BMW X3 Forum
BMW X3 Forum
Welcome to the ultimate BMW X3 community.
BMW Garage BMW Meets Register Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read
Post Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
      08-03-2012, 08:21 AM   #1
dudley07726
Private
4
Rep
96
Posts

Drives: 2012 X3
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: NJ

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
2013 Mercedes Benz ...  [0.00]
2012 X3  [0.00]
Consumer Reports rates 2013 X3 tops

Inthe current issue of CR, they rate the 2013 X3 #1 in its segment. They say the current turbo 4 isn't as refined as the old 6 cyl. They said that the stop/start sends a shutter through the car when it starts again.
Funny that they found the gas mileage with the new turbo 4 was on average only 1 mpg better than the previous 6 cyl. I am glad that I purchased the 2012 2.8. Got a great deal on it. I originally was going to wait for the turbo 4 because of the hype surrounding the better gas mileage but decided to go with the 2.8 6 cyl instead.
Appreciate 0
      08-03-2012, 08:42 AM   #2
Mingstar88
First Lieutenant
Canada
78
Rep
390
Posts

Drives: BMW X3 35i
Join Date: May 2011
Location: GTA

iTrader: (0)

oh man i currently have the turbo 4 loaner, it really isnt impressive. im glad i got the 35i. i dont mind the 2 more L/ 100km, sweet ride and sexier noise. Turning on Q5 2.0T and N20 engine turns me off
Appreciate 0
      08-03-2012, 08:55 AM   #3
jsbos
Private
United_States
0
Rep
70
Posts

Drives: 2012 BMW X3 28i
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Massachusetts

iTrader: (0)

I couldn't be more happy with my 2012 28i, naturally aspirated inline 6! I'm sure the turbo 4 is a great engine but the thought of it does turn me off a bit, as does the Q5.
Appreciate 0
      08-03-2012, 09:06 AM   #4
n55x3
Captain
72
Rep
876
Posts

Drives: n55 BMWs
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: us - ohio

iTrader: (0)

Good to hear. I think BMW definitely hit a home run with this little sport-ute, regardless of the engine choice.

With that being said, there's certainly some valid nostalgic feeling of that nice 3.0L. It was a gem of a motor.
Appreciate 0
      08-03-2012, 09:34 AM   #5
Teemo Panda
*Bimmerpost Plasti Dip Guru*
Teemo Panda's Avatar
United_States
81
Rep
1,174
Posts

Drives: E53, E46-M3, E70, F25-X3
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: New Jersey (NJ)

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
2013 BMW X3  [5.66]
Consumer reports always bish about that all BMWs aren't always refined. They seriously need to use other words than refined......
__________________
Appreciate 0
      08-03-2012, 10:01 AM   #6
epiphone3
Lieutenant Colonel
110
Rep
1,772
Posts

Drives: 2013 BMW X3 35i
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Calgary

iTrader: (0)

I had an X1 loaner 28i last year with the 2.0 liter turbo and was impressed with what the engine could do but hated the bland character. After that, I knew I wouldn't buy any BMW that had it so if I could afford a 6-cylinder, I'd have to consider other makes. Painful conclusion for a guy who has loved BMW since 1984.
Appreciate 0
      08-03-2012, 11:12 AM   #7
valeram
Major
37
Rep
1,413
Posts

Drives: 992 TTS, 991.2 GT3 T, F80 M3 C
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Dublin, OH

iTrader: (0)

It is just a confirmations on how I feel about the new gen X3. It caught my attentions the first time I've seen it. I can't say the same thing with the first gen X3.
Appreciate 0
      08-03-2012, 12:28 PM   #8
etelbot
ZitoHellada
etelbot's Avatar
Canada
3
Rep
37
Posts

Drives: '13 X3 35i Msport
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Montreal

iTrader: (0)

For those out there on the fence between an 28i and 35i and can fork over the extra cash you won't regret the 35i. You'd be hard pressed to find an engine out there that can match the performance with the fuel economy. After 3 months I'm still amazed and my mpg is increasing incrementally daily. And my foot is on the heavier side. I'm coming from a e92 328i (6 speed). As much as I thought I'd miss it from a driving and fuel efficiency standpoint, I cant say that I do, besides the occasional itch to row through gears.
__________________
There is no 'ctr' button on Chuck Norris' computer. Chuck Norris is always in control!
Appreciate 0
      08-03-2012, 09:32 PM   #9
Nahoa
Lieutenant Colonel
United_States
45
Rep
1,876
Posts

Drives: F25 35i Mineral Silver/Black
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Virginia

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by etelbot View Post
For those out there on the fence between an 28i and 35i and can fork over the extra cash you won't regret the 35i. You'd be hard pressed to find an engine out there that can match the performance with the fuel economy. After 3 months I'm still amazed and my mpg is increasing incrementally daily. And my foot is on the heavier side. I'm coming from a e92 328i (6 speed). As much as I thought I'd miss it from a driving and fuel efficiency standpoint, I cant say that I do, besides the occasional itch to row through gears.
__________________
Appreciate 0
      08-06-2012, 06:07 PM   #10
Professor///M
Brigadier General
Professor///M's Avatar
No_Country
817
Rep
3,341
Posts

Drives: 2022 M3, 2022 X5 40i;
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Northeast

iTrader: (5)

Garage List
I'm going to have to disagree.

I felt like the 2.0L engine was more than adequate - actually quite impressive. Impressive enough to save $4000 and the additional lost in MPGs and get the smaller engine.

The 2 things it lacks is a reasonable engine sound, and some fine tuning on the auto start/stop feature.

Have the N55 in my e90 and I thought I'd be sold on the same in the F25... but the difference just isn't significant enough for me to justify an additional $4K+.

I've had 2 vehicles with the previous inline-6 and i have mixed emotions with them. My first one felt fantastic, my second one felt sluggish and underpowered. It even had worse gas mileage than my N55!
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2012, 08:28 AM   #11
Mingstar88
First Lieutenant
Canada
78
Rep
390
Posts

Drives: BMW X3 35i
Join Date: May 2011
Location: GTA

iTrader: (0)

in Canada, 35i came with extra standard features such as 15 speakers instead of 5 and other stuff, so it was almost no brainer.
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2012, 08:56 AM   #12
Polar_Bimmer
Private First Class
Canada
14
Rep
166
Posts

Drives: 2011 BMW X3 (F25) xDrive 28i
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Québec city (Canada)

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mingstar88 View Post
...extra standard features such as 15 speakers instead of 5 ...
Not 5 but 7 speakers, there are 2 woofers under the front seats

And I'd rather have the atmospheric in line 6 instead the 4 turbo. 6 is the softest, have a most beautiful sound and proven reliability. I don't trust the reliability of the turbo engine, we will see in a few years what it is
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2012, 09:13 AM   #13
colson79
Second Lieutenant
7
Rep
221
Posts

Drives: 2012 X3 35i DSB
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Wisconsin

iTrader: (0)

I'm sure the turbo 4 is a great engine and if you are trying to keep the cost down on your X3 it is a great option. But it's not like the $4000 price difference is for the engine alone. There are a lot more standard features in the 35i for that extra $4000. If you add the missing feature to a 28i your not really saving much money. And the 2 mpg difference between the 28i and 35i will only gain you about 36 miles per tank of gas or about $6 worth of gas. I will gladly pay the extra $6 for the pure joy I get from the Turbo 6 in the 35i.
__________________
2012 X3 35i | Deep Sea Blue | Oyster |
Packages | Sports | Cold Weather | Cold Weather 2 | Premium | Technology | Premium Sound
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2012, 09:36 AM   #14
valeram
Major
37
Rep
1,413
Posts

Drives: 992 TTS, 991.2 GT3 T, F80 M3 C
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Dublin, OH

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by colson79 View Post
I'm sure the turbo 4 is a great engine and if you are trying to keep the cost down on your X3 it is a great option. But it's not like the $4000 price difference is for the engine alone. There are a lot more standard features in the 35i for that extra $4000. If you add the missing feature to a 28i your not really saving much money. And the 2 mpg difference between the 28i and 35i will only gain you about 36 miles per tank of gas or about $6 worth of gas. I will gladly pay the extra $6 for the pure joy I get from the Turbo 6 in the 35i.
Amen.
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2012, 10:30 AM   #15
Professor///M
Brigadier General
Professor///M's Avatar
No_Country
817
Rep
3,341
Posts

Drives: 2022 M3, 2022 X5 40i;
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Northeast

iTrader: (5)

Garage List
Quote:
Originally Posted by colson79 View Post
I'm sure the turbo 4 is a great engine and if you are trying to keep the cost down on your X3 it is a great option. But it's not like the $4000 price difference is for the engine alone. There are a lot more standard features in the 35i for that extra $4000. If you add the missing feature to a 28i your not really saving much money. And the 2 mpg difference between the 28i and 35i will only gain you about 36 miles per tank of gas or about $6 worth of gas. I will gladly pay the extra $6 for the pure joy I get from the Turbo 6 in the 35i.
Actually it is for the engine alone... even at the base price! Sure the 35i gets more standard features but at the end of the day if you equip them the same, you get the same math every time:

Identically equipped, fully loaded, X3s differ by exactly $3900. Which, not surprisingly, is the differential between a fully loaded F30 328xi and 335xi

If you're not comparing apples and apples, sure you can get a stripped down 35i for the same price, even less than a loaded 28i. Price differential at base is $5100 not $3900 for an X3 - and nearly $6000 for an F30.

So yes, you are saving $4000 on the engine alone... and for the extra 600lbs it adds as well, there is limited value in that additional 60hp and 40tq in an SUV. I can't disagree that the N55 puts a smile on anyone's face, but it's more of a smirk compared to the smile that you get from a 800lb lighter sedan or coupe.

But that's the beauty of car companies, people can choose what they value more. I'd rather not waste $4000 on an engine in an SUV if the base one is adequate at highway passing speeds. If you feel that it's worth it to you, or got a fantastic deal on one, that's fantastic - I went into the dealership thinking I'd get the one with the N55 too as I love mine in my e90 - but I found the N20 not only impressive, but the better value to me.
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2012, 12:04 PM   #16
colson79
Second Lieutenant
7
Rep
221
Posts

Drives: 2012 X3 35i DSB
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Wisconsin

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by PAMidge View Post
Actually it is for the engine alone... even at the base price! Sure the 35i gets more standard features but at the end of the day if you equip them the same, you get the same math every time:

Identically equipped, fully loaded, X3s differ by exactly $3900. Which, not surprisingly, is the differential between a fully loaded F30 328xi and 335xi

If you're not comparing apples and apples, sure you can get a stripped down 35i for the same price, even less than a loaded 28i. Price differential at base is $5100 not $3900 for an X3 - and nearly $6000 for an F30.

So yes, you are saving $4000 on the engine alone... and for the extra 600lbs it adds as well, there is limited value in that additional 60hp and 40tq in an SUV. I can't disagree that the N55 puts a smile on anyone's face, but it's more of a smirk compared to the smile that you get from a 800lb lighter sedan or coupe.

But that's the beauty of car companies, people can choose what they value more. I'd rather not waste $4000 on an engine in an SUV if the base one is adequate at highway passing speeds. If you feel that it's worth it to you, or got a fantastic deal on one, that's fantastic - I went into the dealership thinking I'd get the one with the N55 too as I love mine in my e90 - but I found the N20 not only impressive, but the better value to me.
This is just not true. If you take a base 28i and add just a couple of single options such as sun roof and adaptive xenon's which are included with the 35i you are only about $2800 apart and the 35i includes a few more items that you can't just add to the 28i.
__________________
2012 X3 35i | Deep Sea Blue | Oyster |
Packages | Sports | Cold Weather | Cold Weather 2 | Premium | Technology | Premium Sound

Last edited by colson79; 08-07-2012 at 12:47 PM..
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2012, 01:43 PM   #17
lbjgh
Lieutenant Colonel
lbjgh's Avatar
Canada
104
Rep
1,511
Posts

Drives: 2013 AW X3 M-Sport
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: North of Toronto

iTrader: (0)

The moonroof is a $1800 option on the 35i in Canada. ...just saying.
__________________
2013, AW, xDrive35i, M Sport Package, Technology Package, Dynamic Comfort Package, Premium Package, 3M Clear Bra, Euro foglight switch, a few coded fixes
Appreciate 0
      08-07-2012, 02:03 PM   #18
n55x3
Captain
72
Rep
876
Posts

Drives: n55 BMWs
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: us - ohio

iTrader: (0)

I'd argue that the N20 equipped F30 isn't much different feeling than an N55 equipped F30 (5.1 vs 5.7 0-60)

While having the N55 in the X3 you see a much larger performance discrepancy between the N20 X3 (5.5 vs 6.6 0-60)

So in my opinion the heavier X3 really shines when coupled with the N55. It's a harder argument for the N55 3 series though.
Appreciate 0
      08-10-2012, 12:47 PM   #19
Akview
Enlisted Member
4
Rep
46
Posts

Drives: 2013 X3 28i 2018 530i
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Anchorage

iTrader: (0)

Garage List
2013 X3 28i  [0.00]
28i is refined

I have well over 2000 mile now on my 2013 28i and I find that it is a very refined 4 cylinder, in fact it is so quite I once left it running by mistake while out to dinner. It idled cool and quite. I suppose if you need the heavy sound to enrich your ride you might want to get the larger engine but my MPG around town rarely drops below 20.5 and usually runs over 21 with stop and go driving with more power than I can use. The auto shut off is hard to get used to but I think I may look into changing that as the default if not, just get used to pushing an extra button every time I start out.

All in all ConsummerReports had it right making me feel great about my choice. They seemed favor the great mileage that is actually better than they experienced and the only time I notice the sound of the four cylinder is with windows down running in a garage with the door open of course

Looking forward to seeing how it handles in the winter but when it comes to summer I have power to spare and a firm sporty feel.
Appreciate 0
      08-11-2012, 11:41 AM   #20
slam
Enlisted Member
Canada
0
Rep
48
Posts

Drives: 2013 BMW X3
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Toronto

iTrader: (0)

After nearly 5,000 miles there is no doubt the 2.8 is the right choice for our family. The extra power is nice, but how much is enough? Approx. 1 second faster and slight worse mileage justify nearly $5,000 CDN is vehicles?

The logic of greater standard options of the 3.5 assumes you don't order any other packages. Most people order at least 2 of the Executive, Premium and Technology packages. With little difference on the model package prices, you still have approx the same $5,000 difference.
__________________
SLAM

Appreciate 0
      08-11-2012, 01:27 PM   #21
Beyu
Lieutenant
United_States
13
Rep
579
Posts

Drives: 135i
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: WA

iTrader: (0)

I believe prior to the turbo 4 the price difference between the 28i and 35i was also slightly lower. In the last 1 or 2 model years BMW changed some of the packages around and made the gap between both models wider.
Appreciate 0
      08-18-2012, 11:15 PM   #22
denrusso
Private
United_States
7
Rep
71
Posts

Drives: 2013 X3 xDrive28i
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: NY

iTrader: (0)

YVMV - I test drove both the 35i and the 28i 2013 model year. I honestly prefer the 28i. I'm coming from a 400hp subie WRX - I appreciate a good band of acceleration. I'm sorry but the price difference does not justify the minimal increase between the two. Maybe I'm missing something or maybe my 35i test drive wasn't on a good track. All I know is after taking out the 28i, I looked over to my CA and exclaimed 'this is the 4?!'.

Bottom line is test drive both and pick what you like best!

Also, I keep reading that people mention that they like the engine noise - aren't you actually hearing the exhaust??


Thanks,
dr
Appreciate 0
Post Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:04 AM.




xbimmers
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
1Addicts.com, BIMMERPOST.com, E90Post.com, F30Post.com, M3Post.com, ZPost.com, 5Post.com, 6Post.com, 7Post.com, XBimmers.com logo and trademark are properties of BIMMERPOST