I agree with all of you, but having less than 140K miles on this vehicle, I find it hard to believe it is falling apart as much as it is. All my previous BMW sedans went well over 150K before requiring any major maintenance. My last car was a 1998 528i and I took it to 250,000 miles with only replacing the shocks, brakes, water pump, oil, trans fluid, and A/C compressor. I guess I should have stuck with the tried-and-true 6 cylinder sedans, but really needed the all-wheel drive for Kansas.

When everything is working properly, it's a great vehicle and is a beast in the snow. However, I can see now that I was fooling myself to think that this would be a good daily driver for my 1-mile commute to work, and it has now earned the status of "project car".

Will let you know what I find out once I tear into it, to give others a heads up on what to expect.

__________________
Current:
2001 BMW X5, 4.4i, 138K miles, Black & Tan.

Past:
1984 318i
1993 318i
1993 325i
2001 325i
1997 528i
1974 Porsche 911 2.7
1976 Porsche 911s
1978 Porsche 911 Targa
1985 Porsche 924
1987 Porsche 944 S2 Cabrio