A little history of the purchase:
I've owned an '03 530i sport since '04 and I think it was sometime in 2012/'13 the E53 4.4/4.6/4.8 caught my eye. I zeroed in on the 4.8 in Silver and Imola red and was leaning towards a 2005/'06 model. I really wanted a perfect, low mileage example. Like really low mileage! Not much came available 6 years ago when I started my search the first few months that met my criteria. Then a well known member on here most of you vets know as "Prop" sent me a link to an '06 Imola with extremely low 6k mileage on the clock advertised on Craigslist in Vancouver. I made an offer on it and the sellers accepted that offer but they decided to keep it after a few weeks of back and forth discussions. Disappointed, but I totally understood their change of heart. Over the course of the next 5 years I found one silver '06 4.8 that had I think around 10k miles but it sold the same day it was listed. I found a few nice 4.8's here and there that might have been ok but none were that perfect low milage garage queen I was really wanting. My desire in hunting for one during the past 5 years drifted in and out. Mostly out, as I didn't think what I was looking for existed anymore. I was wanting as new condition to showroom new as possible. But on a now 12 year vehicle?!?! I was sure it didn't exist.
Fast forward to January 2018. I receive an e-mail out of the blue from the Craigslist seller in Vancouver of that '06 4.8 Imola that bailed on me the first time in 2013. The X5 was now located in Kelowna, BC about 4 hours northeast of Vancouver. It now had 11,620 miles on it!!
I wasn't quite as motivated to pick up one these E53's anymore but figured I'd do my due diligence on this vehicle and see if I could determine what shape it was in and how much they wanted for it. And, quite frankly, that low mileage scared me a little bit. I felt it was too low and these engines need to be driven. So after a few weeks of back and forth discussions I felt confident this was the perfect example of what I've always was looking for and wanted. They had all the maintenance records and I was convinced 100% the mileage was accurate and that it had never been driven in inclement weather. My offer was accepted and I made arrangements to have it shipped to me in a covered transporter and waited nearly a month before it showed up at my door (well not quite at my door but down the street!) This was a very stressful purchase to say the least. Buying a vehicle like this site unseen was nerve racking for me. But it showed up exactly as described and actually better then I had imagined.
It was originally a US car located in San Diego owned by a collector. This collector sold it in 2010 with 122 miles on it through RM auctions to the seller that I purchased it from. The X was in California awhile then in Canada. The guy I purchased this from purchased 3 vehicles that day in 2010 at the auction. The X5, a 2002 M5 and a 2001 740i. All had virtually no miles on them and the same collector in San Diego owned all 3 of them. So, the seller I purchased this E53 from was also a collector in his own right and had several other really nice cars. I'm convinced this X5 was kept in a climate controlled environment most, if not all of it's life. Maybe not 100% of the time but there's no indication it has been driven on anything but sunny days and stored in a garage. Both the exterior and interior are a 10 out of 10 to me and I feel my standards are as high as anyone's.
It had the original tires on it so I've put all new Michelin's, changed out all the fluids except the differentials but that was done a few years ago. I'll get to that soon and change it. I had some clear protective film installed on the hood, bumper, headlights, door cups and mirrors. I also changed out the wood trim to the darker smoke gray trim. I've changed out a few things like the upper windshield molding, pano sunroof gasket, steering wheel trim that had a tiny scratch on it and a few other small things. It came with a fresh coating of Gtechniq ceramic on the paint. Not sure what level of Gtechniq.
I've got 12,500ish miles on it now and it will not be my daily driver so mileage will stay super low. I love driving it but work and a busy life only allow me to drive it on weekends.
Oh, and by the way Prop bought my '03 530!
Not the greatest pics...hopefully can get some better ones dialed in.