Stephen, I had the E36 manual many moons ago and even though that car (320i) was in no way as complex as my 4.8iS it was surprisingly basic in its explanations with heavy emphasis on the electrical stuff only. I've read similar comments on amazon when it comes to the E53 manual. Bentley is by far the best manual in my opinion but is it worth the money for my car you think?
I've read a couple of DIYs on here today that (together with comments) put Bentley to shame so this forum will always be my first reference nonetheless
BMW X5 4.8iS 2005