X5 35d vs. X5 35i

[JoshuaKM]

Hey everyone,

I am getting close to pulling the trigger on an X5. I have driven the X5 35i and have been told that the 35d is a superior vehicle in terms of low-end torque, gas mileage, etc. For those owners of the 35d (or those who have taken it out for a test drive) I was wondering if you could share your thoughts on the car. Thanks!!!

Here's my build by the way.... can't believe how fast all of these options add up!

http://www.bmwusa.com/standard/conte...tionId=5449780

[Overtaxed]

Originally Posted by JoshuaKM

Hey everyone,

I am getting close to pulling the trigger on an X5. I have driven the X5 35i and have been told that the 35d is a superior vehicle in terms of low-end torque, gas mileage, etc. For those owners of the 35d (or those who have taken it out for a test drive) I was wondering if you could share your thoughts on the car. Thanks!!!

Here's my build by the way.... can't believe how fast all of these options add up!

http://www.bmwusa.com/standard/conte...tionId=5449780

First, to your question. I had a 35i, 35d and a 50 for extended test drives. The 35d is what I settled on; it has very good "punch" from a standstill, feels faster than it really is (both of them because of all the torque) and, of course, gets great gas mileage. It feels faster and more capable of propelling the X5 along than the 35i IMHO.

The 50 is a beast. It's also a machine of contradictions. Fast as a sports car, but up in the air like an SUV. Decided against it because I don't want my truck to be faster than my car. Also the gas mileage, if you drive it like you should if you pay for that engine, is simply awful. Some people get single digits driving it hard in traffic. I don't really care about the gas prices (as nobody should when looking at a vehicle like this) but my wife (primary driver of the X5) hates stopping for fuel.

The increase in cost between the 35i and 35d is not that big; mileage is quite a bit better and, for 99% of the driving you'll do (not at crazy high RPMs on the engine) it's more responsive and fun to drive. Again, all IMHO.

Now, to your build. A recommendation I would make; drop the lighting package and add either the ivory white or mocha interior design package. If you've never seen them in person, let me tell you, they totally change the character of the truck. The lighting package is nice too, but, IMHO, if you're trying to stay at the same cost, drop that and add either mocha or ivory, they are simply stunning and make the car look so much more expensive when you get in it! It looks like you have most of it in there already (leather dash and nappa leather) so it's not a big increase in cost. Actually, I'm not sure what else it changes, but, having seen it, I'd highly recommend it.

The other really expensive option that's very cool is the ACC stop/go. That gives you surround view, which, if you have to do any tight parking, is pretty awesome. It looks like you can get that as an individual option as well, you might want to see it before you don't purchase it, especially if you have parking issues.

Looks like an awesome build, I'm sure you're going to love it. Get your dealer to let you take a 35d home for the night, that will give you a much better feel for the car/engine combo and make sure you like it. Also, make sure you have a local gas station that sells diesel. It's no problem to get on long trips, but can be a PITA in the some locations to get it locally.

[JoshuaKM]

Awesome reply Overtaxed!!!

I actually am considering the luxury seating package, but I'm concerned about the aesthetics... the ivory seating package makes EVERYTHING white, and the mocha package (obviously) makes everything black & brown. I really like the contrast of the black/ivory standard dakota leather seating... but I agree that the luxury seating uses better materials... # firstworldproblems.

Did anyone cross-shop the Range Rover Sport? It's amazing but when you option out the X5 like you should it comes out to about 75k... a similar V6 Range Rover Sport comes out to about 77-78k... not a big price difference. Just curious what people think about both vehicles. If I settle on the X5 I'll definitely go diesel.

[Overtaxed]

Find a dealer that has the mocha or ivory package and go look at it. That's what sold me on the X5 (seriously), until I saw one configured like that it was out of the running. It looks awesome. I wish they had a lighter color that wasn't as light as ivory (which I didn't get because I thought it would get too dirty) but lighter than mocha. But, I'm telling you, if you like high end interiors, you'll absolutely flip over the design packages. And, IMHO, they are reasonably priced for how much nicer they make the car look. Takes it from a "truck" to a full on luxury vehicle. My other car is a Jag XJL, and, let me say, with the exception of the headliner (which is nicer in the Jag), the X5 is running right with that interior.

Yes, I had a RR Sport SC for a few days on an extended test drive. It's a really nice truck. It's also ridiculous, especially in the supercharged trim. Another one where you shake your head and wonder "why does this thing exist??"..

Anyway, comparisons. The RR sport felt faster, even than the V8 X5. It's also ferociously thirsty. Wife and I drove it hard to the mall (about 20 miles away, 40 miles round trip). Hard, but not, "1/4 mile run at every stoplight". We got 7MPG over that trip. 7. Yeah, that was pretty incredibly bad. I'm pretty convinced, in that truck, if you put your foot to the floor and let it get to 80-100MPH, you just burned a gallon of gas.

The RR sport interior is not as nice as the X5 with the design package. The full size RR is nicer (it's just like my Jag), but that's in another price category. The BMW is much more performance oriented and more fun to drive in any trim; it's more connected to the road and feels more like a sports car. The RR just felt "FAST" not "sporty".

The RR is going to be somewhere between "better" and "a whole lot better" offroad. It has a full air suspension and can lift/lower itself pretty significantly (inches) to adjust for terrain. It also has lots of different programs for differing road/terrain conditions. We drove it on the beach, which wasn't much of a challenge, but it felt secure and "happy" even when I punched the gas and made it lose traction.

The RR (and Jag) electronics are from the stone age compared to the X5. Pretty much, that's all there is to say here. A lot of the options in the X5 (stuff like HUD, surround view, etc) just don't exist in the RR.

The RR simply cannot be leased by anyone who's sane with money. The residual is atrocious only tempered by the money factor that's even worse. The X5 leased out close to 600/mo cheaper than the RR sport with a similar MSRP.

Nobody is discounting the RR sport very much, if at all.

One thing (who knows how long this will last), used RR sports cost more than new ones (because of the CPO warranty they can put on it). So, you can buy one today and sell it back to the dealer in 6 months and not take much/any loss at all. This is obviously a market distortion, but, if it's something you'd like to do, it might be of interest.

I can't think of much else, but, if you have any questions, please ask. I spent a few days in the RR and a few in the X5 (waiting on delivery of my 35d right now). The X5 is replacing an ML350 which replaced a Lexus RX, so I've been been in a few different ones for significant periods of time now. The X5 is a drivers SUV (what an oxymoron), it really is. Some people like that (me), some do not and want something that's more luxury (ML would be a good choice). Some want something that's more capable offroad (RR would be a good choice). Some want something that's doesn't have 2000 dollar tires on it and doesn't need 500 dollar oil changes (Lexus RX would be a good choice). Some want engine over anything else (Jeep SRT8). Some want everything; cost be damned (Range Rover Supercharged Autobiography; although, even at 130K, the electronics still are garbage compared to BMW).

Me, I wanted an SUV that's engaging to drive, doesn't require a fuel tanker to follow me around, has a great interior, and has good technology. The only 2 that really fall into that category are the Infinity and X5. The Infinity is fun to drive, sounds great, but, frankly, isn't in the same class as the ML/X5/RRS. It's a nice truck, but it's "cheap" compared to that list of competitors and it does show in certain areas.

Whatever you do, make sure you make the dealer(s) give you an overnight or extended test drive. They will bitch and moan and act like "they never do this" and it's a big deal. If they won't do it, walk. They do it all the time; shoot, the RR dealer left the SC Sport with us for almost a week (had to refuel it 2 times!). Figure out what's important to you; driving dynamics, range, speed, electronics, comfort, interior, etc. Want to buy or lease (which really matters, some of these things lease totally different than others)?

Good luck, and, by all means, feel free to ask if you'd like more detail on any of the trucks. The RX and ML we had for years; and I've owned a couple of MB's before that, so I can talk to them in detail. The RR I can speak to a lot of the details because I have a Jag, they share much of the same parts in the interior and engine options. The X5.. Well, you're in the right place! All I can tell you is that I bought one after driving all those other options and I can't wait for it to come in. Everyone else here can give you much better info that I can!

Originally Posted by JoshuaKM

Awesome reply Overtaxed!!!

I actually am considering the luxury seating package, but I'm concerned about the aesthetics... the ivory seating package makes EVERYTHING white, and the mocha package (obviously) makes everything black & brown. I really like the contrast of the black/ivory standard dakota leather seating... but I agree that the luxury seating uses better materials... # firstworldproblems.

Did anyone cross-shop the Range Rover Sport? It's amazing but when you option out the X5 like you should it comes out to about 75k... a similar V6 Range Rover Sport comes out to about 77-78k... not a big price difference. Just curious what people think about both vehicles. If I settle on the X5 I'll definitely go diesel.

[SpeedN8]

Wow Overtaxed... Great write up!

[midlifecrisis]

I chose the 35d as well, and I'm absolutely in love with it. The torque curve of the diesel engine seems ideally suited to a big vehicle like this, and the 8 speed is programmed better than any automatic I've ever driven. It always seems to be in the correct gear, and it will even downshift and provide the feel of compression braking as you approach a stop light.

This engine is particularly good when it comes to highway passing - it just gets the job done without any drama at all. This is where torque is a wonderful thing. It does take some getting used to, especially is you're used to a high revving BMW straight 6. You won't want to rev it over 4500 rpm, but with all that torque and the 8 speed, you won't have to.

The big payoff is the fuel efficiency. On the way back from performance center delivery it got 34 mpg indicated on the on-board computer. At 80 mph the engine's turning at about 1900 rpm. It's so quiet in the X5, most people don't even notice it's a diesel. This is my first oil burner, and I don't know if I'll ever go back to gas for a utility vehicle.

[JoshuaKM]

Awesome advice Overtaxed!!! That may be the best write-up about any vehicle that I have ever read.

Do you have a link to your build? I assume that you went with the mocha interior package. I may just go ahead and keep the LED lighting and add the mocha design package & ventilated seats... it raises the MSRP to 75,950 but honestly at this price what's an extra few 2-3k anyways. I live in South Carolina so I will definitely go with performance delivery.

If anyone has the mocha design package please post some pictures... I'd love it see what it looks like.

Also do y'all think that the ceramic controls are worth $ 650? This may seem like a dumb question but what advantage does the $ 150 space saver spare really add? I thought there was a spare in the car either way and to my knowledge it was not taking up a ton of trunk space.

[Overtaxed]

No problem, happy that my out of control car addiction can at least have some benefit to others!

Here's a link to my build:

http://www.bmwusa.com/standard/conte...tionId=5420352

Came in at 79,600; final purchase price was 73,927 (that's after a 1K incentive from BMW, so the purchase price to the dealer was 74,927).

Yes, I went with the mocha package. If it was my car, I probably would have gone with Ivory, but, my wife will be the primary driver and she's a bit of a slob, no way ivory would work for her (although, having seen it, it's probably better looking than mocha, IMHO).

You really need to see the mocha/ivory package in person. Find a dealer who has it, even if it's in a different model car (7 series often has it) so you can see what it looks like. It's kind of an uncommon option, at least in my area, I had search 4 different dealers before I found one. That said, there are pictures online:

https://www.google.com/search?q=bmw+...w=1920&bih=961

Sorry to say, none of them do it justice.

I didn't get the ceramic controls; I couldn't find any vehicles built with them and, frankly, I don't see how much of a difference they could make to the look. That said, I was terribly wrong about the design packages (I thought it would still look "like a BMW" and I wouldn't like it) so, I'd try to find something with it and take a look yourself. Again, when you're looking at these options, you have to be open to going to a few dealer and, most importantly, looking at them in something other than an X5. Most dealers will have something with ceramic controls (I'd guess anyway), might be a 5, 6 or 7 series, but, at least you can see them. Same thing with the design package, that's much more common on the 7 series and you'll at least get to see the leather wrapped dash and seating. Although, because it's so expensive, I'd really recommend you try to see that in an X5, I think you'll love it, but, if you don't you'd be very pissed that you spent the money for it!

AFAIK, if you don't order the spare, there's no spare in the car at all. I didn't order it because in S. FL, we have great/smooth roads, I haven't had a flat in years, and, even if I did, most likely the wife would have the car alone (IE, no way she's changing the tire!). Others can probably offer more detail on that; I think you do lose a little bit of usable space under the rear, but, I'm not sure what else you could use that space for anyway (maybe some tools?).

If you want performance delivery, make sure you get the dealer to set it up fast. We're coming to the end of the X5 production for this MY (well, that's a guess, but, I have to believe we only have maybe 2 months more of production) and performance delivery is going to push you out a little further. We just got our first "possible" date in the middle of July (we placed our order last week), so, if you want to do it, make sure the dealer gets on it fast!

Originally Posted by JoshuaKM

Awesome advice Overtaxed!!! That may be the best write-up about any vehicle that I have ever read.

Do you have a link to your build? I assume that you went with the mocha interior package. I may just go ahead and keep the LED lighting and add the mocha design package & ventilated seats... it raises the MSRP to 75,950 but honestly at this price what's an extra few 2-3k anyways. I live in South Carolina so I will definitely go with performance delivery.

If anyone has the mocha design package please post some pictures... I'd love it see what it looks like.

Also do y'all think that the ceramic controls are worth $ 650? This may seem like a dumb question but what advantage does the $ 150 space saver spare really add? I thought there was a spare in the car either way and to my knowledge it was not taking up a ton of trunk space.

[NPickles]

Originally Posted by JoshuaKM

This may seem like a dumb question but what advantage does the $ 150 space saver spare really add? I thought there was a spare in the car either way and to my knowledge it was not taking up a ton of trunk space.

To my knowledge you don't get a spare of any kind unless you buy the space saver, that's why they have run flat tyres instead.

I suppose there could be situations where even a run flat wouldn't run any more or if it had some failure other that a straight forward puncture you would be immobile without a spare, even if it were a space saver.

[USAusi]

I second the advice to go for the 35d. I have it and love it. My overall fuel consumption is around 32 mpg, about 50/50 city and highway driving. Well over 600 miles per tank. I also second the advice to get ACC - a very useful feature, even around town.

[JoshuaKM]

Wow - again awesome advice everyone.

Overtaxed - how were you able to get a purchase price of 73.9k if the MSRP was 79k? I think that my local South Carolina dealer will knock 1000-1500 off of the MSRP but it seems like you got a much better deal.

I've settled on the Mocha design package after hearing your advice... I love the ivory but I still think that it makes everything too white.

In terms of the wheels - I love the upgraded 20 inch Y-spoke wheels, but another forum member said that he regretted upgrading from the 19s because it leads to a harsher ride. Is this really true on an M-sport car with adaptive suspension?

Also - would you wait to order a 2015 MY car? Has BMW announced any subtle changes for the 2015 MY? I could definitely wait... my local dealer told me that production starts in August which is when my 5 series lease is ending. Thanks!!!

[Socal2025]

Overtaxed has done such a comprehensive review that he left little for us to add. He's right on! I would comment on a few things from my personal experience:
- The diesel is really fantastic. The upside is the higher gas mileage, less trips to the gas stations, tons of torque really suited for a SUV this size. I do have to say that the diesel is a tiny bit noisier inside the cabin compared to the gasoline equivalent. It little but you can notice (I also drove a 35i for a week while dealer waited for a part to arrive). My car has about 300 miles, so maybe once it passes the 1,500 miles it would be less noticeable.
- ACC is fantastic. I couldn't believe how well it works. It behaves like a real person taking control of the accelerator and breaks. It works great both at high speeds (90mph, for example) and low stop-and-go traffic. Jam freeways now can be done without a sweat.
- LED lights: I kind of regret not getting it. I feel like the xenon are noticeable weaker than the fog lights as a comparison. So I imagine the LED would be an ass kick.
- Multi-contour is a must. Very comfortable.
- Surround view is super useful, specially at tight spaces.
- Another option I wished I had was the comfort access. Sounds like you opted for that so don't take it out. Having the key in your pocket the entire time is better.

[greentrbo95gst]

35D with a tune. Awesome car and it gets over 700 miles on a single tank on the freeway .
I just drove it across the country last week. Huge improvement in quality over the last generation x5.

[Overtaxed]

Ivory is great if you're "clean" with your cars. That's what I have on my Jag and I love it, still looks great (3 years later). But, if you plan on doing "dirty" stuff (like an SUV is built for), then... Well, I'm not sure even I; as anal as I am, would be able to keep them clean.

A total beat down of negotiation. I was in the dealership all day, 5-6 trips to the finance managers office, lots of back and forth. It was a real slog. The good news, those 4 hours or so paid over 1000/hr, so, in my opinion, it was worth it.

First thing, the dealer actually made 74.9 off that deal, I had a 1K certificate from BMW from the Un4gettable event. If you don't have one of them already, get one. Then don't tell the dealer you have it (so they can't work it into the numbers). After you settle on a price (as I did at 74.9K), then spring the cert on them. Makes no difference to them at all, they still get the money, but they will work it into the deal and try to confuse you with what you're actually paying.

If you have a trade, go to Carmax and get a quote. I used that quote to push them higher on the trade than they wanted to go.

Also, I'd suggest you get a quote from an out of state dealer. There are a few that frequent here and will give you a quote for PCD, use that quote to work your local dealer.

All said, it was a battle, but, I'm happy with the price and thrilled with the ordering process so far.

The 20's, IMHO, didn't have a huge effect on the ride, even with standard springs. Others may disagree, but we went from a car with 19's directly to one with 20's (neither with the M suspension though) and noticed very little difference in feel. However, I live in FL, our roads are pretty good compared to most other places, so, my experience might be atypical. What I can tell you for sure; the 20s look great! The only problem that concerned me about the 20's was that there aren't many tire options in that size and all the options that there are cost a fortune. I'm also not sure if there are many/any winter tire options for the 20's. Again, others are going to be more use here than I (because I don't need em!). A set of tires for the 20's (the factory tires) is close to 2K, just so you know (from TireRack).

If you're getting the diesel, the 2015 is supposed to be a bit faster (changes in the transmission, not in the engine). There are a few other changes, but, to my eye, nothing that was all that significant (other than the 0-60 time). I decided to do a 2014 because I figured that I'd wind up paying quite a bit more for a 2015 (the dealer would be less willing to negotiate) and.. I'm impatient! I don't know if that's true (about the dealer's willingness to negotiate on the 2015s), perhaps others can help here?

Actually, I think there's actually a thread rolling around here with all the differences between 2014 and 2015. You might want to check that out. Production in August means first delivery in September at the very best. If you place a 2014 order today you could probably get it in mid-July (and maybe earlier). So it's a few months extra wait, assuming you can get one of the first allocations of the 2015s.

Originally Posted by JoshuaKM

Wow - again awesome advice everyone.

Overtaxed - how were you able to get a purchase price of 73.9k if the MSRP was 79k? I think that my local South Carolina dealer will knock 1000-1500 off of the MSRP but it seems like you got a much better deal.

I've settled on the Mocha design package after hearing your advice... I love the ivory but I still think that it makes everything too white.

In terms of the wheels - I love the upgraded 20 inch Y-spoke wheels, but another forum member said that he regretted upgrading from the 19s because it leads to a harsher ride. Is this really true on an M-sport car with adaptive suspension?

Also - would you wait to order a 2015 MY car? Has BMW announced any subtle changes for the 2015 MY? I could definitely wait... my local dealer told me that production starts in August which is when my 5 series lease is ending. Thanks!!!

[JoshuaKM]

Socal - I'm selecting the Mocha Interior Design Package so I assume that includes multi-contour seats.... or do I have to check off yet another box?

I agree the ACC sounds amazing but I do not live in an area with heavy traffic so I may just omit this option.

[carypearson]

Biggest change that I have seen for 2015 is the change of the Premium package. They are removing the Soft Close Doors, and adding the 4 zone AC, and reducing the price of the Premium package.

Personally that is perfect for me, as SC doors seems very expensive option to have bundled with the rest of the Premium package (comfort access, XM radio, and base leather)

[JoshuaKM]

I should also add that I stopped by the dealership yesterday with my girlfriend and the new 2015 BMW M3 had arrived which caused me to drool excessively. The girlfriend (and the rational part of my brain) are pulling for the X5 however the pleasure center of my brain went right for the M3. Doesn't help that all the sales guys at the dealership are M3 fanboys. These are serious first world problems.

[Michiganian]

I am now over 8000 miles on my 35d. If you check under my name for other posts you'll find pics of mine. After really enjoying my previous Z4 (have owned a 328i and a 528i in the past), never thought I would be as happy with a car as I am with this one. I have virtually all the options except the sport suspension and the third row seat, including some you folks have been discussing like mocha package, ceramic controls, comfort seats, also B&O sound system.

Wouldn't change a thing and this vehicle just shines on long drives, have never had a tank under 30mpg, and several at 34mpg. Will never get a future vehicle without HUD or adaptive cruise control. Started after being left outside all night in 10 below zero with almost zero warmup time.

Also have the snap-in adapter for my iphone 5, which works very well and have loaded many CDs into the capacious hard drive. Voice control is very good and I don't use it enough.

Good luck, you won't regret this purchase.

[stewy604]

Before I pulled the trigger on my new F15 X5, I drove all three engine choices before settling on the diesel. The gas choices were nice drives, but I really enjoyed the low-end grunt of the diesel. Couple that with the stellar fuel economy, and it was a no brainer for me. I drive over 40k a year and spend a lot of time in this vehicle...so it just made sense. Coming from an F150 Platinum with the 6.2L, I am loving the fuel savings. Its staggering, but last year I burned almost 7,000 litres in my pick-up...it was definitely time for a change. If you have the chance, try and drive all three engine choices in the same day and make your decision from there. Everyone is going to have different preferences and uses for the vehicle, so the opinions will vary. Good luck!

[JoshuaKM]

Thanks everyone for the advice... I'm definitely going with the diesel model. Does anyone know if they are going to increase the horsepower on the diesel model for 2015? Wishful thinking.

I'm still torn between the mocha napa design interior and ivory design interior. Unfortunately none of my local dealers have an X5 with this option for me to see. I really liked the standard ivory/black leather's contrasting colors from an aesthetics standpoint but from what I'm hearing on this forum the napa leather is ridiculously nice. Just curious what people think of the ivory vs. mocha interiors. Thanks!!!

[Overtaxed]

Originally Posted by JoshuaKM

Thanks everyone for the advice... I'm definitely going with the diesel model. Does anyone know if they are going to increase the horsepower on the diesel model for 2015? Wishful thinking.

I'm still torn between the mocha napa design interior and ivory design interior. Unfortunately none of my local dealers have an X5 with this option for me to see. I really liked the standard ivory/black leather's contrasting colors from an aesthetics standpoint but from what I'm hearing on this forum the napa leather is ridiculously nice. Just curious what people think of the ivory vs. mocha interiors. Thanks!!!

AFAIK, there's no HP/torque increase for 2015. However, it is going to be faster from what I've read, a few tenths of a second (.4 sticks in my mind, others might have better info). That increase is probably coming from transmission adjustments; I assume they have better tuned something in the 2015 to, for example, keep the engine in the power curve for more of the time from 0-60 or, perhaps they made the shifting faster.. Either way, it's going to be faster from everything I've read; but same engine, same tranny, same HP, so, got to be something in software somewhere. Which also means, IMHO, that unless you're actually doing 0-60 pulls, you're probably not going to be able to notice it in normal driving. I went with the 2014 because the changes for 15 didn't seem big enough for me to wait, and I was concerned that the dealer would be much less willing to negotiate on a 15 in the very start of production. That fear may be unfounded.

If you can find an X5 with the mocha and ivory package, that's the best thing to do. That's NOT going to be easy. BMW is doing an absolutely awful job at marketing their high end interior options, and, as such, almost none of the dealers seem to be ordering mocha/ivory design packages for stock. However, if you broaden to any BMW with the mocha or ivory design package, you'll probably have much better luck. The 5 and 7 series are often ordered with these options, it's not exactly the same as what's in the X5, but it's close enough to get a good feel for how it looks/feels.

Ivory is beautiful, if the X5 was mine (not the wife's), I absolutely would have ordered that. However, like all ivory interiors, you need to be careful with it. Don't go hiking and get in with dirty boots, you're not going to be happy! Ivory is not an easy color to keep clean/looking nice. My Jag has an ivory interior and is almost 3 years old today; it still looks wonderful. But, as I may have mentioned above, I'm anal as hell with it; I clean it all the time and make sure that I never get in it dirty (or, if I do, put down towels).

IMHO, if you have young kids, you'd be crazy to order ivory. They're gonna destroy it, and you're gonna want to kill them. But, if it's just you, driving to work and your committed to keeping it clean, I don't think there's anything better looking that you can get in the X5.

[Haris]

Originally Posted by Overtaxed

AFAIK, there's no HP/torque increase for 2015. However, it is going to be faster from what I've read, a few tenths of a second (.4 sticks in my mind, others might have better info). That increase is probably coming from transmission adjustments; I assume they have better tuned something in the 2015 to, for example, keep the engine in the power curve for more of the time from 0-60 or, perhaps they made the shifting faster.. Either way, it's going to be faster from everything I've read; but same engine, same tranny, same HP, so, got to be something in software somewhere.

As per this thread (http://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=996701) it is going to be a hardware change in 8-speed automatic transmission leading to better efficiency and faster acceleration (0.2 improvement for 35d: 6.7 to 6.5).