was a beast) it is simply superb. The torque and real world mileage is incredible. 90% city driving nets 22mpg and the highway numbers really depend on your speed. If you do the speed limit at 70mph, you will get 29mpg. If you do 80mph, you will get around 24-25mpg so you can see the aerodynamic effects pretty clearly.

Bottom line is the diesel is simply awesome. I'm sure the 35 is also, but I do not think you will see mileage #'s like that. Go drive one, I bet you'll be pleasantly surprised. I hop into it after driving my '11 M3 and am amazed at the under 60mph acceleration - torque will do that First diesel owner here too. Minimal noise, zero smoke, awesome vehicle
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      01-27-2013, 10:32 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AWe90 View Post
The only reason I am considering unloading the XC90, is because of fuel economy. I should also mention that I plan to purchase a used X5, so the dealer incentives for diesel's (if they're even still around) is a moot point.
First-time diesel convert as well, and MPG was also at the top of my list when picking out a kid hauler. My wife and I looked into just about all the SUVs out there, including the XC90, and when we narrowed the list down to those that were spacious, safe, practical, and sporty (my request), a CPO X5 diesel was the only one left.

Driving around LA streets/highways we are getting 19/28 with the 4-zone AC always on. Coming from an e46 m3, and having driven an X6M, the X5 35d is pretty darn good to say the least. After the turbo kicks in at 1800 rpm, that thing reaches 80mph in no time and the handling is quite nimble. There's plenty of room for a stroller, high chair, 18" donut wheel, and the family dog.

BMW has been churning out diesels for decades now, and the CPO 100k mile/6yr warranty is just an extra piece of mind. Plus with the optional extended 2 year maintenance plan, you're pretty much covered for anything until the car reaches 6 years or 100k miles.
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      01-27-2013, 11:00 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AWe90
Hello - happy to be here posting on xbimmers.

I would like to start by saying that I'm fully aware the topic of 35i vs 35d has been thoroughly covered, and that I have searched and read dozens of threads. I am however new to the X5 world, and especially new to the world of diesel's. Just trying to do my due diligence.

Our situation is this - typical family w/ 2.5 kids, hectic schedules, busy lives, etc. My wife does a lot of running here, running there, and the mileage returns on her V8 volvo is becoming a harder pill to swallow. I would say about 70% of our driving is city, with the occasional weekend getaway with the kids (say 2 to 4 hours in the car of highway driving). Given our situation, I am wondering which X5 would make the most sense for us. The concerns I have are:

MPG....realistic MPG. With the majority of our driving being done in the city, and with the higher costs of diesel, I am wondering if the diesel would be worth it?

Reliability. As I've stated, I am completely new to both X5's and diesel's. Does either powerplant present great benefits in the general reliability department?

Maintenance Costs. Seeing as petrol engines are more dominant on the road, does this mean diesel's cost more to fix or maintain?

Daily Driving Comfort. Keeping in mind what this vehicle will realistically be used for (i.e. wifey and kids pound it on a daily basis, once every month or two I get to relax and take pride in my purchase, while cruising with the fam down the interstate. Anyone with kids can realte ) does the diesel or turbo engine have any strengths? I've heard some horror stories about the diesel being a bit "rough" at idle, around town, etc.

I generally keep vehicles quite a long time as well, and easily put 80-100k on the odo. The only reason I am considering unloading the XC90, is because of fuel economy. I should also mention that I plan to purchase a used X5, so the dealer incentives for diesel's (if they're even still around) is a moot point.

Thanks in advance for any support!
I was in a similar situation three years ago. My wife had an X3 3.0i, but wanted something bigger. I test drove both the gas and the diesel and felt the torque difference was noticeable, so that plus the diesel incentives did it for me. Three years later I am very happy with my decision, so much that I am replacing it with a 2013 diesel. In terms of maintenance, have had no major issues, just one non scheduled diesel specific visit to the dealer.

In terms of MPG with the AC on all the time and pretty much 90% city, stop-n-go traffic we get about 20 miles, which is better than what we used to get from the X3. Couple that with the fact that in our area diesel and premium gas are usually at the same price and we are happy on the fuel economy front. Also, plenty of stations that sell diesel in our area, so no issues there (does seem to be an issue in certain geographies). All in all I would recommend it, assuming the availability of diesel and the cost of diesel are not an issue where you live.
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      01-28-2013, 04:40 PM   #10
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I am going to give a bit differing opinion. If the XC90 runs good, I would keep the Volvo. What you would save in fuel cost, you will probably loose many times over if you trade in the Volvo to a X5. The 2008 XC90 V8 is a pretty good vehicle and should easily last you 150+k miles. Also, the XC90 is much more practical vehicle (i.e. more ******* for your wife to drive around with the kids and their stuff.

When it comes to 35i vs 35d, I am biased towards the X5 diesel. We've got two of them...

By the way, have you looked at the VW Touareg diesel? A worthy contender to X5, especially if you are looking to buy used (lower resale value). Not as sporty as X5, but a very nice vehicle indeed. Good luck!

EDIT: I wrote s-p-a-c-e), why all the ******?
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      01-29-2013, 07:31 PM   #11
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Great feedback from actual owners - just what I was looking for! The case does seem rather strong for the D. That MPG is pretty hard to beat, esp since the vast majority of our driving with this vehicle will be day to day running around town.

The only thing I am still cautious about would be the regular maintenance or operating costs. Can anyone attest to diesel v. gasoline operating costs (aside from fuel obviously)?
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      01-29-2013, 07:51 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by finnbmw View Post
I am going to give a bit differing opinion. If the XC90 runs good, I would keep the Volvo. What you would save in fuel cost, you will probably loose many times over if you trade in the Volvo to a X5. The 2008 XC90 V8 is a pretty good vehicle and should easily last you 150+k miles. Also, the XC90 is much more practical vehicle (i.e. more ******* for your wife to drive around with the kids and their stuff.

When it comes to 35i vs 35d, I am biased towards the X5 diesel. We've got two of them...

By the way, have you looked at the VW Touareg diesel? A worthy contender to X5, especially if you are looking to buy used (lower resale value). Not as sporty as X5, but a very nice vehicle indeed. Good luck!

EDIT: I wrote s-p-a-c-e), why all the ******?
I appreciate your honesty and insight. Keeping the XC is still something we are strongly considering....perhaps at least for another year or so. I really do like the versatility of the Volvo, and the smaller cargo space in the X5 is of concern to me. We often have the cargo area of the Volvo (one of the largest in the class) fully packed when taking weekend trips to my in-laws. Right now we are at 75k miles, and the warranty will be running out shortly. This is part of the reason why I am considering an upgrade.

As for the Touareg - we need an SUV with a third row for carting around kids, their friends, and their crap, so the Vdub is out.

I am also hoping the cargo and storage on the next generation X5 will be improved over the e70.
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      01-29-2013, 09:28 PM   #13
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We have a 2010 X5 3.5d with 46,000 miles and I've averaged 21.3 MPG over the past 12 months. We do 70% HWY and 30% city. Honestly, I like the way the non-D car drives better, but appreciate the mileage and eco benefits. Can't beat 500 miles to a tank
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