Anyone got an X5 M50i?

[toasty]

I’m fed up with crappy roads in Surrey and am considering replacing my F10 M5 with an X5.

I hear the X5M is particularly thirsty even when compared with the M5. The 50e is a possibility but wonder it it’ll feel special enough. Any thoughts on the 50i?

[cerb4.5lee]

The 50i is properly rare, so I don't think many folk will have much experience of it.

I've test driven the 50e, and I didn't mind it, but the battery wasn't charged though, so I didn't get to experience the full experience really.

[toasty]

Thanks Lee. I’m getting that impression. Lots of 50es available but hardly any 50is.

[Wills2]

I can't see any X5 feeling special in that hunkered down, agile nuggety M car feel you get from the M saloons and coupes, I've had quite a few X5 45e and 50e loaners when my 7 series was in for work, and they are really nice and special in their own way but not M special.

The 50e is fine if you charge it but if you don't you're left with a very heavy and thirsty bus, the 40d is "the" engine for the X5 form factor IMO.

[toasty]

Wills2 said:

I can't see any X5 feeling special in that hunkered down, agile nuggety M car feel you get from the M saloons and coupes, I've had quite a few X5 45e and 50e loaners when my 7 series was in for work, and they are really nice and special in their own way but not M special.

The 50e is fine if you charge it but if you don't you're left with a very heavy and thirsty bus, the 40d is "the" engine for the X5 form factor IMO.

Thanks, I've been trying to find out rough mpg for 50e on motorway when it's out of battery. If it's mid 20s, it's no worse than mine. Otherwise it'd be charged 99% of the time and used for short journeys.

50i seems too rare to find a spec I'd want. X5M seems too brash. F90 M5 Comp won't fit up my drive as it's lower than my F10 which already scrapes if I don't go up it dead slow.

Maybe the F10 is closest to my perfect car and I should just keep it and put up with the speed humps/potholes.

[bmwmike]

Perhaps raise the height of your f10 by 5-10mm?

[Wills2]

I really liked my F10 M5, wonderful thing and cuts quite the svelte figure these days against the latest M5, I'd suggest the X3M for you to try as I had one of those as well but that has a very firm ride but would perhaps be a half way house.

I think the only thing that protects a car these days is tyre side wall and for that you have to look below the performance models, or if you're on 20" go to 19"

[kiethton]

Ours is a 45e but should be comparable to the facelift model, generally get somewhere around 30mpg sitting at 80mph on petrol in eco pro mode.

[bmwmike]

Wills2 said:

I really liked my F10 M5, wonderful thing and cuts quite the svelte figure these days against the latest M5, I'd suggest the X3M for you to try as I had one of those as well but that has a very firm ride but would perhaps be a half way house.

I think the only thing that protects a car these days is tyre side wall and for that you have to look below the performance models, or if you're on 20" go to 19"

yup, In the right colour inside and out, and ideally with LED headlights, I think they look great against an f90, or the latest thing.

[toasty]

kiethton said:

Ours is a 45e but should be comparable to the facelift model, generally get somewhere around 30mpg sitting at 80mph on petrol in eco pro mode.

Thanks, that'd be more than enough, I was fearing mid-teens given some of my research.

[toasty]

bmwmike said:

Perhaps raise the height of your f10 by 5-10mm?

The ride height isn't an issue for me but an F90 Comp probably would be if it's even lower.

The past 3 cars have been E46 M3, E92 M3 and the F10, which I've now had 7 years and fancy a change.

[bmwmike]

toasty said:

The ride height isn't an issue for me but an F90 Comp probably would be if it's even lower.

The past 3 cars have been E46 M3, E92 M3 and the F10, which I've now had 7 years and fancy a change.

Ah fair enough. You mentioned it scrapes on the drive if not going slow enough. I had a e46 that did that, my wife would always forget and slam it into the drive and would bang off the exhaust or something. I raised the height 10mm with metal plates and it was so much better. I realise raising the height of an M car is a bit against the grain, but our roads are third world in places. Ironically it was a third world rough road package that i ended up fitting to the e46.

What colour/spec is your f10 out of interest?

[Wills2]

bmwmike said:

Ironically it was a third world rough road package that i ended up fitting to the e46.

That's probably been renamed to the UK package.

[aussieal]

toasty said:

Thanks, that'd be more than enough, I was fearing mid-teens given some of my research.

For normal monthly use in my X5 45e, charging it two or three times a week at home (about £1.45 for a full charge overnight), the BMW app tells me I get around 60 mpg.

I've recently come back from Italy and on those longer runs once the battery is depleted (although it does regen quite a bit on a long run) the mpg suffers. But even factoring that in, for July and August it's returned on average 40mpg.

[toasty]

bmwmike said:

Ah fair enough. You mentioned it scrapes on the drive if not going slow enough. I had a e46 that did that, my wife would always forget and slam it into the drive and would bang off the exhaust or something. I raised the height 10mm with metal plates and it was so much better. I realise raising the height of an M car is a bit against the grain, but our roads are third world in places. Ironically it was a third world rough road package that i ended up fitting to the e46.

What colour/spec is your f10 out of interest?

Ha, my wife’s more careful than I am.

It’s a San Marino Blue Comp Pack

[Wills2]

I still think the interior is the best BMW have done, this my old one with the very lovely carbon trim.

[bmwmike]

toasty said:

Ha, my wife s more careful than I am.

It s a San Marino Blue Comp Pack

Very nice. SMB fairly rare on an f10 id have thought.

[Sixpackpert]

Love my 50e, as I did the 45e before it.

Only blemish on its record is that it has just had to have a new rear diff after 30,000miles from new. Car is only 20 months old.

[ZeroH]

If you want a higher riding M5 get an F85 X5M !

Much better ride quality than the F95 X5M and far sportier than an M50i

25-26mpg on a run and anyway with the cost difference you can fill it to go round the world !

[Stephen-733s2]

Does it have to be BMW? What about SQ7/8 or RSQ8?