Hi All - Took some advice from members and have been out there gettin' 'er done. The X5s have pulled our "at limit" boat and trailer great, and I have to say slightly BETTER than my 5.7L Suburban 1500.

So, most of the '02 - '06 models I've looked at have between 35k and 85k miles. Plan to drive this next bimmer (haven't picked yet) into the ground, . . . 200k+!

I do most of my maintenance myself, ahead of BMW schedules.

I'm leaning toward the 3.0 w/manual transmission. Some posts have lead me to believe that there are more problems with the V8s (more parts, 2 head gaskets, tighter work space, etc.) . . . . but I have no experience with these engines, while I have 10 years with the M54. If some of you have found the V8s more problematic . . . which ones/years, 4.4, 4.6, 4.8??

Didn't notice any difference with the self leveling rear air suspension vs. the standard springs.

Which will cost more to maintain to 200k miles for the next 10 years or so??

Once I get one, I'll post a pic of her launching See Truth here.

Thanks - M54 Lover

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