Poor man's 50i?

[Blackhawks]

I've already determined that a 50i is out of my budget... however, I will have the ability to incrementally upgrade a 35i to suit my power hungry needs. For those that have tuned their 35i (assuming I will ultimately have the ability to two options) which two options would you recommend to run concurrently and which would you install first?

MPPK
Dinan
RC Ultimate
JB4

I know the perfect scenario would be to get a 50i but I don't want the additional monthly payments to impact house purchases/refinancing and would rather mod as my budget allows.

Thanks guys...

[HMN]

Most of the guys that have got the 35i either go for Dinan or JB4.
Heres a thread where the JB4 has been installed and its review:
http://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1129993

r33_RGSport would help you better.
Personally I've driven the stock 35i and it needs more work. I think even a race chip might be enough instead of going all the way to full tuning, and it's cheaper.
Best of luck.

[Blackhawks]

Thanks... I appreciate the info and I've read most of the threads on the topic but there isn't much info about running two concurrently.

Thanks,
Brian

[JDoc]

I am running MPPK with BMS stage 1 however I don't really like the way BMS stage 1 delivers its power. It has a decent bit of power but the delivery is not very refined in the sense that the lower gear changes are kind of rough (second to third most notably). I believe Alan l. is running MPPK with Racechip maybe he can chime in on this as well.

[Kzang]

Talk to Alan. he is running MPPK and RC Ultimate. He is coming from a 550i for comparison.

[capitalst]

JB4 stage two all day long. Cheaper and smooth like butter. I love the power that comes from this tune. Night and day.

[puckybadger]

either its a 50i or it isn't. if you must have the performance as I did, and money is an issue, do what I did, buy used. I bought my 2014 F15 50i w/sport pkg with 6000 miles for 66k, MSRP 77345. I see some builds with the 35i that approach the same msrp and wonder.

[Blackhawks]

Originally Posted by puckybadger

either its a 50i or it isn't. if you must have the performance as I did, and money is an issue, do what I did, buy used. I bought my 2014 F15 50i w/sport pkg with 6000 miles for 66k, MSRP 77345. I see some builds with the 35i that approach the same msrp and wonder.

Buying used is not an option for me. I need a third row with the M Sport package and adaptive suspension. Those don't exist on dealer lots.

[Blackhawks]

Originally Posted by Kzang

Talk to Alan. he is running MPPK and RC Ultimate. He is coming from a 550i for comparison.

Yeah I've read most of his threads and its definitely useful information. He's been an awesome resource at answering questions, as well. I'm wondering why there aren't more Dinan tunes out there... it can't be the cost as it technically(and theoretically based on stats) blows away the MPPK for about a grand more.

[Kzang]

50i is nice to have and if cost was no issue... I would get it.. but in reality the reliability of the V8, along with the fuel consumption, and overall cost to use it brings me to a 35i. Also buying used means you are limited to certain options... not appealing to me.

Blackhawk,

This is my own opinion only but people are getting the wrong idea about Dinan.. yes they are warrantied but not by BMW.. but MPPK is. I think this may be one of the reasons why people choose MPPK over Dinan.
I have read some horror stories of dinan not backing up their product in some cases.

[Kzang]

Originally Posted by Blackhawks

Buying used is not an option for me. I need a third row with the M Sport package and adaptive suspension. Those don't exist on dealer lots.

+1 on the upgraded suspension. Power is nothing without handling.

[WilliCO]

OP, have you considered a 35d? I'm going through the same decision process and people are telling me that the low end torque that the diesel engine provides is a nice tonic for the addiction to V8 torque that we all have.

I'm not sure where I will go with it, but it does occur to me that the feeling of strength I got from my V8 E60 from stop to about 50 MPH had a lot to do with my enjoyment of that car. I had less occasion to leg it out to 110, so the high-RPM sacrifice of the diesel might not register much to me.

Performance chips for the 35d are out there too, though I'm not sure I would entrust the longevity of my engine to a $399 tune on any engine.

[Blackhawks]

Originally Posted by Alan l.

MPPK and RC Ultimate so far has been very satisfying combo for me. Says a lot coming from a JB tuned LCI 550 with over 500hp/tq.

It won't be as fast as a 50i in a straight line and it never could be. The performance gap between the two engines is just insane but my combo on the 35i is still very rewarding in other ways. Its better than my F10 550 at:

Throttle response - I'm not sure how much of this has to do with the MPPK but I would wager a lot of it is. My X5 has much better and instant throttle response compared to my 550. The transmission is less eager to up shift out of its power band and is always in the right gear ready to go in an instant. This is HUGE for me. My 550 always had a slight lag when you romp on the throttle before it would blast off like a rocket ship where as my combo now there is no delay at all. Yes the surge isn't as insane but with my family in the car 99.9% of the time and all the local driving i'm doing the tuned 35i combo is plenty fast enough for me.

Engine sound/character - Not sure if its any different in the F15 but talk to any F10 550 owner and they will tell you the N63TU sounds weak stock. As powerful as it is the engine just doesn't make ANY sound besides sounding like a weak air pump. This is a major disappointment for me. I had to get a louder exhaust just so the car felt sportier while driving it. Now with my MPPK 35i this is one silky smooth sporty sounding car. I don't know if the F15 have that active sound thing where it pumps fake engine noise into the cabin but I am very surprised just how much engine sound you hear from the F15. There is always some engine soundtrack playing and it sounds very very good imo. This adds to the sporty overall feeling I love about the F15. Again i have a feeling this has something to do with the MPPK tune because i know that alters the way the exhaust sounds as well. This was one of the first things i noticed about the F15 when i picked it up. I was impressed and very surprised how good it sounded and this was before I installed the M performance exhaust which just adds to it even more. Its nice to have some engine noise AND exhaust noise imo. For me it makes my driving more pleasurable.

Reliability - There is no denying that the N55 is BMW's bread and butter engine. Its the most widely used motor in his highest volume cars and its at the end of its production cycle which means its at its best form now. If you search around you will notice that a lot of N63 motors have massive issues down the road. The N63TU used in the F15 is an updated motor which is suppose to resolve some of the issues the N63 had but overall engine is still the same. Its so bad that BMW themselves had to offer a N63 engine recall service campaign for its customers. If you lease then its not a big deal but for me there is a chance that this X5 will be around for awhile so the N55 is the engine to have. I know several friends that work at BMW as techs and they all say the same thing about the TTV8 Bmw engines.

I can't stress enough just how much the MPPK does for this car. It alters things that piggybacks just can't do like throttle response, transmission shift points, exhaust and engine sounds. Its not just about peak power numbers but in my case I have the best of both worlds. Not to mention that from all the reviews i've read about the MPPK tune they all seem to indicate that its underrated by BMW.

Now with all that being said it comes down to what matters to you. If you like to drag race anyone that lines up next to you at the light then get the 50i. There is no denying just how much faster it is even compared to the most modded 35i. Under normal /spirited driving instances my combo is plenty enough for me.

Alan

Thanks for the info, Alan. It's definitely helpful. I just realized that I did not include the reliability issues with the V8 and thanks for mentioning that.

Living in Chicago I'm rarely able to get the engine opened wide, but I like knowing it's there when i want it. The MPPK is sounding better and better, especially if it can be installed before I take delivery. I was perplexed why the numbers were so low for such a high cost... but it's good to hear that they were pretty conservatively rated.

Being a city living single dad with two young boys (4&6) I won't need a monster that can't stretch it's legs often... but having that nice low end torque to teach a young Civic driving punk a lesson is nice, too.

[Blackhawks]

Originally Posted by WilliCO

OP, have you considered a 35d? I'm going through the same decision process and people are telling me that the low end torque that the diesel engine provides is a nice tonic for the addiction to V8 torque that we all have.

I'm not sure where I will go with it, but it does occur to me that the feeling of strength I got from my V8 E60 from stop to about 50 MPH had a lot to do with my enjoyment of that car. I had less occasion to leg it out to 110, so the high-RPM sacrifice of the diesel might not register much to me.

Performance chips for the 35d are out there too, though I'm not sure I would entrust the longevity of my engine to a $399 tune on any engine.

The thought crossed my mind for a minute, but I honestly don't have any experience with a diesel. It's something I'd have to research much more...

Thanks for the thought.

[twelve535i]

Originally Posted by Blackhawks

Thanks for the info, Alan. It's definitely helpful. I just realized that I did not include the reliability issues with the V8 and thanks for mentioning that.

Living in Chicago I'm rarely able to get the engine opened wide, but I like knowing it's there when i want it. The MPPK is sounding better and better, especially if it can be installed before I take delivery. I was perplexed why the numbers were so low for such a high cost... but it's good to hear that they were pretty conservatively rated.

Being a city living single dad with two young boys (4&6) I won't need a monster that can't stretch it's legs often... but having that nice low end torque to teach a young Civic driving punk a lesson is nice, too.

I seriously considered a 50 because I wanted a V8. It would of been my first, so the idea of a monster engine in a family hauler was very intriguing. When I built the the 35 and 50, they price difference was around 10k, so I had to ask myself if it would actually be worth it. I'm with my family most of the time, so I'm not going to be able to use the power. Even when I'm driving alone, I'll never be able to open up the car without hitting a red light, pothole, or traffic. Why spend the extra cash to drive bumper to bumper on the highway at 15mph?

You should go for the MPPK. It seems the general opinion is that the power is underrated. It looks like instead of 320hp, you get 330. That still doesn't account for the 0.5 second 0-60 time reduction. That must be where the throttle response comes in. Coming from a N55, I can tell you there's some throttle lag and the power doesn't seem instant. Just for the improved throttle repsonse, I would get the MPPK.

[WilliCO]

Originally Posted by twelve535i

You should go for the MPPK. It seems the general opinion is that the power is underrated. It looks like instead of 320hp, you get 330. That still doesn't account for the 0.5 second 0-60 time reduction. That must be where the throttle response comes in. Coming from a N55, I can tell you there's some throttle lag and the power doesn't seem instant. Just for the improved throttle repsonse, I would get the MPPK.

Objectively speaking, the MPPK puts the X5 into the mid or high 5s on 0-60. That performance leads the class in 6 cylinder SUVs and is right there with the pre-2015 V8 Cayenne S. It's faster than the pre-turbo E70 V8 X5 and faster than the old 4.6is, which at the time they were marketing as a wild monster.

It does make a tough business case for the 5.0 - I felt the very same way about the F10 when I leased a 535 and, for the record, I've never felt like that car lacked any power.

[MattBianco]

Originally Posted by WilliCO

OP, have you considered a 35d? I'm going through the same decision process and people are telling me that the low end torque that the diesel engine provides is a nice tonic for the addiction to V8 torque that we all have.

I'm not sure where I will go with it, but it does occur to me that the feeling of strength I got from my V8 E60 from stop to about 50 MPH had a lot to do with my enjoyment of that car. I had less occasion to leg it out to 110, so the high-RPM sacrifice of the diesel might not register much to me.

Performance chips for the 35d are out there too, though I'm not sure I would entrust the longevity of my engine to a $399 tune on any engine.

Originally Posted by Blackhawks

The thought crossed my mind for a minute, but I honestly don't have any experience with a diesel. It's something I'd have to research much more...

Thanks for the thought.

The 35d is already faster than the 35i 0-40, and comparable to 50mph http://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1121787 Chipped, it can be even more thrilling though it will never be a 50i. The torque and rumble when you floor it from a stop have more of a V8 feel than the 35i. Having tested all three, it was down to d or 50i. With wife being the primary driver, and considering total emissions and mpg, I opted for a heavily options d. At the end, for an SUV, the performance is quite nice regardless of engine (hold 25d). Not having to rev high to get power is more noticeable in d and 50i. The 35i is superior to d in acceleration from normal freeway speeds to higher speeds. If a chip alleviates that for a d, then the choice becomes even more complicated.

[Ashot12]

Great thread.

[Babs]

Originally Posted by Ashot12

Great thread.

+1

[42pilot]

Originally Posted by MattBianco

The 35d is already faster than the 35i 0-40, and comparable to 50mph http://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1121787 Chipped, it can be even more thrilling though it will never be a 50i. The torque and rumble when you floor it from a stop have more of a V8 feel than the 35i. Having tested all three, it was down to d or 50i. With wife being the primary driver, and considering total emissions and mpg, I opted for a heavily options d. At the end, for an SUV, the performance is quite nice regardless of engine (hold 25d). Not having to rev high to get power is more noticeable in d and 50i. The 35i is superior to d in acceleration from normal freeway speeds to higher speeds. If a chip alleviates that for a d, then the choice becomes even more complicated.

A chipped 35d for city makes sense to me. Take the torque over hp any day in that type of environment, especially when the 35d can average 28mpg-ish around town and +30 highway. In the winter, in Chicago, you might have to wait 2 extra seconds for the glow plugs if it sits outside.

You need to drive them back to back on your own to make a good decision. Have one of the site sponsors send you a loaner chip and take the 35d for a day (my dealer let me take mine overnight) and see what its really like.

[Ray knight]

i went from 50i to 35d with racechip. the "D" is a beast with the chip! so much effortless torque and gets average 28-32mpg. i love it. i really liked the rocket 50i but it was a real gas hog. the diesel goes around 700 miles per tank. and right now diesel is cheaper than premium. the off the line torque from the racechip 35d feels higher than the 50i. its very fun to drive. pulls hard at every shift.

[Ray knight]

also another cool point for the 35D. mine now has 10k on it and i can swipe my hand inside the exhaust tips and they are totally clean. no black at all. its pretty damn amazing how clean they run. Also if you have the racechip, your 0-50 times are actually going to hold their own against many sports cars! when anyone has to tell the story of getting smoked by a diesel SUV ...... game over