First Time BMW Owner, 2017 x5 ... I'm Hooked! How does a 2011 550i compair?

[Metsfan302]

If only I would of found my love for BMW's sooner!

This 47 yo kid at heart just about a month ago purchased at 2017 X5 x35i and wow, love it! Has about 50k miles on it super clean... My wife loves it, she just would not go for any m or m- comp x3 / x5 etc... says it looks like a duck, or roller skate -- So I'm most def going to go with some standard upgrades - tune/ pipes etc.. and really absorb the info out here. Just need to get this puppy to wake up a bit and be more like a stock m m/comp version of mine..

I think I just have the "new to me car gas" or something, but I almost want to buy this 2011 BMW 550i …. Seems a solid vehicle but just unsure how it will feel to drive vs what we just bought.

Thanks
Eric in Delaware

[jiggz]

Originally Posted by Metsfan302

If only I would of found my love for BMW's sooner!

This 47 yo kid at heart just about a month ago purchased at 2017 X5 x35i and wow, love it! Has about 50k miles on it super clean... My wife loves it, she just would not go for any m or m- comp x3 / x5 etc... says it looks like a duck, or roller skate -- So I'm most def going to go with some standard upgrades - tune/ pipes etc.. and really absorb the info out here. Just need to get this puppy to wake up a bit and be more like a stock m m/comp version of mine..

I think I just have the "new to me car gas" or something, but I almost want to buy this 2011 BMW 550i …. Seems a solid vehicle but just unsure how it will feel to drive vs what we just bought.

Thanks
Eric in Delaware

Welcome to the forum. There's lots of performance upgrades out there for the N55 inline 6 you've got... try searching the forum to uncover all sorts of info.

With that said the 35i with performance upgrades will never come close to an X5M, those vehicles are in a different league. But I'm sure with some performance upgrades you'll be plenty happy with the 35i.

Regarding that 2011 550i... my advice is stay far away from it. That has the original version of the N63 V8, the same one I had in my 2012 X5 50i. That motor is a absolute maintenance nightmare, BMW even lost a class action lawsuit over that engine (Google Bang vs. BMW).

[tfunk88]

I def would recommend staying away from a pre-N63TU vehicle. Not sure what year 550i got the TU, but it was after 2011

[Qsilver7]

If you want an f10/f11 with a V8….I would recommend to start with the 2014 model years…that’s when the 5 series got the N63TU engine (aka N63B44O1).

[Dking078]

I have barely entered into the F15 world from an E53 4.8is, but also have had 3 F10 550i's (All N63TU)

The F15, much like an F10 will handle vastly different depending on what is on the option list.

The V8 definitely packs a punch, but in all honesty, if you can live with "okay" acceleration, 535i all day. The only caveat to it is that finding a 535i with a solid option list is annoyingly hard compared to a 550i. (Hence why I kept buying 550i's).

In terms of handling, if your X has M adaptive suspension, UNLESS you get a 550i with dynamic drive it will feel more sporty / increased NVH. Now if by the grace of god you get a F10 with Adaptive Drive (Standard on 11-13, optional 14+ @ $3500), it will blow the F15 out of the water in terms of comfort and on demand sportiness. This option makes my other (Non-AD equipped) F10s feel like crap.

But most of all, if you don't want to hate life, get a 2014+ with the N63TU engine. Or better yet, if you want the most bullet proof F10 550i, get a 2016. That's when they fixed the HPFP and injector issues "recall".

[Metsfan302]

Thank You. I'm def going to pull back on jumping into something I know nothing about. (did that with an Audi All-Road back in the day...)

Thanks for the info, I am certainly going to have to do some deep-dive reading on things to avoid - model years, etc