While the X3 isn’t my cup-of-tea, I’ll admit, it’s an amazingly good drive, and those BMW diesels are pretty darn good.

@ the X3 owner… sorry… I could never “get” the X3… haven’t ridden one that didn’t rattle my teeth out as badly as a 1-series… though even the “retuned” BMWs still ride too harshly on run-flats… the X5 or X6 is about as small as I’d go while considering an “SUV”.

The review could have talked a bit more about xDrive… the new active systems make the X6’s handling at least twice as good as the X5… and a match (or more) for the Cayenne… I’d like to know what it does for the X5. I’m of the “SUVs are pointless” type (I think the only BMW worth having is a 5-series touring… in diesel), but you’ve got to respect a tall soft-roader that can power-slide like a muscle car.

The 35d engine can be had in the X3, X5, X6, 3-series coupe, sedan and wagon, 5-series sedan and wagon and 6-series coupe and convertible. I believe the 7-series will eventually get it, as the V8 diesel isn’t likely to make a return in the F01. The 730d is plenty fast enough for the typical 7-series driver though. 0-62 in under 7 seconds.

@shoes
Admittedly, there is a bit more diesel clatter at idle than I would have expected.
The 35d is way noisier than the 30d or the 25d. It’s the same with the 123d versus the simpler single-turbo my 118d has.

I own a 2008 X5 3.0si. See my comments in the other X5 review. I would have bought the diesel if it was available a year ago. I really need to wind out the gas engine to get my X5 moving. For a BMW it really is a slug. 5300lbs. That said, I have broken my lifetime record for not getting any speeding tickets: 14 months so far!

A 5 Series wagon does not compete with the X5. Like most things in life, it comes down to price: the 5 wagon is at least 20% more expensive than an X5 and BMW’s already push the price thing in every category. The current 5’s also lack the current X5 technology . That is a high price to pay for an “I’m not driving an SUV” halo.

Nobody should review or consider this car without looking into the Active Drive technology. Huge difference in handling with such a heavy auto when dampening rates are adjusted wheel by wheel in microseconds on the fly courtesy of fiber optic cables running to sensors on the unsprung areas of each corner. The competition does not have technology like this, or at least they don’t put it in their production cars.

My sport seats are great.

My biggest complaint is that the side mirrors can’t be adjusted outwards enough to eliminate the blindspot. (Ie. done properly you can’t see the sides of your car as a result; but you always know where the sides or your car are, right? Or, for those that still don’t understand, ever wonder why F1 drivers don’t need to shoulder check?) I have never had this problem with my E46 3 series, or any Honda that I ever owned in the past. That is just bad design, especially when BMW driving schools recommend this as a method of adjusting the side mirrors.

Also – to get another thing off my chest: BMW did not design the airflow very well under the hood. My E46 never got rain and slush splashed upwards under the hood onto the top of the engine. The only cleaning I did on the top of my E46 engine was dusting. Not so with the E70; salt and dirt and crap all over the engine. Nice.

…is using alloy for a diesel engine a good idea?

It’s not really about alloy materials over iron, but about strength for diesels. There are lots of variables, but two are that a manufacturer would use an alloy that is lighter and stronger for the purpose.

In fact, BMW have a 2L Turbo Diesel that is ALL aluminum. (This 3.0L twin turbo unit might be too, I can’t remember).

Alloy doesnt take heat as well as all iron block.

It’s not so much about heat but power. For the same torque a diesel engine will be cooler than a petrol engine, but that’s because of the lower power peak.

There’s no point in the US because gas isn’t expensive enough to offset higher initial price.

What’s the point of a diesel engine?

Just to confuse people clearly.

If you want more torque, just change the gear ratio.

If for the cost saving, diesel price will go up when more Americans use it.

If for the high mpg, know that there are more hydro-carbon atoms per gallon in diesel, so it’s not really a saving.

If you don’t want to discard a useful by-product, know that Europeans are using it.

Yup, in Europe this engine is available in everything but the 1-series and Z4 (but it might just be in the new Z4 eventually) and not only as the 3 series sedan, but also 335d coupe/wagon.

Only the 3-series convertible is strangely enough not available as 335d but at the same time it is available as the 4 banger 320d diesel and 330d I6 with a single turbo. BMW does some strange things with engine options sometimes, even in Europe…

Also, in the 7-series, the engine will be available but will probably (confusingly) be called 740d, since BMW has opted not to offer the ‘old’ V8 turbodiesel anymore (formerly called 740d and later 745d) and won’t develop a new V8 diesel to replace it.

I got mixed feelings about the black trim. They discolor after a few years. Thi wouldn’t be a concern for the typical BMW leaser, of course.

I bet you 1k dollars they’re going to offer this baby with colored bumpers as part of a 6-8k Sport package in 1-2 years. :P Only Porsche is worse at gouging its customers.

I personally have an X3 sd, which has a 286 hp / 580 nm version of it. With the right suspension and without run-flats, this is the perfect car for everything (for me). It corners almost as good as my (past) Z4, you never have the feeling that it would roll over, on the edge it starts to slip, but it is very easy to regain control. It goes just as fast as the Z4, 6.6 to 100 kphs, limited to 240 kph (tested). Plus it is the right size (not too big, not too small), it softens the worst holes on the road (and we have very bad roads, believe me) and even has some off-road capability. Sorry for the X3 ad, but this car was told to have so many flaws (not exactly here), and I personally feel that some commenters were unjust to a car they’ve never driven (or never driven with the right engine). But, really, we are here for the engine so I get back to the topic.

So, BMW offers the same engine in X3, X5, X6, 3-er, 5-er sedan and wagon (called 335d, 535d) and 6-er coupe and also cabrio (called 635d) and rumor has it will be in the new 7-er series (presumably 735d). Although, X-drive is only available with the “base” (one turbo) version of the engine in the non-SAVs.

I’d like to know what specific options your test vehicle had at the very least. You carp about the seats, but are they base or part of an upgraded package (hope not, given the dissatisfaction). There’s no mention of whether your vehicle had the optional third-row seat. If so, how does it fold? How is legroom? How is cargo room behind it? Does your head sit two inches from the back hatch? There are so many areas not covered in the review that I’m just frustrated from having to get info elsewhere.

Okay, just back from a required jump over to Edmunds, BMW and Wikipedia. Now I know a few more things. I would have liked to have learned them from you though. Specs are specs, but it would be good to know more about the specific vehicle you tested. And to have about 20 or so very nice photos. You don’t even have to include any catchy captions with them. Hell, for that matter, I don’t even know what you look like. Go ahead and use a tripod and show us your disdain while plopped onto those crappy seats. How about a little video clip showing the awful blind spots you refer to? How about some info gleaned from the popular Bimmer forums? What do they think of those seats? What common problems/fixes are there? How’s reliability? How does the man on the street like it? These are all truths that people want to read about from as unbiased a source as they can find.

I know this is getting into RF’s purview, so I’ll wrap up. I sometimes feel like I’m a minority here on TTAC for wanting more detail on the reviews. I am a big fan of the site. I think the community is one of the best out there. Hopefully we’ll see the vehicle reviews expand to give us the comprehensive information that we are looking for. I’d like to see just one review done to the level I have in mind as mentioned above. Just as a pilot. Hey, it’s a new year.

It doesn’t have enough space to justify it’s size. It isn’t a “real” SUV, but is more of a tall, sporty wagon. No matter what your flavor of anti-suv hate, this thing has it. Also, it’s a BMW, so if you have a hatred for displays of wealth as well, this thing is your nirvana/nemesis.

The Hummer, in spite of itself, is actually a real offroader. (Please spare me the size thing, sure, if the trail was forged by jeeps, this thing may be too big, but that doesn’t mean you can’t forge your own trail just as well as the jeep guys did).

Still, I could buy an X5. I would buy the straight six though. This diesel doesn’t yet have the fine rep of the 6 cyl. BMW machines. I am also a fan of diesels, but I am still unsure of the new ones.

I like the ride, I like the sport seats (they fit me perfectly) I love the comfortable drivers area. It’s easier for me to get in this than the sedan. I drive in high water more than once a year, and dirt gravel roads a lot. I would miss some of the space I have now, and likely have to get some lumber delivered, but the nice ride and handling would be the payoff. It’s also a good looking vehicle in a sea of metal hit buy the ugly stick.

Lastly, I don’t buy into the hate.

And About New York sitting on traffic. New Yorker’s don’t drive their cars in Manhattan because of limited parking or parking that will cost you to pay 50 to a hundred buck a day.

They usually take a cab.

I have driven this vehicle myself – so here are my 2 cents. The power is very impressive. The mileage is very good even when driven aggressively. I think I was getting mid 20’s on the interstate while flooring it and then coasting, the repeating. To be honest, I haven’t done the math to see if it was worth it over the gas version. I have to admit the diesel clatter at idle is louder than I expected. I disagree with the comments on the seats, but to be honest I am not sure if I had one of optional packages in the one I drove.

Like most BMW reviews, the brand is polarizing, and most have made up their mind before stepping in the vehicle. In this case, it is more likely that SUV’s are the polarizing issue and the reviewer is one of the much smaller percentage of Americans that prefer wagons. The X5 is a big vehicle, no doubt. It definitely feels bigger than a 5 Series wagon. I can’t argue with that. I just don’t get why you would ding a SUV in a review for not being a wagon. The X5 is about as close as you will get in driving dynamics, but the laws of physics are universal and even BMW cannot overcome them.

I have an S550. I specifically didn’t go for the S63 AMG because:
#1 MB offers the S550 with an AMG appearance package for less than $3000 more and
#2, the AMG version is alot more expensive for an engine that, in this crowded city, I’d never need.

The S550 has plenty of power at 380 HP and is quiet.

The S63 is noisy and requires alot more service for the engine over time.

I got the multicontour seats, and distronic cruise control which come standard on the S63.
My guess is, when that old lady showed up, the dealer said “I’m gonna unload that S63 I have on her simply so I don’t lose money on it”

They tried to sell me a used S600 for $105,000 with 10,000 miles on it. Sure I coulda had a car faster than a Lamborghini in the quarter mile – BUT WHY?

I live in fkin NYC ! I sit in traffic more than I sleep.

BMW interior will never be great. What is that mahogany wood on the dash? WOW!!! that’s so old school at least they can put Carbon Fiber trim on the door handle or dash on 21st century car.

Nothing. The X5 is built in South Carolina, alongside the Z4 at BMW’s Spartanburg facility.