Your pick: Alpina XD3, Audi SQ5 or 535xd?

"Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
04/07/2016 at 16:14 • Filed to: None

Had a funny conversation the other week with my stepdad. For his next car he wants AWD for his skiing trips. He currently drives a RWD E61 and is pretty happy with it. It’s his third E61 and his sixth 5 series diesel wagon in a row, so no surprise there. So to sum it up: He wants something wagonish, diesel, AWDish. Oh, and it has to be a six-pot. None of that “newfangled 4-cyl crap they make these days”!

His current favourite is the Alpina X3d Biturbo. (3 litre inline 6 twin-turbo, 350hp @4000 rpm, 700 Nm @ 1500-3000 rpm, 0-100 kph in 4.9s, 6.6 l/100 km combined, around € 80K) Unfortunately, my mum says that the X3 is ugly and she has a point there.

Next best would be the Audi SQ5 TDI. (3 litre V6 twin-turbo, 313 hp @ 4000 rpm, 650 Nm @ 1800-2800 rpm, 0-100 kph in 5.1s, 6,6 l/100 km combined, € 62K) Might be easier to behold, but it’s not a BMW. We just found this great indie mechanic who only does BMWs and is great with them but charges way less than the BMW shop/finds better ways to fix things than just using the parts cannon.

I for one think that both of theses cute utes are pointless. He doesn’t need the ground clearance, and as they are shorter than a wagon, his skis will reach up to the elbows of the people in the front.

So I suggested to tone down the crazy a bit and simply get a 535 xd. (3 litre inline 6 twin-turbo, 313 hp @ 4400 rpm, 630 Nm @ 1500-2500 rpm, 5.5s, 5.9 l combined, € 60K)

So what would you pick?

DISCUSSION (27)

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Klaus Schmoll
04/07/2016 at 16:16

Why not Polestar?

Or at least V60 R-Design with tune?

bob and john > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
04/07/2016 at 16:17

you must have missed the ‘diesel’ requirment

TheHondaBro > Klaus Schmoll
04/07/2016 at 16:20

Alpina wheels are my weakness.

bob and john > Klaus Schmoll
04/07/2016 at 16:20

id do the wagon. if its got the AWD, its bigger inside, its better on the freeway and it looks better.

duurtlang > bob and john
04/07/2016 at 16:21

V60 D6 AWD then? Available as R-Design as well. AWD plugin hybrid diesel.

Twinpowermeansoneturbo > Klaus Schmoll
04/07/2016 at 16:22

Wow that 5 series wagon looks the business. We should get those here

bob and john > duurtlang
04/07/2016 at 16:25

then your running into warrenty issues.

+ the BMW is a much bigger wagon then a V60

Saracen > Klaus Schmoll
04/07/2016 at 16:26

535xd all the way.

m2m, apex detective > Klaus Schmoll
04/07/2016 at 16:30

535d xDrive all the way.

Neither the X3 nor the SQ5 are useful off the road, so you might as well go for the Touring. A neighbour of us had an Audi SQ5 around lately, and while it does deliver impressive numbers, it’s also completely underwhelming somehow. :/

Klaus Schmoll > duurtlang
04/07/2016 at 16:30

“None of that new-fangled 4-cyl crap.” The man wants his six pots and I can’t fault him for that.

Klaus Schmoll > TheHondaBro
04/07/2016 at 16:32

Alpina wheels on a 535xd?

Kinja'd!!!

TheHondaBro > Klaus Schmoll
04/07/2016 at 16:38

If you need me I’ll be in the shower for a while.

Matt Nichelson > Klaus Schmoll
04/07/2016 at 16:39

I’m not much of a wagon person.

I’d take the wagon.

jkm7680 > Klaus Schmoll
04/07/2016 at 16:43

Sq5

duurtlang > Klaus Schmoll
04/07/2016 at 16:45

Good point. Nothing >4 cylinders in the V90 either. I fear 6 cylinder cars will soon be a thing of the past.

Klaus Schmoll > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
04/07/2016 at 16:46

He wants a 6 cyl DIESEL. And the V60 is too small for him. Not for what he actually needs, but..... you know... it’s the Euro version of the F-150 thing.

duurtlang > Klaus Schmoll
04/07/2016 at 16:58

If the V60 is too small, why is he considering the X3 and Q5? I’m unsure about the inside (the V60 is notoriously small), but they’re of an equal size on the outside.

Klaus Schmoll > duurtlang
04/07/2016 at 16:59

They will be indeed! But why not join in on the fun while it lasts (or prolong it a bit in his case). He’s had various BMW inline 6 diesels since ‘98. He once had a new (F10) 4 cyl diesel as a loaner and decided that he doesn’t want that. The new engines are very good on fuel economy, and they did their best to get rid of any vibration, so it’s a bit of a “From my cold dead hands!” thing here. He might be a dinosaur, but he’s a likeable dino.

Klaus Schmoll > duurtlang
04/07/2016 at 17:14

I don’t understand it either. Must be the high seating/getting older thing. We stood next to an SQ5 and I showed him with my arms how far his Nordic skis would intrude into even the front, but he wouldn’t have it. Maybe his mind is already set and he just wants us to slowly get used to it. As I said, he doesn’t need the groung clearance at all, so there is nothing to win but a lot to loose over the wagon.

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > Klaus Schmoll
04/07/2016 at 17:15

How about an A6 Avant? You can get a loaded 3.0L TDI for under £60,000 or even an S6 Avant for the prices he is looking at. It’ll be comparable size and functionality wise to the BMW, and the A6 spanks the current 5 series in my opinion.

RPM esq. > Klaus Schmoll
04/07/2016 at 17:30

In the U.S. the SQ5 is not a diesel, it’s a supercharged gas 3-liter making 354 hp, so the dynamics are a little different. And there are a lot less good wagon alternatives, especially diesels that you’d actually want to drive. And I don’t think that Alpina X3 exists. With those caveats, I recently bought an SQ5 when I wanted AWD and a little more room without giving up too much fun. No regrets, I like it.

RPM esq. > duurtlang
04/07/2016 at 17:32

I compared the V60 (Polestar) to the SQ5 that I ended up with...it wouldn’t much matter for skis obviously but for humans the Q5 feels a lot roomier inside (panoramic roof helps I’m sure). Also, the wagon area of the V60 is so short height-wise it’s like a trunk with small windows—again, no big deal for skis, but my dogs wouldn’t be able to sit up back there.

MUSASHI66 > Klaus Schmoll
04/07/2016 at 17:49

BMW wagon with a twin turbo diesel is an option, and he has to think about it?

AM3R shamefully returns > Klaus Schmoll
04/07/2016 at 18:09

I'd get the wagon, and then I would tune it. The turbo diesel is a torque beast with a simple reflash....

RoadsterRevolution(wants a Range Rover Classic) > Klaus Schmoll
04/07/2016 at 19:24

Wait, Isnt the x3 Xdrive35i faster. It may be because I happen to own one and think its really fast.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Klaus Schmoll
04/07/2016 at 19:30

Oops. Yeah missed that

American brain makes me forget diesels actually matter.

Klaus Schmoll > RoadsterRevolution(wants a Range Rover Classic)
04/08/2016 at 00:19

DIESEL!