Is the E53 4.4i really that bad?

[E53fan16]

Hi guys.

New member here. New to the X board, but not new to the BMW fold. I currently drive a e90 M3 and I'm in the market for a SUV for my wife since our 2001 Qx4 needs some work(suspension and possible bad cats) which I currently don't care to fix.

Initially, we were going the 2006 MDX route for reliability, but like all manufacturers this model has it's issues with the transmission, plus it's pretty boring to drive.

We started looking into the model years 2004-2006 e53, and while i like the additional power of the V8 from my three weeks of researching the e53, my take away is that it's best to stay away from this vehicle and stick the with 3.0 variant. Which comes with it's own issues as well. But none less more cost effective to maintain than 4.4.

We were at the dealership on Saturday and came across a clean 2005 4.4i with 59k, which was nicely equipped. I drove it and it felt amazing, nice pick up and very smooth and the handling was impressive for a heavy ass truck. My wife agreed on my thoughts as well.

After we returned to the dealer, I continued to survey the vehicle. I looked in the spot where it was parked and noticed a little bit of dry oil, it could of been from another vehicle, as these cars are moved around a lot. I decided to swipe my hand underneath by the pan and traces of fresh oil was on my fingers. I'm not familiar with the e53 platform, but leaking oil is always a red flag. I asked the sales manager about it, and he played kind of dumb and said that can be looked into... He did mention that the dealer offers CARS protection extended warranty for an additional amount if the leak is a major concern.

The vehicle history is pretty clean from the carfax. There is service history, but with some gaps in between.

I like the vehicle, but my wife is smitten by it. I suspect mainly due to the white exterior with truffle brown interior she can't seem to stop talking about.

Should I stay clear from this vehicle and all 4.4i and just look for a 3.0?