[cdog]

Thinking of getting an X3. I'm a little concerned the 4 cyl might be bogged down too much on the occasional camping trip - 4 people, gear, mountains, maybe towing a dinghy. This would only be a couple of times a year if that. A little slower I can live with but maybe not a lot (re: line of cars behind me).
Anybody have any feedback ?
Thanks

[MichiganMike]

Max Well has compiled some interesting acceleration simulation data comparing the X3 equipped with different engines under different loads and conditions. This may be a good starting point to evaluate the performance differences you may encounter with the 28i vs 35i under various conditions.

http://x3.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1149189

My expectation is that under most conditions the X3 28i will be quicker to accelerate and handle better than most vehicles you may encounter on a camping trip. If you need quicker performance the sport setting will help. In general, the X3 28i may with a full load from a stop be a second or so slower to accelerate to 60 mph than the X3 35i.

[Tjalle]

I was afraid that my 35i with 1900kg and AWD would not be as fun as I wanted. I was wrong! The 8-speed does wonders for joy of driving/performance. I am sure you will not be disappointed with a 28i - although the 35i is "best choice"

[Roundown]

Originally Posted by cdog

Thinking of getting an X3. I'm a little concerned the 4 cyl might be bogged down too much on the occasional camping trip - 4 people, gear, mountains, maybe towing a dinghy. This would only be a couple of times a year if that. A little slower I can live with but maybe not a lot (re: line of cars behind me).
Anybody have any feedback ?
Thanks

If you're inclined to ask- you'll likely appreciate the I6.

[The X Men]

Originally Posted by cdog

Thinking of getting an X3. I'm a little concerned the 4 cyl might be bogged down too much on the occasional camping trip - 4 people, gear, mountains, maybe towing a dinghy. This would only be a couple of times a year if that. A little slower I can live with but maybe not a lot (re: line of cars behind me).
Anybody have any feedback ?
Thanks

They will both do the job, but the I6 will do it effortlessly while the I4 will require more effort and rpm. In fact, the biggest difference in my opinion between the two engine is not how fast they are but how much effort is require to do the same task.

[Polo08816]

This is almost the same question I asked when I was deciding between the F30 328i vs. 335i.

After a test drive, there was no question. 3.0L I6 was the way to go. It accelerated way more effortlessly than the 2.0.

Fuel savings: 2mpg for 28i. (IMO, not significant as most of my driving is highway and there's only a 1mpg difference on the highway)
https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find...36142&id=36141

Vehicle weights:
335i auto - ~3695lbs
X3 28i auto - ~4100lbs
X3 35i auto - ~4230lbs

I've had a passenger + 500lbs of weights (used for alignment) in my 335i before. It was substantially slower carrying that load. An X3 basically starts at that weight. I would definitely want an 3.0 I6.

[exon]

" A little slower I can live with but maybe not a lot (re: line of cars behind me)."

The 4 pot has 260 torque while the 3.0 has 300, honestly i don't think 10% is a big difference as long as the rpm is in the low to mid range.

What the 2.0 lacks (relative to the 3.0) is the top end (4500 rpm+) and smoothness, but I think you will be much faster than the rest of the traffic if you are pressing this hard, in either engine...

[Polo08816]

Originally Posted by exon

" A little slower I can live with but maybe not a lot (re: line of cars behind me)."

The 4 pot has 260 torque while the 3.0 has 300, honestly i don't think 10% is a big difference as long as the rpm is in the low to mid range.

What the 2.0 lacks (relative to the 3.0) is the top end (4500 rpm+) and smoothness, but I think you will be much faster than the rest of the traffic if you are pressing this hard, in either engine...

You're talking about peak TQ. It would be interesting to see the torque curve of both engines.

[MichiganMike]

Originally Posted by exon

The 4 pot has 260 torque while the 3.0 has 300, honestly i don't think 10% is a big difference as long as the rpm is in the low to mid range.

Both the 28i (N20) and 35i (N55) engines are reported to be rated conservatively. One source reported a dyno number for an N20 engine of 249 (which is likely 10 to 15% below the actual torque value at the crank which is the basis for the BMW specification, so perhaps 275 instead of the specified 260) and another source reported a dyno torque number of 302 for the N55 engine (so perhaps 330 instead of the specified 300). The 35i engine probably has about 15+% more maximum torque than the 28i and may achieve this at a slightly lower 1200 rpm instead of 1250 rpm. It is not just the maximum value but the shape of the torque curve that matters in driving, which further complicates the comparison. Still, as others suggested, if you are not driving at the performance limits of the 35i, the 28i may deliver close to equivalent performance in most situations but will have to work harder to do so.

http://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=593583

http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews...5is_dyno_test/

[NOITALL]

28i is fine.

[TJNies]

I found myself pleasantly surprised with the 2.8. It is relatively quick, and I get over 27 mpg on the highway. More like 22 is mixed driving.

Sure the I6 would be more fun, but I am satisfied with the 4 cylinder. Nitpicking, it appears the 4 has a better weight distribution than the 6!

Yeah, it's minimal, but helps the cause.

[jponline77]

28i is fine, 35i is better. It probably depends more on what you are used to. The last 3 cars I have had all had 0 to 60s around 5.5 seconds. So, getting something in the high 6s feels a little slow comparatively. Given those were Fords and Subarus, I didn't want my first BMW feeling slower than those brands. However, if you are used to that acceleration and haven't been spoiled you'll be perfectly happy.

[drewxnyc]

I am coming off of a f10 535i into the x3 28i, I do feel a difference but after debating a little bit and weighing the pros and cons I ultimately went with 28i. I also am driving around a 6 month old baby girl around a lot more now so don't "zoom" around as much lol

[pookguy]

35i all the way. Coming from an e92 M3, I like my X3 just as much. Feels just as quick as my friend's dinan tuned 535. Though I'm considering a Jeep Wrangler now lol.

[MichiganMike]

Originally Posted by Polo08816

You're talking about peak TQ. It would be interesting to see the torque curve of both engines.

Automobile Magazine has published torque curves from dyno tests of both the N20 and N55 engines (although not tested in the X3).

http://www.automobilemag.com/feature..._dyno_results/

http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews...5is_dyno_test/

Approximate Torque for N20 and N55 engines at various RPMs from Automobile Mag dyno tests of 3 series
RPM N20 N55
1500 165 210
2000 220 275
2500 225 300
3000 240 280
3500 240 285
4000 240 280
4500 245 280
5000 230 270
5500 210 250
6000 185 225

[Polo08816]

Originally Posted by MichiganMike

Automobile Magazine has published torque curves from dyno tests of both the N20 and N55 engines (although not tested in the X3).

http://www.automobilemag.com/feature..._dyno_results/

http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews...5is_dyno_test/

Approximate Torque for N20 and N55 engines at various RPMs from Automobile Mag dyno tests of 3 series
RPM N20 N55
1500 165 210
2000 220 275
2500 225 300
3000 240 280
3500 240 285
4000 240 280
4500 245 280
5000 230 270
5500 210 250
6000 185 225

It seems like the peak difference/delta between the N20 and the N55 will actually be in the lower to mid RPMs. With that said, I'm guesstimating the average difference between the N20 and N55 to be about 50 ft-lbs across the entire torque curve. It's substantial.

[exon]

Originally Posted by Polo08816

It seems like the peak difference/delta between the N20 and the N55 will actually be in the lower to mid RPMs. With that said, I'm guesstimating the average difference between the N20 and N55 to be about 50 ft-lbs across the entire torque curve. It's substantial.

For turbo engines the low RPM dyno data may not be reliable unless tested the right way (variable load to keep the engine at a set low RPM to give time for the turbo to fully spool up).

Otherwise engine speed just shoot through the low RPM range even before achieving full torque.

You can see that from the fact that N20, N54 and N55 should all have flat torque from very low RPM (~1200rpm for N55 & N20, slightly higher for N54), but the charts have a very steep slope below 2000 RPM.

[Foozed]

Originally Posted by pookguy

35i all the way. Coming from an e92 M3, I like my X3 just as much. Feels just as quick as my friend's dinan tuned 535. Though I'm considering a Jeep Wrangler now lol.

And I'm now selling my 1 year old Wrangler to get into an xdrive35i that I just ordered

Wrangler is great but I need something that's more professional for clients.
It had been a blast and is a great car!

[The X Men]

Originally Posted by TJNies

I found myself pleasantly surprised with the 2.8. It is relatively quick, and I get over 27 mpg on the highway. More like 22 is mixed driving.

For future reference, the X3 28i has a I4 2.0L engine, not 2.8.

[TJNies]

Originally Posted by The X Men

For future reference, the X3 28i has a I4 2.0L engine, not 2.8.

yeah, I realize the engine size - was a reference to 2.8i model (as opposed to 2.8L)

[midwest 340xi 6sp]

Originally Posted by cdog

Thinking of getting an X3. I'm a little concerned the 4 cyl might be bogged down too much on the occasional camping trip - 4 people, gear, mountains, maybe towing a dinghy. This would only be a couple of times a year if that. A little slower I can live with but maybe not a lot (re: line of cars behind me).
Anybody have any feedback ?
Thanks

I drove an X3 28i for 3 years and found it peppy enough around town -and very smooth for a 4 pot. Now my wife has the N20 in her X4 and loves it (she's coming from E70 35i).

We're also not hauling much other than a couple big Labradors.

For me (under the situations you are describing) I'd have been happier with the 35i.

Strongly suggest you test drive them both. Shouldn't be hard to do.

[cdog]

I'm trying this again - this is the first I've been able to log in - computer issues - mainly operator error (I'm seriously BC)
Thanks for the input & support; I'm impressed. We decided on the x28i - ordered it last week - M Sport, Dynamic Handling, too much stuff to list. The 4cyl will be fine; the 8 speed should take care of the occasional load. Drove the 4 & 6 back to back - the 4 steps off nicely; the 6 is definitely faster but not necessary (for us). This will be a utility vehicle - no need for zooming. For that we've got an M Sport s28i X1 & an S2000. The X1 is impressive - same size as a Civic but w/240HP & rear drive - plus it's nice & crisp & gives better than 30MPG on trips. (The S2000 needs no explanation)