18 years ago today, I picked up my fairly stripped factory-order 3.0i that only had 4 options: HID, Leather, Sunroof, and Steptronic (the latter 2 option boxes should not have been checked had I know better!).
The funny thing was that the X5 wasn’t even on my radar at the time. I was looking at sport sedans and coupes back then (330Ci, G35 coupe, TL, etc) because I had valued fun to drive cars (and some practicality) above everything else. And mostly because I hated all those tall riding SUVs at the time due to the fear of rolling it (think Ford Exploder at the time). As I start building my 330Ci, practicality starts creeping in (price tag may had something to do with it). Realizing road trips (with family and gears) weren’t going to be too comfortably in the 330Ci. I was also starting to get more into snowboarding and mountain biking…so something with more cargo capacity and some added ground clearance to be able to do some soft-roading (that wasn’t a pig to drive daily) would be more ideal. Low and behold, it was there in front of my eyes all these time. As I looked across the BMW build site, an Ah-Ha moment happened - if I keep the options low, I might be able to get into an X5 at about the price of a 330Ci that I had initially wanted! One test drive (well…may be 2) and I was sold – the rest, as they say, is history.
After 18 years and 152k+ miles, I still enjoy driving it and still have a soft spot for it. And I still glance back at it after I park, even after all these years. The e53 has aged really well. It is one heck of an automobile!
She's all grown up now
03-09-2022, 01:05 AM
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