Thanks! Yeah, when I was searching for an e53, blue was my second choice to white. I also much prefer these 17" wheels to the common base 5 spoke wheels. Blue paint is vulnerable to sun, however, and I've got some damage to fix. I don't want to mess with a full re-paint, but I need to re-paint the hood (clearcoat peel) and the bumper covers (fading). That project is in cue behind several others at the moment.

One reason I opted for an e53 was to be able to pull a bigger camper than what we currently have. While it handled our 3K lb. popup well, I'm concerned that the 3.0 will struggle a bit pulling, say, a 5K lb. hardside trailer. Perhaps if I just resolve to drive no faster than about 60mph it could work.

I was REALLY pleased with how the X-drive system handled the soft sand. We watched several similar AWD vehicles get stuck, but the X-drive system did a great job of powering the wheels through it. Even my niece's Grand Cherokee gave us a bit of a scare before barely managing to pull itself out of its own way.

AM.

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E70 2010 3.0 M57 AT Titanium Silver with Black Leather
E53 2004 3.0 M54 AT Toledo Blue with Gray Leather
E83 2008 3.0 N52 AT Silver Gray Metallic with Black Vinyl
E46 1999 2.8 M52TU 5MT Black with Tan Leather 250K+ miles (Sold, but not forgotten)