Is it worth it?

[carbob]

I’m the original owner and have done a lot of preventive maintenance as well as repairs over the years, but I still love the vehicle and it runs as well as new, I would not be concerned about taking it on a long trip. I have the M62 and gaskets have been a recurring problem, timing chain, valve cover, and the most challenging gasket- the dreaded valley pan gasket. Also, rear brake lines are prone to urgently fail due to rust at the exposed connections and bends, ask me how I know that. I don’t think suspension components are more vulnerable than other vehicles, bushings and ball joints wear out, and at 100k will need replacement. Welcome to the group.

[Bdc101]

Originally Posted by Nolimite39

Of all the woes that an E53 can bring into your life, I would consider the rear air suspension to be the least woeful. I replaced both rear bags immediately after getting mine because one blew on the transport from CO to TX. The pair cost me under $300 and took about 4 pretty easygoing hours to swap. That said I have pretty skewed view because now that I've done the timing guides on my m62 I fear not even fear itself, except maybe doing any work in the driveway in the middle of summer, I do fear that.

LOL!


I think all E53 owners will eventually develop this mentality, having to do so many repair tasks you will start to develop feelings of invulnerability. I have found myself planning out my road map to a fully-depreciated Cayenne GT-S with the flat-plane V8 and six-speed manual as my next family camper tow vehicle.

[TriX5]

My '03 has been an absolute maintenance hog since passing 90k miles. I bought it in '06 with 43k miles and have had pretty much every failure that is documented on XO. Now at 145k it is well sorted and I have not had anything happen since the beginning of 2022 but the intervening 50k miles have taught me more about the e53 than I ever wanted to know. However, it is a great car to own and I am not considering parting with it.

My kids pretty much use this as a DD to their respective colleges and it serves as the grovery-getter since it is the smallest vehicle we own and hence easy to park.

Is it worth it? Only if you have: a. another backup car, b. ample time on your hands to wrench, c. know how to use the BMW software on a PC and d. you can spare the 3k a year (on average even with DIY) to keep it running. It is a hobby object more than a car.... :-)

[Fifty150hs]

I own an '06 with the M54 3.0. I have 268,000 miles on it. It is my daily driver. I have put as much as 30,000 miles a year down to my current 10,000. There have been some on this board with over 300,000 miles. It is a great daily IMHO. As long as you get a good price, with only 100,000 miles I think, if you're realistic and it sounds like you are, they're good cars. I love mine. Your list of work sounds like the items that should all be addressed in an X5 of that age. I would add a full suspension refresh if none has been done by the PO. Those parts are only good for about 100,000 miles, especially the rear ball joints. You can also expect the oil filter housing to start to leak and eventually the pan gasket. My pan gasket is leaking and I have to replace it, but need a big block of time to do it as it is a PITA and not a job that I would pay anyone to do as it will probably cost more than the X is worth at this point. I would also take a look at the motor mounts. Good luck with your new ride!

[killcrap]

the 2000-2006 BMW X5 is the worst vehicle that BMW has made.

If one was given to me in pristine condition that did not need any work i would sell it the same day.

If you are looking for a reliable vehicle, this is not it.

Also avoid the 2007-2013 ones.

If your looking for a daily driver, consider a 2016-2017 X3 N20 Motor, or a 2012-2015 with its Timing Chain and Turbo replaced already.

[Nolimite39]

I would say the title of worst bmw ever made is without question held by the E65 745i what with engines eating themselves from both ends and all. Calling an engine that requires a turbo and timing chains replaced to be dependable is kind of an oxymoron though. The old M54s have in many chassis been proven to 300k+ miles with no major intervention.

[Fifty150hs]

Originally Posted by killcrap

the 2000-2006 BMW X5 is the worst vehicle that BMW has made.

If one was given to me in pristine condition that did not need any work i would sell it the same day.

If you are looking for a reliable vehicle, this is not it.

Also avoid the 2007-2013 ones.

If your looking for a daily driver, consider a 2016-2017 X3 N20 Motor, or a 2012-2015 with its Timing Chain and Turbo replaced already.

I disagree. I have been daily driving my X since 2016. I put about 120,000 miles on it in that time. The M54 engine when properly cared for is practically bulletproof. 300,000 miles is definitely doable. Now the V8's are unreliable. Only time I've ever been stranded by my X is when alternators and batteries have died. The other times it was my own fault.

[nick325xit 5spd]

Originally Posted by killcrap

the 2000-2006 BMW X5 is the worst vehicle that BMW has made.

If one was given to me in pristine condition that did not need any work i would sell it the same day.

If you are looking for a reliable vehicle, this is not it.

Also avoid the 2007-2013 ones.

If your looking for a daily driver, consider a 2016-2017 X3 N20 Motor, or a 2012-2015 with its Timing Chain and Turbo replaced already.

lol. The E53 isn’t that well built, but you recommend an N20? :lol:

[Bottomfeeder]

I think I might have been in a similar position to the OP when I bought my first X5 in 2018, a 2002 with just over 20k on the clock.

At the time, I needed to buy a car for my business, but didn't want the cost, depreciation, or truthfully all of the automated features of a new car. I wanted something that for the most part I could maintain myself.

I was certainly not unfamiliar with the ongoing maintenance costs of an aging BMW but the asking price and condition of the particular car I was looking at made it seem like a worthwhile gamble. I knew what I was getting into to some extent, having previously owned a 2006 X3 (bought new) with the same M54 engine. It was super reliable right up until the time I sold it at around 167K. In retrospect, I wish I had kept that car for my son to learn to drive with, but I was out of garage space. In a perfect world I would have just built a bigger garage. :-)

Another factor for me was that the the GVWR of the X5 put it just over the threshold for the Section 179 "Heavy" vehicles that allowed a 100% bonus depreciation in the first year. Can't beat that!

My wife liked the car so much that early the next year when we happened to find a one-owner 05 X5 3.0 being traded in at the local dealership with under 19K on the clock (!), we snapped that one up and haven't looked back. So for better or worse, we've now got two of them in the garage for less than half the price of, say, a new Honda Pilot.

Even with the ongoing maintenance costs, those numbers are working for me so far, and I plan to keep the X5s as long as I can continue affording the maintenance costs. And the cost of filling the darn tanks.

Chris

[nick325xit 5spd]

Originally Posted by Bottomfeeder

And the cost of filling the darn tanks.

Compared to what I'm used to, the X5 gets pretty good fuel economy. It also has a fuel tank sized for its fuel consumption. I don't mind the fuel cost to fill as long as I don't have to go to the station that often.

In comparison, I've always known that the fuel consumption of the E90 M3 was terrible, but the small tank will never not be annoying. It's so bad that BMW throws the low fuel light at a quarter tank. City driving with a 16.6 gallon tank and 9mpg isn't great. It's pretty common for me to get the low fuel light before the trip odometer hits 100 miles.