07-18-2011, 01:20 PM | #23 | |
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Take this for what it's worth, but I've been conversing with a BMW dealer here in the Greater Toronto Area. He told me that all 2012 X3 28i models will be receiving the N20 engine.
Looks like first production run is October. Hope this helps for people that are on the fence. EDIT: Here's his response: Quote:
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07-18-2011, 02:36 PM | #24 | |
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The X1 is much smaller than X3. |
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07-18-2011, 09:33 PM | #26 | |
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Frankly what makes a good luxury car engine in today's economy is a combination of refinement (nvh) and torque. And both are far easier to achieve with good fuel economy in a 4-cylinder turbocharged engine than a NA 6-cylinder engine. Snobbery can be so ignorant at times... |
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07-18-2011, 10:33 PM | #27 |
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I don't agree. Inline six engines are perfectly balanced and quite smooth. Fours are not, and balancing them (via balance shafts) introduces a lot of tradeoffs (starting with friction and impacting efficiency and power). I have owned about 5-6 turbo four cylinder engines over the years, and none of them can come close to the smoothness of BMW's legendary inline six. Some of those turbo fours have been quite impressive in terms of power, but none impressed me in terms of refinement. Several even failed to impress in terms of gas mileage (as an example, the turbo four in my Acura RDX is a gas hog and I see no real benefit to it compared to some of the V6 engines in Acura's other products).
I do believe BMW has nailed the efficiency aspect with the N20, but it would take a miracle for it to compete with the inline six for smoothness and refinement. That would be asking a lot from a blown four cylinder -- to the point of defying physics. It's hard to do better than a perfectly balanced engine like an inline six or a V-12. For me, it comes down to price in the case of BMW, which is a premium auto in my income bracket. I had no problem spending $55K on my Z4 with the inline six. I'd never pay that much for a turbo four, not even close. I wouldn't pay $45K for an X3 with a turbo four either. |
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07-19-2011, 12:18 AM | #28 | |
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In my home market, the best selling MB E-class is the E250, & that has a 1.8 turbo with performance that beats the E300. |
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07-19-2011, 08:58 AM | #29 |
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Therefore, the I6 on the 2nd generation X3 28i will be a "RARE" breed!!! For the next 5 years X3 will have this I4 and us "lucky" ones can brag of this bullet proof engine the I6 rather than a high maintainance I4. The 2011 X3 28i will be a "collectors item"!!! Just looking at the glass half full!!!
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07-19-2011, 09:12 AM | #30 | |
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07-19-2011, 09:24 AM | #32 |
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In my experience, the whole "better efficiency" claim for four cylinder turbos goes right out the window when driven in anything approaching an enthusiastic manner.
Better on the EPA test machines? You bet. Better in real life for actual B-Car owners? Nope. Likely only on long, steady state, highway trips. I'm leaning gently towards ordering an 11 the moment that it is announced that 12's will be equipped with the T4. But a lot of times when something is cancelled like the I6, people initially think it will become rare and coveted, and it turns out 5 years down the line that nobody wants anything to do with it. I doubt, however, that will ever be the case with the venerable I6 engine! |
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07-19-2011, 09:42 AM | #33 | |
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In comparing (on paper) the turbo N20 to the naturally aspirated 6-cylinder engine it replaces, the advantages are many: Quote: Zero-to-60 mph acceleration actually drops by 0.7 seconds, BMW says, to just 6.1 seconds. Average fuel consumption, as measured on the European cycle, improves by 5 miles per gallon to 30 mpg average. CO2 emissions drop by 35 grams per kilometer." That's not bad for a smaller, less-powerful engine, at least from a pure horsepower perspective. BMW's new turbo 2.0 puts out 241 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The virtue of the trade-off in horsepower and torque comes in the delivery. Both engines have nearly identical horsepower curves, but the four-cylinder peaks 2000 RPM earlier and holds it to redline, whereas the six didn't peak until the 7000 RPM redline. In fact, until 6000 RPM, the four-cylinder is actually making more power than the six at any given RPM. The torque curves are even more interesting. Where the six built up to its peak torque at 3000 rpm then tapered off slightly, the turbo four hits peak torque at 1300 RPM and holds it to 5000 RPM before tapering off.
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07-19-2011, 09:52 AM | #34 |
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Give me the 4. I've had the 6 in about 5 BMW's and the gas milage is at best average. Everyone is missing the importance of direct injection on the gas milage comparing it to 7 year old Honda technology. Gov't is mandating better gas milage so live with it as you really don't have an option. Why would they put a 4 in the car if it isn't going to get better milage (makes no sense at all)? The urbo 4 in our 2010 Clubman S is smooth and a blast to crank thru the gears so I have to assume the 2.0 will be even better. When gas is $5-6 bucks in a year or two good luck with your inline 6's. Great engine at high revs, smooth as hell, but without a stick you can't maximize that engine.
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07-19-2011, 10:01 AM | #35 | |
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07-19-2011, 12:52 PM | #36 |
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Not sure if anyone has seen the 2012 production schedule sticky post, but it appears as though its only 7 months of production ending in March 2013, makes you think there will be a mid year engine swap, not sure why they don't just start 2012 with the new i4, but it doesn't look like they are (otherwise why would they only have 7 months of production)? also interesting is that thread shows the 35i ends production in March as well, I can't see them changing that engine mid year.
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07-19-2011, 12:54 PM | #37 |
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For the N52, driving enthusiastically is a must as there's too much weight for the torque. For the N20, u can just probably let the torque do it's work & so at the end of the day u'll use less fuel.
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07-19-2011, 12:56 PM | #38 |
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My dealer is telling me the N20 is coming in the 2012 X3 28i starting some time this coming Fall.
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07-19-2011, 01:12 PM | #39 |
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BMW's German site stated the X1 28i will do 0-100 in 6.5s w/combined fuel consumption of 7.9l/100km & emissions of 183g/km of CO2. For the X3 28i (EU-spec w/258ps), 0-100 is done in 6.9s w/combined fuel consumption of 9l/100km & emissions of 210g/km of CO2. 1l/100km is not an inconsiderable sum in percentage terms & theoretically the range on a tank of fuel is extended by 100kms.
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07-19-2011, 01:15 PM | #40 | |
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07-19-2011, 02:42 PM | #41 | |
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11-14-2011, 08:21 PM | #44 |
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Should I complain that my 2012 28i X3 has a 6 cylinder engine?
Or is it just that many dealer employees don't know what they are talking about? Aprll/May 2012 might bring the engine change. |
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