Hi all,
I picked up my new to me E53 about three weeks ago. It's also my first German car.
This one that I found is a one-owner, 94k-mile 2003 model with the inline six and the 5-speed manual. I was excited to find one with four wheel coil springs. From what I've learned they are very rare and I won't ever have to worry about air springs failing. It also has an OE hitch installed, but the wiring harness is aftermarket and I am going to have to spend some time on it, as the trailer module is available but the wiring harness has been discontinued, unfortunately. That will be my first project as this will be used to tow a camping trailer.
I found the original window sticker and this car cost $44,995 new in Dec 2002. It had the premium package, power lumbar, and xenons. I got a lifetime of receipts from the dealership where it was maintained as well. Which is somewhat unsettling. I might have been more comfortable not knowing how much this car cost to drive over the first 94,000 miles.
So far I'm really impressed with how fun it is to drive. I really wasn't expecting it to be this fun. It doesn't feel truckish at all, and it's faster than any 4500lb vehicle with 225 h-pees should feel. The short gears should make towing a breeze too, though I still haven't taken the trailer for a spin. My mileage over two tanks is right around 21, which is excellent for this sort of vehicle.
I'm a bit of a cheapskate which is part of why I've avoided BMWs in the past, but I'm excited about this experiment -- I think I can drive this car for a reasonable cost, but I'll be keeping track of the hassle of ownership and how much trouble this is beyond just the dollars I have to spend. I can see it going either way based on some reports, but I'm gonna give it my best shot, mostly because it's so fun and so nice! I was so happy to find an SUV that is fun to drive, gets decent mileage, and has a manual transmission. I also have been doing a lot of reading and appreciate how many write-ups there are for common problems and maintenance jobs. This forum seems to have a lot of great users and resources and that definitely factored into my decision to go for it.
Ben