Get the 6 speed, get the 6 speed. I'm a die hard fan of manual transmissions. All of my cars have been sticks and I plan to continue that indefinitely. In fact that was what made the X5 the top contender when it came time for me to get a larger vehicle. The list was made very short when I found out how few luxomobiles were available with an manual option. It was made even shorted when I added the suv componant. I had pretty much made up my mind on a 3 or 5 series when I discovered the X5 was available with a stick. My only complaint was that I couldn't get a stick and the V8 engine like in the 540i. Other than that I love my X5. I frequently get comments on the fact it's a stick. If you are concerned about resale value remember first and foremost you are buying the car for you. If you want a vehicle a certain way with certain options I'm certain if you do sell it at some point it will be someone elses dream come true. Especially if it's a BMW

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"you just love takin' me outa my comfort zone, don't cha?!"