Originally Posted by PropellerHead

Looks like you were offered a respectful observation and then reinforced it with your responses once again. That paired against the larger downturn of sales in the automotive industry may reveal that the problems you're experiencing have very little to do with the E53.

For an example, for more than twice your offer here, I purchased an '04 just 5 months ago from an enthusiast dealer. He hit all the right checks for feedback, pictures, records and accessories. Once all of that was done, the last thing I needed was to travel and see the car in person before I drove it home over 2 days. If your market for buyers of a nice E53 is reflected in the membership here, you can add one more who would likely not have made the trip for this one with some of the responses in reviews.

You have an opportunity to listen to the feedback you've solicited here and take action on it differently than is currently reflected by previous reviews. A little tough feedback applied ever so gently can be the key to your success not just with an E53, but more likely across any item that your hard work represents, BMW or not.