I'm having a debate with a friend, and from the info and research I've done, the 3.0L inline 6 is likely more reliable and has a tad better gas mileage, most v8's are "beaten" or flogged from what I've found. But I guess it all comes down to how each vehicle has been maintained, but historically, what has been more reliable or less prone to problems?
thanks guys!

i think consumer reports said early 4.4's had problems. the 3.0 engine has been a ward's 10 best winner so it is a good one.

as of '04 i don't know. the engines seemed to have gotten valvetronic, etc upgrades and are working fine. gas mileage and power increases. in fact, i thin the '07 4.4 is reported to get better mileage than the 3.0

you probably havnt dont much research because, BMW does not make any V6 engines.

Inline 6 I meant...thanks.

Inline 6, hands down.

I6 always

Earlier BMW V8s certainly had more problems than its sixes. No idea about recently, especially since my site isn't collecting reliability data on any BMW V8s yet. Maybe in a few months.

I wouldn't assume that the V8s are flogged. In my experience, most people are very casual drivers. I know because they're always keeping me from getting where I need to go:)

The V-8's got a bad rap from the days of the original M60 engines with the nikasil blocks that wore out the cylinders and lost compression by about 75k miles. Since the switch to alusil cylinders (I may have alusil and nikasil mixed up, I forget which was which), the M60 and subsequent M62 engines have been very reliable provided that they were taken care of. They were prone to sludge problems if used regularly for short trips and/or the owners inadvertently extended the oil change intervals.

That siad, the 4.4's (M62 came out in '96) have been very reliable since day one. They don't have as long a history of reliability as the I-6's (BMW has only produced V-8's since '94), for sure, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy a good-deal V8 over a good-deal I-6.