You need that service history. Pre face lift X5 3.0s have these problems that almost always crop up:

oil seperator/valve covers
water pump/thermostat
HVAC resistor

Additionally, you could have, in a pre 04 X5:
faulty engine wiring harness
CV joints (that is in every X5)
Fluids (also every X5; no one remembers the transfercase)
automatic transmission failure

Those first three things, unless I absolutely know they were replaced, I am going to do the first 3 days I own the car, on top of the fluids. Having done them already, I know about what they cost and how long it will take. I am pretty sure I could get the first three and fluids done for under a grand in parts and tools. But those need to either be done already, or you will pay for them. I have seen the cost of those first three things from a dealer be in excess of $4k.

I bought my car with 65k on it and now at 85k, all of the known replacements have been done. If I had not had a warranty or been able to do the work myself (I did the later), I would have been out probably 3-5k in repairs and downtime. I would add that straight to the top of the price of a 65,000 miles + car, without knowing the history of it.

If you know those repairs have been done, then the price you are getting quoted would be closer to the true cost.

I bought the lowest mile vehicle with a manual transmission I could find, plus some tools and hoped for the best. I have put in a couple thousand I guess in parts and my time, but I have gotten about 20k miles out of it so far with nothing but the known defects and normal maintainance. But I know people who have had way more problems with their similar year/mileage X5s, and there are some are on here as well.

Without a warranty or time/know how to work on the car, you are looking at all those higher mileage cars hiding another couple and potentially a few thousand dollars on top of the price and 'normal' maintainance. To some people (like me) that says opportunity. For others that spells disaster, and generates threads like "I hate BMWs" or "X5s are junk."

__________________
2001 E53 3.0 5pd