Introduction:
2004 BMW X5 3.0i
Original listing:
2004 BMW X5 with a 6-speed manual transmission for sale (
reproduced here as a backup)
VIN: 5UXFA135X4LB09205
Yes, I bought an SUV. I never thought this day would come, but I've joined the dark side. I, too, am now wearing a giant fucking hat at the theater. How did this happen? I'll explain.
I quit my desk job to focus on a career from home, likely as a remote software developer. I also plan to have children, which is a big part of why we picked up my wife's wagon a few years back.
With me at home, and Katie driving the wagon to work every day, it donned on me that I wasn't realistically going to drive an infant around in the coupe. So now all of a sudden I needed a 4-door car as well.
We also have been using the wagon to the fullest, hauling all manner of fire wood, lumber, and mountain bikes. It might be nice to have a car that would be better for that, and one we'd care less about messing up.
After learning a year or two ago that the first gen X5s could be had in a manual transmission, and those models were super-cheap (not many people looking for a manual SUV), that really got the wheels turning in my head. I did more research and learned the facelift (2003+) models had a 6-speed instead of a 5-speed, so that was my goal. The manuals were only available on the 3.0L I6 engine, so that's what I was getting. Later on I learned 2004 was the first year of the torque-splitting xDrive AWD system (previous years used a static 62/38 rear/front split using DSC and braking to maintain traction) so I guess I got that too. I should have researched a bit more and held out for a 2005+ model, as they came with a compass in the rear-view mirror. But that isn't a deal breaker, and probably can be retrofitted pretty easily (I hope).
After missing out on a local example due to a trip out of town, I said I would pick up the next decent example that came along. That just so happened to be a pristine example in Pennsylvania for an unusually high price of $5,500. The price was a lot higher than any of the others I'd seen, but this was easily the best-kept example I'd seen so far in the country.
This was in late April, right when the entire country shut down for COVID-19. I put down a deposit and waited for an opportunity to pick it up and bring it home. I've never purchased from a used-car dealership before, but Steve at Hellam Auto Sales was extremely helpful, communicative, and easy to deal with.
The good:
- 6-speed manual transmission
- Black interior
- Bi-xenon projector headlights
- No navigation/iDrive
- Sane turn signal stalk operation
- Heated seats (cold weather package)
- Most components like the tonneau cover, window shades, spare tire, tool kit, etc. are present
- Memory settings for seats/mirrors
- A proper engine oil dip stick
- Plenty of room to haul lumber/fire wood/mountain bikes/etc.
- 7,000-pound towing capacity
- My wife doesn't mind driving it
The neutral:
- 152,336 miles
- Dark-brown wood interior trim
The bad:
- Silver exterior (my least favorite color for this car)
- AWD (prefer RWD for simplicity, reliability, fuel economy, driving dynamics, etc. but will make the best of it)
- No compass in mirror (2005+ had them, may retrofit)
- No aux input for audio (may eventually add something for this)
- There are some small cracks in the wood-trim
- Missing floor mats
- The fuel economy is abysmal
- The infotainment display is missing ~40% of the pixels
- The up/down temperature buttons for the digital HVAC controls rarely work
- Broken/loose hood vent
- Broken/missing plastic trim for trunk floor
- Wheel locks that I don't have the key for
- Rear wiper arm is corroded stiff (does not wipe glass)
- License plate holder hardware is corroded
The ugly:
- The steering ratio is horrid (likely to combat roll-overs) -- there is no wonder SUV drivers illegally swing wide during turns -- SUVs are so awful
- The stock wheels it came with are hideous. (Plans to fix that in the future.)
- Minor damage to the unpainted lower section of the front bumper cover
- Ugly headlight washer warts
Driving impressions:
So here are the things you might not have expected.
First off, that steering ratio! Boy is it just atrocious. I'm sure it is to combat roll-overs, but it makes legal right turns almost impossible without a lot of effort. I now sort of understand why everyone else on the road drives so horribly...
The clutch/shifter action is decent, but not as crisp as most BMWs. The pedal placement is also not exactly typical BMW, making heel-toe action a bit of a learning process but after a week I had it down without messing me up for the other cars. The first-gen X5s are rated for 7,000 pounds towing capacity
which was retained for the manual transmission. The way they pulled that off, was to make 1st gear a crawler gear of sorts, which gives up around 8-12 MPH or so. It is pretty useless in normal driving, so I hear a lot of manual X5 owners just start out in 2nd. It is a bit of an annoyance. Also, you'd think at least 6th gear would be decent the highway, but it is not very tall. The car buzzes along at 3.5k RPM or so on the highway in 6th gear at 80 MPH. I hear the 5-speed transmissions are only ever-so slightly worse. =/
Other than that, it's a bit wallowy, it's tall, it's obnoxious, it blocks everyone's view of the road behind me, and it can be annoying to park in tight places. It's an SUV. It sucks.
Future plans:
As mentioned already, I may retro-fit a rear-view mirror with a compass. I might get auxiliary audio input working. I will certainly fix/replace anything that is loose or broken.
I plan to get the OEM tow package to install, but it is NLA and expensive used, so we'll see when I can pull that off.
Maybe one day I'll delete those hideous headlight washer nozzles.
I have long-term plans to one day lower it a lot (possibly cutting deep into the unibody) to normal wagon height, but also do a baja/overlanding wheel/tire package.
I also feel one day I will EV-swap it, making it our first EV. I will retain the manual transmission. A manual is a must, regardless.
Who knows... We'll see.
