Two questions (for @kezo and @BigDave) whilst waiting for my next X5 test drive. If I don’t get wowed by the M60i, but decide that I’m still going to get an X5 (as long as the comfort seats are better for my sciatica than the sport ones), I will opt for the 40d. I’ve done the sums and it will cost me £3k more than the 30d, but I will get pretty much all of that difference back at resale, so it would be rude not to! My questions are as follows; @kezo I’m down to only around 9,000 miles a year now, hence why diesel hasn’t been top of my list. I’m also mindful of potential dpf issues. Once a week I do a 20 mile (each way) motorway run at around 75mph. Other journeys are usually 12 miles each way, of which 8 are on the motorway. Will the 20 miles each way at 75mph be sufficient to prevent any dpf issues? A Google AI search says yes, but I know that you are knowledgeable about these things. @BigDave I’ve had a few diesel 5 Series saloons, including a 2010 530d company car, and remember it being a decent sounding engine, especially when giving it some beans! Unfortunately my local BMW dealer doesn’t have a 40d X5 demonstrator. Would you describe the engine sound from your X6 40d as being ‘still obviously a diesel’ or, along with the combination of the sports exhaust (that I’d have on the M Sport Pro), does it have more of a ‘meaty’ sound? It might seem like a daft question, but I hate diesels that sound like diesels, as our last few VW diesels did, and I want a car that sounds good, whilst we are still allowed to enjoy them!
Whilst my hearing and sound perception isn’t optimal, the 40D is certainly very refined and certainly not ‘tractor like’ noise wise. I can certainly tell the difference between an X6 40d and a New Holland! I can even tell it apart from the similar BMW engine in the Grenadier due to less noise absorbant material in the Grenadier along with its vehicle dynamics.
Infact the X6 40d is pretty refined and a couple of passengers occasionally asked if it was a petrol or diesel. I suppose under very hard acceleration you can tell, but in normal driving, to me it is not discernable. However, I rarely drive vehicles with petrol engines.
As for dpf problems. Mine was (and the new one will again) be used as a sort of ‘Sunday best’ vehicle. By which I mean it was/will be parked up in one of the farm sheds and given a weekly or fortnightly run out. Probably down to the cattle mart in Northallerton or Thirsk (40/50 miles round trip on country roads). The similar engined Grenadier does a lot more shorter runs without issue.
The X6 only got really long runs when either my brother in law borrowed it to tour Scotland, or I was going to/from Heathrow three or four times per year. Never had an dpf issues at all.